Jane Zafran

Biography

After graduating from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, I returned home to my native California. Though I was born in Los Angeles, I was raised in the Bay Area, growing up in Woodside. I attended Castilleja School in Palo Alto for grades six through eight and Menlo School in Atherton for grades nine through twelve, maintaining a perfect unweighted GPA during those four years.

At Brown, I majored in Science, Technology, and Society and co-founded the Brown Journal of Medical Humanities, a medical literary journal that bridges the sciences and humanities, hoping to advance the emerging field of narrative medicine. Currently, I am an editor for The Pegasus Review, the journal of narrative medicine at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. I am also a member of The Pegasus Physician Writers at Stanford, a group of physician authors dedicated to medical humanities and creative writing.

In between the summers of my high school years, I was a math and wellness tutor for the Peninsula Bridge Program, a nonprofit with the goal of providing equal educational access to motivated children. During the school years, I was a math tutor for students at Taft Elementary School in Redwood City. I found joy connecting with students over subjects both inside and outside of the classroom. Watching students grow and progress has also proven very rewarding.

Moreover, I am passionate about tutoring because I have experienced success firsthand. I am particularly keen on AJ Tutoring because I was privileged enough to work with them when I was studying for the SAT in high school. Without the mentoring, patience, and support of my incredible tutor, Robert Jonas, I wouldn’t have reached my 1560 score, which was sixty points above my goal. Despite how daunting tests like the SAT can seem, AJ Tutoring’s unique philosophy and approach to test prep makes testing accessible to students at every level.

A former swimmer and water polo player, I now dedicate my free time to strength training and Pilates. I am also an avid reader of both fiction and nonfiction, enjoying everything from Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace to Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers. Finally, I have a major sweet tooth and love to bake. There is no bad time for a sweet treat — including during a study session!