English PhD with decades of teaching experience offering English and Humanities mentorship. Academic excellence is just the first step. Our education is a process of self-forming cultivation.

I studied with Matthew for 5 years, in grades 8 to 12 while attending Prince of Wales Secondary in Vancouver.

During this time, under the guidance of Matthew, we studied the Classics, including Homer’s Odyssey and Iliad, Virgil’s Aeneid, Euripides, a variety of Ancient Greek poets like Sappho, and other major works of antiquity. Matthew was able to structure this multi-year exploration of the Classics by first introducing me to easier introductory works, such as Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson, which motivated my further independent readings of works by C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Through these initial works, not only did my English improve significantly, but I also grew to increasingly understand the foundations on which much of Western literature had been cultivated.

Over the course of years, we also studied books within the Old Testament, Renaissance thinkers like Erasmus, the beginnings of the modern novel through Spanish Picaresque stories, more contemporary authors like Celine, Dickens, Kafka, and many other works alongside supplementary texts. We have even explored major movements in film as a subject of study.

Under the guidance of Matthew, learning to understand the ideas within these works was a profoundly transformative experience. Through Dr Matthew's instruction and mentorship, I grew to appreciate the complexity of thought in these great works while my own capacity for reasoning grew.

What once for me, in high school, was a singular interest in the biological fields bloomed into a more general interest in public health through my studies at Johns Hopkins University, a development influenced in no small part by my former lessons with Matthew. Having committed to a double major in Public Health and Molecular Cellular Biology, now in my senior year, I actively sought to take classes in the humanities outside of my major requirements. Though institutional classes never offered the great amount of depth that classes with Matthew, I was driven to continue to build an understanding of those authors we never yet had the chance to cover—literature of the Middle Ages (Beowulf to Milton), for instance, and early literature from the Age of Enlightenment (Descartes, Kant, and more).

Matthew's classes offered something that no class at school could have offered. It was as much a study of English as it was of cultures, and as much a study of literature as it was of reasoning. It was the foundation that allowed me to think about the world I live in with both a lens for criticism and for recognition of beauty. It marked both the start and encompassed a great margin of the process of my increasingly thoughtful and grounded engagement with society.

The insights that classes with Matthew bore have allowed me to critically frame my life experiences-whether as president and board member in various student groups at Johns Hopkins University, a volunteer at the Emergency Department, an administrative team member at the Baltimore City Health Department, a client and administrative assistant at various Canadian Red Cross offices, a strategy intern for the Maryland Department of Emergency Management and Office of Resilience, a researcher working with stroke patients at the Johns Hopkins hospital or experimenting with mice in the laboratory setting. The insights we’ve drawn from our lessons, the parallel between hermeneutic reasoning and the practice of diagnostic medicine, for example, influences even my most current pursuits as a pre-medical student.

What I have reaped from the seeds which these classes have planted and cultivated is not solely the success I have had in work and studies, from skills in reasoning, criticism, rhetoric, or sensitivity to language. What I have gained is also, ultimately, the gift of realizing learning as an end in itself comparable to success in career or in projects. These ideas that I have harvested will undoubtedly influence me, in my thoughts and actions, throughout my life.

For these reasons, I offer my strongest and most sincere endorsement of Matthew . His teaching shaped not only my intellectual development but also the way I continue to approach learning, responsibility, and the world around me. I can say without hesitation that his influence has been lasting and foundational, and I am deeply grateful for the years of instruction and mentorship I received under his guidance.

Matthew has been tutoring me in English, Classical, Renaissance, and Modernist literature for upwards of 12 years, all the way from my time in high-school to now, during my master degree in English literature at UBC. Throughout our extended time together, he has not only much improved my reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, but has also greatly inspired my love for books and learning as a whole. Anyone looking for a patient, encouraging, and adaptable tutor will find Matthew to be of excellent help. He has a keen and precise eye for language and is amazingly well-read on a vast array of literary topics: it's quite difficult not to feel more interested and engaged in a text or topic when the one teaching you is so clearly passionate about it himself! Matthew has no doubt had a great impact on my performance in formal academia, but I must especially thank him for broadening my literary horizons and introducing me to many great works that I would have never engaged with otherwise. Among the many professors I've had throughout the years, Matthew truly stands out not just for his sheer depth of knowledge and unwavering support of his students, but for his determination to make learning both enjoyable and productive.

I studied with Matthew for 5 years, from grades 8 to 12 while attending high school in Vancouver, BC. Having immigrated from China at a young age, my introduction to advanced literature under his guidance contributed greatly to my fluency in English, as well as to my critical thinking and learning ability.

Throughout my time working with Matthew, I explored a variety of literary genres, including classical literature, picaresque fiction, Christian humanism, and more. Some notable authors we covered include Homer, Herodotus, and Euripides, in addition to Erasmus, Robert Alter, Franz Kafka, and others.

Much of my learning came not only from reading but also from writing critical pieces and creative imitations of the various works. Additionally, many of the skills and habits I developed, such as effective written communication and the ability to think independently and critically, have remained with me outside of our classes.

Although it has been some time since I last met with Matthew, I distinctly remember enjoying our discussions and analyses of the texts. The opportunity for directed guidance and one-on-one conversations was an important part of my learning, something largely absent from my regular high school curriculum. Each meeting played an essential role in the development of my critical thinking skills and my understanding of the culture that surrounds us.

Matthew’s passion and enthusiasm during each class created an environment in which reflection and expression of ideas felt both encouraged and natural. This allowed me to develop stronger analytical skills as well as develop greater confidence in communicating original ideas. His deep understanding of historical context and philosophy, as well as his ability to connect each work to modern society, enabled our discussions to extend well beyond the surface-level.

My experience studying with Matthew continues to shape my
academic and personal growth even now, nearing completion of my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto.