Understanding, Warm Stanford Researcher for Bio, Math, Writing Help

Anastasiya S.

I'm a recent college graduate (BS in Biochemistry with Distinction and minors in Computer Science and Chemistry) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). I attended Harker in middle and high school, and I was accepted to Carnegie Mellon University for a Master's in Computational Biology. However, I decided to come back to the Bay Area to perform immunology research at Stanford, where I am now researching COVID-19. Outside of the biomedical space, I have enjoyed mentorship for young learners since I was in high school. My five years of experience working with children (ages 7-17) and my peers in a mentoring capacity as a tutor, figure skating instructor, and essay editor, have provided me with insight into the soft skills required to effectively convey subject material to students. My leadership extends beyond the classroom, as I have led hikes and taught environmental lessons to 5th-grade students as a science camp counselor, with stellar feedback on my energy, enthusiasm, and compassion from multiple teachers in charge. I was also the leader of weekly fitness workouts as part of women's fitness group CHAARG on my university campus.

I understand how stressful and isolating it can be to struggle in school. I did not reach my goals without my own struggles. My philosophy is that anyone can learn anything, and I believe that middle school/high school/ adulthood is a time to explore a multitude of academic subjects and disciplines. No subject is too lofty to excel in, and it is never too late to start. With a warm and understanding teaching style, I hope to reduce the fear that can come with approaching a subject. I will provide all my support to the student, working first to identify the areas that need more attention and then leveraging the student's existing skills and strengths to address challenges.