Hi, my name is Amy and I come from a small rural town in the smallest U.S. state (Rhode Island). I also come from a small K-12 school of about 50 kids, graduating with the three other seniors who, along with me, made up our tight-knit graduating class of four. Having come from such a small school which I attended since 1st grade, close relationships and community have always been an important aspect of my life. At school, my community wasn’t just composed of the kids in my class, or even just in the high school, but of all the students grades K-12, the parents, and the teachers. Some of my fondest memories of high school are those of the whole community just coming out and supporting each other, whether it be teachers, parents, and students all coming out to support the boys basketball team or seeing so many familiar faces taking time out of their schedules to attend the graduation of four students who were years older than their own elementary school children. This integral part of my life has really inspired me to develop close, supportive, and meaningful relationships with those around me.
Although my school is a big part of my story, it’s not the only aspect of my story that affects my present goals and motivations. My family is originally from Ghana, Africa, and I’ve had the valuable opportunity of being able to visit Ghana multiple times. By going there and seeing so many people who are lacking in both material possessions and education, I have been able to see how truly fortunate I am and have been motivated to make use of the great opportunities and education I have been given to help the less fortunate.
My love for relationships and my desire to help the less fortunate or struggling beautifully melded together when I had the chance to take up tutoring in my sophomore year of high school. My most memorable tutoring experience consisted of working with an ESL student who was struggling with writing and English. Although I encountered obstacles in my teaching, I was constantly motivated by the fact that I could use my education, especially in areas that I am greatly passionate about (writing and literature), to help this student gain confidence in her learning abilities and get to a point where, instead of being discouraged, she could actually enjoy learning. I especially loved the moments when she reached a breakthrough in her understanding of a concept and was so happy that I had been able to use my knowledge to enhance her understanding and enjoyment of a topic. I tutored through out high school and greatly look forward to being a tutor in college as I help other students to realize their potential and achieve their goals.
Beyond tutoring, I enjoy hanging out, laughing, and talking with friends about the meaning of life (among other topics), playing sports, playing guitar, and singing (mostly in my room with my headphones where hopefully no one but my next door neighbors can hear me – although I do hope to join one of the university singing groups someday). Although I haven’t had as much to time to do it as of late, I enjoy writing and had great fun co-writing a few Christmas plays in high school. I also love to read, and one of my greatest delights is seeing a neat pile of the five different books I’m trying to read at once all stacked up on my desk. I look forward to the great privilege of working with your children and getting to know them both academically and personally!