Anuja

I founded my own academic tutoring program for financially disadvantaged students in 2016. I earned a bachelor's degree in neuroscience from the University of California at Riverside and I tutor grades K-College.

My tutoring style:

I strongly believe that a tutor’s primary purpose is to serve as a guide in helping students find the confidence within themselves to tackle any academic challenge. Early on in my academic career, I was a tutee myself and had an incredibly beneficial experience with my tutor. I know what it’s like to be on the other side and I know how difficult it is to ask for help. However, I believe those who ask for help are the strongest and most hardworking individuals! Every student has the academic ability to excel, some just need the guidance to believe that they are capable of academic success. Helping students bridge that gap and discover their inner confidence is where I thrive. Something I take pride in is being vulnerable and authentic with my students to help build a trusting relationship. Every single student is incredibly unique and I make sure to apply empathy and patience to understand my students personally and emotionally before I work with them academically.

Success story:

One of my students had various personal troubles that hindered her from devoting all of her time to her education. During our initial sessions, she was very reserved and was not motivated to cooperate with me. It was difficult to simply get this student to turn her camera on and participate in small talk. I chose to be vulnerable with her and also validate how difficult it must be to overcome personal obstacles while also trying to earn an education. By applying empathy and patience, over time, this student started to open up to me and express motivation in tackling her academic struggles. By the time it came to this student’s final math exam, she received an A and passed her first college math course with flying colors. In our last tutoring session together, this student got very emotional and shared that she would miss me because she never felt she was smart except for during our tutoring sessions. She attributed a lot of her academic success to me. Although I was extremely flattered by her kind words during our last tutoring session, I truly believe this student always had the academic ability to succeed. Like many students, they just need to gain the confidence in their capabilities!

Hobbies and interests:

I enjoy dancing in my free time and used to be a professional dancer from the ages of 5-18! I try my best to stay active by going to the gym and hiking even though my absolute favorite activity is sleeping! I am a huge thrill-seeker and love to embark on adventures like white water rafting, rock climbing, and your occasional horror movie. Next on my bucket list is to go skydiving! I love to eat which led me to love the art of cooking - I try to discover a new recipe every week to keep things interesting!