Habit of Excellence

How I Became a Tutor

My designation as a "private tutor" was not something at which I arrived; it's
something I've always been. Since elementary school, I have been the one to turn to the
student beside me and help him or her through class work – sometimes at the teacher's
request. As an 8th-grader, I began volunteer tutoring at an Orlando middle school for
students struggling with reading and math.

In high school, tutoring became my accidental job: I started tutoring one peer in
Geometry at the request of a family friend, and the word spread. Because I always
had an interest in studying all subjects rather than specializing, I tutored for many
different classes from day one. By the time I graduated, I had quite a clientele, which
then stuck by me through my years at Rollins College. Also during my undergraduate
years, I became a certified tutor through the Student Resource Center on campus and
tutored everything from Statistics to Spanish and Political Science.

In my last semester of college, I had a beautiful son and became even more committed
to my business. The fact that I had been a tutor for so long made for a smooth
transition from college to "the real world," and my business has grown exponentially
since then. Every day is different; every student is different. I enjoy giving my time to
those who need serious academic help or just a dose of confidence.

It has been twelve years since I first began tutoring, and I could not be happier with
my job. I am exploring the idea of turning my tutoring business into an academic
publishing endeavor, and eventually starting a non-profit scholarship and college
admissions organization.

For more about me, see my résumé and teaching philosophy.