Gerard

I started tutoring my peers in high school. I received my BS in civil engineering and MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. I have lived in the Philippines, Korea, and Japan. I have worked in various industries such as industrial recycling, investment management, and college admissions.

Ages I've worked with: 

I have worked with students from middle school to early college years.

My tutoring style: 

I believe that anybody can learn anything with enough patient support. I provide tutoring with heart. Your brain develops in a unique way. You may need help with one math topic even though others are easy. As you move through middle school and high school, I can help get you over those rough patches. I’ve seen math come in handy in art, music, business, politics, big data science, giant robotics, and in everyday life. I am here to help you keep all those future doors open.

Success Story:

A ninth grader came to me frustrated with high school, with remote learning, and especially with algebra. Everything made sense in class but homework was difficult and exams were anxiety-provoking. On her previous test day she froze up and couldn't finish the test; she failed it.

We worked together on two things. First, we worked on applying when she learned at school to the homework -- we figured out what the rules were that the teacher wanted her to apply in the homework in straight-forward problems and in problems that were meant to get her to stretch.

Second, we worked on test-day anxiety. She showed me a practice final exam that she had failed; she was scared of failing the whole class because of it. Based on that practice test, I wrote three more practice tests for her. In the days leading up to final exam day, we alternated between taking the practice tests in test-day conditions and reviewing the weak spots in her knowledge. Her practice test grades improved from F to D to C to B. On exam day, she got a 92% and handily passed the class. I was so impressed with her perseverance  and confidence!

Hobbies and interests: 

I like hiking and running; Star Wars and other science fiction; hip-hop and rock music (including math rock); my cat; and cooking -- especially Korean food!