Fun Facts
Though I've lived the vast majority of my life in the U.S., I am proud to say that I was born in Taiwan and I have a passion for traveling and meeting new people. I believe everyone has a story that's worth sharing. I also love crafting, especially making cards, knotted friendship bracelets, and knitted scarves. Finally, I love to eat! I love trying new foods, and I will try almost anything once. Ask me – I’ve tried some interesting ones!
About Me
I am currently living in and loving D.C., but I grew up in the other Washington, washington/seattle">Seattle to be specific. I went off to college in California convinced I was going to study either English or Neuroscience, and graduated from the redlands">University of Redlands with a Bachelor’s in Sociology instead. (I know it’s not obvious, but I’m curious and love learning about any and everything.) This past year I just completed my residency year with a teacher training program called the Urban Teacher Center. As a UTC Resident, I enjoyed co-teaching first grade, and I am happily on my way toward earning a dual master’s in Education and education/virginia/washington-dc">Special Education. Next year, I am stoked to be returning to teach education/virginia/washington-dc">Special Education!
In addition to my residency year I’ve had a lot of experience washington-dc">tutoring and mentoring. In college, I volunteered to help elementary students with homework 2-3 hours a week at the local Boys and Girls Club for three years, worked as an in-home math and science washington-dc">tutor for middle and high school boys in foster care for two years, and had fun being a Middle Buddy in my senior year, too. Recently, I had the privilege and pleasure of student teaching first grade for a total of 8 weeks over the course of the year, and assumed full responsibility for teaching reading to a small group of seven students second semester.
The most important lesson I’ve learned from years of being a student, from the research I’ve read in class, and from the experience I’ve gained as a teacher is that having a strong knowledge of content simply is not enough to be a good teacher. Building relationships is essential to learning. As a washington-dc">tutor, I strive to build strong relationships with my students so that I can effectively work with them to build their self-confidence, motivate them to learn, and guide them toward achieving their personal, academic, and professional goals.