PrepNow Tutor - Nathan S.
Nathan is a student of human behavior. He holds a BA in psychology from Lawrence University and an MA in clinical psychology from Widener University. He also plans to soon complete his PsyD in clinical psychology as well as his MBA in organizational leadership from Widener. Following the completion of his undergraduate degree, Nathan worked for two years as an ACT/SAT test-prep tutor. As he had been a National Merit Scholar himself, he had always been well attuned to standardized testing, and his drive to help others made test-prep tutoring a natural fit.
However, like many others, when the pandemic hit, Nathan shifted his priorities. First, he worked as a crisis worker for a mental health nonprofit agency. Bolstered by this work, he decided that circumstances were providing him with the opportunity to increase his training and ability to help others, so he entered graduate school. Now that he has completed most of his coursework and has a bit more time available, he is eager to continue tutoring test-prep students.
Nathan’s tutoring philosophy is that education can and should be joyous. First, he says simply, “Any time I get a smile or a laugh from my students during a lesson, I am filled with joy and pride.” However, Nathan is not just a cut-up, playing the room for laughs; rather, he believes that education can be deeply enriching. Students smile and laugh because Nathan exudes optimism and an infectious love of learning and celebrates student progress and achievement. Ultimately, he says, “While we often in life have to do things because others require them of us, I prefer to help my students tap into the inherently satisfying parts of learning, solving problems, and improving oneself.” When he does so, he notes, joy comes naturally.
A big part of Nathan’s life for years has been the sport of fencing. In college, he earned the Viking Award for sportsmanship and team spirit and the Rookie of the Year award; and he was the first fencer from his university in 15 years to attend the NCAA National Championships.
These days, Nathan still competes, coaches, and referees fencing. Otherwise, Nathan spends a lot of time keeping up with media, such as going to musicals and plays, catching up on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and rewatching TV comedies of the past, such as 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation.
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