PrepNow Tutor - Cal C.
Cal has taught economics, computer science, and math to college students and math to sixth graders. He received a BA in mathematics and computer science from Oberlin College. Since graduating, he has worked as a lifeguard in a water park and a floor staff member at a movie theater.
Cal started tutoring fellow students in 2017, during his sophomore year of high school. "My classmate in chemistry wanted me to help him study for the ASVAB. Although it took a few weeks, he ended up scoring well above both his diagnostic and target scores—I still remember the look of delight on his face when he told me," he recalls. In college, he was a teaching assistant for intermediate economics courses and Theory of Computation in the computer science department; he also tutored students in differential equations and systems programming.
Cal uses an analogy to weight lifting when describing his teaching philosophy; he believes that learning, like weight lifting, is incredibly difficult and hopes to inspire his students to do this heavy lifting. "Learning can, at times, be tedious and repetitive, but with the help of the right teacher, it can become not just interesting, but liberating," he offers. Cal treasures those moments when he sees a student discovering an idea for themselves, and he works hard to lead students to conclusions "with a little helpful prodding." Ultimately, his goal is to show his students that the world is an astoundingly rich, interconnected place.
Cal has served as a research assistant at Prairie View A&M University REU, where he co-authored two papers in mathematical physics, one in the European Journal of Physics and one in Results in Physics. He also worked as an Analyst for Oberlin Research Group; his role involved working on a contract on "innovation hubs" for the US State Department.
In high school, Cal was on the swimming, cross country, skiing, robotics, and track and field teams.
In his spare time, Cal has been writing bots to trade on the prediction markets. "For the last few months, I've been interested in Bayesian statistical inference, information theory, and mathematical logic, so naturally I've been reading on the subjects," he shares. "I dream of one day skydiving, but I entirely lack the necessary guts; I console myself on long walks."
Fun fact: Cal once held a live alligator!
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