Juan

Certified Tutor

I had a strong disposition for learning languages growing up in a Spanish speaking household and I decided to get my B.A. in Classical Languages and Philosophy at Vanderbilt University. Today, I am a post-baccalaureate student at the University of Pennsylvania. Because I see myself primarily as a philologist, I am studying in order to enter a Ph.D program. I believe that language is one of the primary factors in shaping how we, as individuals, think and present our ideas to the world. I am also a proponent of teaching Classical languages such as Latin and Ancient Greek to students in high school because these languages require the development of analytic capabilities which are sometimes lacking in other more memory-oriented subjects. Furthermore, my education in the Classics does not only focus on linguistics but also on history, mythology, and culture. I studied abroad in Rome for five months in the Spring semester of 2011 through the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies. During my time in Rome, I learned Italian, got to see landmarks of antiquity such as the Roman Forum, Pompeii, Herculaneum, Syracuse, Baiae, and see Medieval Italy through the artworks of Michelangelo and Bernini. Consequentially, I have a strong grasp of historical occurrences in Europe from antiquity to contemporary society. As a tutor, I intend to give a holistic and comprehensive approach to learning new subjects.