TopMathematicsTutors Scholarship

My name is Ellie Simon, and I am a senior at Norman High School in Norman, Oklahoma. Math has always been one of my favorite subjects, and I excel in it through a combination of talent and drive. My most recent math class was AP Calculus BC, on which I scored a 4. I have a dream of becoming a population biologist, with an emphasis on evolutionary biology and ecology. I am extremely emphatic about this field, and I talk daily with my AP Bio teacher, Dr. Frenette, about all things evolution and biology. I would like support with Statistics. I have never had a math tutor before. However, I am an elementary/middle school math tutor myself, so I know firsthand the importance of learning the fundamentals of math and receiving quality instruction. I believe math tutoring in statistics would help me to prepare for my college major of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, and, ultimately, my career. This year, I was forced to participate in online learning, and my school did not offer AP statistics online, so I was not able to take it this year. However, I believe that this course is extremely vital to a thorough understanding of population ecology and biology, two concepts that are central to my future major. Working with a world class tutor would be absolutely enlightening, for I would gain so much insight into the world of statistics, a math course that I have only briefly encountered before. I would be delighted, inspired, and extremely grateful if I were considered for this scholarship.

1. I would like to receive some help in Calculus. 2. I have never received math tutoring before. 3. Tutoring would be very helpful for me because I am an International Baccalaureate student with exams coming up this May, but because of Covid, my school has reduced the number of classes students are taking at one time for eight to four. Because of this, I haven't been in my Calculus class since mid-November and won't return to it until late March, with just over a month until my exams. I already was not fully grasping the concepts we were having to cover very quickly because of our lost class time last spring, also because of Covid, and all this time off has made things much worse. I would really like to pass these exams, but teaching myself IB curriculum while trying to keep up in my other classes is very difficult.

As a student-athlete, it is often a challenge to juggle academics and sports successfully. Over the years, I've done well maintaining good grades and performance on the field. However, with each grade promotion, classes get more difficult. One class in particular that I am currently in that I could use help with is Pre-calculus. While I love math, this particular class has really pushed me to work harder to ensure that my grade point average doesn't suffer. I have considered asking my classmates for help, but I think it would be in my best interest to get a tutor. In the past, I have had tutors in other subject areas like science and English. I was introduced to them after inquiring with my counselor about getting help with classes. They were very effective in helping me to understand the information presented. The retention and understanding of the information gained helped me score high on the ACT. Just as in regular class sessions, the extra work became a reference point to understand if I couldn't immediately recall lessons previously taught. Because of the number of different math classes, a math tutor will be very beneficial. I would strongly encourage anyone who is struggling or who needs a little help with unfamiliar material to seek the tutor's assistance. Each academic subject builds on the next, and the new material may be confusing. A tutor specializing in the particular class that I have to take is a valuable tool. Although I have not sought the assistance of a tutor for my Pre-calculus class, I will likely locate a tutor so that I can better understand the coursework to progress to the next mathematics course.

Before I started high school, math was always one of my stronger academic subjects. I scored higher grades than most of my other classes, and was I proud of my achievements within math. However, when I began high school, it felt as if I fell down a rollercoaster, no longer enjoying that high I had always felt. In my Freshman year, I had taken Honors Algebra 1. I felt proud to take an Honors math course, even exclaiming to my mom, "I can be an Honors scholar with all the Honors courses I am taking!" Although, after the first week into Honors Algebra 1, I dropped the class. The course was fast-paced, and within the first week the teacher gave the class three quizzes, I had received F's for each one. I was disappointed with the grade, and seeing some of my other peers with either A's or B's felt even more discouraging. Despite some of my friends encouraging me not to drop the class, attempting to convince me that it is only the first week and my grades will improve, I just lacked any motivation to move forward. If I had a mentor at the time, I could've progressed farther. With this in mind, I am interested in having a mentor in Algebra 2, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Pre-calculus. These subjects I tend to struggle with the most, and remembering my daunting experience with Honors Algebra 1, I want to avoid another awful counter with math, knowing now what had caused me to give up before. I do not want failure to stop me from pursuing any further difficult math courses, especially since I have always loved math from a young age. Having a mentor will help offer different perspectives and guidance towards math, which is what I desperately need.