Vivian Lundy
Master-level tutor
Q. How do you like to spend your free time? Or what do you wish you had more time to do?
A. In my free time, I love reading, doing puzzles, playing with my pugs, and learning new things–whether that’s trying out a new strategic board game or figuring out how to identify and take care of all my plants, among other things!
Q. Briefly describe your education and years of experience that qualify you to tutor your subject.
A. I received my bachelor’s degree in psychology at the University of Virginia, Class of 2018 (wahoowa!). Although my career interests and studies have led me down a path of social sciences, I have always thoroughly enjoyed and excelled in all things STEM. I got my first start in math tutoring in high school when asked to tutor another student, and my passion for helping others understand–and maybe even enjoy–math took off from there. Though classmates and friends saw me as crazy for taking classes like Calculus II or Differential Equations for fun, and my math instructors wondered why I wasn’t majoring in math, I knew I still wanted to have math as part of my life, even if it wasn’t in my main career. Now, I’ve been tutoring math for almost a decade!
Q. Why do you want to be a tutor/what do you enjoy most about working with students?
A. love connecting with students and hope to share my passion for learning with them. Everyone has different learning styles, and especially with the reputation that math has, some students can get discouraged from seeing this subject as something they can truly understand and overcome. Being able to work one-on-one with a student and witness the moment that something clicks or that they start to feel hope in their studies again is so rewarding–they just need an extra nudge to see and realize their potential.
Q. Who was your favorite teacher and why?
A. One of my favorite teachers to this day is Mr. B, a science teacher I had in high school. Not only was he an effective teacher, he was also a fun and kind teacher. He made sure that everyone was able to excel both in and outside of class, caring about students’ well-being just as much as their education. I admire teachers wholeheartedly for all they do for their students despite how stressful their jobs can be, and Mr. B was an exemplary teacher who leaves a long-lasting impression on his students, like me.
Q. What is the next Professional Development training/course you would like to do/take?
A. I would love to further develop my skills in working with different types of curriculum and understanding a wider range of neurodiversity, especially with students from more underserved populations.
Q. What is on your career “bucket list?”
A. I’m not exactly sure the path I’m going to take to get there, but I hope to have a career that ultimately helps students and their education, whether that’s directly through something like school counseling or indirectly and systemically through school systems and policy.
Q. What truly inspires you?
A. Learning and helping others drives everything I do. I feel fulfilled when I am striving to be the best I can be, and even if I’m just a drop in the bucket in someone else’s success and growth, I would be happy with that. After all, even a drop in a bucket can make ripples.
Q. What’s one unusual thing about you that not many people know?
A. I once got to perform in a breakdancing crew at the halftime of a UVA vs. UNC basketball game! I was certainly not the most talented member, but it was still a surreal and awesome experience.