PrepNow Tutor - Ethan M.
Patient and supportive, Ethan loves helping students gain confidence in the face of stressful situations. He has experience teaching and tutoring math and science, including algebra, geometry, trigonometry, biology, and chemistry. He has also worked one-on-one with students in SAT and ACT prep, focusing on strategy, pacing, and confidence building. Additionally, drawing on his own MCAT prep experience, he has helped peers prepare for this formidable exam, focusing on biology, biochemistry, chemistry, psychology/sociology, and overall study strategy.
Ethan earned a BS in biology with minors in psychology and chemistry from Duke University. Post-graduation, he worked as a project manager at a healthcare software company, collaborating with healthcare teams to implement electronic medical records software; this experience sharpened his communication and organizational skills. Later, he spent roughly half a year as a research assistant in the Biomedical Sciences department at Mercer University School of Medicine. In this role, he mentored students and demystified complex scientific concepts.
He began teaching and tutoring during his senior year of high school, when he worked with younger students preparing for standardized exams. “I quickly found the experience extremely rewarding, especially seeing how much confidence students gained as they began to understand the material and reach their score goals,” he shares. One of his proudest moments involved helping an initially overwhelmed student develop an approach that led to a significant score boost. “What stood out most to me wasn’t just the score increase, but watching the student go from doubting themselves to feeling confident and in control of the testing process, which reinforced my desire to continue working closely with students as a tutor and mentor,” he reflects.
Ethan describes his teaching style as structured, supportive, and student-centered. “I focus on helping students understand why an approach works rather than memorizing steps, and I emphasize building confidence alongside skills,” he explains. “I like breaking problems down in a way that makes learning feel approachable rather than intimidating.” When it comes to test prep, he aims to build strong foundational and test-taking skills. “It is just as much about strategy, pacing, and decision-making as it is about content,” he says. Emphasizing study skills and stress-free testing practices, he aims to make the process feel “smooth and manageable,” and wants students to feel “prepared, calm, and in control on test day.”
As a student, he played football (defensive end), wrestling, and soccer (goalkeeper). He was also involved in student government, math teams, and musical theatre, and served as a DukeLine mental health coach, providing peer support and crisis assistance. In college, he conducted research in civil and environmental engineering and served as VP of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. His consistently good grades also earned him a hefty Questbridge scholarship.
Outside of work, Ethan enjoys interests that challenge him in different ways and help him recharge. “I have a strong interest in aviation and am currently learning to fly airplanes, which I find both exciting and rewarding because it requires focus, discipline, and clear decision-making,” he shares. He also plays guitar and enjoys games like chess, poker, and other strategy card games.
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