Biography

I grew up in San Jose, and when I wasn’t practicing the saxophone for jazz band, I spent my time studying for AP English and social studies exams at Westmont High School. I loved this work so much that I decided to pursue it in college, attending Santa Clara University and graduating summa cum laude with majors in English and history. Most of my classes at Santa Clara were small, seminar-style, giving me plenty of firsthand experience in the benefits of direct collaboration and peer feedback.

During college I kept busy. In addition to regularly overloading my course schedule, I worked as a writer and editor for the student newspaper. But most importantly, I worked as a peer tutor at my school’s writing center, which focused on helping students improve their critical thinking and writing skills. In this role, I worked with a diverse array of students on a wide variety of projects—from freshmen attempting their first biology lab reports to graduate students preparing business proposals. Through this 1-on-1 tutoring, I learned how to tailor sessions to the needs of each individual student, helping them to not only bring out the best of their abilities, but also feel confident and proud in the work they produced.

Building on this crucial experience, my tutoring philosophy centers on the idea that we all have the ability to succeed—we just need to become aware of how to do it. My mission as a tutor is to use my experience in collaboration and peer feedback, as well as my background in test-prep for AP exams and the SAT and ACT, to help students gain the skills and confidence they need to put their most successful selves forward, whether they’re dealing with an essay on Romeo and Juliet or the science section of the ACT. I love tutoring because I love helping students thrive with the courses and exams that will prepare them for their futures.

And, whenever I’m not tutoring and instead find myself with some free time, I tend to fill it by watching old movies, learning the guitar (or bass ukulele), and reading science fiction.