Hi, I'm Rachel, a current PhD student in sociology at the University of Minnesota! I graduated from Princeton University with a BA in Molecular Biology and have a master's degree in global health from Karolinska Institute in Sweden. While pursuing my PhD, I've discovered that my most rewarding work has come not from research alone, but from working directly with students and finding ways to make learning fun and engaging for them.
As a teaching assistant, I've always had large class sizes...
Hi, I'm Rachel, a current PhD student in sociology at the University of Minnesota! I graduated from Princeton University with a BA in Molecular Biology and have a master's degree in global health from Karolinska Institute in Sweden. While pursuing my PhD, I've discovered that my most rewarding work has come not from research alone, but from working directly with students and finding ways to make learning fun and engaging for them.
As a teaching assistant, I've always had large class sizes for the courses I teach, and I've especially enjoyed working with students one-on-one during office hours. When I notice a student is struggling with essay writing, I usually request they make an appointment with me so that I can help them develop a logic and structure for their papers, or talk through how to improve their syntax and grammar.
I also have five years of experience tutoring middle- and high-school students in math, ranging from Pre-Algebra to Geometry and Algebra 2, including several months tutoring students in Spanish while I lived in Cusco, Peru. I tailor my tutoring methods to each individual student -- I take note of whether we should spend time developing their confidence and organizational skills, and I learn about their interests so that I better understand how to help them connect to the material. I've studied and worked in a wide range of international settings, which has primed me to be attuned to the diverse academic and interpersonal needs of the students with whom I work.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions about my background or methods! I aim to be accessible, so will always respond as quickly as I can.