Emily

Certified Tutor

I am a native of Carmel, Indiana and received my B.A. in History and Spanish from Indiana University-Bloomington in 2010. During my tenure, I worked with students in a variety of diverse settings, from one-on-one meetings to events with over 200 attendees. I've always had an interest in International Affairs and spent my freshman year in a residence dedicated to students who were passionate about studying abroad and exploring the world. The following year I took on the role of Student Instructor and led a class of 15 in conversations about the current state of world affairs, the effects of globalization, and how to effectively assimilate and adjust to a college environment.

I spent the 2008-2009 Academic Year studying abroad in Madrid, Spain, which was an invaluable experience and allowed me to both learn the language to a great level of fluency, but also explore the culture and survive on my own in a foreign country. I loved my time abroad so much that when I returned to Indiana I worked with the Study Abroad Office, advising students and helping them to map out their own plans for study abroad. I spoke in front of hundreds of students during orientations about culture shock, preparation for studying abroad, and how to best assimilate to a different culture. I love tutoring Spanish because I like to incorporate "real world applications" into my sessions. I believe that learning a language involves more than rote memorization of vocabulary words and verb conjugations and tenses. It is essential to incorporate interesting and relevant methods that also give insight into that particular language and culture, including newspaper articles, fictional stories, poetry and magazines, movies and YouTube videos.

Among my other favorite subjects to tutor are U.S. History (AP), U.S. Government (AP), Public Speaking, English Literature, and College Essay Editing. I worked in the House of Representatives for 3 years as a Press Assistant and Legislative Aide, which provided me with excellent knowledge and insight into our government and how it works. Again, I think that being able to apply what students learn in the classroom to the "real world" is of utmost importance and my goal is to help students realize the value of these subjects and how they can apply them to their future careers. Overall, I would describe my tutoring philosophy as individually tailored to each student. Everyone learns in a different way, and I do my best to accommodate different learning strategies and mechanisms. I want my students to come away from our sessions with a better understanding of the subject material, and I want them to feel comfortable asking me questions. I will NOT do their work for them, however, I will arm them with the appropriate knowledge, strategies, and resources to figure it out for themselves.

Outside of academia I love to be physically active, whether I'm off on a hike in Great Falls with my fianc and German Shepherd/Husky mix, playing soccer on a co-ed league, at a dance class, or training for the Marine Corps Marathon. I am also a Civil Affairs Specialist in the U.S. Army Reserves and am proud to serve my country in that capacity. I love to read, listen to podcasts, try different restaurants and ethnic cuisines, and travel.