PrepNow Tutor - Lawrence G.
With a well-rounded background in chemistry, math, and optometry, Lawrence has been teaching and tutoring for over 20 years. Working at tutoring companies and in colleges and schools, he has taught topics from chemistry and math to standardized test prep. He obtained a BS in chemistry at Georgia College & State University and, after graduating, pursued optometry. "In the process of taking the OAT exam, I began to get more into tutoring/teaching at different schools and on other online platforms," he explains. Soon, he realized he wanted to combine both math and chemistry; as such, he is currently pursuing a graduate degree in mathematics at West Texas A&M University.
Lawrence began helping students at a small tutoring company that his mom founded when he was in 10th grade. "There were only a few students at that time, but it was a great environment to begin understanding what drives students when taking math-related classes," he posits. Since that time, he has worked at schools, in private tutoring, and at tutoring companies both online and in-person. Over 20 years, Lawrence has tutored virtually all high school math topics, as well as college-level math, chemistry, and test prep. He was also a substitute stand-in for a pre-calculus class at a nearby college for one semester. "This position in particular was very enlightening about how dual-enrollment students tackled early college-level material," he offers.
Lawrence aims to break down the material into manageable bits. For example, math becomes much easier with step-by-step methods using fundamentals. "And patience is very important to tutoring in general so that students don't feel like they're being rushed to find an answer," he says. Over time, Lawrence has helped many struggling students earn an "A" in the classes they deemed most challenging. He is adept at fostering those "lightbulb moments" and sharing enjoyment in the process.
In high school, Lawrence achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts during senior year. He also participated in the school's marching band for all four years; the band played at competitions, basketball games, and football games.
In college, Lawrence was part of a student group called MALE Connection, where a college student was partnered with a high-school student and the former served as a mentor for them during their time in the program. "We had tutoring sessions and went on field trips to places such as the Georgia Aquarium and attended Atlanta Falcons football games," he recalls.
For fun, he can usually be found listening to music, playing video games, hustling on the tennis court, snowboarding, traveling, and parasailing. Lawrence also enjoys camping "wherever you can see the stars."
