After graduating from a high school that specializes in math and science, I attended the University of South Carolina where I double majored in physics and philosophy. I credit my excellent high school teachers for giving me the tools to excel in college. I shared these skills with friends who were struggling with physics and began tutoring other peers as I got farther along in my studies. My love of learning also drew me to philosophy, which strengthened my critical thinking, helped me form...
After graduating from a high school that specializes in math and science, I attended the University of South Carolina where I double majored in physics and philosophy. I credit my excellent high school teachers for giving me the tools to excel in college. I shared these skills with friends who were struggling with physics and began tutoring other peers as I got farther along in my studies. My love of learning also drew me to philosophy, which strengthened my critical thinking, helped me form better arguments, and gave me experience writing essays. Before graduating magna cum laude, I received awards from both of my departments. After that, I joined the Peace Corps and went to Cameroon where I taught math and physics for two years. Living in a mountain village gave me an amazing opportunity to learn about the local culture and way of life. While there, I taught small classes of around 10-15 students each for the American equivalents of 6th to 10th grade. Limited classroom resources forced me to be creative and have a deep knowledge of the content.
Back to the United States, I started working as a co-teacher in 7th grade math to get experience teaching in an American classroom. Here I was able to work one-on-one and in small groups with students who were struggling, giving me the chance to work through problems together with them. This let me understand where mistakes were made, further explain specific concepts, and provide additional, targeted practice with feedback and encouragement. After one year as a co-teacher, I started working as a high school physics teacher. It was a joy to return to a subject I'm so passionate about, and I used my passion to inspire my students. Working with other teachers there helped me develop my teaching skills further, and through the school I offered additional tutoring after school and on weekends. In two years, my students had the highest pass rate on the physics Regents in my charter network.
