PrepNow Tutor - Erin W.
A STEM tutor with a passion for solving challenging problems, Erin has lived a life full of variety. She holds a BA in chemistry from Lawrence University and, after graduating college, she was a research assistant in a chemistry laboratory. She later worked in regulatory for a deli salad company and then in quality consulting for the pharmaceutical and medical device industry; next she pivoted to politics. “I always was interested in politics, and in 2010, volunteered on my first congressional campaign. When our candidate won, he asked me to join his staff, and I couldn't say no to that position.” Erin was first an immigration caseworker and then transitioned to a role as executive director of a political action committee. During this time, she started to tutor on the side until she ultimately decided to leave politics to focus entirely on teaching.
“Tutoring is one of my favorite things to do,” Erin says, explaining that she enjoys learning about her students, not only their goals and dreams but their passions and interests. “I love seeing a student go from ‘I can't do this’ to ‘I understand this!’ I love that I get to shut out all of the badness in the world and give my heart and soul to someone, helping make this world a better place. I love it when one of my advanced students and I solve a very hard problem. I love it so much that I get depressed over breaks!”
Erin has been tutoring since 2015, helping countless students on a wide variety of subjects. While she mostly tutors math and science, from grade school through to the advanced college level, she has also worked with students on creative writing, beginning chess, ASVAB, the Chicago Public Schools Selective Enrollment exam, and adult business math. “I'm proudest when I get a student who goes from hating school to liking it, because when you want to be there in school, you open doors for yourself,” she says.
When tutoring, Erin likes to have the students take the lead. Instead of lecturing them, she asks questions to gauge their understanding. Erin explains, “Wrong answers lead me to ask ‘why’ instead of moving into instruction mode, as seeing their logic behind an answer helps guide how I'm going to explain the right answer, and I don't want students to feel discouraged if they just aren't understanding.”
With her younger students, Erin's primary goal is to help them enjoy the process of learning. “I want them to enter high school eager for the opportunity to make their dreams happen,” she says. “For older students, it's all about looking towards life after high school and making sure they are positioned to succeed in whatever they choose.” Erin ties her students' passions and interests into her teaching style so that each student feels connected to the learning. “With all age groups, I want to infuse my students with the confidence that they can learn anything if they work hard and have an open mind."
In high school, Erin was a top high school student, earning scholarships from both the NASA Wisconsin Space Grant Consortium and National Merit. She ran cross country and was very active in the Speech Team, Academic Team, Drama Club, and the school band.
Her greatest hobby is writing. “I have been blogging since the middle of the 2000s, and last year, I started performing as a spoken word artist,” she shares. “I also do creative writing and have won a short story competition.” Erin has run two marathons where the world record was broken—Berlin 2018 and Chicago 2019. She is listed as an inventor on three patents in nanocomposite technology.
