"My name is Maria and I'm an undergraduate biology and chemistry student.

I have two previous undergraduate degrees in Psychology and Multimedia & Film Production, and have 10 years of employment experience beyond academia in the medical field, TV production, retail, and food service.

I have two years of experience tutoring and being a TA for various college intro and upper division biology and chemistry subjects, as well as two summers of middle school science camp counseling. I have also been working on a genetics research project for three years that focuses on coral conservation.

Many of these science subjects did not come easily to me as a student, so I had to utilize a good deal of alternate resources to understand the material in a way that worked for me. This includes YouTube videos, lots of drawing and re-writing, work books, creating songs and other pneumonic devices, and more. This approach promoted me to excel academically and develop a passion for helping other students discover the learning strategies that work for them.

I also believe that tutoring can offer more than just direct support with course material. When a student comes to me overflowing with exam anxiety and dread, I don’t find it helpful to jump right into studying because we cannot learn effectively if our nervous system thinks we’re dying. In these situations, I like to offer an optional 1-3 minutes of grounding exercises before we get started, such as EFT tapping, deep breathing, or vigorously dancing to a song.

No matter what your reason for taking these classes is- I'm passionate about helping you succeed. Let's find a way that works for you!" less...