PrepNow Tutor - Josee M.
A tutor since 2013, Josee excels at creating a welcoming environment and is skilled at making complex ideas relatable. “My approach ensures that students feel at ease and engaged in any setting,” Josee says. Josee holds a BS in physics with a focus in engineering from Oglethorpe University, a BS in chemical and biomolecular engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, and a graduate certificate in astronomy from Swinburne University of Technology (located in Australia). She is currently pursuing a graduate diploma in astronomy from Swinburne University of Technology. After graduating from college in 2019, Josee continued working as a tutor while independently studying data science. She currently works as a Cloud Support Engineer at Google.
Josee began teaching in 2013 while in college, tutoring peers in calculus and chemistry. “I naturally became the ‘go-to’ person for friends and colleagues seeking help with difficult concepts,” Josee says. “As a result, my transition into the field of teaching felt like a natural progression. What I love most about teaching is witnessing the moment when students finally grasp a concept, especially when it’s reflected in their improved grades and scores.”
Josee later served as a teaching assistant in pre-calculus for business majors at Oglethorpe University. In this role, she supported groups of 25 students, helping them discover more effective strategies for academic success. From 2016 to 2021, Josee worked as a private tutor and homeschool teacher, specializing in K-12 math and chemistry. At the college level, she tutored calculus, general chemistry, and organic chemistry. “All of my students have shown significant improvement, with one of my most notable successes being a student who improved from a C to an A in chemistry by the end of the school year,” Josee shares. “Throughout my career, I have worked with over 100 students, helping them achieve their academic goals.”
Josee’s tutoring style revolves around making content relatable to reinforce concepts effectively. “I once used a concert experience to explain electron shielding effects in chemistry, and within 10 minutes, the student grasped a concept that they had been struggling with for over a week,” Josee says. “This approach helps break down complex ideas into something familiar, making it easier for students to understand and retain the material.”
The foundation of Josee’s teaching style is rooted in Einstein's belief that "if you can’t explain something in simple terms, then you don’t understand the concept at all." Josee explains, “I find that both students and teachers can get too caught up in jargon, which can hinder true comprehension. By simplifying concepts and encouraging students to create their own examples, I can better assess whether they’ve genuinely mastered the material.” Josee’s goal is to ensure that her students have such a profound understanding of the material that no matter how a question is posed on an exam, they can start from the basics and work their way to the correct answer.
In high school and college, Josee sang as an alto in the chorus. She was named an Anaplan Distinguished Scholar from Correlation One and a Presidential Scholar at Oglethorpe University. At Georgia Tech, she conducted a research project that explored the feasibility of creating habitable shelters from Martian sand. “It was an out-of-this-world experience that blended creativity with cutting-edge science—definitely the most fun I've ever had!”
Outside of work, Josee enjoys hanging out with her cat, Rissa, or honing her "make-believe" culinary skills by playing Overcooked with friends on the weekends. In the summer of 2023, she collaborated with Girl Geek X as a Circle Leader. “In all of my 29 years of living, I’ve yet to go to Disney World—but it’s on the list of things to do!”
