PrepNow Tutor - Kelly C.
Passionate about learning and teaching, Kelly has worked with undergraduate college students in research and statistics methods, biopsychology, and perceptual and cognitive psychology. Her experience teaching large groups and working one-on-one during office hours—not to mention her understanding of how the brain works—has given her extra insight into various types of learning styles and approaches.
She has a BA in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley, and a PhD in psychology (specializing in neuroscience) from the University of Washington, Seattle. She found a passion for teaching and tutoring when she co-taught a statistics and programming course at UW. “The most rewarding aspect was getting to know students and observing the growth of their self-confidence and academic skills,” she recounts. In addition to tutoring, she works as a postdoctoral research scientist (studying aging in the brain) and as an MRI research technologist at the University of Washington.
Kelly’s approach is patient and methodical. “If I am working through a problem (to model the process), I try to explain the logic behind why I am doing something to arrive at the answer. This involves teaching the same concepts multiple times and rephrasing or adding context,” she explains. With gentle correction and a focus on process over product, her students not only sharpen their skills but also gain confidence. “Rather than regurgitating content, I want to teach students to logically and critically assess their own thinking so that they can understand why a problem is the way it is,” she notes. Her sessions are collaborative and paced to suit each student’s needs.
In 2020, her top-notch teaching skills earned her the Distinguished Teaching Award for Graduate Students from UW’s Department of Psychology.
In her free time, she loves to hike and walk around Seattle. She relaxes her mind with crafting hobbies—from oil and diamond painting to knitting and cross-stitching.
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