Yale graduate and current educator

Dana K.

Hello! My name is Dana and I am a recent graduate of Yale University with a Bachelor of Science in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. I am currently pursuing a career in early childhood education at a private preschool in Santa Monica but am looking to expand on my larger passion for education through tutoring.
I have a wide array of teaching experiences starting from high school when I would tutor younger peers for their math courses, test prep, or academic tournaments, such as Science Olympiad. Throughout college, I continued teaching through other avenues. I spent two summers mentoring and teaching a cohort of incoming Yale first-years in the ONEXYS (Online Experiences for Yale Scholars) program, an intensive course in precalculus that helps prepare students for quantitative courses at Yale. Throughout the academic year, I taught health workshops in New Haven public school classrooms. After graduating, I began helping individual students with standardized test preparation to help minimize the stress and burden of what is an important component of college admissions. These varied teaching experiences have honed my skills in collaborating with learners and families to help them achieve their goals.
My philosophy towards teaching stems from my belief that being a good teacher is not just about delivering "academic" instruction; my goal in working with students is also to encourage a positive and enthusiastic learner through warm and empathetic mentorship. Having come out from the other side of college and the admissions process, I understand how overwhelmed or anxious students may be feeling. Providing students with the tools and encouragement to work through these feelings is just as important a step toward success as any other.