PrepNow Tutor - Catherine N.
A scientist and an artist, Catherine loves to investigate and appreciate the world. She holds a BS in biology and an MS in biotechnology. Catherine started her career as a scientist supporting immunology and gene therapy and is currently a program manager within the pharmaceutical industry. Catherine started tutoring test prep in 2012 while in graduate school and quickly grew excited about helping students to achieve their college goals.
Catherine has helped many students receive acceptances from what she considered to be their stretch goals—highly competitive colleges that required strong academic achievements as well as competitive test scores. “I love it when my students tell me that they were accepted into their dream college,” Catherine says. She has tutored over fifty students on all sections of the SAT and ACT exams. “I start by asking every student about their score goals, their learning styles, and their strengths,” she shares.“ I then develop a personalized tutoring plan to help students learn, gain confidence, and become comfortable with the test. I have found this sets the appropriate foundation for success for each student.
When tutoring, Catherine closely listens to her students and creates a learning environment where they can ask questions that they might not feel comfortable asking in their classrooms. “This allows them to address areas that they need to strengthen or even learn for the first time,” she says. “They will continue to build their confidence as they get to understand concepts that they thought were too difficult to ask for help in school.” Her teaching style is patient and thorough as she ensures that each student nails down an important concept before the actual test. “Students will perform better on the exam if they feel that they know what to expect and have a supporting strategy for questions that they might not know how to answer,” she explains. “Also, I provide encouragement and positive feedback along the way to keep each student comfortable yet motivated.”
In high school, Catherine participated in track while also winning art awards. She mainly paints with acrylics and pastels. She loves hiking and trying new restaurants with her friends. Catherine grew up in both Texas and Missouri before settling in Virginia.
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