Gaston

Certified Tutor

I am a graduate of Roanoke College where I received my Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry as well as several honors including Dean's List honors. Immediately following graduation, I was admitted and enrolled in the University of Maryland School of Dentistry, where I am currently a third-year dental student.
Unlike many students who tend to struggle academically in their first year of college, this is a challenge that I found myself having to work through as early as my freshman year in high school. Transitioning from middle school, where I was a straight A student, to a high school that ranked amongst the top college preparatory schools in the country proved to be a tough academic challenge. Coupled with handling the time commitment of playing varsity basketball for my school for which I was team captain, playing travel basketball, I found myself falling behind academically for the first time in my life.
While discouraging, this challenge brought forth and enhanced new skills. I learned the importance of asking for help and utilizing my time management skills through reaching out and meeting with teachers whenever my schedule permitted.
This proved beneficial as I began tutoring at the Writing Center at my undergraduate institution during my freshman year of college after having been recommended by my first year Humanities Professor and continued to work as a writing tutor up until graduation. At Roanoke's Writing Center, I assisted undergraduate college level writers with resumes, CVs, and many of your standard course research papers. Following my time at Roanoke, I continued to tutor writing as a Writing Consultant at the University of Maryland, Baltimore where I worked with graduate level medical, nursing, dental, pharmacy, and social work students. While I tutor a broad range of subjects, I am most passionate about English and Literature. However, my passion truly lies with helping students in need of further assistance. I believe in the importance of education; however, I also know first-hand how easy it is to fall behind in class and how difficult it may be to locate the help needed to feel "caught up" and confident in your work. In my spare time, I enjoy working out, playing basketball, and reading as I found these hobbies help me to maintain a healthy lifestyle and stay "sane" as I work through a challenging curriculum and eventual career.