Chemistry has been the center of my professional life since 2006. I am certified to teach chemistry in the state of Texas and have spent my career teaching general high school Chemistry, AP Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry. Since 2020 I have served as an official AP Chemistry Exam reader, which means I spend part of each summer scoring exams alongside college professors and high school teachers from across the country. That work has given me a deep, ongoing understanding of exactly how the...
Chemistry has been the center of my professional life since 2006. I am certified to teach chemistry in the state of Texas and have spent my career teaching general high school Chemistry, AP Chemistry, and Organic Chemistry. Since 2020 I have served as an official AP Chemistry Exam reader, which means I spend part of each summer scoring exams alongside college professors and high school teachers from across the country. That work has given me a deep, ongoing understanding of exactly how the College Board evaluates student responses, and I bring that insight directly into how I teach and tutor.
Beyond the classroom, I have tutored one-on-one for 20 years, working with students ranging from high schoolers just starting general chemistry to college students tackling organic chemistry and beyond. My approach leans heavily on building strong conceptual foundations first, since I have found that students who truly understand the "why" behind a reaction or a calculation retain it far better than those who memorize steps. I like to meet students where they are, whether that means slowing down to rebuild a shaky foundation in stoichiometry or pushing a stronger student toward the kind of mechanism-based thinking that organic chemistry demands. Organic chemistry in particular is where my passion really shows; I enjoy helping students see it less as a wall of memorization and more as a logical, almost puzzle-like system once the underlying patterns click.
I hold a master's degree in chemistry and am continuing my graduate studies in organic chemistry, so I stay closely connected to current research even as I continue teaching full time. I also serve as my school's science department chair, which keeps me closely involved in curriculum design across all levels of chemistry instruction. When I am not teaching or tutoring, I spend time with my wife and three daughters, and enjoy piano, oil painting, and woodworking, all of which keep me creatively engaged outside of the sciences.
