PrepNow Tutor - Elene C.
Elene C. received her BS in mathematics from Colgate University then went on to receive an MS in environmental science from Emory University. A full-time math tutor, Elene says, "It is wonderful to see a student's anxiety level decrease and their self-confidence increase with regards to math. I'm passionate about the subject and love to share my enthusiasm for it!"
After graduate school, Elene focused on raising her family while occasionally tutoring math in the evenings. Later, she opened a small business selling luxury yarns and teaching knitting before returning to tutoring math full-time, which she has been doing for the last decade.
Elene's love of helping students through difficult math problems spans back to Colgate, where she received her mathematics teaching certificate for grades seven through twelve. Over the years, she has tutored dozens of students in math content (including middle school math, algebra I, algebra II, geometry, trigonometry, precalculus, and calculus AB). Elene loves seeing her students bring up their grades--some from failing to high Bs and even As. She has also worked with students on SAT and ACT prep. Of her students, Elene says, "I am so proud of their achievements. I have seen some of them go on to become engineers, oncology pediatric nurses, lawyers, doctors, commercial pilots, business owners, and private consultants."
Elene describes her teaching style as casual and relaxed--and she fully understands that while math is something she has always been passionate about, it's boring and painstakingly difficult for some. "I try to make the problems relevant, when possible, to the student's interests," Elene says of her approach. "I am enthusiastic about the content area, and I try and show the importance and beauty of the subject matter."
Elene was on the Dean's list at Colgate and Emory. When she wasn't studying, she was often outdoors. "I bicycled in college as I lived in a rural area and there were so many beautiful roads." She also recalls enjoying joining in pick-up games of softball, basketball, and football as a student.
In her downtime now, she loves gardening--"I grow much of our own food and preserve and freeze our vegetables to enjoy all year long"--and hiking with her husband and their energetic golden retriever in the Pennsylvania mountains. Elene is also an avid knitter and enjoys teaching others to knit. Fun fact: "I love to travel and have been to all fifty states."
