PrepNow Tutor - Michael Z.
Michael loves learning. Whether that’s learning about physics, chemistry, math, or learning about people and what they love, or learning about the natural world—he loves learning it. As a high school student, Michael was an intern at the Argonne National Laboratory where he did coding at the Advanced Photon Source. He attended University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he earned a bachelors in engineering physics and minored in mathematics. As an undergraduate, he was a researcher for two research groups: condensed matter theory and experimental biophysics.
After undergrad, Michael spent a year in Greenville, North Carolina, interning for a church where he taught and led worship. He decided to pursue being a pastor and moved to Minneapolis, where he earned a master of divinity in biblical exegesis at Bethlehem College and Seminary. There he served as a philosophy TA who edited philosophy and literature essays. While in Minneapolis he has taught pickleball and tennis in addition to tutoring English and mathematics. Currently, Michael is an intern in his church where he preaches and teaches.
As a child, Michael was very aware that he came from a long line of teachers. That knowledge stuck with him even as he struggled in school. Part of his motivation to teach and tutor is helping those who think they can’t learn a subject do so. “I was in their position once, and it isn’t impossible,” he says. Michael has been a tutor since 2014 when he was only a high school student. He tutored the basics of English, chemistry and biology, and every math subject from algebra 1 though trigonometry and calculus. In college, Michael stepped up to the full gamut of physics. He tutored condensed matter, quantum mechanics, electrodynamics, classical mechanics, and special relativity. He also tutored higher-level mathematics including multivariable calculus, ordinary and partial differential equations, and linear algebra. Michael has also taught Bible studies.
“My goal is not only to help students improve their grades or test scores, but also to foster independent problem-solving skills and long-term confidence,” Michael says of his teaching philosophy. He strongly believes that a student “can learn and do any problem through knowing the content, knowing the approach, and practice.” In order to promote this approach, he focuses on understanding how each student thinks, which “is paramount for helping a student learn, understand, and apply themselves to a school subject.”
Michael is athletic, having played tennis through high school and college. In college, he also picked up pickleball and volleyball. He likes to ski and hike and fondly remembers seeing the myriad stars high in the mountains of Colorado. Michael is an active member of every church he has ever joined. In his free time, he likes to play Mario Kart and Super Smash Bros Ultimate with his roommates.
