What is your hometown?
Ewa Beach, HI
What hobbies, sports, or interests light you up?
I love going to the gym, hiking, reading, drawing/painting, & bowling.
What is your specialty as a tutor? What topic, problem, subject, or process do you most enjoy helping students to learn?
I am good at coming up with example problems that target concepts students may be struggling with and walking through them step by step. I enjoy helping students work through reaction mechanisms, and other challenging concepts by explaining my thought process and showing them how to approach similar problems on their own. I find that practicing with examples is one of the best ways to make difficult Organic Chemistry concepts feel more manageable.
Which of the CLASS 5 Keys – Respect, Inclusion, Growth, Support, and Pizzazz - resonates with you the most and how do you put it into practice in your work as a tutor?
The Key that resonates with me the most is Growth. As a tutor, I want students to leave a session not only understanding the problem they were working on, but also feeling more confident in their ability to approach similar problems on their own. I try to put this into practice by meeting students where they are, creating example problems based on what they are struggling with, and walking through concepts step by step. I also think growth applies to me as a tutor because every student learns differently, so I am always willing to adjust how I explain something and learn new ways to help each student succeed.
What is your best advice for students on how to get the most out of their academic experience in college?
My best advice is to take advantage of the resources and opportunities available to you and not be afraid to ask for help. College can be challenging, and you are not expected to figure everything out on your own. Going to office hours, asking questions, forming study groups, and using resources like tutoring can make a huge difference. I also think it is important to find study strategies that work best for you rather than comparing yourself to how other students learn. Most importantly, be willing to make mistakes and learn from them because a big part of the college experience is growing both academically and personally.
Give us a movie quotation, song lyric, or line from a book that will motivate us in our learning.
“You’ll have bad times, but it’ll always wake you up to the good stuff you weren’t paying attention to. You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." — Winnie the Pooh"