Michael Kashinsky

Coming from a family of teachers, I have always had a deep love and appreciation for education. Throughout my life, I have always enjoyed learning, teaching, and combining my passions for both science and writing. In 2025, I graduated from the Binghamton University Scholars Program, earning a Bachelor of Science in Geology with a minor in English Literature Magna Cum Laude with a 3.8 GPA. Throughout my college journey, I conducted research in the wetlands of Chincoteague Bay, melted Andean volcanic rocks into lava for geochemical analysis, sailed across the Mediterranean aboard the JOIDES Resolution research vessel, and served as vice president of the Binghamton Marine Science Club. My focus in MSC was to lead educational events, such as fossil hunts in our local creeks and coordinate with faculty from a variety of departments to host a semesterly faculty talk. During my teaching experiences, I would always joke that I was an English teacher trapped inside a STEM major’s body. I consider myself a structural thinker, where I believe the theories behind questions and essay writing are puzzles to solve with a particular logic. My goal is not just to simply get a right answer out of a student, but to make sure my students understand the underlying mechanics of a question. I encourage students to not just rely on pattern recognition but to dig deeper and truly ask themselves what their test or essay question is trying to get them to think. This is especially true when I teach the SAT/ACT. Recognizing the different types of questions on the exam is just the surface level for most strategies. Truly understanding the mechanics of the question types they encounter and the techniques used to counter them turns standardized testing into a strategy game. I often compare our test-taking techniques to competitive gaming, referencing “the meta”, “broken moves”, or “sleeper picks”. Outside of the classroom, I enjoy cooking food from around the world, reading classical and horror literature, playing medieval and fantasy strategy games, voice acting for various video game mods, devoting mornings to fitness, and writing horror and fantasy literature inspired by Old World Europe.