PrepNow Tutor - Cecelia B.
Cecelia is a caring, diligent educator with several years of experience helping students understand concepts and become more effective learners. In addition to working with students in academic settings, she also has experience working as a crisis counselor and mentor, helping historically underrepresented college-bound students apply for schools and scholarships.
Cecelia earned a BS in criminology with a minor in forensic science from Sam Houston State University, where she worked as a research and teaching assistant in biosocial criminology. In that role, she got to teach “Intro to Criminology” to a class of 30 other undergraduate students and loved when they’d drop by after class for extra help. As of spring 2023, she’s working toward earning a BS in computer science at the University of Houston.
She fell in love with tutoring in college, when she noticed her peers struggling to understand topics in accounting. “These students struggled in accounting at first, but, in time, came to flourish with the right guidance and practice. Most were able to increase their scores significantly,” she recounts.
Cecilia describes her tutoring style as “patient, methodical, and individualist.” Quick to assess students’ needs and learning habits, Cecelia puts extra time and care into each session. “My philosophy is 'slow and steady wins the race'—it's better to take your time in understanding a problem so that the student will be able to apply a fuller understanding to future challenges,” she explains. She emphasizes the importance of building up a student’s basic skillset and critical thinking; that way, they can approach a range of problems with greater confidence and prowess.
Her promising academic performance earned her the Smith-Hutson Scholarship, a full-ride scholarship awarded to entering freshmen. She also earned a spot on the president’s list in 2018 and 2020.
In high school, she was a member of Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) and served as president of her school’s chess and Science Olympiad clubs. In college, she was president of the Smith-Hutson Scholars Student Organization and treasurer of the Crime Victim Service Alliance. She was also a valued member of the Elliot Bowers Honors College and the Society of Forensic Science.
In her free time, Cecelia enjoys lifting weights, reading, and playing video games. Feel free to ask her about her bearded dragon, Elvarg, and her leopard gecko, Swiper!
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