Meet Our New Tutor, Gina!
From Iceland to Kenya, Gina Tomaine is a well-traveled tutor who fell in love with literature at a young age.
“I have loved reading and writing since I was old enough to hold a pencil and a book,” she said. “I would read all day when I was little, and I started writing my own novels in second grade.”
This is why Gina went on to study literature and writing at Saint Joseph’s University. She said she fell in love with the campus when she visited, and even though she spent some time abroad, Gina hasn’t strayed far from the institution.
Gina (left) with her sister on a trip in Kenya.
“Studying abroad in London and interning in the U.K. Parliament was incredible,” Gina said about her time as an undergrad. “I made so many good friends, learned a lot about politics and culture abroad, and ate fish and chips in every pub in London. Now, I teach English — both literature and writing — at my Alma mater, SJU.”
Gina, who started out as an admissions counselor at St. Joe’s, also has a strong passion outside of writing.
“I came to love Economics through my interest in social, cultural and political issues,” she said. “I felt like Economics was the glue holding all of those together, and I wanted to understand how it worked in order to understand the issues I was interested in.”
Along with picking up Economics as a dual major came studying Calculus — something that didn’t come so naturally to Gina. In order to get through the course, Gina said she knew she had to take action.
“I got a tutor,” Gina said. “I went regularly until I successfully completed the class. It was not easy, but the one-on-one lessons helped me through it.”
Gina posing with her Broad Street Run medal.
While she successfully pulled herself through Calculus, Gina maintained a love for languages. The new professor said she cannot live without her DuoLingo app — a free app for learning languages.
“I’m learning Portuguese right now, but who knows what’s next,” she said. “I love learning new languages.”
Whether it’s a new language or a new book, Gina can always be found expanding her knowledge of the world. If something seems challenging, she knows to ask for help. Gina maintains that fear should never stand in the way of accomplishing one’s goals.
“It’s going to be tough sometimes,” she said, “but it’s always worth it to push through and persevere. And ask for help. You will be glad you did when you look back.”
