PrepNow Tutor - Walt C.
A tutor who is passionate about math and physics, Walt is often described as kind and calm, and he brings that energy into everything he does. He holds a BS in applied engineering physics and a minor in mathematics from Cornell University and is currently pursuing a PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Pennsylvania.
Walt started tutoring by first mentoring classmates. “I found that I greatly enjoyed helping friends to reach that ‘lightbulb’ moment,” Walt says. “My proudest moment as an instructor was at the end of a class I instructed at Cornell, all of the students expressed to me how much they enjoyed the class and appreciated the work we had done.” Walt has tutored 8th-grade algebra, 10th-grade chemistry, 12th-grade and college-level calculus, college-level multivariable calculus, and advanced college-level mathematics. While at Cornell, Walt instructed a one-credit course on multivariable calculus for three semesters to a group of ten to thirty students.
“I am very interactive and will constantly ask the student questions,” Walt says. “If the student asks me a question, I will not just give the answer, but will rather respond with a question and nudge the student in the right direction so that they can discover the answer on their own.” Walt explains that students already experience a ‘lecture-style’ learning experience inside the classroom, and that tutoring offers an opportunity for the content to reach the student in a new way. “Additionally, many studies support the efficacy of this interactive teaching style,” Walt says. In addition to his formal instruction and tutoring roles, Walt has also volunteered at Bored of Boredom, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing one-on-one online tutoring to students who are neurodiverse and/or from underprivileged backgrounds.
In high school, Walt played on the school baseball team. In college, he played in an intramural basketball league and was on the Dean’s Honor List every semester. Walt also participated in ESW: Engineers for a Sustainable World, through which he co-led the Solar Desalinator subteam, a project dedicated to constructing a portable solar-powered reverse-osmosis desalination device. He enjoys reading and swimming. “I’m social and easygoing, and I enjoy staying active while also relaxing with friends or watching a good movie,” Walt shares. “I am one of four brothers, and we had four dogs when we were growing up!”
