Tutor profile: Sarah M.

Why did you pick Mechanical Engineering?

I officially became acquainted with science and engineering through Science Olympiad, a competition in which teams of fifteen students compete against other schools in various events. I was able to work hands-on with real engineers on projects and learn from scientists from all backgrounds of study. Getting to talk to mechanical engineers, herpetologists, biologists, and chemical engineers allowed me to broaden my horizons and find my passion for the sciences. The physics of engineering and the complexities of biology both called to me, which led to my finding mechanical engineering, through which I will study bioengineering.

What topics do you enjoy the most in calculus?

Integrals are very fun to do! Limits can be a bit annoying and repetitive, but they're necessary in order to best understand integrals and derivatives.

What is a long-term goal that you had and the steps that you took to obtain that goal?

I began playing piano at the age of 5. I followed the teachings of a man named Suzuki with my piano teacher, Ms. Heather. Ms. Heather and me, we were a good team. She’d point to the keys on the piano and I’d play them. In this way, I memorized songs to show off to my parents. Everything went along smoothly for four years; then Ms. Heather left. I had to find a new piano teacher, who arrived in the form of Ms. Feroza Labonne. It was she who discovered that I couldn’t name the notes of the keys, let alone read the notes on a page. For four years, it had been a memorization game. With Feroza, I would actually learn. We began by learning the correct way to place my hands on the keys. By age 11 I could play every scale by heart and could slowly begin to sight-read music. Meanwhile, other 11 year olds were already playing Beethoven and Bach. But that discrepancy only caused me to work harder. Ms. Feroza did not give up on me, so I did not give up on myself. It was she who spent hours with me at the piano bench, patiently turning lines on a page to music in the air. She who watched from the audience at my very first recital, cheering me on even as I made a mistake. And because of her, I will be receiving my ninth consecutive superior at the at the OMEAS this fall.