Biography

I grew up in Santa Barbara, and initially didn’t think I would ever work in education. Although I was an academically talented student, and even took AP Calculus AB, I did not pursue a college education immediately out of high school. I worked in hospitality for a number of years before deciding to go back to school.

I was accepted to University of California, Berkeley, where I was a math major and loved the discipline through and through. Because of my nontraditional background, I connect with students who seem lost or unsure, both in their mathematical pursuits and in what direction they want to take their education. I encourage students to explore their own interests beyond just developing strong academic skills so they can avoid the long road I took to my own education.

While at Berkeley, I cemented my love for mathematics by completely surrounding myself by it. I joined the math club and took as many courses as I could in all types of different subjects, so I could fully develop my newfound love for the subject. Math is a language, and seeing students develop their understanding for it to the point they can speak it fluently is one of the joys of tutoring. After being invited to be a teacher’s assistant in a multivariable calculus class, I soon found myself assisting in other courses such as single variable calculus and linear algebra.

Beyond assisting every student in understanding the material, I wrote challenge problem sets for stronger students who wished to develop their skills in pure mathematics. During my years at Berkeley, I privately tutored the same lower division courses alongside upper division courses in algebra. Working with all sorts of students has grown my ability to both communicate math and spot exactly what issue a student is having.

The greatest joy of tutoring for me is witnessing the moment a student overcomes what was once a daunting wall and reduces it to rubble, achieving what they were capable of all along. I strive to guide students towards this moment, aiding them in understanding what exactly they’re having difficulty with and why.

All students have the ability to to reach this moment, and it’s my job to merely assist them in accomplishing it. Every student learns differently, so I tailor my students’ tutoring sessions around their learning styles and needs instead of blanketing them with a singular rote approach. As often as students have difficultly learning the material, they have trouble adapting to their professor’s teaching style, get mixed up by notation or lingo, or simply don’t study using the right habits. Spotting these difficulties and alleviating them for my students is one of my favorite parts of the job, beyond teaching the math itself.

Outside of tutoring, I enjoy hiking, tending to my houseplants, and working on my car, which sadly always needs work! I also delight in helping others do their own automotive repairs in the same vein as helping my students build their academic skillsets.