Rhina

My name is Rhina Allende, and I began supporting high school seniors through volunteering with a nonprofit organization that supports low-income high-achieving students. Most of the students I supported were first-generation college students seeking guidance and support, particularly in the writing process. As a student, I was fortunate to be part of an organization with professionals who helped me navigate building a school list, writing college essays, financial aid, and other related tasks. I hope to be able to support students through Learner in a similar way. As an undergraduate student, I worked in an office where I supported students applying to graduate school, and I also attended an Ivy League graduate school myself. Therefore, I am confident in my ability to assist students, especially with writing.

Tutoring Style

I personally believe that building a relationship with students and being able to understand and help them highlight their voice in their writing is the essential first step. I love dissecting exemplar essays with students and talking through different anecdotes from their lives that serve the prompt they are responding to. I think it's important to brainstorm and have multiple snippets of other ideas before committing to one, but once we commit, supporting the student in fleshing out their ideas, drafting, revising, and editing. I want a polished product for each student, but also a product that feels authentic and helps the school understand the student on a deeper level.

Success Story

A moment that really stands out to me was when I worked with a student who was a phenomenal storyteller. They were passionate and detailed in their oral delivery, but it was challenging when they attempted to put their ideas into writing. We spent sessions brainstorming, using graphic organizers, outlining, and reading aloud portions of their writing to ensure their voice sounded authentic and natural. Although it took time, the student was incredibly proud of their final draft, and I was impressed by their hard work, feeling it was an accurate representation of the student on paper.

Another student who comes to mind had several strong ideas for their personal statement, but kept second-guessing themselves, ultimately becoming weighed down by the brainstorming stage. We ended up discussing their values together and selected the top three most meaningful themes in the student's life at that moment. We wrote an outline for all three potential topics, and it became clear that the student had the most to say about one topic in particular. It was awesome to see how, by talking through it together, I was able to ease their feelings of overwhelm. Within just a few sessions, they had a full draft that felt rich and authentic, and their energy certainly felt more relieved and confident. This is ultimately my goal for any student!