PrepNow Tutor - Yasmin K.
Yasmin has taught in K-12 classrooms as a substitute teacher and also worked with middle school and high school students on college readiness, including copious test prep. She earned a bachelor's in health sciences from the University of Central Florida and a master's in biomedical sciences from Midwestern University, where she conducted bioinformatics research and worked as an educator.
Since graduating, she has worked in research, healthcare, and education-focused roles. "My experience includes serving as a research assistant, medical scribe, substitute teacher, and AVID tutor, where I developed strong communication, mentoring, and problem-solving skills," she shares.
Yasmin first experienced the AVID program as a student; she was later invited back to serve as a tutor, helping middle and high schoolers in science, writing, reading comprehension, study skills, and test prep. "Having benefited from the program myself, I understood firsthand how impactful academic support and mentorship can be," she says. "When I later had the opportunity to serve as an AVID Tutor, I was excited to give back by helping students build confidence in subjects like science and writing while developing effective study habits."
Yasmin's proudest moments as a tutor were seeing students who initially doubted their abilities get into their dream schools and even attain scholarships. "Knowing that I could help make a positive difference in their educational journey was incredibly rewarding," she reflects.
Yasmin employs a “model and repeat” approach, in which she works through a problem step by step and then prompts the student to repeat it in their own words. From there, Yasmin identifies and addresses any weak points or lack of confidence through feedback and clarification. "The reason I use this style is that it emphasizes active recall and practice rather than passive understanding, since students often think they understand something when they watch it but struggle when doing it themselves," she explains. "This method also creates continuous feedback loops, which help correct misunderstandings early before they become bad habits." Overall, Yasmin's philosophy is that learning is best built through doing, learning from mistakes, and refining understanding in real time.
In high school, Yasmin served as the varsity captain of her swim team and participated in both the Red Cross Club and the TED-Ed Club. As an undergraduate, Yasmin was on the president's honor roll, received the dean's list award, and was in the top 10% of her class. She participated in Caring Knights Pediatrics and joined the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), of which she's still a member. "In 2023, I additionally served as a member of the Society of Turkish American Physicians (STAP)."
These days, Yasmin likes to read across various genres, hike, and bake. "I enjoy trying new recipes and improving my baking skills," she says.
Fun fact: Yasmin speaks Turkish fluently.
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