PrepNow Tutor - Ashley T.
Ashley has worked on teaching language and writing in the classroom as well in one-on-one settings. She has over seven years of experience helping students craft college admissions essays. She majored in English at UCLA and minored in lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender studies. During her senior year of college, Ashley signed with a publisher and has published eight novels and a handful of short stories since then. Two years after graduating, she started editing for that same publisher and has edited over fifty novels and novellas.
Ashley's turn to teaching began in a college English class, when her professor asked her to tutor other students. "I thought I was bombing, but I had the highest grade in the class! That same professor had Ashley assist with classes over the next two years. "It was wonderful to help students develop skills they didn't know they had!" Ashley also spent seven years working at a high school, where she managed the English book room and grading essays. There, she also lectured about everything from creative writing and essay structure to literary analysis. In this capacity, she also lectured and reviewed over six hundred college essays.
Ashely understands the vast power of language and the courage it takes to wield it well. "When I'm guiding a student through writing a personal essay, I often get to watch the moment they find that power," she notes. "Their words, their stories, can convey feelings, morals, lessons. It is no small thing to witness, let alone guide someone to." Ashley is quick to point out that even the best authors still need help ensuring their intent comes across. Ashley has helped students get into their reach schools, the Ivy Leagues, and even a pre-med program!
Ashley's style is conversational and relaxed. She likes to understand who they are, both as people and as students. "Additionally, it gives me an idea of their style and how it will translate to writing," she posits. "Maintaining a student's conversational cadence in their writing confers authenticity," she adds. To guide a student to their best possible essay, Ashley leans toward the Socratic method. "I want to lead a student to the best essay possible," she says. "Often, that means finding the essay they are already carrying."
Ashley shares that she was diagnosed with ADHD as a young person. "As such, I’m well versed in the ways neurodivergence can be both managed and celebrated," she notes. She is also visibly queer, and thinks it's important to queer youth to know that adult queers exist in the world— "Sometimes they even have seemingly mundane jobs like tutoring!"
In high school, Ashley was involved with the Gay-Straight Alliance. She also participated in Youth and Government. "That program is exactly what it sounds like—a group of precocious teenagers debating the finer points of law while wearing ill-fitting suits," she jests.
In her free time, she likes to sew, play darts, and garden. "I am an absolutely terrible boxer and I thoroughly enjoy it," she concludes. Fun fact: she shares a birthday with Oscar Wilde!
