Summer

Summer

With over five years of combined experience in teaching and mentoring, formal education, and community-based outreach and programming, I have cultivated the ability to meaningfully connect with people from different backgrounds and stories, which I believe is an essential piece of being an effective and inclusive tutor.

While pursuing my graduate degree at UC Berkeley, I worked as a Graduate Student Instructor (TA) for two semesters and independently instructed about 60 undergraduate students per week. I guided them through the nuts and bolts of essay writing, crafting a strong thesis, exam studying tips and time management, and conducting research for long papers. I also held weekly office hours where I met with students one on one to further discuss course material and help them work through challenging concepts. This direct contact with the students was a gratifying experience, as it allowed me to listen to and learn their strengths, which meant I could craft an individualized approach to help them succeed. My tutoring approach is nearly the same— I seek to get to know my students in order to identify their strengths and struggles so that I can design lesson plans and techniques tailored to their unique learning style and personality.

From a credential standpoint, I have a background in grassroots community work and rigorous academic training. I attended Lehigh University from 2013-2017 where I received a dual BA in Political Science and Global Studies with honors and a certificate in Global Citizenship. After graduating, I moved to Bakersfield, CA for a year-long poverty reduction and food security role through the AmeriCorps VISTA program. Upon completing my year of service, I moved to Berkeley (where I’m located now) to pursue an MA degree in Global Studies, which is a field of study focussed on understanding the dynamic social, political, environmental, and economic complexities of “globalization.”

While my ultimate goal is to pursue a Ph.D. and continue teaching and learning, I am currently working a flexible, part-time job at a small farm-based food security non-profit where I help coordinate the Market Match program for 15 farmers’ markets, which allows folks on CalFresh (food stamps) to receive double the amount of farmers’ market produce for half the price while also benefiting local farmers. I am passionate about doing work that will create a more equitable society and I firmly believe in the power of education as a step toward this goal.