His bright, welcoming smile is hard to miss, but that’s not what caught our attention. His passion to help as many students as best as he can is reflected in how his students look up to him as a mentor, and it is for that reason that Andson’s Tutor of the Month for April is none other than Tonna Oparaugo!
Originally from Nigeria, but raised in America, Tonna has lived in Las Vegas for 17 years. He currently lives with his mom (a nurse and psychological sciences student) and with his two brothers (students at the University of Nevada, Reno). He himself graduated from UNLV with a degree in kinesiology, which is how his passion for “getting [his] education and helping others in the process” really developed.
While he spends his weeknights at Centennial Hills Library, Tonna’s day job is as an administrator at Good Choice Pediatrics, handling patient documents, medical records, and referrals
In his spare time, he likes to relax at home, watch documentaries on Netflix, hang out with friends, play video games on his computer, and take scenic pictures on his camera during his travels. This summer, Tonna is headed to the Bahamas on a cruise in the hopes of taking some snapshots to join the pictures he’s taken in Mexico and across the U.S. His goal in life is “to travel to various places around the world and take pictures along the way.”
Tonna’s biggest motivation for teaching is “bettering others and preparing them for higher education and advancing their future careers”. The wisdom he feels is “the most important would be to never give up and work their very best, and in doing so they can achieve greatness,” and it is that advice which he leaves with every student.
In his opinion, “[Andson’s] impact is that the kids leave knowing that what they struggle in class with is made clear for them when it comes to their assignment or upcoming tests. [He] does [his] very best to make sure that the kids [he] tutors understand the material they learn in class and get any questions they have or are unclear to them answered, leaving behind positive reinforcement for them.”