Meet Lee Honig
We are continuing our Meet the Tutor series this month and are excited to introduce you to Lee Honig.
Lee grew up in Brooklyn, NYC and attended Hofstra University, where he graduated with a B.S. in chemistry and minors in math and community health. After college, he worked as an industrial chemist at a vinyl plastic manufacturing plant.
In 2019, his grandmother passed away due to complications in Type II diabetes, and he decided to radically change his career trajectory and pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical science at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in Manhattan. His dissertation focused specifically on diabetes research.
“I wanted to make a difference in the field of diabetes.”
After he graduated in May 2018, he worked as a post-doctoral fellow, until he and his wife, a Cincinnati native, move to Cincinnati to plant roots in a smaller city. Since moving to town, he has been working as a contract scientific writer, a substitute teacher at Seven Hills Middle School, and an academic tutor with Connections.
How long have you been tutoring with Connections?
I've been tutoring in math and science since November.
What's your favorite thing about tutoring?
The most rewarding thing about tutoring is the experience of making a difference, small or large, in the lives of the students I work with. I've always had a passion for math and science, but I know that not everyone feels the same. However, when I see a student's light bulb go off after struggling with a particular concept, or have the opportunity to share some of my own personal anecdotes from my training as a scientist, I know that I'm making a meaningful difference in how the student approaches the subject or how the student thinks on a global scale about the material. I love introducing real-life scenarios to my students, whether its architecture during a geometry lesson, or walking a student through the process of how scientists collaborated over decades of time to understand and treat Sickle-Cell Anemia. My ultimate goal is to demonstrate to my students that the concepts they learn in class are used by scientists and real-world professionals every today to change people's lives for the better.
What is the best book you've read in the last year?
The best book I've read in the last year is undoubtedly Stephen King's, IT. I'm a huge fan of horror fiction and absolutely love King's work.
How would you spend a free Saturday afternoon?
On a free Saturday afternoon, my favorite thing is bringing my family together for brunch. I call everyone up the week before, create a menu, shop, and cook up a delicious meal to bring everyone together. That's what food is all about at the end of the day! My wife and I will either make a play date with our niece and nephew, hit the gym, watch something new on Netflix, go to the Cincinnati Nature Center for a walk, or spend time with each other baking our favorite treats to share with friends and family. I always try to make time to play my guitar and learn new songs, listen to a favorite album, or read a book. If all else fails on a Saturday afternoon, my wife and I love to dream about our next big traveling adventure.
You just won an all expenses paid vacation! Where are you going?
My wife and I went to Hawaii for our honeymoon and would love to go back to see other islands. But, from the first day that we met each other, we talked about going to the Galapagos Islands and Machu Picchu together.
Thanks, Lee! We love having you on our Connections Team!
Written by Joy Becker, Mentoring Coordinator and Author of 44 & Oxford
