And our March Tutor of the Month is…

Vy Do! Vy graduated from VCU in 2016 as an Information Systems major, and is currently working in Information Technology Risk Assurance. She has been tutoring with us for almost a decade now! Vy told us about her journey as a tutor in our interview with her below:

What are your strengths as a tutor?
My strengths as a tutor would be my patience and ability to communicate and break down terms to my students. This has been a skill which developed outside of Acakid but in my career as well. 

How have you grown as a tutor over the years?
This bounces off my response to the last question; I have grown in many ways as a tutor. My greatest improvements would be my communication skills and learning to adapt to each student’s learning curve. A certain student I worked with between 2016 and 2018 comes to mind. She was in second grade but had no interest in learning, studying, reading, you name it. The most rewarding and difficult part of tutoring her was by far the creativity I had to channel to ensure she was learning in a proactive and effective way. By adapting to a style of learning she accepted and recognized, I noticed the excitement and how much easier it was for us to connect on a topic she had no interest in.

What do you work on with your students?
I work on study habits that go beyond just the subject matter that I’m tutoring. I like to help my students excel in whatever topics they need assistance on, but also skills and techniques that help them grow as a student. Whether it be tactics to answering SAT Questions in a timely manner or simple solutions on how to approach a two-part math equation, I think my students learn more than just how to solve a problem.

What are their goals and how will they achieve them?
Their goals have generally been to maintain their grades or improve their grades. I work on accomplishing them by meticulously going through the material with them and ensuring they understand the content inside out. 

When have you been extremely proud of a student?
 Tutoring a second grader who was able to read through an entire chapter book and answer reading comprehension questions. Watching her improvement and growth in word choice and reading comprehension development was one of the most satisfying moments for us.

What was a challenging moment you’ve had with a student?
 The most challenging moment with a student was adapting to their learning environment. I overcame it by offering different solutions each session to see how comfortable and how much more enjoyable they reacted to the new teaching method I presented.

What do you enjoy about working with Acakid?
Getting to meet new students, developing a bond and relationship with them where seeing them proud of their work, makes my job more enjoyable.  It’s definitely been a great journey with this company. 

What are your hobbies and passions outside of Acakid?
I love to travel internationally and domestically (pre-COVID), and I am extremely active in Women in Technology both through committees at my work and programs/chapters outside of my work but in my community. Additionally, I enjoy playing volleyball and tennis.