I graduated from Penn State in 2010 with a degree in English and a minor in Philosophy. After Penn State, I attended Pitt for a year to obtain my teaching certification in English and Communications. I am also certified to teach Social Studies on the secondary level. Currently, I am working towards my M. A. in English through Middlebury College's low-residency program, Bread Loaf School of English. I first became interested in teaching and tutoring when I worked at the Undergraduate Writing Center at Penn State, where I worked with student writing in a variety of disciplines. I worked with a range of students, too, from non-native English speakers to struggling writers to honors students and even graduate students. I absolutely love writing--I have written for local newspapers, campus publications, and even a section of a textbook. Working with students at all stages of the writing process is probably the most rewarding work I do. However, I also really enjoy tutoring in reading and have a great deal of experience working to prepare students for tests like the PSSA's and SAT's. I am best at tutoring in these subjects because I love them so much. I read and write for pleasure and believe passionately in the importance of literacy. When working with students, I always bring my enthusiasm for the written word to the lesson because I believe it is important for them to see how much I enjoy the content so that they can engage with it more readily. I also really enjoy science-fiction; I love animals (especially my pet cat); and I love to hike or spend time in nature.