"Hello everyone! My name is Ben. I recently completed my Masters in Russian and Slavic Studies at New York University, and I graduated Sumna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Hamilton College in 2019. My areas of expertise include US History, European History, and Russian History (and some Classics), as well as Written Expression (proofreading, revisions, etc.).

Recently, I have worked as a Teaching Assistant and Grader at NYU, one of four TA’s for the Graphics Narrative course (one of NYU’s CORE program of essential humanities classes). This literature course focused on comic books and graphic novels – the history of the industry, the increasing diversity of stories and creators, and the specific artistic and narrative techniques that make the medium unique compared to other, related media. I focused in particular on improving the students’ essay writing skills, an area that many of the students without a background in the humanities initially struggled with. Prior to NYU, I worked as a Russian language TA at Hamilton College. In my junior year, I was one of two TA’s for the introductory Russian courses. My fellow TA had grown up speaking Russian, so he handled pronunciation and idiomatic expressions, while I focused more on writing and grammar. In my senior year, my primary role was a remote, one-on-one Russian language tutor for a student who was studying abroad.

I find it genuinely rewarding to learn new things and then to pass that information on to others, and my students have found me to be flexible, approachable, and supportive. Moreover, I had a very positive experience with a tutor in high school, and I would like the opportunity to provide that same kind of experience to other learners." less...