Hi! My name is Sara, and I'm an undergraduate at Princeton University. I'm a dancer, a yogi, and an all-around arts fanatic hoping to pursue a major in English with certificates in French and Creative Writing. I am in the unique position of having switched high schools as a junior, moving from a large public school in Southern California to a far smaller one in Upstate New York. I believe this experience lent me valuable insight into academic success, as moving forced me to reevaluate my study habits and techniques—improved skills that (I think) ultimately helped me to reach Princeton and that I would love to share.
I tutored local children throughout high school and served as a teaching assistant at a literacy center before my freshman year of college. It wasn't until I was a rising sophomore, however, that I discovered a true passion for teaching. That summer, I worked as a teaching assistant at the School at the Mark Morris Dance Center, a prominent dance school in New York City. On the surface, teaching dance might seem a far cry from academic tutoring. At its core, however, dance instruction is all about encouraging children to push themselves, to deeply learn a dance combination rather than simply replicate it, to build technique and effective skills to put that technique into action. Princeton Tutoring uses the same approaches, with dance combinations replaced by essays, perhaps, or test taking. I find joy in watching my students succeed. It is truly rewarding to form relationships with them, as I feel such relationships allow me to witness their growth, and, in tandem, grow with them. As for my career, I'm not quite sure what I want to do, but I do hope it involves teaching!