PrepNow Tutor - Antara R.
Antara is a bilingual educator—English and Marathi “with a bit of French!”—who specializes in English, language arts, STEM topics, and test prep. She has worked with students ranging from elementary level to adults, including English language learners.
She double-majored at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI, where she earned a BS in public health (with departmental honors) and a BA in biological sciences (with university honors); she also minored in psychology. As an undergrad, she volunteered at the ESL Institute and the school’s learning center as a STEM learning assistant, leading discussions and review sessions for mid-level biology undergraduates. “This position really gave me an opportunity to grow my skills as an instructor as I was working with large groups of students several times each week on college-level biology content,” she shares.
Since graduating, she has volunteered with a nonprofit that serves adults studying for the GED. As of summer 2023, she works in a lab doing hemophilia research in Ann Arbor, MI.
As a high school freshman, she volunteered as a tutor in her school’s success strategies program offered at her high school. She worked with students in various subjects, including French, English, and math (geometry and algebra). “I really found a love for teaching which continues to this day!”
Her students’ needs come first, and Antara is quick to assess and adapt. From visual aids to written or audio formats, she has a slew of materials to help different learners absorb different information. Furthermore, “tossing the student a fish” is an expression she inherited from one of her mentors. “The student tells me what they know and what they are thinking, and I will metaphorically toss them a fish when they are stuck. This ensures that I am not spoon-feeding content to the students, which often means I end up doing the work and they retain very little,” she explains. She provides plenty of positive encouragement during sessions, especially for reluctant learners or those who struggle with test prep anxiety.
As a student, she earned near-perfect scores on both the SAT and ACT! In high school, she was a National Merit Finalist and AP Scholar with Distinction. She also gleaned Wayne State’s President’s Award, which is the highest merit-based award granted to incoming freshmen.
In her free time, she loves gardening. “I have nearly more plants than I can take care of—my sunflowers are growing really well this year!” She’s also a huge movie buff, a passionate cook, and a curious traveler.
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