Mary holds a Bachelor's of Arts in Geography and a Master's in U.S. and European History from California State University, Long Beach. As part of her academic journey, she studied abroad at Nottingham Trent University, where she integrated human geography and history to research the colonization of Mexico and the cultural history of the United States' long century. Outside of the classroom, she was an education volunteer at the Aquarium of the Pacific for ten years, focusing on connecting people to their relationship to their natural landscape. She also worked with Ground Education, a non-profit garden-based learning organization that brought environmentally minded lessons to elementary schools. Her scholarly interests lie in food history and exploring the relationship between people and place. With over a decade of experience in public education, Mary brings a student-centered, culturally responsive approach to tutoring. She is dedicated to creating safe and supportive learning environments where students feel empowered to ask questions, think critically, and develop confidence in their abilities, and most importantly, maintain a sense of curiosity when confronted with new or challenging material. Mary thoughtfully adapts her methods to suit each student's unique learning style and incorporates interactive resources that encourage students to actively engage with the material. On Mary's days off, she can be found watching DVDs or exploring coastal hiking trails.
