"Hi! I’m Cecilia, and I want to work with you to build your skills and confidence in coding and math! I graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2020 with a BS in Computer Science (3.90 GPA). I’m an AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, and have been working in the field for around five years. I have taught myself several coding languages, as programming has long been both my hobby and career, and I find that learning through implementing is the most effective (and fun!) method. I believe confidence grows when students see what they’re capable of, and I’m committed to guiding you toward that sense of accomplishment.

My approach centers on teasing apart complex ideas and working through them until they feel simple and intuitive. Whether debugging your first Python program or walking through algebra problems, I prioritize creating a comfortable environment where you feel safe to ask questions and work through confusion at your own pace. I maintain high expectations of my students, as I find that trusting them to overcome challenges with gentle guidance enables them to realize that their abilities often surpass their own expectations.

I especially enjoy designing small-scale projects that are achievable at your level, paring down ideas that excite you to a challenging but manageable level. I aim to cut out the frustration that often comes with digging through the barrage of information available on CS topics, while empowering you to parse the documentation independently and improve your own skills.

The technology we use today has evolved to a point that most of the fundamentals are abstracted away, which allows coders to be incredibly efficient, but can also create base-level knowledge gaps that manifest as confusion and a persistent sense of overwhelm. I know first-hand that clear guidance which removes informational noise can lead to breakthroughs. It is my primary goal as a tutor to be empathetic to students’ struggles and instill self-confidence by building strong foundations for future success." less...