PrepNow Tutor - Hana C.
Graduate student Hana prioritizes meeting students where they are—whether they’re confident and need only a few pointers, or completely lost. “I feel this is important not just for improving exam performance most effectively, but also as a matter of respecting the student’s intelligence and personhood,” she explains. She attended University of Michigan where she earned her bachelor’s in chemistry with a minor in energy science and policy. Hana received a merit scholarship from the U-M Regents.
Hana has done several research internships, including at Oak Ridge National Lab, University of Tokyo, and at University of Michigan. She also received funding from the chemistry department’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program in addition to the Friends of UTokyo Scholarship, which funds summer international research. After undergrad, she immediately enrolled in the master’s program at University of Michigan to study materials science and engineering. She has authored two publications in research journals.
Hana’s first experience as a tutor came from applying to be a test proctor at her university’s mathematics department. She was offered the opportunity to interview instead for drop-in tutoring and immediately found it far more interesting. “My favorite moments as a tutor are when students walk away believing in their ability to succeed,” she says. Whether that is “passing a test or class they thought they couldn’t or understanding a concept they thought would elude them forever.”
As a tutor, Hana was a jack-of-all-trades, mathematically. She taught pre-calculus, calculus 1 and 2, multivariable calculus, and differential equations. She also ran study groups for pre-calculus and multivariable calculus. Hana says, “I strongly believe that every student has the ability to succeed in any subject, as long as they’re provided explanations that make sense to them, and enough time to practice and repeat.” When it comes to standardized testing, Hana recognizes the pitfalls in their formulaic nature. To combat this, she aims “to help students recognize general problem solving methods that will help them be successful in all of their future studies.”
As a high school student, Hana focused on artistic pursuits—she built sets and was a sound technician for the drama club, she was a member of the orchestra and the marching band, and she played piano. In college, her focus was on chemistry and engineering, though she did still make time to get published in the university humor magazine! She enjoys knitting and crocheting. Hana recently completed a triathlon on a $50 used bicycle with a basket on the front! She also loves to hike, especially up in the mountains.
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