Fun Facts

My first name, Larissa, means "cheerful one" in Greek, and that is how I would describe myself! I love to laugh and never miss an opportunity! My middle name is Rhea, which makes me a large, flightless bird. A cheerful, large, flightless bird. If that's not something to laugh about, I don't know what is!

I'm a lefty, and very creative. I own my own art business, Cheery Bird Studio. I believe in recycling and upcycling, and to that end I make jewelry and usable items from recycled material

About Me

I am halfway through my master's degree program in History at the University of Texas at San Antonio. I hold a bachelor's degree in Anthropology, also from UTSA. My focus in the program is medieval European studies, and I am fortunate to have a wonderful mentor in the department. I love to do research, and have served as a research assistant for various professors in the history department since I began grad school. As an archaeologist a number of years ago, I worked both in field and lab settings, and very much enjoy the curatorial process. With an advanced degree in history, I would love to conduct research or apply my curation skills in a museum setting.

When I began my college career fresh out of high school in 1989, I was active in the peer tutoring program at Schreiner University (then Schreiner College) in Kerrville, Texas. I worked with students in a variety of subjects including english, literature, writing, history, basic math and french. I enjoyed helping fellow students gain a better understanding of concepts that were challenging to them. As the school is small and I knew personally most of the students I tutored, I got to enjoy seeing them improve throughout the semesters.

I believe that every student learns differently, and thus there is no one tutoring strategy which can be applied across-the-board. As a tutor and mentor, it is my duty to discover the ways in which each student learns and develop a plan best suited to meet her or his needs. For me, strong, clear communication is the key to establishing a good tutoring relationship. I take the time to listen to what my students have to say. As a student myself, I know that not understanding a concept can be frustrating and discouraging, and I believe in maintaining a positive attitude and working dilligently to find a solution.