PrepNow Tutor - Zoe S.
With over seven years of teaching experience, Zoe has taught STEM topics, particularly algebra and geometry, to students from elementary to college level in classrooms and one-on-one. She received a BS in human biology from Indiana University, Bloomington; upon graduating, Zoe worked as a genetic counseling assistant and traveled Europe for a year. In 2023, she became a research assistant at Indiana University (IU) and, later, a postbaccalaureate scholar for the National Institutes of Health. She matriculated into Baylor's genetic counseling program in August of 2025.
Zoe began working with students as an undergraduate teaching assistant for an introductory biology class. Since then, she has held several roles in education: teaching assistant for college-level biology and organic chemistry; volunteer with a literacy program, tutoring 6th-8th graders in reading, writing, and science; tutor of college psychology, anthropology, and chemistry; and in-home tutor of reading, writing, grammar, and math (algebra and geometry). "My proudest moment has been building back up the confidence of a high school student with intellectual differences who was treated poorly by the public school system," Zoe shares.
As to her teaching style, Zoe builds rapport with her tutees by finding shared interests, like their favorite school subjects, hobbies, sports, or books they've enjoyed recently. "I also ask them questions about their learning style, what they feel their strengths are, where they have room for improvement, and what helps them focus," she offers. Zoe spends ample time uncovering students' weaknesses and misconceptions by having students explain their thought processes. "I like to explore where a misconception may have come from, and what does and doesn't make sense to them when finding the answer to a problem; this information allows me to tailor my teaching to their specific learning style, and then I can provide them with problem-solving strategies that can be applied more broadly," she concludes.
Zoe earned a plethora of accolades as a student. She received a scholarship at IU for her impressive high school GPA, was on the Executive Dean's list, and, as an undergraduate, was an honors scholar and scholar of distinction. Additionally, she has three pending research papers from her time with the National Institutes of Health.
As a student, Zoe participated in youth groups and horseback riding—even winning prize money for her equastrianship! She also served as social chair on the MEDLIFE board, a healthcare organization allocating volunteers locally and internationally.
In her free time, Zoe enjoys pilates and hot yoga classes, reading, and exploring coffee shops in Houston. Fun fact: "I've been traveling to Washington DC for the past two years to advocate for legislation supporting the Fragile X community."
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