Natasha

I am a third-year student at Durham University in England, pursuing my bachelor's degree in International Relations and Politics, with a special interest in environmental affairs. Although I am a student in the UK, I was born and raised in Washington, D.C. I started to teach at the age of 13, teaching taekwondo to students of all ages. Since starting my tutoring journey, I've found that the subjects I enjoy most are AP Environmental Sciences, AP English Composition, and all forms of writing. I've familiarized myself with the AP structure for years, and make sure a part of my lessons is focused on deconstructing the intimidating nature of both the exams and what is learned. Despite the thorough structure of AP curricula, I like to take what I have learned beyond when I took the course, from personal experiences and higher education, and apply it to my lessons. I aim to demonstrate how the taught material isn't just words on a page, but something applicable to real life and worth taking an interest in beyond the class. I find that students lose motivation when they feel their learning is being wasted on something only relevant to a grade; hence, showing them how learned material works in the world around them or impacts them directly can make a huge difference in how they connect with the material and, in turn, how they process it. The most gratifying feeling I've felt after years of tutoring is seeing a student connect with a certain writing style or idea, and commit themselves to their work out of passion rather than obligation. I've seen this passion ignite through normal coursework, college application essays, job proposals, and even adults aspiring to start a writing career. Outside of my passion for academia, I still find time to enjoy my hobbies. Taekwondo is my first love, and now I have the honor of coaching my university's taekwondo team! Beyond this, playing the violin and piano is my favorite way to decompress after a long day, and I've built a Dungeons and Dragons campaign as a creative outlet and a way for my closest friends to connect outside of the chaos of day-to-day life.

- Taekwondo - Creative and Academic Writing - Journalism - Environmental Sciences, Conservation, and Policy - Model UN - Dungeons and Dragons - Music (Violin and Piano)