I knew long ago that I disliked competitive standardized tests. However, I have found that a curriculum that is insightful, relevant, and driven by a passionate instructor can make education much more worthwhile and engaging for students. As a teenager, doing well in school was not my top priority. The morning of the SAT I was much more interested in listening to my mp3 player than doing well on the test. Fast forward a few years: Today I take my classes seriously and am always looking for ways to improve myself as a scholar. You might ask, "What happened during those in-between years?" The answer is that I discovered several passions. I now have a passion for seeking out ways to change the society we live in, rather than simply sitting back and criticizing it without taking action. I am also passionate about history, language-learning, mindfulness and social and environmental justice. My newly discovered passions have led me to believe that I must strive to be my best possible self in order to help others -- hence my renewed motivation in school. It has also translated into a strong desire to share what I am passionate about with other young people who are on their own journeys through the often unequal (and unfortunately sometimes boring) education system in the United States. I am interested in working as a tutor today (and a teacher in the future) because I believe that my passion for education and my story of transformation from bored to engaged student can help young people who are struggling to succeed.