Biography

A San Jose native, I attended local schools, including Archbishop Mitty High School. For college, I attended UC Davis, where I got my B.A. in linguistics with a minor in psychology. In my time as a student, I experienced what it was like to take a class and excel in a subject I loved with teachers I adored, but I also experienced what it was like to feel like I was drowning in a difficult class that didn’t naturally click for me. As an educator, I strive to extend compassion and empathy to students feeling anxiety about school and to share my enthusiasm about the subjects I teach.

I’ve been in love with reading and writing for just about my entire life. As a fifth grader, I wrote on a school assignment that my handwriting was messy because I wanted to write fast so I could go back to reading! English classes were always my favorite in middle and high school, and majoring in linguistics gave me a fascinating new perspective on language. I know that everyone’s approach to reading and writing is unique, and working with a friend or a student to help them improve their comprehension or to produce a piece of writing of which they can be proud is one of my favorite things to do.

For years before I had an official tutoring job, I was the go-to friend for people who wanted help proofreading their essays or wanted someone to work on homework with. When I was a teenager, my father was friends with a published author who let me read and give feedback on a manuscript, so when I was in college and received an email from my advisor about a university program looking for people to volunteer as tutors for a local elementary school, I thought it sounded like a great fit for me. I was hooked right away, and over the next year developed close bonds with the students and families I worked with. Eventually one family asked me to come work with them as a private tutor for their two little girls, which I did until I graduated a couple years later.

My tutoring style centers around creating a fun and funny atmosphere while still staying focused on educational goals. I prefer tutoring’s 1-on-1 format because I like to talk through the student’s thought process, to understand where they’re coming from, and to help them turn their creative and interesting thoughts into a cohesive assignment they can feel good about turning in. Regardless of whether the student is succeeding and wanting to push themselves further or struggling and trying to improve, I enjoy creating an enriching and educational experience for them.

As an inveterate nerd, I love to play video games and tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons with my friends. I listen to tons of podcasts, have a passion for music, and am the dedicated caretaker of a 20-gallon aquarium.