Fun Facts

I am fluent in Spanish and currently learning Arabic. Last year I spent a semester studying in Granada, Spain. In my free time I love to work out, and shoot digital and black & white film photography. I am half Salvadoran on my mother's side and visit the country often. I am also an Eagle Scout and take great pride in having been a part of such an expansive organization.

About Me

I am a senior at Santa Clara University majoring in Spanish and Math. Languages are my passion, and after learning Arabic I hope to add French and German to my repertoire. I love traveling, the most interesting place I've been so far is Morocco. Finding ways to connect different cultures is something that interests me and I believe that my affinity for languages could be the key to finding a way for myself to accomplish that.

My experience as an academic tutor comes from my time volunteering in local elementary school classes as a student teacher. I worked a few hours every week in second and third grade Spanish classes, aiding the teacher in teaching reading, writing and speaking skills in Spanish. Additionally, we covered math-elementary/california/san-jose">elementary math and science, also in Spanish. My experience as a mentor and tutor in other skills comes from many years in the Boy Scouts of America organization. As a leader in my troop I have gained a lot of experience working well with adults, my peers, and those younger than me, tailoring my behavior to suit the needs of each situation.

My approach to tutoring is simple: provide enough guidance for the student to be able to work on their own without too much interference on my part. I believe in letting the student find answers on their own instead of providing them with an easy way out. In my own experience, having the student work their way through a problem of any kind is much more rewarding for the student and unlocks more potential than just giving them a path to follow. However, I believe that my ability to adapt to a person's needs does allow me to play a more present role if the student needs closer attention. I am all about tailoring my abilities to fit those of the student instead of forcing them to learn how I would learn.