A short Q&A with Amber Oliver

Where did you grow up?

I grew up in North Carolina!

Where did you go to college and what did you study?

I graduated from Duke University. I double majored in Visual & Media Studies (BA) and Earth & Ocean Sciences (BA), and I minored in Classical Civilizations. A mouthful! Essentially, I studied art history, visual culture, marketing, geology, and the Greeks and Romans.

What are some things you like?

I love reading. I love strawberry picking but only if I’m with someone who will fill the bucket while I eat the berries. I like to sail (420s and sunfish), though I haven’t in a while, and I love going to art museums. I like talking about how much I love nature while I sit inside.

How did you get into tutoring?

I tutored some in college for work study and really loved it, so when I moved to Los Angeles I looked into different tutoring companies. I began tutoring with a test prep company out there; I tutored first in person before being matched up with online students. After a couple of years I decided I wanted to branch out on my own, and I now work at Chandler Learning Center, where I’m stoked to be a part of such a welcoming, visionary team.

Any other professional interests?

I previously worked for a boutique luxury real estate company based in LA. I video edited content that the CEO pushed out on his social and created deliverables for the agents. I’m always interested in marketing and the way visuals tell a story!

Do you know a Latin quote that is relevant to this website but didn’t really fit anywhere else?

Funny you should ask! Docendo discimus means “the best way to learn is to teach,” and is a maxim that underlies my tutoring style. To test a student’s understanding after working out a particularly hard problem, I like to have the student teach me how to work it out. I know a student is good to go once they can explain a problem themselves. Also, the quote describes one of the reasons I so love tutoring: I get to learn as well! It’s this high of shared knowledge that makes me eager to sit down and tutor.