PrepNow Tutor - Alex C.
Former teaching assistant and recent graduate Alex has years of experience tutoring students of various ages in groups and one-on-one settings. With a heavy background in high-level physics and biochemistry, he’s adept at breaking down complex concepts and motivating students via real-world applications.
Alex earned a BS in biochemistry with a minor in mathematics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he was a learning assistant for Physics 250. In this role, he hosted office hours and held weekly discussion sections about quantitative and conceptual applications of electricity and magnetism, optics, nuclear physics, and waves. Proofreading exams and course materials alongside professors sharpened his teaching approach and showed him the value of adaptability. In addition to tutoring, he’s currently applying for patient care jobs at local hospitals and additional part-time jobs. He sees himself applying to medical school in the near future.
A helper by nature, Alex’s passion for tutoring comes naturally. “It wasn't necessarily a moment, but other than the general reason of wanting to help people, I genuinely believe mastering difficult concepts provides a form of intellectual satisfaction that is incomparable to any other,” he explains. “When I was a student preparing for standardized exams or difficult subjects, I had many mentors who helped me facilitate my understanding and attain that satisfaction and reward; I wish to help others feel the same as I did.” In addition to working with college students as a learning assistant, he tutored students ages 4 to 15 in everything from elementary math to pre-calculus at a math learning center in West Bloomfield, MI.
Flexibility is key for Alex. “I believe that different subjects require different approaches; however, in terms of students, there's always a way to teach, instruct, and talk through questions that best helps them understand,” he explains. His experience working with students of various backgrounds and abilities makes him an asset to learners who may struggle with test anxiety or notable learning gaps. Ultimately, he aims to help students reach a point where they can approach challenges and apply new concepts with confidence and clarity.
In high school, he ran cross country and track and played soccer. He also played the violin in his school symphony orchestra as well as the Oakland Youth Orchestra. In college, he earned the title of Highest Honors in Biochemistry and was a Phi Beta Kappa inductee, which recognizes the top 10% of one’s graduating class. For 6 consecutive terms, his straight A’s also named him a James B. Angell Scholar. Lastly, he won the James Branstrom Freshman Prize, which is awarded to the top 5% of freshmen.
Alex is also proud to have been heavily involved in research work at the University of Michigan. In a bio lab, he studied specific proteins—“known as Rieske Oxygenases”—and even helped PhD students investigate mechanosensitive protein channels in barrier integrities in the body—“such as, for example, the skin, intestinal lining, the surfaces that line almost all your organs!”
In his free time, he enjoys reading and playing pick-up soccer and billiards. “I can run an all-out in 8-ball,” he shares.
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