Karessa

Certified Tutor

I am a graduate of Wheaton College in Massachusetts. I received my Bachelor of Arts in African, African-American, and Diaspora Studies and took several courses in Hispanic Studies. I am currently working on my Master of Social Work Degree. As an undergraduate student, I studied abroad for an academic year in Puebla, Mexico where I was able to complete a project on the presence of people of African descent in Mexico. Since high school, I have been working with children and young people often as a mentor and in academic support. One of my first tutoring experiences was as a tutor for a reading program that provides extra support to first grade students who are struggling to read at grade level. In college, I taught eight grade US History and some elective courses to middle school students in a summer enrichment program in Norfolk, Virginia. Additionally, I have supported students in the college application process working with them on parts of their PSAT and in college essay writing. In past jobs, I have assisted students studying for Accupulacer exams to enter into Community Colleges. One of my favorite quotes is by Frederick Douglass and it sums up my beliefs on education: "Once you learn to read, you will be forever free." I believe that education has the power to liberate people and from my personal experiences, I have experienced it as a transformational process. In my spare time, I like writing poetry and attending poetry shows, participating in Improvisational Theater, and reading.