Certified Instructors

Our tutors are all paid based on performance. So, the better the student and parent feedback, the more they get paid, and the more students they pick up. Similarly, the worse the student and parent feedback, the less they get paid, and the less students they pick up. Hence, in the very end, ineffective tutors are naturally wiped out of our tutorial network.

 

Name Subjects Description Education
Aaminah Norris English Aaminah Norris is pursuing her Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkeley, her concentration area is Language, Literacy, Society and Culture. Aaminah's research interest includes curriculum design and instruction, teacher education, and digital literacy. Her doctoral research stems from the trajectory of her 15 year career in education and youth development both in schooling and out of school contexts. Aaminah earned her MA in Education from UC Berkeley, and a BA in Communications from Alabama State University. She is a fellow of the Graduate School of Education at UC Berkeley. Aaminah has instructed middle and high school English for seven years. In addition she provides tutorial support and mentorship to her students. M.A. in Education,
UC Berkeley
B.A. in Communication,
Alabama State University
Adam Krause English Adam Krause holds an MFA from the University of Iowa Writers' Workshop and a BA from Knox College. He has taught writing courses at the University of Iowa and at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand, and taught ESL for an NGO in Delhi, India. His study guides and tips to help high school students read critically and write effectively are available from LitCharts.com and Eduify.com. M.F.A. Writers' Workshop,
University of Iowa
B.A. in English,
Knox College
Agata Paciora Spanish, English Agata is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago with her B.A. in Spanish and Fine Arts and her B.S. in International Studies. She has over four years of teaching and tutoring experience with both children and adults in private and large class settings. She has a passion for languages and cultures and speaks fluent Spanish and Polish, and some French and Arabic. Among Agata's hobbies are painting, Latin dancing, running and enjoying the outdoors, and traveling. She looks forward to meeting and inspiring wonderful young people. B.A. in Spanish and Fine Arts,
B.S. in International Studies,
Loyola University Chicago
Akiko Ishii Chemistry, Physics, Math Akiko Ishii graduated from Keio University in Tokyo, Japan with a B.S. in Applied Chemistry, and she came to the US in order to obtain her Master of Landscape Architecture at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Besides working as a licensed landscape architect in the Bay Area, she has been extensively tutoring from elementary school to high school senior students since she was in college. She has been teaching Math, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, English and Japanese in both English and Japanese. She has also taught in a large class setting with more than 20 students from elementary to high school age group. Akiko is always highly motivated to talk to students, sharing knowledge of various aspects of education, not only Math or Science but also day-to-day news, politics and so forth. Her hobby includes various types of sports, art, movie, reading and cooking. She belonged to the racing ski team in college, specializing in giant slalom and slalom. She is currently an avid swimmer, aiming to be a swimming instructor to students as well. Master of Landscape Architecture,
University of Pennsylvania
Extended Learning Program,
San Francisco State University
Post-Baccalaureate Program,
Mills College
Alan Hugenot English, History Alan graduated from Oregon Institute of Technology, where he majored in Physics and Mechanical Engineering Technology. He also carried a full load of minors in English Literature, Creative Writing and History. He loves writing and has published over 100 feature length articles in popular magazines and e-zines. He has also written national engineering standards for several Engineering Societies (SNAME, ASHRAE, NFPA, and ABYC), and still chairs one technical panel. He holds numerous engineering and technical certifications, and has delivered engineering papers at national society meetings. A gifted intellectual he holds membership in the Triple Nine Society (www.triplenine.org) which requires a Stanford-Binet L-M of 149 or SAT combined score of 1520 for admission. COLLEGE INSTRUCTOR: He has taught classes in English as a Second Language at Olivet University, College of Language Education - San Francisco, and is currently teaching a course in Environmental Controls Science at Laney College in Oakland. He loves teaching young people and has consulted to Silicone Valley start-ups mentoring young graduate engineers in Writing Engineering Proposals. He is currently teaching a course in English Writing & Literature at Think Tank Learning in Millbrae. CERTIFIED YOUTH INSTRUCTOR: A natural mentor, he enjoys working with youth and young adults. For over 20 years he has worked with youth teaching sailing and celestial navigation. He earned his 20 year pin as a Boy Scout Leader. He currently teaches Sailing for Spinnaker Sailing, Pier 40 San Francisco. B.S. in Mechanical Engineering,
Oregon Institute of Technology
Alan Okida Economics My educational story is not one of a natural born intellectual, nor of a young man who was dubbed intellectually gifted. In actuality, in my primary school, my teachers placed me with the lowest performing students of my class. When I got to high school, I graduated. I graduated not with outstanding scores nor honors, but with mediocre achievements. When I reached college, this trend changed. When I attended college, I began to perform with outstanding academic and extracurricular achievements. I was inducted into several academic honor societies such as Beta Gamma Sigma and Phi Theta Kappa. My extracurricular achievements include being one of the direct organizers against the educational budget cuts affecting all modern day students and becoming a founding father of a fraternity that focuses on developing the future business leaders of tomorrow. I have come a long way since my days in primary and secondary school, and I have learned. I don't plan on stopping this growth that I've experienced anytime soon, and while I am teaching here at ThinkTank, I plan on passing on my knowledge and experiences to my students in hopes that my teachings will benefit them and help them grow aswell. B.S. in Business Administration,
SFSU
A.A. in Computer Information Systems,
De Anza College
Albert Yu English Albert attended Milton Academy, a prestigious private school in Boston, before graduating from Cornell University's School of Hotel Administration. Albert has tutored a range of different students from 3rd graders to college students. He has also taught English in taiwan to students as well as conducting a Hotel English training class to hotel employees for ELSI Language School in Taipei. After spending many years in the hotel industry, he is looking to apply to business school and possibly pursue a career as college professor. In his spare time, Albert enjoys traveling, going to concerts, playing tennis, reading, eating out at new restaurants, watching movies, and being active in the local Chinese American community. B.S. in Hotel Management,
Cornell University
Alex Lee Chemistry Alex holds a BS in Chemistry from University of California at Berkeley and a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He enjoys interacting with students and has many years of experience tutoring and teaching to a diverse group. Currently he wants to become a high school teacher. B.S. in Chemistry,
UC, Berkeley
Ph.D. in Chemistry
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Alexis LeCount French Alexis has enjoyed working with students as the After School Director at Prospect Sierra School in the East Bay. She is experienced in tutoring and has strengths particularly in French and English as she studied abroad for a full year in Montpellier, France during her junior year in college. Alexis grew up in California, earned a BA from Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts and now lives in San Jose. B.A. in French,
Mount Holyoke College
Ali Rajai Math, Physics, Chemistry Dr. Ali Rajai has a Ph.D. in Mathematics from Princeton University and started his formal calculus teaching at Princeton in 1996. Ali has more than 20 years of tutoring experience in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. He is currently involved in research at UC Berkeley. Ph.D. in Mathematics, Princeton University

M.S. in Mathematics, Princeton University
Alice Spears English Alice is a credentialed English teacher with several years of classroom experience at multiple grade levels. Her specialty is teaching critical reading and English writing and grammar to both native and non-native English speakers. As a former proofreader/copy editor, she also has an eye for detail and an appreciation of concise, well-organized writing. When she is not teaching or planning her lessons, Alice enjoys reading, playing Scrabble, and making stained glass windows. B.A. in Sociology and English,
UC, Santa Barbara
California Standard Secondary Teaching Credential,
San Francisco State University
Alicia Anderson English Alicia graduated with honors from Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies. She spent her last year and a half living in Saint Petersburg, Russia, working at a transitional home for orphans, teaching English, and conducting several research projects. Her previous volunteer and paid positions working with youth include positions as a camp counselor, substitute teacher, paraeducator, foster youth court advocate, and adolescent group home treatment counselor. Recently, Alicia began volunteering as a literacy tutor in Alameda County's jail. She is currently earning her Master's in Social Work at San Jose State University and works for a non-profit organization in Fremont. B.A. in Global Studies,
Azusa Pacific University
Alicia Coggins Math Alicia is a recent graduate from UCSD. She received a B.S. in Cognitive Science and a B.A. in Chinese Studies, graduating with a 3.6 GPA in both her majors. During her time at UCSD, Alicia gained valuable teaching experience as a teaching assistant for the Cognitive Science department at UCSD. Although she did not receive a degree explicitly in mathematics, her studies were heavily weighted in math. She has been a math tutor for the past three years, and has had great success with her students. While she greatly enjoys tutoring math, her true love is for chemistry, and Alicia aspires to teach high school chemistry. Alicia is so grateful that she has found herself in the field of education, because she loves to inspire her students and she reaps great rewards from watching her students evolve in their studies and as young adults. B.A. in Chinese Studies,
UCSD
B.S. in Cognitive Science,
UCSD
Allen Hwang Biology, Chemistry, Physics Allen received his B.S. in Biochemistry from University of California Los Angeles. He enjoys working with students to achieve an understanding of the material. He has been tutoring high school students from the east bay and eager to assist more students. Allen has experience in the biotech industry and is planning on attending graduate school for energy resource engineering. B.S. in Biochemistry,
UCLA
Alvin Yiu Math, Chemistry Alvin has earned his B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology at University of California, Davis. He believes the process of learning is not only important to students' lives at schools, but also important to their daily lives. He believes that learning how to learn effectively is one of the keys to success. Besides stressing on using simple daily life examples to explain difficult concepts, he likes to share learning techniques that can assist students to learn more effectively. His tutoring experience ranges from tutoring high school students to college students. When he was tutoring at City College of San Francisco, he was invited to become a member of Chemistry Mentorship Program where he spent time leading groups of students to develop critical thinking skills in solving problems of the subject. B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology,
UC, Davis
Amber R. Godey English Amber Godey recently received her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Before attending graduate school she received her B.A. in English at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine. She has extensive experience teaching and tutoring English, Literature, Composition, Reading and Italian language in the U.S. and abroad. Ph.D. in Comparative Literature
UC, Santa Barbara

B.A. in English
Bowdoin College
Ambika Rustagi Biology Ambika received her Bachelor of Arts with honors in Cognitive Neuroscience from UC Berkeley in 2011 and her high school diploma from Gunn High School in 2007. While she pursued neuroscience due to her love of biology and the brain, she was excited to learn that her solid foundation in math, chemistry, and physics were extremely useful in neuroscience and neurobiology. Ambika has extensive experience tutoring in biology, math, and physics in the Bay Area and is excited to share her enthusiasm for these challenging but rewarding disciplines. B.A. in Cognitive Neuroscience,
UC, Berkeley
Amery Chen Chemistry Amery graduated with honors from UC Davis, receiving B.S. degree in Neurology, Physiology and Behavior. She is currently working on several research projects at the pediatric kidney transplant program of Stanford University School of Medicine, studying for the causes of different post kidney transplant diseases. Starting from high school, she has helped many students achieve better understandings in different science courses with her strong analytical and critical thinking skills. She enjoys her part-time job as a tutor because she believes that with her passion in science, she can create a fun, intellectual, and pleasant learning experience for kids of all age. In her spare time, Amery enjoys gym works, playing tennis and composing her own piano music. B.S. in Neurology, Physiology, and Behavior
Andy Chen Chemistry Andy Chen earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a B.S. in Materials Science from the University of California at Berkeley in 2000. Following graduation, he worked as an engineer in the telecommunications hardware industry for 3 years, during which time he also tutored chemistry at the high school and college level. Following his engineering career, Andy worked as a manager at a small startup company while simultaneously pursuing a law degree at Santa Clara University. Andy finished his J.D. at Santa Clara with an emphasis in Intellectual Property law in 2009. Andy is a member of the California State Bar. B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science,
UC Berkeley
Andrew Austin Math Andrew Austin is pursuing his Masters in Structural Civil Engineering at San Francisco State University. Andrew earned is BA in Math and Physics from University of California at Santa Cruz and worked in the high tech field for 20 years before going into the teaching field. Andrew both taught and tutored for ten years math and physics to middle and high school students. Andrew enjoys camping with his two children the younger who is graduating in June 2011. His older child is now in college studying to become a nurse. B.A. in Mathmetics and Physics,
UC Santa Cruz
Angel Yan Chemistry, Biology Angel received her MA degree in Education from University of Southern California and her BA degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology from UC Berkeley. She also holds a Single Subject Teaching Credential in both Chemistry and Biology. She has over seven years of expertise in tutoring students from both public school and private school in Math and Science. In addition in equipping her students in academic knowledge, Angel's goal is to instill strong study skills in her students and to help with them to develop their critical thinking skills. M.A. in Education,
University of Southern California
B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology,
UC Berkeley
Angela Ellington English Angela graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL where she received her degree in Communications Studies with a concentration in English. She also received a certificate in Creative Writing for the Media where she learned to write television scripts and screenplays. Angela's strength lies in writing and her previous positions as a reporter at a state newspaper and two corporate communications department have sharpened her writing skills. She will be tutoring English at the Fremont center and is especially skilled at assisting with editing and structuring English assignments, helping students write clear, concise papers. She is also gifted in assisting with critical reading, helping students grasp major literary themes and applying that learning to produce meaningful writings and/or classroom discussions. B.A. in Communications Studies,
Northwestern University in Evanston
Angeline Patel History After earning her B.A. degree in Community Studies at UC Santa Cruz, Angeline entered the Master's program at San Jose State University, with a concentration in Ancient and Medieval History. As she worked toward earning her degree, Angeline has had extensive experience with tutoring students, especially in the subjects of English, Government, and History. Master's program focusing on Ancient and Medieval Studies,
San Jose State University
B.A. in Community Studies,
UC Santa Cruz
Anjali Nadig English Anjali recently graduated from law school, where she attended the University of California, Berkeley Law School after transferring in her second year from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. Prior to law school, Anjali attended New York University where she earned her Masters of Public Administration and Miami University (OH) where she earned her Bachelors in Philosophy. Anjali has also worked at the San Francisco District Attorney's office, law firms and nonprofit organizations in New York City and Washington D.C. She has extensive tutoring experience with all ages of students, and enjoys not only helping her students achieve their academic goals but also mentoring high school students and assisting them in the college admissions process. Anjali is fluent in Kannada and Spanish, and is admitted to the California State Bar. Special Status J.D. Transfer Student,
UC Berkeley, School of Law
J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
Honors: Moritz College of Law Academic and Leadership Scholarship
Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service May 2007 M.P.A., Specialization in Public Policy Analysis
New York University
B.A. in Philosophy, cum laude and with Honors,
Miami University
Arbi Tamrazian Math, Physics Arbi Tamrazian graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Physics. He has experience tutoring students of various age groups from junior high school to college. Arbi also works in a research group developing new medical imaging modalities and plans to attend graduate school in biomedical engineering. On his spare time Arbi likes to read, solve logic puzzles and hang out with his friends. B.S. Physics,
University of California, Berkeley
Ashley Smith English Ashley is a proud graduate of UCLA with a Bachelor of Arts in English. She has tutored students at the elementary level, high school level, and even at the college level. She has been tutoring since she was in high school and has a passion for teaching others and finding new, creative ways of learning and communicating. Her knowledge and expertise span from foundational grammar skills to outstanding critical thinking, stellar composition and insightful literary analysis. Through her years as a tutor, Ashley has maintained a very positive approach with her students and believes in encouraging and challenging people to reach the next level. She aspires to teach in the classroom one day and is preparing to pursue her M.A. in Education or English. Ashley enjoys watching sports, cooking, exploring the outdoors, running with her dog, reading and writing, and traveling in her spare time. B.A. English, UCLA
Ayse Celebioglu Biology Ayse Celebioglu is a graduate from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Molecular Cell Biology, specializing in Infectious Diseases. She has spent the last year-and-a-half tutoring university students in biology and biochemistry. Additionally, she has taught study groups in introductory biology. At Berkeley, Ayse also worked as a peer advisor for students interested in both the pre-med and/or molecular biology track. She loves to learn and is constantly fascinated by developments in the scientific field. She hopes that in the course of tutoring and teaching, she can inspire the same love of science in her students. B.A. in Molecular Cell Biology,
UC Berkeley
Baoying Yuan Chemistry Baoying Yuan recently graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with joint majors of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering. She has many years of experience in tutoring Math from elementary school to college level. She likes to share her knowledge and assist students in developing their own studying methods. She likes playing sports, such as badminton and basketball, believing that exercising can help get rid of negative energy. In her spare time, she likes to discover delicious foods in the bay area and hang out with friends. B.S. in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering,
UC Berkeley
Barbara DeLuca English Barbara is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Chapman University earning a B.A. in English, with departmental awards. As an academic scholarship student, she was on Dean's List all eight semesters and chosen to represent her school in an exchange program with British university, King Alfred's College. While obtaining her teaching credential at CSULB, she tutored in the college writing center. During her teaching career, she taught Language Arts in the Long Beach district's magnet gifted program. From there, she moved to the Poway Unified School District, where she taught all levels of high school English, ran SAT prep seminars, taught exit exam classes to non-native-English-speaking students, served as advisor to the school newspaper, and was named by MIT as a "most influential teacher," based on accepted students' nominations. Locally, she has taught for the Pleasanton Unified School District and worked as a grant writer/proofreader, CogAT (gifted student identification test) proctor, freelance journalist, Barton Reading Tutor, and private tutor, specializing in test prep, study skills, essay writing, reading, and SAT Critical Reading and Writing skills. B.A. in English
Trained Barton Reading Tutor
California Single Subject Teaching Credential
Barbara Zimbalist English Barbara Zimbalist is a fifth-year Ph.D. student in the English Department at the University of California, Davis. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. in English literature and will receive her Ph.D. in Medieval Literature in 2011. Since 2005, she has taught critical thinking, composition, and writing courses, including Freshman and Sophomore composition, as well as a variety of literature courses. She has taught in the English department and the Rhetoric and Writing Studies Department at San Diego State University, and the University Writing Program and the English Department at UC Davis. She has also worked as an individual writing tutor for students of all ages. This year, she will be teaching in the Medieval and Early Modern Studies Program and the University Writing Program at UC Davis. B.A. in English, San Jose State University

M.A. in English, San Diego State University

Ph.D. in English, University of California, Davis

Barry Keane Math, Physics Barry holds a B.S. in Physics from San Jose State. He worked for 20 years as a software and hardware engineer in the video, internet, and semiconductor industries. Barry's tutoring experience includes helping first-year college students with science and engineering majors. He likes to find math and physics in everyday experiences like sports, gadgets, business, or whatever else may interest the student. He enjoys music and spending time with his family (wife, daughter, son). B.A. Russian Studies and Politics,
UC Santa Cruz

B.S. Physics, San Jose State
Beatrice Chan English Beatrice Chan is a recent graduate of Smith College, one of the Seven Sisters institutions dedicated to the higher education of Women. In the process of earning her B.A. in Art History and French Studies, Beatrice has come to deeply appreciate the nuances of languages and how they can be harnessed to describe the indescribable. She spent her junior year studying abroad in Paris, France. And after graduation, she spent a year studying Mandarin at National Taipei Normal University and tutoring English to Taiwanese students. If you add her experience as a student at Lowell High School, she really has been exposed to a variety of education methods. As a result, she is apt in tailoring her teaching styles to a variety of learning personalities. B.A. in Art History and French Studies,
Smith College
Bellamy Liu Chemistry, Math, Physics Bellamy graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering. While working in the biotech industry, he started tutoring high school students in math and science subjects. He soon found his passion in helping students and is now planning to pursue a teaching credential to become a full time teacher. During his free time, he enjoys playing piano, learning new languages, and exploring the world. B.S. Chemical Engineering
UCLA
Ben Treweek Physics, Math Ben graduated from the University of Michigan with Highest Distinction, earning a B.S. in Physics and a B.S. in Music. He attained a 3.94 GPA while in college and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Born and raised in northern Virginia, he recently moved to San Francisco to start a company with several high school friends as well as to more actively pursue his interest in music. He has a year of experience tutoring physics and math students at the high school level, mostly assisting with AP preparation and summer courses. In his spare time, he enjoys a number of sports including running, basketball, soccer, and football, and he both composes his own music and plays guitar in a Mongolian rock band. B.S. in Physics,
University of Michigan
B.A. in Music,
University of Michigan
Bertrand Lui Math, Physics Bertrand was a Richter Scholar for the Laboratory for Spacecraft and Mission Design at Caltech University. He was also a teaching assistant for two years where he demonstrated lectures in modern optics. Bertrand is currently carrying out his passion for teaching and tutoring at ThinkTank Learning while attending Stanford University to obtain his PhD in Bioengineering. B.S. in Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology
Billy Higgins History, French Billy is a graduate of Trinity College Dublin in Ireland where he earned his M. Phil. During his time abroad he also worked as an academic tutor, and as a private French instructor preparing students for the Junior and Leaving Certificate examinations for Irish Secondary school. He also holds a B.F.A. from the University of Wyoming where he worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant and academic tutor for U.W.'s Athletic Department. The oldest of four children, Billy enjoys volunteering at Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco, helping sail the Alma for the Young Explorer's Educational Program, and working in theatre. Billy's tutoring strategy is to teach students subject skills they will need in the long run to ensure academic success. B.F.A in Theatre/Dance,
University of Wyoming
Bonnie Jim Math Bonnie Jim graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with B.A. degrees in Economics and Linguistics, as well as with B.S. degree in Business Administration. She started tutoring and mentoring when she was in high school and continued throughout her college years. She has been working with kids from various ages and backgrounds, and she has been teaching various subjects in one-on-one setting as well as in a group. She loves working with kids. Not only does she want to provide them with academic support, but she also wants to motivate and inspire them in positive ways. Bonnie enjoys teaching students and learning from them. She loves traveling, learning different languages and playing musical instruments during her free time. B.A. in Economics and Linguistics

B.S. Business Administration
UC, Berkeley
Bopha Sun Biology and Chemistry Bopha Sun has been a tutor for many years. She has worked with Club Z, Think Tank Learning, as well as mentoring in the school districts. She has worked with students ranging from 5 years of age to college undergraduates. She graduated from the University of the Pacific with a B.S. in Chemistry-Biology and a minor in Business Management. She continued her education at California State University East Bay, where she received her M.S. in Chemistry. She currently works as a research associate. During her free time, she loves to run, bike, hike, climb, and snowboard. She currently completed a 10K as well as a half marathon. M.S. in Chemistry
CSU, East Bay

B.S. Chemistry-Biology
University of Pacific
Brandon Fukuda Physics, Math Brandon Fukuda holds an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from USC. In his classwork, he designed a prototype of an EKG and a computer program to analyze pulse oximetry data. He has tutored for several private companies in the Southern California and Northern California areas, specializing in high school curricula and SAT prep. He is interested in teaching abroad, particularly in providing math and science services to students in impoverished countries. In his spare time, he likes to play the guitar, work out, and travel. M.S. in Biomedical Engineering,
USC
Brenda Sanchez Spanish Brenda attended the University of California Davis, where she obtained a B.A. with a double major in Spanish and Chicano/a Studies. She is currently attending Evergreen Valley College where she is taking classes in order to transfer to Samuel Merritt University to receive a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. During her education at Davis, Brenda became a tutor for students in elementary all the way to high school. She worked for an after school program that promoted academic success and inspired students to attend college. She also became a volunteer for a non-profit community health clinic where she loved bringing health awareness. Brenda is a friendly and loving person who enjoys working with people. She hopes to obtain a masters in nursing/public health in order to work around people, especially young teenage girls and educate them about their health. Asides, Brenda is a musician who has been in different bands ever since middle school. B.A. with a double major in Spanish and Chicano Studies,
UC Davis
Brenda Keener Math, Physics, Speech and Debate Brenda Keener, Physics and Math tutor, holds an MBA with an emphasis in Finance from Edinburgh Business School, an MSEE with an emphasis in Analog Design from Santa Clara University, and a BS Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University. She taught Algebra I and II for three years with the University of Phoenix, and Intro to College Learning for one year with Western International University. Her background also includes holding high level Sales and Marketing positions within Silicon Valley - most recently she was the VP of Business Development for Packet Island Inc, based in Cupertino. Prior to moving into a business role, she served for twelve years in engineering roles which includes six years with Hewlett-Packard early in her career. She enjoys teaching as it is her way of giving back to the community in which she resides. B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering
Northwestern University
Brent Palmer Math A solid mathematics foundation in high school led Brent to pursue an Electrical Engineering degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He considers an understanding of math a critical foundation for any serious student because it lays the groundwork for rational thinking so necessary in post-secondary coursework. In his present occupation, Brent combines his technical background with business prowess. A stint in banking while pursuing his degree led him to gravitate toward a management position in the commercial electrical construction industry. He participated in peer tutoring in math while in high school. B.S. in Electrical Engineer
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Brian Pham Math Brian Pham earned a Bachelors of Science at University of California, Berkeley. While at Cal, he majored in bioengineering. He has tutored and taught countless students in a variety of math subjects. This ranges from pre-algebra to calculus. Just this past summer, he taught a summer program for high school students in the subjects of Calculus and Pre-Calculus. Many high school students have improved their math grades with his help. At the same time, he mentors and helps students with any problems they face. Besides academic, Brian has shown the capability to school high school youth in basketball, soccer, or tennis. B.S. in Bioengineering,
UC Berkeley
Brian Wenzel Biology, Chemistry, Math Brian was born and raised in Pasadena, CA. He was raised by a family of school teachers and has been around the educational system his entire life. He was the top graduate in his major (marine biology) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Brian has also earned a master's degree in Biology from Sonoma State University. He has taught two years at the college level and was a math and science tutor throughout his college career. He also played a year of college basketball. He loves science, the outdoors and sports. Brian currently works for a biotech firm, spends his free time working in various philanthropic organizations and wants to help make a difference in the lives of college-bound students. Marine Biology
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
M.S. in Biology
Sonoma State University
Bridgit Taylor English, SAT Bridgit loves English and writing, and she enjoys teaching students to love them too! Bridgit has a very strong language arts background. She was in the Honors English program while she was in high school and took AP English as a senior. She passed the SAT II in English with a score high enough to skip her first year of freshman college English at Santa Clara University, where she earned a B.S. in Psychology.
During her time in college, she tutored children in English grammar and reading at a San Jose middle school. Bridgit then went on to complete her Master of Arts degree in Women's Studies at the University of Memphis. She believes a solid understanding of grammar, as well as organized writing, will bring success to students in any discipline, and they promote clear thinking and good communication in all areas of life. She is looking forward to passing on her love of language to her students!
B.S. Psychology,
Santa Clara University
Brittany Lovejoy English, SAT English Brittany Lovejoy graduated Cum Laude from Claremont McKenna College with dual majors in Government and Literature. While in college she served as a research assistant at an international politics think-tank, was a legislative intern at the Office of California Assembly-member Alberto Torrico, headed her college's community service office, and helped provide aid and asylum to victims of political torture at Survivors International in San Francisco. She was admitted the University of California Berkeley Law School in 2007 but decided to defer her admission to 2009 in order to teach in low-income schools with the nationally recognized teaching program, Teach For America. After teaching 9th grade English in Watts, California, Brittany took a position teaching 9th and 10th grade English in at Gilroy High School here in the bay area. In her free time Brittany loves to travel - while in college she spent 6 months in Hong Kong and would love to return some day! B.A. in Government
and Literature,
Claremont McKenna College
Calvin Ye History, Economics Calvin is a credentialed Social Science teacher. During his undergraduate studies at UCLA, Calvin focused mainly on East Asian and American History. He spent this past year student-teaching at Menlo-Atherton High School. He has a passion for helping underprivileged students prepare for higher education and to become better critical thinkers. He is an avid sports fan, who cheers for the 49ers, San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors, and the UCLA Bruins. M.A. in Education,
Stanford University
B.A. in History,
UCLA
Carey Cress English, SAT Verbal As a teaching assistant in graduate school, Carey helped her students improve the quality of their writing and research projects. She worked as a research analyst, writer, and corporate trainer for seven years before becoming a tutor. She enjoys working with children of all ages, and feels that the process of learning should be an enjoyable experience for them. In order to teach more effectively, she continues to study topics such as increasing student motivation and making the most of every student's preferred learning style. B.A. in International Relations,
UC Davis
M.A. in Comparative Politics with an Emphasis in Research Methods,
UC Riverside
Carissa Fletcher Chinese Carissa graduated magna cum laude from Pomona College with a B.A. in Chinese Language & Literature and Asian Studies, as the recipient of the Asian Studies Thesis Prize (2009) and the Asian Languages and Literature Prize (2009). She will soon graduate from the University of Nottingham, Ningbo, with an M.A. in Interpreting and Translation, Mandarin and English. Carissa has tutored in Chinese for several years at the college level through the Oldenborg Center for Modern Languages at Pomona College, working with both beginning and advanced students. She currently works as a Chinese translator: examples of her work may be seen in the journals Chinese Studies in History and Chinese Education and Society. She enjoys traveling and has lived in China for two years out of the past six. During her spare time, Carissa loves to read, play the piano and learn new languages. She looks forward to imparting her passion for languages and cultures to her students. M.A. in Interpreting and Translation, Mandarin and English,
University of Nottingham, Ningbo
B.A. in Chinese Language & Literature and Asian Studies,
Pomona College
Carlos Angel Spanish Carlos Angel is a native Spanish Speaker who moved to San Jose in 1997. He studied Civil Engineering in Bogota, Colombia and continued his studies at De-Anza College.
He became an Spanish Tutor on this Campus as well as an assistant teacher for an Spanish Class. Today he works on Real Estate and mortgages but still enjoys to teach and share his knowledge with students. He enjoys sharing and learning about the different cultures which makes the Bay Area a very special place to live in the world. During his free tome he enjoys simple pleasures of life like Practicing Sports, Listening to Music, Cooking and Chating to people.
Civil Engineering,
Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia
Carol Enos History Carol has been a teacher in the public schools for 34 years. She has experience both in special education and in the regular classroom, teaching US History at the eighth grade level. Carol has a passion for teaching history and enjoys sparking an interest in the subject in her students by linking current events with historical ones. Her special education background enables her to assess her students' learning styles and then devise alternative approaches to mastering academic subjects. She believes that successful students have strong organization and time management skills, and she helps her students develop systems for managing their academic workloads. Carol holds a Master's degree in Speech Pathology and Audiology, and five credentials in Speech Pathology and Audiology, Learning Handicapped, Resource Specialist, Single Subject History and the CLAD. B.A./M.A. Speech Pathology
and Audiology
San Jose State University
Chang Liu Math Chang graduated with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles. During her three years of leadership in the UCLA Engineering Society, she provided tutoring to peers, as well as private tutoring to students in high school. Her engineering background extends to extensive work experience in the pharmaceutical and utility industries. In her free time, Chang enjoys jewelry making, food photography and marathon training. B.S. in Chemical Engineering,
UCLA
Charles Hand Math Charles Hand has always been fascinated by math, science, and technology. Throughout his professional career, he has worked in highly technical and research intensive positions at companies and science laboratories like IBM, NASA, Oak Ridge, and several university AI labs. In the last six years, he has concentrated on teaching Math and Technology courses to students from K-12 and obtained a math credential to teach for the Los Angeles Union School District. He takes pride in his teaching and attributes his success to paying attention to what students are having trouble with and focusing on those specific areas. B.A. in Math, University of Kansas

M.A. in Math, University of Kansas
Charlene de Leon English Charlene de Leon, or "Ms. D" as her students often call her, has been teaching and tutoring students of all ages for years. She was a Gates Millennium Scholar and earned her B.A. in English and minor in Asian-American Studies from the University of California- Berkeley. Although also accepted to Stanford and UCLA, she returned to her alma mater, UC Berkeley as a teaching fellow to earn her California Single Subject Teaching Credential in English and M.A. in Education from the top-ranked MUSE program. She currently holds a California Clear Credential in English and Social Science and has taught grades 6-12 in various Bay Area schools. She has been trained in best practices for English Language Learners and mainstreamed special needs students and has taught and tutored ELL's and mainstreamed special needs students in a classroom and one-on-one tutoring setting.
She is successful helping ELD students develop their written and oral fluency in academic English and is skilled in providing the scaffolding to support any student struggling with writing, reading comprehension, literary analysis, historical concepts, or critical thinking. She challenges even the high-achieving student to think critically, read actively, and write with greater clarity, thoughtfulness and depth. Her students have said that her greatest strengths as a teacher are how she makes curriculum accessible and interesting and helps students develop their oral and written communication skills. They appreciate how she teaches with professionalism and humor, maintaining a comfortable rapport that shows she cares about each of them and loves what she does.
Charlene extends her passion for literature beyond the classroom by reading and writing in her spare time. She has three dogs and enjoys travel, dance, outdoor sports, and yoga.
M.A. in Education,
UC Berkeley
B.A. in English Literature,
Minor in Asian-American Studies,
UC Berkeley
California Clear Single Subject
Teaching Credential (TCSS)
English and Social Science
Charles Chu Biology, Chemistry Charles Chu graduated with honors from the University of California Davis with a B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and a B.A. in Philosophy. He was also awarded a departmental citation in Philosophy for his academic achievement. He has extensive tutoring experience covering a wide range of subjects and age groups. From the natural sciences such as Chemistry to the field of Philosophy; Charles can adapt to different styles of teaching and learning. In his spare time he enjoys volunteering at nursing homes, and hospitals. His most memorable experience was teaching a science fun course at a local nursing home. Through performing science experiments for the elderly he was able to teach them basic scientific principles. In so doing, he realized how learning can be done at any stage of life. With this in mind, he hopes to tutor students not only for knowledge, but to inspire students to develop the habit of life-long learning. B.S. in Biochemistry,
UC Davis
B.A. in Philosophy,
UC Davis
Chee Liang Hoe Math Chee Hoe has two Master degrees in Physics, one from University of Connecticut and the other from Duke University. He excelled in learning Science and Mathematics. This is exemplified by his very high GPAs (3.8, 3.7, and 3.5) in both undergraduate (majored in Physics and Mathematics) and graduate work, and by the Best Physics Graduate award he received as an undergraduate. He also presented research findings at RSNA (Radiological Society of North America) in 2004 and 2005. RSNA is the largest and most competitive conference in Radiology. He has read extensively on Science and Mathematics - one of the books he enjoyed the most is George Polya's "How to Solve It", a great book for giving a more genuine understanding of mathematics and for making learning more fun.
He loves to ignite students' passion for learning, to train them to think independently, and to inspire them to become enthusiastic participants in school and in life. He always try to explain concepts in real life examples that they can relate to. He received great student feedback while teaching freshman algebra, precalculus, and calculus at Rima College, Malaysia. For example, a student told him, "At first we doubted you, as you are a young teacher. Then we realized that you are a great explainer." Students also gave him very positive evaluations when he was an instructor at Universiti Putra Malaysia, and when he was a teaching assistant for freshman Physics at Duke University. In 2008, he established new Chinese Language programs at Saint Louis School in Honolulu while teaching Math at the same time. He received great feedbacks from students, parents, and school administrators. He also volunteered to tutor all Math subjects at Aspire Education Project, a non profit organization catering to underprivileged kids in Oakland. His tutoring ability was very well received by both the administrators and students.
Chee has a wide interest. Some of these are: hiking, cycling, swimming, traveling, nature, photography, writing, songs, playing harmonica, movies, good conversations, learning, and meditating. He recently acted in a theater show, 91 Owl as an old Chinese lady, and received high acclaims.
M.A. in Medical Physics,
Duke University
M.S. in Physics,
University of Connecticut
Cheng Chen Biology, Chemistry, Math, Physics Cheng graduated University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology with an emphasis in biochemistry. During college, he has spent an extensive amount of time conducting research in two different labs, where he studied the mechanism of gastric secretion and antibiotic resistance. In the past, he has tutored many students in various math and science subjects. During free time, he loves to exercise and play sports, such as basketball, and football. B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology,
UC Berkeley
Cherry Chang Math Cherry holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Information Systems from University of Virginia in Charlottesville, and a MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Cherry has experiences tutoring math, economics, and chinese to K-12 graders and enjoys mentoring students of all ages. Outside tutoring, Cherry is a certified auditor helping non-profits in the Bay area improving transparency and operational efficiency. B.A. in Management Information Systems, University of Virginia

M.B.A. McCombs School of Business, University of Texas

Chris Cordova Math Chris graduated from Stanford University with a B.S. in Aeronautics & Astronautics. For the past four years, she has taught and tutored Math at various levels, from basic arithmetic to Linear Algebra, from kindergarten to college students. Chris has spent various summers working with children in low-income communities helping them grow a knowledge and love for Math, Science, and Engineering, and as a result, grew a love for teaching. Having ran various tutoring programs independently, Chris has gained valuable experience working with school district administration and teachers, while learning from their curriculum building practices. She enjoys learning from her students, as she strongly believes teaching is not a one-way street. B.S. in Aeronautics & Astronautics,
Stanford University
Chris Dicksion Math, English, Chemistry, Economics Chris has had the great opportunity of being able to blend studies in social sciences with studies in physical sciences. With formal training and a degree in Anthropology from UCSC. He is now studying chemistry and mathematics, with a particular focus on the chemical nature of human-environment interactions, with the goal of obtaining a Ph.D and becoming a teacher. Chris began his teaching/tutoring career a few years back at a Junior College in southern California. In this role, Chris was teaching a variety of classes that ranged from Natural Science to Economics to Writing Composition and Grammar. He has also developed significant experience tutoring aspiring students for many standardized tests, including the SAT Reasoning Test, Subject tests, and the ACT.
In his spare time, Chris enjoys 'making noise' on his drum set, consuming the wonderful variety of foods that are to be found in the Bay Area, riding his bicycle, and reading the fascinatingly funny and enlightening stories by Tom Robbins.
B.A. in Anthropology,
UCSC
Chris Wey Math, Physics Chris graduated from National Taiwan University in Taiwan with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering. He received his Ph.D. from UC Santa Barbara in Electrical Engineering. Chris is an engineer in the high tech industry. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and playing volleyball. He likes the challenge of helping students with problem solving and sharing his experience in science and technology. B.S. in Electrical Engineering,
National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering,
UC, Santa Barbara
Chris Wong Biology Chris graduated from UCLA with a B.S. in Biology and a minor is Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. He has previous experience tutoring Algebra to middle school and high school students. Chris was also an undergraduate researcher at the Jacob's Lab in the department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. Chris was part of Pre-SOMA, a pre-osteopathic medicine society on campus. His goal is to help teach students in a way that is fun and stimulating to help them reach their full potential. B.S. in Biology,
minor Atmospheric, Oceanic Sciences,
UCLA
Christine Chow English Christine Chow is a graduate student at Stanford University School of Education. She graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Communications and a concentration in Broadcast Journalism. Additionally, she has over five years of tutoring experience in English and math for K-12 students, and she has tutored college students at her university writing center. Moreover, she has scored in the top 2 percentile of the entire nation on the GRE verbal section. In her free time, she enjoys reading science fiction, watching well-made films, and staying current with the news. B.A. in Communications and a concentration in Broadcast Journalism,
Stanford University
Christopher Gill Math Christopher grew up in the bay area and attended Mills High School. After graduating, he earned his B.S. in Chemical Engineering at U.C. Berkeley. There, he has also worked in a chemistry lab for three years. He has many years of tutoring experience in high school math and chemistry. He has even taught inmates at San Quentin State Prison helping them obtain their GED's. His dream is to one day start a water sanitation facility in a third world country. B.S. in Chemical Engineering,
U.C. Berkeley
Christopher Peter Parris History Peter has been teaching Ancient, World, and U.S. History in the Campbell Union School District since 2003. He holds a single subject teaching credential in the field of social studies as well. Peter enjoys organizing history related field trips for his students. B.A. in History, San Jose State University
Chiuwen Wu Chinese Chiuwen holds a B.A. in Russian back in her hometown Taiwan. She then came to the United States in the year of 2003 to pursue her master's in Slavic Languages and Literatures. Due to her strong passion for foreign languages and cultures, she has always been actively involved in teaching/tutoring individuals foreign languages as well as doing languages exchange through all her academic years & after graduation. She experienced teaching students of all age groups English as a Second Language back in Taiwan, and was honored to be awarded Best Teacher of the Year in Hess Educational Organization. After then, during her studies in Indiana University, she was granted Associate Instructorship which provided her with the great opportunity and challenge to teach college students Elementary Russian. At all times, she has been tutoring or doing language exchange in Chinese so that she and her students or peers can share their different cultures and life experiences. She believes that by creating a relaxing and fun learning environment, students can really enjoy the process and stay motivated, which is more conductive to excelling in learning a second language. Apart from teaching, she loves cinema, music, arts & crafts, traveling, reading, cooking, adventures. there are simply too many wonderful things to enjoy in life! M.A. in Slavic Languages
& Literatures, Indiana University

B.A. in Russian,
NCCU, Taiwan
Christopher Hikida Math, Socialogy Chris graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.A. in Sociology: Organizational Studies and Communication. Being raised by a high school teacher, education has always played an important role in his life. As an undergraduate he tutored both mathematics and sociology. He enjoys motivating students and helping them understand complex ideas. In his spare time, Chris enjoys reading, playing chess, running, swimming, and snowboarding. He is planning to attend law school in the coming fall. B.A. in Sociology: Organizational Studies and Communication
UC, Davis
Cindy Dinh Speech and Communication,
English, & Math
Cindy Dinh believes that good communication skills are essential to success in school, career, and life. Cindy received her B.A. in Sociology at UCLA and is currently pursuing her M.A. in Communication Studies at San Jose State University where is she is invited each semester to guest lecture. As she has been a performing artist in acting and dance for over 13 years, she understands the importance of expressing herself to audiences. In the same vein, Cindy understands that her experience in performing arts has fed into her confidence as a public speaker. Knowing the power of the spoken word has prompted her to devote her career to teaching others how to express their ideas, thoughts, and feelings publicly. She feels it is important for young students to conquer anxieties around communication to increase confidence. Combining her experiential knowledge in academic teaching and corporate training, she has designed an innovative Communication & Debate curriculum by incorporating the best practices from college communication classes and professional presentation training, and carefully adapted them for younger students. B.A. in Sociology,
UC Los Angeles
Claire Cheung Mathematics Claire has recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.A.degree in Geophysics and minor in music, where she has acquired a strongbackground in mathematics and science subjects. During her college years, shehas been actively tutoring at various institutions, including a tutoring centerwhere she has given lessons and homework help to students ranging frompre-school to eighth grade; and City College of San Francisco where she hasmentored college students on math and science subjects. Claire believes patientis a very important attribute of being a good tutor, and by applying heradaptive teaching style, she has been able to help her students to overcometheir learning obstacles and pass their tests with flying color. Besidesspecializing in teaching Mathematics, Geography and Paleontology, Claire canalso speak and write fluent Cantonese and Mandarin. In addition to being atutor, Claire enjoys doing photography, playing music and traveling in her sparetime. B.A. in Geophysics with minor in Music,
UC Berkeley
Colleen Bradley History Colleen Bradley graduated with and M.A. in History from San Francisco State University in 2011. Her focus was European History, and her thesis was on Roman Britain. As a graduate student, she helped teach World History at SFSU and tutored students with many different learning needs. She continues to study and write about History, and enjoys photography, gardening, cooking, and music. M.A. in History,
San Francisco State University
Courtney Huizar English Courtney Huizar holds an A.B. in Public Policy Studies from Duke University and a J.D. from Stanford Law School. While at Duke, she spent two years as a teaching assistant for the Introduction to Policy Analysis course. While at Stanford, she was a member of and executive editor for the Stanford Law Review, a semi-finalist in the law school's moot court competition, and a recipient of the Hilmer Oehlmann, Jr. Award for outstanding legal research and writing skills. Following law school, Courtney spent a year clerking for United States District Judge Vaughn R. Walker, of the United States District Court for the Northern District of California. She then spent five-and-a-half years practicing civil litigation at two Bay Area law firms. For the past four years, Courtney has been a volunteer attorney coach for the award-winning San Francisco School of the Arts High School's mock trial team, which has won the San Francisco county championship three years in a row (2008-2010) and placed second at the California state competition in 2010. Courtney is a member of the State Bar of California, an avid reader of both fiction and nonfiction, and a passionate Duke basketball fan. J.D. from Stanford Law School,
Stanford University
A.B. in Public Policy Studies,
Duke University
Courtney Mohland English Courtney Mohland graduated from Westmont College, a small private college in Santa Barbara, CA with her Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. During her time at Westmont, she attended a semester in San Francisco, where she worked with the non-profit 826 Valencia, which assists students with English tutoring and in-classroom help. There, she worked with students in every grade level from many of San Francisco's schools on projects from Fable writing, to personal essays, to newspaper articles. She is passionate about creative writing and has participated in National Novel Writing month for three years, winning it twice. In her free time, she loves to read fantasy and sci-fi novels as well as work on her own writing. She is considering a future career teaching Creative Writing at the college level. B.A. in English,
Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA
Damien Adams Math Damien Adams received his B.A. cum laude in Mathematics from Humboldt State University in 2010. Currently, he is en route to earning an M.S. in Pure Mathematics at San Jose State University and will pursue a Ph.D. thereafter. He has tutored students in mathematics from high school to advanced college levels for the past nine years. Damien has a vast expertise in algebra, geometry, calculus, analysis, and abstract algebra. He is not only an instructor but a positive motivator, as well. Damien is happily married, enjoys puzzles and sports, learning, traveling, and playing tuba with the Tuba Ensemble at Ohlone Community College. M.A. in Mathematics, (in progress)
San Jose State University
B.A. in Mathematics, Minor in Music,
Humboldt State University, Arcata
Dan Blanchette English Dan Blanchette earned his Bachelor's degree in English Literature from the University of California at Berkeley. He then earned his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Golden Gate University School of Law. While in law school, Mr. Blanchette was an instructor in the "Street Law Program", through which he taught practical law to high school students in Oakland, California. In his final year of law school, he was a teaching assistant for criminal litigation, helping second year law students hone their legal writing skills.
Before going to college, Mr. Blanchette spent two years studying acting in San Francisco, and five years as a working musician. He is now pursuing a career in educational law. Mr. Blanchette is an active member of the Golden Key International Honour Society for Academic Achievement. His goal is to see that students not only survive the university experience, but to prepare them to truly succeed.
B.A. English Literature, UC, Berkeley
Daniel Lim Biology Daniel graduated from the University of California, Davis, with a B.S. in Exercise Physiology and Managerial Economics in 2008. He took on and excelled in various upper-division science courses, including human anatomy and physiology. Daniel is currently taking post-baccalaureate biology classes at S.F. State University and applying to medical school. While attending UC Davis, Daniel tutored many undergraduates in the sciences, helping them to excel in their studies and, more importantly, develop a passion for the sciences. The experience Daniel gained from tutoring at the UC Davis learning skills center has allowed him to understand that not everybody learns the same way and thus he presents what he teaches through various mediums as best he can in order to find the most effective form of teaching for a particular individual. In the past, he has used video clips, multiple problem sets, diagrams, group discussions and analogies to real world experiences to convey his messages. In his free time, Daniel enjoys traveling, reading, learning new languages, running outdoors, and engaging in various sports (mainly basketball and tennis). B.S. in Exercise Physiology and Managerial Economics, UC Davis
Daniel Ni Math,
SAT Math
Daniel Ni graduated from UC San Diego with a B.S in Electrical Engineering. Daniel has worked at Intel Corporation and Genesis Microchip as an engineer and has played various roles in marketing and program management. Daniel has been tutoring algebra and mathematics since his college days at U.C. San Diego. Daniel currently helps business owners as a business broker at a local brokerage and loves to tutor in his spare time. He also is currently pursuing his Certified Financial Analyst(CFA) Charter. B.S. in Electrical Engineering, UC San Diego
Danielle LeVee English, Math Danielle is a graduate from UC Santa Cruz where she received honors in her psychology major and education minor as well as university honors. In college, she accumulated over 500 hours of teaching experience as a teacher's aid in both English and Psychology where she led individual sections and worked one-on-one with students. She also worked as an aid in two elementary school classrooms for field study. Danielle first gained experience tutoring underprivileged kids at Richstone Family Center and mentally handicapped children who attended her high school. She enjoys playing tennis, doing art, cooking, and reading a book. Danielle puts people at ease with her friendly and patient nature and positive attitude. She has a passion for learning and hopes to share this passion with her students to assure their academic success. B.A. in Psychology with minor in Education,
UC Santa Cruz
Danny Ko Chemistry Danny earned his B.S. in Biochemistry from UC Santa Barbara. He is now working as a research associate in a biopharmaceutical company; helping to develop a novel therapeutical molecule to treat animals affected by parasites. Danny has had two years of tutoring experience and is aiming to help students to understand the principle of chemistry as well as to stimulate their interests in science. B.S. in Biochemistry,
UC Santa Barbara
Danquynh Nguyen Math Danquynh graduated from U.C Berkeley with a degree in Mathematics. During her college years, she volunteered to tutor at Chabot college, was invited to substitute a few math classes and worked closely with her former math instructors as a teaching assistant. She has also tutored students of many levels, ranging from elementary to high school. She loves the subject and she enjoys teaching it. Her plan to pursue a graduate degree in Math is currently underway. B.A. in Math, UC Berkeley
Dave Hahn English Dave holds a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature from the University of Chicago, where he taught extensively in the English Department and Writing Program. Before coming to California, Dave served as a Resident Tutor and academic advisor at Harvard University, assisting students with their term papers, senior theses, and concentration decisions. Dave enjoys developing the writing and reading skills of students while also inspiring a love of learning he hopes they will carry with them beyond the classroom. PhD in English Language and Literature,
University of Chicago
M.A. in English Language and Literature,
University of Chicago
B.A. in English and Comparative Literature,
Clark University
David Kardon English David graduated from Columbia University in New York City with a degree in French Literature. He was selected to the Dean's List 5 times in his 8 semesters and studied for a semester at the school's prestigious Reid Hall in Paris. He has taught language arts for many years, in after school tutoring centers throughout the Bay Area. David graduated from the University of California Hastings College of the law in 2008 and excels in legal research and writing. His tutoring has helped hundreds of students improve their grades and raise their standardized test scores. David coaches youth soccer and enjoys playing tennis, basketball, and baseball. B.A. in French Literature,
Columbia University
Juris Doctor, Hastings College of Law
David Lozes Mathematics David graduated from the University of California at Santa Barbara with a B.S. in Biochemistry. He applied his training toward process development in chemical manufacturing and analysis laboratories. He has experience tutoring high school and college students, and volunteering at hospitals. In his spare time, David enjoys design, bicycling, writing, and travel. B.S. in Biochemistry,
UC Santa Barbara
David Massey History, English, SAT Verbal David Massey received his B.A. in History as a high honors graduate from the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has extensive experience teaching History, English, Composition, Reading and Math. This experience ranges from elementary through high school students, and has solidified his belief in the importance of establishing a groundwork of skills and understanding that students will draw on for the rest of their lives. He is skilled at helping students break down difficult ideas into more manageable concepts that he then guides them through until they can reconstruct the idea for themselves. Additionally, he loves writing and equally loves to pass on his knowledge of persuasive and creative writing to his students. He is currently taking a year off from law school at Pepperdine University School of Law to pursue his interest in the field of education, which he believes is his true calling in life. B.A. in History,
University of California, Santa Barbara
David Meuel English A credentialed State of California English teacher, David Meuel has taught English at both Cupertino and Santa Clara High Schools and was a student teacher at Lynbrook High School. He has worked with a wide range of students, including English language learners, and focuses on tailoring his tutoring sessions to meet the unique needs of each student. In addition to teaching and tutoring, David has spent many years writing for technology, financial services, and other companies and focuses on bringing "real world" perspectives to teaching the communication arts. M.A. in English,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
B.A. in English,
UC Davis
David Saenz English David Saenz has recently graduated from Cal State, East Bay (CSUEB) with a B.A. in History. After graduation, he started working at CSUEB's Student Center for Academic Achievement as a writing tutor. For over a year he has tutored all levels of undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of their language background, in a variety of writing and researching techniques and styles. He loves reading and helping others develop and succeed in their scholastic endeavors, and it will not be long before he will pursue a Masters degree. B.A. in History,
CSU, East Bay
David Sun Math, Physics David Sun graduated from San Jose State University with both B.S. and M.S. in Computer Engineering degree. He enjoyed helping other students back in college when he worked as a tutor in the student service center where he provided assistance in computer engineering, physics, and calculus courses. David came to the U.S. with his parents when he was 13, and is fluent in Mandarin. When he's free, David enjoys playing basketball with friends. B.S. and M.S. in Computer Engineering, San Jose State University
David Tran Biology, Chemistry, Math, and English A devoted student of science, David Tran graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. degree in Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology. He has taken challenging, upper division courses in biochemistry, including laboratory techniques, and has done research for the Department of Viticulture and Enology. David is passionate about academic excellence and emphasizes that understanding the fundamentals of any one particular academic discipline (whether it be Math, Chemistry, or Biology) plays a key role in mastering its content. Having tutored several students previously, David offers success-minded tutoring in Math (and up to SAT level Math), Chemistry (regular cirriculum, honors, and AP), Biology (regular curriculum, honors, and AP) and English (up to SAT level). While compassionate about these fields of academia, David's philosophy of teaching maintains equal passion in understanding the student as an individual and on having the patience to help the student grow the way that he/she does best. In his free time, David enjoys running, walking his dogs, reading novels, exploring new cities, and studying to strengthen his grasp on science. B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular and Cell Biology,
UC Davis
Dennis Jamison History After working for years with a division of Johnson & Johnson, Dennis managed to graduate from the corporate world to fulfill his dream to teach. Understanding the need for precise and persuasive communication in our highly complex and rapidly changing world, Dennis strives to communicate effectively with his students to enable them to also become better communicators. He helps his students not only grasp how to express English correctly, but understand why such knowledge and expertise is important within college and beyond.
He has provided focused tutoring for students in all grade levels for a number of years. He teaches grammar, spelling, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing composition with a goal to provide positive and productive learning sessions.
Dennis also teaches history in the Community Education Department with West Valley College and Mission College. He has had a number of human interest stories published in the Almaden Times and the Blossom Valley Times and several of his articles appear online. Two of his short stories have also been published in the Cup of Comfort collection.
B. A. in Sociology and Social Work - University of Iowa

M. R. E. - Unification Theological Seminary - New York
Dennis Wong Math, English After receiving a degree in Mathematics from the University of California, Berkeley, he spent time in the field of production and inventory control with increasing levels of responsibility. In recent years, he has been teaching at several different private, charter, and public schools, in addition to teaching and tutoring with other educational organizations. His interest in sports led him to start and coach a number of different athletic teams at the schools where he has been. He has also been a free-lance sports journalist for two local newspapers. B.A. in Mathematics,
UC Berkeley
Derek Wetzel English, Statistics Derek attended Harvard University in Cambridge, MA, where he received an Honors degree in English. His senior honors thesis, a collection of short fiction within the Creative Writing program, won a departmental prize from the College's Department of English. Derek has extensive experience tutoring students of all ages and levels, having worked for several years at the Harvard College Writing Center and the Harvard Summer School, as well as tutoring English privately. In his spare time, Derek enjoys writing, playing music, and hiking and camping. B.A. in English,
Harvard University
Derek Yang Biology Born in Texas, yet raised in Taipei for his elementary school years followed by a return to the States in the year of 1997, Derek was a person who been through many if not all challenges that any student would have to face and live up to. First setting foot on California at the time, he merely know three words of English: yes, no, and apple. He grew up here in the Cupertino of Silicon Valley, and then he moved to Davis to attend University of California, Davis where he earned his Bachelor of Science with a major in Genetics, and a minor in Quantitative Biology and Bioinformatics. He has extensive tutoring experiences throughout his academic life, for various private or volunteering organization: junior year for Monta Vista CSF, senior year for Study Buddy Society, college years serving various students of Davis High and UC Davis with subjects from all realms of the sciences, especially for Chemistry, his favorite subject. Previously, he has been working along sides with laboratory practices, medical research, and trend studies in several different institutions, where he had extensive exposure to professional scientific techniques, modern methodologies, and forefront research effort. Beyond the laboratory, he also worked as a data analyst previously for an analytical software development subsidiary at Moody's. Even though he may have been paid much better doing something else, he feels that he will live a more valuable and meaningful life sharing what he was able to master with young adults of our community, whom our future depends upon. B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology,
UC Davis
Derrick Benn Math, Chemistry I have 3 college degrees in mathematics, chemistry, and civil and environmental engineering. In addition, I graduated as a National Honor Society high school graduate after completing an intensive college preparatory curriculum. I have been a tutor and a community college chemistry instructor for over ten years. I enjoy helping my clients understand the concepts. I always create a relaxed environments where my clients can ask any questions to their courses. I can be a guide in understanding challenging concepts and hopefully give you guides and hints to pass your classes. M.S. in Chemistry,
UCLA
B.S. in Mathematics,
Notre Dame
B.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering,
San Jose State University
Desiree Morales History Desiree received her History B.A. degree from San Francisco State University in 2004, where she was awarded entrance into the Phi Alpha Theta Chapter of the History Honors Society the same year. In addition, she continued her studies and attended Cal State University East Bay, where she received an M.A. in History completed in 2008. Her thesis focused on Mexican American history in relation to United States history. While working on her Masters degree, she interned at the College of Alameda beginning in 2007. She is now currently teaching as an adjunct professor specializing in United States history at the College of Alameda. Desiree enjoys working with urban youth and hopes to improve the communication and written skills of students. B.A. in History
San Francisco State University
Devi Paulvannan Math Devi graduated with a B.S. in Microbiology from UCLA and is currently working on her Masters in Microbiology at SFSU. She has been tutoring for the past eight years in subjects including biology, chemistry, and math. She likes working with her students to improve their understanding and excel in the material. B.S. in Microbiology,
UCLA
Diana Kim Math, Biology Diana Kim graduated from University of California, Berkeley, with a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology. She has tutored math-related subjects to high school students in the Fremont area as well as English to ESL speakers in a program that welcomes many UCB international students and their relatives. Her extensive volunteer work experience, additionally, has enriched her services with different demographic groups. She is currently on the track toward graduate school to study clinical lab science and hopes to contribute her experiences engaging in international-level volunteer work in the near future. In her spare time, Diana enjoys reading journals of science, volunteering at the local hospital, canvas painting and ceramics making. As someone who believes in abundance, she looks forward to being a meaningful part of a transformational learning experience with our young adult learners. B.A. in Molecular and Cellular Biology,
UC Berkeley
Dileep Sreedharan Chemistry, Biology Dileep graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree from University of California, San Diego. He majored in Physiology and Neuroscience and minored in Cognitive Science. At UCSD, he worked as a Teaching Assistant for upper division Biology classes for a year and worked as a tutor for multiple tutoring companies. He has experience tutoring Math, Chemistry and Biology. He has also participated in multiple research projects while attending UC San Diego. He enjoys hiking, debating and playing racquetball B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience and minor in Cognitive Science,
UC San Diego
Dominic Abucejo Computer Science Dominic has been doing software development for more than 13 years as a profession. In all, he has been programming for about 22 years. His first computer that he ever programmed with was a Tandy computer but he programmed mostly on an Apple IIe system using the BASIC computer language during his early start as a programmer. He now has experience using various computer languages such as Assembly, C, C++, C#, Java, HTML, XML, Perl, Visual Basic plus many other software technologies. He has experience developing all kinds of software applications on Unix/Linux and Windows operating systems. He is currently working as a software engineer for a telecommunications company in Santa Clara writing Windows device drivers for a specialized Voice over IP telephone system. Early on in his profession, he taught many software professionals on how to develop voicemail applications using proprietary software development kits. This included training in both application usage and application development. Outside of work, he enjoy mountain biking, running, and reading science-fiction books and scientific articles related to the science community. B.S. in Computer Engineering, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Eachan Truong English I was born in Taiwan and came to the US at an early age. Ive lived in many different states like Texas, Mississippi, and Illinois before settling in California. I attended Hopkins Junior High and Mission San Jose High School in the Fremont Unified School District growing up in Fremont. I graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Arts in Child Development and attended Cal State East Bay for my teaching credential. I have done private tutoring since high school and through college. Ive taught 2nd grade at CCS and 5th grade at Forest Park Elementary. I enjoy being surrounded by students and teaching. When I am not teaching, I enjoy rock climbing, playing badminton, watching movies, eating, and just relaxing. I love cats and grew up raising three. I believe that students should enjoy and desire to learn, so I strive to create that positive environment where students feel comfortable to take risks, challenge themselves, and make mistakes. B.A. in Child Development, SJSU
Eduardo Meza Chemistry and Math Eduardo Erik Meza, also known simply as Erik, is a current doctoral candidate at UCSF's School of Dentistry, where he is a member of various societies which among many things help to bring dental care to underprivileged and mentor young adults interested in the health sciences. A graduate of UCSD majoring in Biochemistry with an emphasis in chemistry, Erik has also done extensive academic research in both inorganic chemistry and doctoral level work as an undergrad in the area of computational chemistry. Erik also has a rich and successful history tutoring students in the areas of Math, Chemistry, and Biology at both college and high school levels. On his off-time you can find Erik adding new stamps to his passport, hiking, or just admiring the scenery as he boards down a snow covered mountain. B.S. in Biochemistry with an emphasis in Chemistry,
UC San Diego
Edward Yang Math, SAT Math Edward Yang grew up in the Fremont neighborhood since his teenage year. He is a graduate of Cal State Hayward with a BS degree in Applied Mathematics. He has taught and tutored Math related subjects to college and high school students in the Fremont area. Edward is employ by the Fremont Unified School District for the past two academic years. B.S in Applied Math,
CSU, Hayward
Eleanor Wong Biology, Chemistry, Math Eleanor received her bachelor degrees in Applied Mathematics and Molecular and Cell Biology from UC Berkeley in 2009. She has been tutoring students in high school and college level math since 2001. During college, she had been involved in biology research. Eleanor loves to learn and is preparing for her application to graduate school. She hopes she can share with others her passion in math and biology, and wants to help students discover the fun in learning. Eleanor's hobbies include piano, movies, comic books, fashion. She came from Hong Kong to the U.S. at age 8 and speaks fluent Cantonese. B.A. in Applied Mathematics,
UC Berkeley
B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology,
UC Berkeley
Elizabeth Davidson English Lisa's residence on the West Coast may be recent, but her interest in serving the needs of students began over 25 years ago, when she earned a Ph.D. in English Language and Literature at the State University of New York. Lisa embarked on a career teaching underserved urban communities and for ten years ran a College Composition Program in Paterson, New Jersey. Just before moving to San Francisco, Lisa completed a Masters Degree in Curriculum Leadership at Pennsylvania State University. In 2004 she began tutoring Grades 8-12 students, training English teachers to prepare high school students for success in college, and writing a series of novels for young adult readers. Ph.D in English Language and Literature,
S.U.N.Y.
M.Ed in Curriculum Leadership,
Pennsylvania State University
B.A. in English Literature and Political Philosphy,
Macalester College
Elizabeth Draper Biology Ms. Draper believes that all students have the potential to be successful. She spent two of her four years earning her B.S. degree in Biology at San Francisco State University and then transferred and graduated from CSU EastBay. Ms. Draper also volunteer tutors for the Literacy Plus program in Hayward for adults who have difficulty reading and volunteers at the Main Library's Homework center for underprivileged elementary and middle school students. Along with her keen sense of all things Biology, her other interests include philosophy, the psychology of learning, martial arts, football, Astronomy and Nutrition. Ms. Draper believes in each student as an individual and their individual learning styles and unique interests are important to her. Her goals are to inspire curiosity, increase understanding, and raise test scores. B.S. in Biology,
CSU EastBay
Elizabeth Piepenbrink Spanish Ms. Piepenbrink is a native Spanish speaker from Venezuela. She has enjoyed teaching Spanish to both children and adults alike for over 7 years. Ms. Piepenbrink is a fully credentialed teacher. She holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. In her spare time she enjoys Yoga, CardioKickboxing and jogging with her two dogs as well as attending live performances in the Bay Area. M.A. in Public Administration,
USC, CA
B.A. in Fiscal Sciences
National School of Administration and Finances, Caracas, Venezuela
Emily Hsia Biology Emily recently graduated from UC Davis with a BS in Biological Sciences and a minor in Sociology. She hopes to become a surgeon in the Unites States Medical Corps one day and is currently applying to medical schools. In her spare time, Emily enjoys painting, playing with her dogs, and riding horses. Emily has tutored kids of all ages and taught horse back riding for many years. She knows how important self motivation is and works hard to inspire her students to develop a thirst for learning. B.S in Biological Sciences,
UC Davis
Eric Fok Chemistry Eric has enjoyed working with students and peers since high school. At UC Davis, he studied Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior while immersing himself in clinical work, health promotion, research, and the pharmaceutical industry. Following graduation, he moved to New York City to pursue an M.S. in Human Nutrition at Columbia University. Currently, he is applying to medical school while volunteering at the RotaCare Clinic in San Jose. In his free time, he likes to play tennis, spend time with friends, explore new places, and drive at various racetracks in pursuit of his competition license. B.S. Neurobiology, Physiology & Behavior,
UC, Davis

M.S. Human Nutrition,
Columbia University
Eric Wen Physics Eric Wen graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science in Materials Science & Engineering, with a focus in nanotechnology. Eric has also spent some time studying automotive engineering abroad at Nagoya University in Nagoya, Japan. While at UCLA, Eric held many major leadership positions in the organizations he participated in, and is responsible for the founding of one of them. He currently works at Jabil Circuit, an international leader in the electronics manufacturing industry; developing and implementing programs to streamline production and reliability. In the future, he plans to continue his education, but would like to gain practical work experience before that. Eric has had experience with tutoring, and aims to assist students in understanding and appreciating the beauty of physics by creating a fun learning experience. In his spare time, Eric enjoys reading and anything involving the great outdoors. B.S. in Materials Science & Engineering,
UCLA
Eric Yan Math, Chemistry Eric Yan graduated from UC Berkeley in 2009 with a B.A. degree in Molecular and Cell Biology, along with a minor degree in Chemistry. In addition, with the passion to science, he finished the series of lower division Math and Physics courses. Eric is now working as a research assistant on a lung cancer project in UCSF, and planning to apply for a graduate school. During the four years achieving his educational goal, Eric provides tutoring service on math and chemistry in different levels, from high school students to college freshmen. Eric believes all students can learn by providing them the appropriate learning environment and resources. His goal is to provide the best education possible, in order to achieve their highest potential. Eric strives to make a difference in all of his students' lives. B.A. in Molecular Cell Biology, minor in Chemistry, U.C. Berkeley
Erin Podlipnik English Erin Podlipnik graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a B.A. in English (creative writing) and communications (journalism). She has worked as a journalist, and also in the marketing field managing public relation and advertising campaigns. Erin is passionate about teaching children reading comprehension and fundamental writing skills. She currently volunteers as an assistant 8th grade English teacher within the San Francisco School District, tutors at-risk students, and teaches English classes. Erin aspires to work as a middle/high school English teacher within the public school system, and empower students to reap the rewards that education can offer. When Erin isn't prepping for tutoring sessions and class, she is in Yosemite rock climbing or cuddling up with a cup of tea and a good book. B.A. in English and Communications,
University of Washington in Seattle
Evangeline Cabrera English Evangeline holds a BA In Liberal Studies with a minor in Sociology from California State University, East Bay. She has tutored students since she was in college and helped fellow college students with essay writing. She is very passionate about helping students achieve academic success. She enjoys hiking and reading very much. B.A. in Liberal Studies, Minor in Sociology,
CSU, East Bay
Fatima Khoogar Math Fatima Khoogar holds a Bachelors degree in Economics from the University of Tehran and is currently pursuing her Master's degree with teaching credential at San Jose State University. After teaching and tutoring for almost 3 years she brings a valuable mix of life experiences and talents to her career. Fatima has passion and a strong background in Mathematics and Statistics. She has successfully passed over 20 calculus, Algebra, geometry and Statistics courses during her under-graduate studies. In addition she has fostered a patient and understanding demeanor in hopes of being able to introduce subject matter that students may normally be resistant to in a fun and interesting way. There are two reasons that have drawn her to the teaching profession. She believes one of the best ways a person can help society and the community they live in is to help pass on knowledge and experience to the following generations. In addition she has found helping and working with young people very rewarding. In her spare time Fatima enjoys painting as well as solving mathematical problems. B.S. in Economics,
Foothill College
Feiyang (Andy) Wu Math, Physics, Chemistry Feiyang (Andy) Wu received his B.S. dual degree in Electrical Engineering and Material Science, with double minor in Technical Management and Economics, and Master Degree in Electrical Engineering from UC Davis in five years. Before moving over to the United States, he built the solid math and science foundation in one of the most famous high school in China. In the high school of San Francisco, he completed five AP classes (Calculas AB and BC, Physics B, Chemistry and Statistics) with all top scores, and got full score in American Mathematics Competition. He became the reader and teaching assistant in college and started to tutor high school and college students on all Math levels (algebra, geometry, trigonometry, pre-cal, calculus), Physics and Engineering for three or more years. He is a professional in IT industry currently, but during the first three years in career, he refined the training skills by training internal employees and customers for IT products and completing related courses. As a result, with the combination of both eastern and western teaching styles, he is capable of working with students with various learning types. Other than enjoying the IT work and tutoring, he also has a role as a Chinese online radio show host, as he enjoys various hobbies such as basketball, soccer, badminton, hiking, rock climbing, wind-sailing, and more. Though it looks a little bit too much, he plans to start taking fencing classes soon. M.S. in Electrical Engineering,
UC Davis
B.A. in Electrical Engineering and Material Science,
UC Davis
Francesco Tani Biology, Chemistry Francesco Tani graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior. He worked for both a neurobiology and a behavioral genetics lab on campus. He has been a private tutor through the University's Learning Support Services for upper division Biochemistry and Genetics. In addition, he was in charge of three biochemistry classes as a Modified Supplemental Instructor while at the University. Francesco has a passion for biology, chemistry, and teaching. He is currently enrolled in a post-baccalaureate program at UC Berkeley and will continue his education in professional school. B.S. in Neuroscience and Behavior, U.C. Santa Cruz
Franklin Mena Spanish Frank was raised in San Francisco where he graduated from Lowell High School in 1970 with a major in both Math and Science. He then attended the College of San Mateo in graduated in 1972 with an AA Degree in the Liberal Arts. Frank is completely bi lingual and speaks and writes in both the English and Spanish Languages. He graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a BA in the Spanish Language Department's encompassing Latin American Studies program. During the course of his working life, Frank has successfully interwoven his academic studies along with the business of International Trade and has established successful working relationships with U.C. Berkeley's Survey Research Center, Levi Strauss, Cisco Systems and Apple Computers. He now resides in Burlingame where he enjoys, playing guitar, tennis, hiking, the movies, and reading Latin American Literature. B.A. Spanish encompassing Latin American Studies, UC, Berkeley
Franky Chan Physics, Math, Chemistry Franky Chan graduated with honors from University of California, Los Angeles with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering. During his undergraduate education, Franky has participated in research and conducted his own undergraduate project in plasma physics, which has a reputation of being very difficult to understand. In addition, he has also worked in UCLA plant growth center and volunteered in UCLA School of dentistry. Franky has received his Engineer-in-Training certificate in the spring of 2009, and he loves to solve problems whether they are math, chemistry, or physics. He is highly motivated and reliable person who enjoys sharing his knowledge and experiences. Over the years, he has worked with elementary school students, high school students, and college students to enhance their understanding and grades in science and math. He is also fluent in Cantonese. B.S. in Chemical Engineering,
UCLA
Fred Werner Math, Biology, Spanish Fred Werner easily develops a fantastic rapport with students of all ages and learning styles. They genuinely appreciate his phenomenal ability to make even complex concepts easily understandable. He has tutored middle and high school students for years in a wide range of science and math courses, as well as Spanish and other subjects. He has taught high school science for 6 years, including Biology, AP Environmental Science and Bioethics. He also assistant taught undergraduates at Cornell and graduate students from across Latin America in Costa Rica. His first teaching experience was also in Spanish: he taught basic life sciences and ecology to 3rd-8th graders in Bolivia as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer. He has a B.S. from the University of Michigan, an M.S. from Cornell University, and is a native of Washington, DC. M.S. in Natural Resources,
Cornell University
B.S. in Natrual Resources and Environment
University of Michigan
Gagan Grewal English and History Gagan Grewal was born and raised in Fremont, CA. She recently earned her J.D. from Loyola Law School. She also has a dual Bachelor of Arts degree from UC Riverside in Psychology and Political Science. She has been tutoring in the subjects of English, writing, history, and SAT preparation for several years. She enjoys sharing her love of learning with her students. As a practicing attorney, she has an appreciation for the importance of precise language skills and tries to impart this to her students as well. Juris Doctor, Loyola Law School

B.A. in Psychology and Political Science, UC Riverside
Gary Porper Mathematics, Statistics Gary has spent the last eleven years involved in teaching mathematics. Nine of those years teaching at college preparatory high schools and two years as a substitute teacher at various public high schools within the San Francisco bay area. He has taught algebra 1, geometry, trigonometry, analysis, pre-calculus, statistics, calculus and java programming. He is very adept with using a variety of mathematical tools and software used in teaching high school mathematics. He was selected by the student body to recieve the Moreau Catholic High School Tireless Teacher Award in 2005 and the Moreau Catholic High School Holy Cross Educator Award in 2006. Throughout his teaching career he has spent many of his summers working on continuing and applying his mathematics education. As an analyst for Intel Corp and Lockheed Martin, as a technical writer for Lockhheed Martin and as a curriclum specialist for the University of Califronia. B.S. in mathematics, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Single subject teaching credential, San Jose State
M.S. in applied mathematics (in progress), Cal State East Bay
Gene Wang English and SAT English Gene graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with dual degrees in English and Mass Communications. High performance in both fields led to his achieving academic honors, admittance to the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, and winning the H. W. Hill and James W. Phelan scholarships for work in English. Gene also completed a six-month English Literature program held at King's College, University of London and at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. A local, he grew up attending both public and private schools in Cupertino, Sunnyvale, and Saratoga and now dedicates himself to giving back to this community. Having taught a wide variety of students at SCORE! Educational Learning Centers in Albany and Montclair, as well as having privately tutored SAT English for a smaller clientele, Gene hopes to share with his Think Tank students all his experiences, excitement, and enthusiasm. He has, over time, developed a consistent teaching philosophy based on inspiring every individual into becoming a confident, self-challenging, and critical thinker. At home, Gene also enjoys reading, writing, swimming, tennis, dance, and theatre, as he believes life is too short to be spent sitting all day in front of a computer (though he is often guilty of this, too). Finally, Gene speaks fluent Mandarin and spends some time every week working as an administrative assistant and radio production intern at Sing Tao Chinese Radio (FM 96.1). Tune in, and you just might hear his voice on a commercial! B.A. in English, UC Berkeley

B.A. in Mass Communication, UC Berkeley
Gregory Savage Statistics Greg Savage attended California State University East Bay, where he earned a B.A. in psychology with a minor in statistics. He later attended San Jose State University and earned an M.A. in psychology. The programs that he completed in school required him to complete a variety of statistics courses, which ranged from introductory statistics to advanced statistics. He tutored statistics part-time while in school, and he has continued to tutor this subject after graduating. He hopes to become a teacher at the high school or college level. M.A. in psychology,
San Jose State University
B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Statistics,
California State University East Bay
Harold Hsu Biology, Chemistry and Math Harold Hsu, a Valedictorian of the Monta Vista High School Class of 2004 with a 4.67 GPA, graduated with honors from the California Institute of Technology last year with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in English. With a solid foundation in mathematics and science as evidenced by 5s in AP Biology/Chemistry/Physics/Calculus BC/Computer Science and 800s in their respective SAT IIs, he has tutored students throughout his high school and college years in a plethora of subjects. In his free time, he reads extensively, finds time to train for marathons, and volunteers for the Red Cross. As an Eagle Scout and state certified EMT-I, he believes that preparation and initiative are keys to success. He plans on becoming a surgeon one day and will enter medical school this fall. B.S. in Biology with a minor in English,
California Institute of Technology
Harrison Chau English, Biology, Physics Harrison graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with dual B.A. degrees in Neurobiology and Psychology. His teaching experiences span six years and range from one on one tutoring to classroom teaching to managing large scale college lectures. He believes that effective teaching needs to be fun and inspiring, capturing the interests of the students. As a premedical student, Harrison has had extensive experience in the sciences and in the medical school process, including two years of genetics research and a year of clinical volunteering and shadowing. In addition to teaching, he also worked as a biology departmental peer advisor and a medical school advisor on the Berkeley campus, planning for and consulting university students and high school students and parents even before they began college. In his free time, Harrison enjoys reading, watching movies, and traveling abroad, either for fun or also on medical missions. Aside from teaching, Harrison is currently finishing his training to become an EMT and is applying to medical schools this year. B.A. in Molecular Cell Biology,
UC Berkeley
B.A. in Psychology,
UC Berkeley
Heather Eastwood English Heather Eastwood earned bachelors degrees in English Language and Literature and Art History, as well as her J.D. from the University of Virginia. She has years of teaching experience, including tutoring adults and teenagers, working with high schools, and leading career advancement classes for social services providers. She loves the potential and the exuberance of teenagers and strives to channel those characteristics into confidence and dream-fulfilling. In her free time, she loves to travel, follow the news like most people follow sports, hike in the gorgeous Northern California hills and spend time with her friends and husband. Juris Doctor,
University of Virginia

B.A. in English Language and Literature and Art History,
University of Virginia
Heather Stanger English Heather Stanger is a graduate student at San Jose State University. She has a B.A. in English and is currently working on her M.A. in English literature. For the past five years, she has been tutoring students of all ages in reading and writing. She directed her undergraduate university's writing center as well as led a summer ESL program in which she taught Japanese businessmen conversational English. After her M.A., she plans on pursuing her PhD in literature, and hopes to one day become a professor. She loves learning and teaching, and looks forward to sharing her passion and knowledge with her students. B.S. in English, San Jose State University
Hilary Yamtich Math, SAT Math Hilary Yamtich has been teaching and tutoring since 1998 when she began teaching physics at a summer program for middle-schoolers in San Francisco. She majored in pure mathematics at UC Berkeley, which challenged her and helped her grow as a thinker and learner. Her passion is to connect with young peoples' innate curiousity, which she has been doing as a full-time high school math teacher at a charter school in Oakland for the past three years. She is also a committed practitioner of Nonviolent Communication and speaks fluent Spanish. B.S. in Pure Mathematics, UC Berkeley
Htoi Lahpai English Htoi enjoys a process of teaching which is most effective and enjoyable for her young learners. She has several years of teaching experience prior to her tutoring career. She is well equipped in engaging her students to their subjects depending on the way they learn. Htoi knows every student has his/her own way of learning and explores these options through creative tutoring. She's been published through the philosophy department in Calstate Eastbay and knows the benefits of having a strong and clear voice in writing. Her goal for your child is to build a love for words and expressive writing/reading so that they will excel in English and beyond! B.A. in Traditional Art,
CSU Eastbay
Hui Tian Japanese Hi, my name is Hui Tian. I know Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, and Cantonese. I have 5 years of experience as a school teacher and 7 years as a Japanese translator. I graduated from Guangdong Education University with a Bachelor Degree. I also graduated from Gagukei University in Japan. I am hard working, patient, and responsible. I enjoy associating with children and want to help them to reach their goals. Bachelor Degree from Guangdong Education University
Hyun Tae Hwang Biology, Chemistry Hyun Tae Hwang has graduated from UC Davis with a BS in biotechnology. He has participated in a number of research projects during his undergraduate years, where he partook in the development of lentiviral gene constructs for human embryonic stem cell derived cardiomyocytes and led studies that focused on the effect of epigenetically active reagents on the gene expression profile of ES-D3 cells. As a tutor, countless students have excelled under his guidance. He has been teaching middle school through college students since 2005, both independently and on contract with several tutoring firms. His teaching style endorses critical thinking to promote extrapolation of acquired concepts to practical applications. B.S. in Biotechnology,
UC Davis
Irin Pansawira Biology Born and raised in Indonesia, Irin came to America to pursue a better education. She graduated from UC Berkeley, with a degree in Molecular Cell Biology. While at Berkeley, Irin spent a year as an undergraduate student instructor, through which she taught human anatomy to college students using histology slides, cadaver, and various anatomic models. During her undergraduate years, she also spent numerous hours tutoring Oakland high school students various subjects such as math and biology. Her qualifications also landed her two private tutoring positions teaching chemistry and biology. She truly believes in the power of education so she will commit her time and energy to ensure that students will succeed in school. In her spare time, Irin enjoys traveling, sport events, badminton, and running. B.S. in Molecular and Cell Biology
UC Berkeley
Isabel Garcia Almagro Spanish Isabel Garcia earned her Bachelor degree in Music and Primary Education at the University of Murcia, in Spain. She also holds a certification as a licensed Piano teacher. During five years, Isabel worked as tenured teacher in public schools in Spain, teaching as a Music instructor and Primary head teacher. In 2006, she moved to New York. There, she worked as a private Spanish tutor and as Kindergarten head teacher at a private bilingual school (English-Spanish) in the West Side of Manhattan. Also, she was assistant teacher at the Public School 163, participating in a bilingual Kindergarten program as well. B.A in Musical and Elementary Education,
University of Mucia, Spain
Jake Ditmore Physics I am a recent graduate of Santa Clara University with a B.S. in Physics. What am I going to do with that? I plan on spending the next year tutoring and preparing for the physics G.R.E.s as I shop for physics masters programs and credentialing programs in the bay area. In my spare time I like to read, work on songs with the band, play ultimate Frisbee and do yoga. I have been in a mentorship position my whole life as an oldest brother to my four younger siblingsElizabeth, Miles, Hayley and Henry. I suppose part of the reason I started tutoring in the first place was because I liked the older brother role so much! Over the past four years I have taught guitar and piano lessons, tutored English and reading comprehension at the elementary and middle school levels and tutored math, physics and chemistry at the middle, high school and college levels. I have immensely enjoyed the challenges and rewards of tutoring and hope to continue doing so for some time to come. B.S in Physics, Santa Clara University
Jack D. Williams Math Jack Williams has a B.S. in Engineering-Mathematics and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, both from UC Berkeley. Until recently, he was a graduate math student at San Francisco State University, minoring in computer science. While at SFSU, Mr. Williams taught several of the remedial algebra classes as a graduate teaching assistant (GTA). He also participated in the National Science Foundation program, Revializing Algegra, designed to improve methods for teaching high school algebra. While a graduate student at UC Berkeley, he also worked at the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. While on active duty with the USAF he worked at a research lab involved with blast and shock simulation. After leaving the Air Force, he worked at Lockheed-Martin in the area of spacecraft thermal control. He has also worked at Lockheed's Palo Alto research facility on aerospace systems simulation. In addition to his teaching at SFSU, he has taught heat transfer at the University of New Mexico. He has experience tutoring math, statistics, computer programming, physics, and general science at grade levels from 7th through college senior. For fun, Jack like to cook, bike-ride, and help people with their Java and C++ programs on several computer bulletin boards. M.S. in Mechanical Engineer, UC Berkeley

B.S. in Engineering and Math, UC Berkeley
Jackson Perdue English, History Jackson Perdue has been working with students in many venues for nearly 10 years. Throughout middle and high school he displayed a love for learning and language, scoring a 5 on the English AP Exam. After graduating Magna Cum Laude with a History Major and Speech Communication Minor in 2002, Jackson worked with students for several years in a non-profit organization. During his time at the non-profit Jackson mentored, coached, challenged, and taught students from many backgrounds. His ability to connect with students relationally while effectively teaching and challenging them is part of what makes him a great tutor. Since 2003 he has been a substitute teacher, home teacher, and full-time classroom teacher in Fremont's public schools. Jackson genuinely cares about each student and wants to do all he can to help them reach their potential and exceed the expectations they have of themselves. He works hard to make sure he is serving his students well and is receptive to feedback on how to constantly improve. During his time as a teacher and tutor Jackson works hard to prepare his students for success in the classroom and beyond. B.A. History,
CSU, Hayward
Jacob Mercado Biology Jacob Mercado graduated from San Jose State University where he majored in Biology. For the last two years he was a full time Science teacher for reputable Bay Area private schools. He left his last position to finish the work needed to obtain his California Teachers credential. He is currently scheduled to complete the required course work in June of 2010. Jacob's interest in science stretches far from the academic world as he enjoys experiencing nature through hiking and camping. Jacob is also an avid baseball fan and coaches an independent league for an adult softball team. B.A. in Biology Prep for Teaching,
San Jose State University
Jacqueline Lyandres Biology Jackie Lyandres earned her B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley in Molecular and Cell Biology, with an emphasis in Cell and Developmental Biology and excelled in many Education courses. She holds a Masters of Science degree from New York Medical College in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Her previous work experiences include basic science research at the University of California, San Francisco, as well as clinical research in cancer at Alta Bates Comprehensive Cancer Center and at the University of California, San Francisco. Additionally, she is an Adjunct Faculty at local junior colleges where she lectures and leads laboratory sections in Physiology. She tutors both high school and college students. Currently, she is enrolled at Santa Clara University School of Law and plans to enter the field of Intellectual Property. B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology,
UC Berkeley
Jamie Andrade English, SAT English Jamie Andrade holds a B.A. in American Literature (with a minor in Sociology) from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Furthering her lifelong love for reading and writing, she has worked as a magazine writer and photographer, a travel book editor, and a marketing associate at a book publishing company. Currently a freelance editor and proofreader, Jamie enjoys bringing her English skills to every aspect of her work, including tutoring. She is passionate about helping others, and strives to make the learning experience fun and rewarding for her students. In her free time, Jamie enjoys music, reading, volunteering, and spending time with family and friends. B.A. in American Literature,
Minor in Sociology,
UC Santa Cruz
Janet Anvick Math, Physics Janet graduated with a BS degree in Electrical Engineering from UC Berkeley. She worked in the high tech industry as a Manufacturing Development Engineer for 20 years before returning to school to pursue her passion for teaching. She received her single subject teaching credential in mathematics from San Jose State University and then taught 8th grade math/algebra for 3 years. She enjoys working with students one-on-one to help them understand the concepts, not just solve a specific problem. Her favorite activities are bicycling and hiking. B.S. in Electrical Engineering, UC Berkeley

Single Subject Credential, Math CLAD
Janice Cheng Biology and Chemistry Janice Cheng graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Biochemistry in June 2007. Along with her studies, she has prepared for a road to medicine and hopes to be a family practitioner one day. She participated in various community service projects and volunteered in the ER and the OR (Operating Room) and would be more than welcome to any questions that you may have for her. Janice has been tutoring for over a year now and has always done a great job. In her spare time, she likes to dim sum with family and hang out with friends. She also enjoys reading, working out, and watching movies. B.S. in Biochemistry,
UC Davis
Jason George Chemistry, Math, Physics Jason George graduated with honors from Yale University with a B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry. Jason's major focus in his undergraduate years was working to solve the three-dimensional structures of specific immune system proteins. After graduating, Jason decided to make a move towards teaching. He spent one year teaching and tutoring math in the bay area before leaving for Ghana as a Peace Corps Volunteer, where he taught chemistry, physics, and math for two years. In his spare time, Jason enjoys water polo, swimming, computer programming and hiking. B.S. in Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry,
Yale University
Jason Pia Biology Jason graduated from UCLA and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Physiological Science. During college, he spent a year working as an immunology research assistant, two years as a CPR and First Aid instructor for the American Heart Association, one year as a physical therapy aide in Santa Monica and one year as an intern for a plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills. He is applying to medical school in June 2011. B.S. in Physiological Science,
UCLA
Jason Wu English, Math, Chemistry, Biology Jason has a background in the sciences; he worked for two summers in a cell cycle lab at Washington University in St. Louis and in high school he was a two-time qualifier for the USA Math Olympiad. After his senior year he competed as a member of the US International Biology Olympiad team. Once he got to Yale he took a class on the epic, read Ulysses, and turned his attention to the humanities. He was awarded a fellowship to study Chinese at Beijing Normal University and graduated with a degree in English Literature. These days, when he isn't teaching or consulting, he works as a freelance writer. B.A. in English,
Yale University
Jason Yang Math Jason Yang, who graduated from UC Davis with a B.S. in Exercise Biology, has been a tutor since junior in high school and throughout his college career. He is mostly interested in the area of math, physics, and human anatomy. Coming from Taiwan and going through college application in the US was certainly not easy; nevertheless, he handled it well. Understanding the difficulties and appreciating the assistance he received make Jason a person who wants to give back and help those younger students who might struggle along the path. Jason is friendly and responsible. During free time, he loves to paly basketball and badminton, listen to music, and enjoy Japanese and Korean cuisine. B.S. in Exercise Biology,
UC Davis
Jay O'Neal English Jay grew up in Texas, and lived there until his sense of adventure brought him to Prague, Czech Republic. While he was living in Prague, Jay's Czech students learned English and Jay learned that he loved teaching. After returning to the United States, Jay attended the University of Pennsylvania's Graduate School of Education where he received his M.S. in Secondary Education. Jay is a credentialed teacher in both Social Studies and English, and has taught middle and high school students. In his spare time he enjoys running, listening to music, reading history books, watching documentaries, and traveling. M.S. in Ed.,
University of Pennsylvania
B.S. in Sociology,
Texas A&M University
Jeff McMillan English, Literature, History Jeff McMillan is a writer, archivist, and educator. His published works have appeared in reference works, magazines, peer-reviewed journals, and on the web. His award-winning book, "Delightfulee: The Life and Music of Lee Morgan" (University of Michigan Press, 2008) was acclaimed for both its high standard of research and easy readability. For over a decade Jeff served as an archivist at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City where he helped preserve the company's physical assets, facilitate access to those resources, and educate the public about the Met and its history. Prior to his work at the Met, Jeff taught music courses for non-music majors at Rutgers-Newark, then one of the most diverse university campuses in the country. His interests include jazz, opera, literature, U.S. and world history (especially anything relating to the ancient Romans), cinema, and sports. He has played competitive volleyball for over 20 years and recently began coaching a girls club volleyball team in Burlingame. Whether in the classroom, in the office, or on the court, Jeff believes that effective communicators are effective people and he seeks to help students improve their language mastery and writing skills so they can succeed in whatever field they choose. M.A. in Jazz History and Research,
Rutgers-Newark
B.A. in Physical Anthropology,
UC Santa Barbara
Jennifer Bardzel Chemistry Jennifer Bardzel graduated from San Jose State University with a B.S. in Chemistry. She enjoyed tutoring in chemistry off and on throughout college, and began tutoring in her senior year of high school with algebra. Jennifer is originally from northern Minnesota, and was in the chemistry program at Winona State University before moving to San Jose four years ago. Jennifer has participated in summer internships at both Santa Clara University and SUNY-ESF, and enjoys her employment in a research and development lab in San Jose. At Winona State she tutored individuals in chemistry, and also taught an extra credit course for one of her professors' first year classes. She takes pride in helping her students see that chemistry is a fun and challenging subject that applies to everyone's life. In her free time Jennifer enjoys going to the gym, running, hiking, reading short stories, hanging out with her sister, going to coffee shops, and playing chess with her boyfriend. B.S. in Chemistry,
San Jose State University
Jennifer Chou Biology During her undergraduate education, Jennifer participated in research in ophthalmology and worked with children in a pediatrician's office for over 3 years. Since graduation she has been employed in the pharmaceutical industry and returned for a second degree in Psychology. Jennifer is currently working toward a doctorate in clinical psychology. B.S. in Biological Science, UC Irvine
Jennifer Cripe Math Jennifer Cripe is a graduate of Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, where she received B.A. in Mathematics. Jennifer currently writes and edits math problems for various textbook companies. She enjoys tutoring and helping students to discover their own way of understanding the material. In her free time, she enjoys doing art projects, playing tennis and writing. B.S. in Mathematics,
Oakland University
Jennifer Fan English Following her graduation from University of California, Berkeley, Jennifer spent one year teaching English abroad in Taiwan to elementary and junior high students. She has taught in the unified school districts of Orange County to gather experience working with children of various age levels and learning capabilities. She plans to obtain a multiple subject teaching credential from National University to further her career in education. During her spare time, Jennifer likes taking ballet and salsa dance classes, watching musicals, and saving up for her next trip to Europe. B.S. in English,
University of California, Berkeley
Jennifer Gaynor English Jennifer Gaynor is a native Californian and avid reader who graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.A. in French and International Relations. Her junior year was spent studying at the Institute of Political Studies at the University of Grenoble in France. Jennifer later earned a J.D. from Golden Gate University School of Law in San Francisco. She has tutored children of all ages and backgrounds and believes that learning can be both fun and productive. Jennifer continues to work towards her goal of passing the California Bar Exam and becoming an attorney. J.D. from Golden Gate University
School of Law in San Francisco
B.A. in French and International Relations,
UC Davis
Jennifer Palumbo English, Math Jennifer was born and raised in the Southeast. Jennifer attended Emory University where she earned her BA in English and Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in secondary Language Arts. Jennifer taught high school English for three years in a small town in South Georgia. In 2004, Jennifer left teaching to earn my MBA from the University of Georgia, after which she worked for a major corporation as a financial analyst for four years. However, Jennifer truly missed being in the classroom. In November 2010, Jennifer resigned from her corporate finance position to return to teaching high school English. Jennifer considers this decision to be one of the best she has ever made. Jennifer relocated to the Bay area in the summer of 2011.
Jennifer loves teaching, especially the luxury of teaching one-on-one. Jennifer loves connecting with students; educating teenagers is her passion and her calling. Not much makes her happier than one of her students being successful.
In addition to learning and teaching, Jennifer enjoys spending her time acting, playing cards, gardening, being outdoors, reading books, and listening to her favorite music and public radio programs.
Masters in Business,
University of Georgia
Masters in Teaching,
Emory University
B.A. in English,
Emory University
Jennifer Reynolds English, Math, History Jennifer has eight years of experience in education, teaching and tutoring preschool through high school students. She taught English in private and public venues and dabbled in teaching Science Lab. She also taught Journalism, and her team published a monthly newspaper for the school community in Belmont. She tutored preschool through middle school students and special needs students in multiple subjects. Her teaching philosophy integrates direct, visual, kinesthetic, and experiential teaching modalities. She believes that concepts are best taught when applying them to diverse subject areas and real life situations. is currently working on her Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Santa Clara University. B.S. in Spiritual Studies,
William Jessup University
B.A. in Speech Communication and minor in Child Development,
San Jose State University
Jeremiah Aradanas Math Jeremiah Aradanas graduated from the University of California Los Angeles with a Bachelors of Science degree in Cognitive Science. During his time at UCLA he worked in a Memory and Cognition laboratory, conducting research on the best ways to study and retain academic material. He has held multiple tutoring and mentor-ship positions for middle school, high school, and college students; one of his strongest passions is helping others achieve their full potential. He enjoys playing the piano and guitar, singing, hiking, and staying fit. Last but not least, he loves to spend quality time with his family. B.S. in Cognitive Science,
UCLA
Jerie Lum English Jerie's passion for educating students began long before she received her teaching credential in 1975. Her career spans over three decades, including motherhood, dental office management, and currently substitute teaching in the Silicon Valley. Combining a diverse range of life experiences and her people skills, Jerie has developed an energetic style of teaching that brings out the best in each individual. As a member of the enthusiastic ThinkTank Learning team, Jerie focuses on enhancing and promoting the talents of our fine students. B.S. in Child Development, California State University, Hayward

Standard Elementary Teaching Credential for grades K-8
Jesse Magis-Agosta Math, Physics Jesse has earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering with a Concentration in Energy Technologies and Environmental Engineering at Boston University. He has experience tutoring friends in college and has a passion for both teaching and learning. He believes that learning is a lifelong journey and enjoys the challenge of helping students to solve complex problems along the way. In his spare time, Jesse enjoys rock climbing, running and camping. B.S. in Mechanical Engineering,
Boston University
Jessica Beitzel English Jessica is a summa cum laude graduate from Louisiana State University. She holds a B.A. in English with a minor in German. She also received her teaching certification from Louisiana State University enabling her to teach English in grades 6-12. Jessica earned the ETS Recognition of Excellence for her exemplary performance on the PRAXIS standardized exam series. She is an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English and is a proponent of differentiated instruction and exploratory learning. B.A. in English with a minor in German,
Louisiana State University
John Goss Physics, Math John was born and raised in the South Bay. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley with a B.A. in Physics. He takes pleasure in talking physics with anyone who will listen. In his free time he enjoys reading, hiking, and watching hockey. B.A. in Physics, University of California at Berkeley
John Linneball English, Math "John Linneball was the valedictorian of his high school class of more than 450 students in a public high school outside of Buffalo, New York. John has a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Psychology from Williams College in Williamstown, MA, and a law degree from University at Buffalo. John scored 5s on both the English and Chemistry AP exams, and qualified for both the New York State Regents and National Merit Scholarships.
John has tutored high school students for the SAT I (both math and verbal), chemistry, and biology since 2002 (not counting his years of tutoring in high school and college). John has tutored grade school students in math as well as some reading/language arts homework. John and loves to use humor to emphasize the subject matter he is teaching and is generally well-liked by his tutoring students, but knows the value of hard work, and insists on it from his students."
Juris Doctor,
University at Buffalo
B.A. in Chemistry and Psychology,
Williams College
John Mullen Chemistry John has been a teacher for twenty years in Scotland and Botswana, and has worked in a wide variety of settings, mainly urban schools and including teaching kids with special needs and the gifted. He has tutored part time for a good part of his career. He has also worked as a youth leader.
He believes in enabling the student to take charge of their own learning by enthusing them with the subject, and by using humor and encouragement to forge a happy learning and teaching relationship. Recognizing individual learners' needs and learning styles, and offering them firmness, consistency and respect, celebrating success, and regularly reviewing progress are among the strategies he has learned to employ during his varied career.
He uses technology to good effect in the learning context; he is also a web designer and video editor.
B.S. Chemical Science, Univeristy of Edinburgh
John Jones Physics John Jones graduated from Pomona College in Physics with a minor in Mathematics. He pursued a career in marketing in high technology computer and semiconductor companies. His knowledge of Physics was instrumental in enabling him to understand the products and to communicate their characteristics and benefits with the various constituencies he dealt with. He often says that he uses Physics daily in his every day personal life. His career also required that he give training classes for customers and make presentations to potential clients which enabled him to home his communications skills. Knowledge is useless if it can't be communicated effectively and it is that skill that makes him more effective as a tutor. John began tutoring over four years ago and enjoys the experience and interaction with students. His approach is not to give his students answers, but rather to teach them how to solve the problem. B.S. in Physics
minor Math
Pomona College
John Shieh Math, U.S. History, Statistics John Shieh has a degree in Business Economics and Statistics and an MBA from Loyola Marymount University. He earned his teaching credential through Santa Clara University and is credentialed to teach Social Science, Business and Math in a California high school. John has previously taught at Cupertino and Lynbrook High School, and is currently teaching at-risk youths in San Jose. He also has several years of experience tutoring high school students. Teacher Credential,
Santa Clara University
MBA Marketing,
Loyola Marymount University
BSBA Business Economics and Statistics,
CSU Los Angeles
Jonas Mari Statistics, Math Jonas Mari has a B.A.S. in Statistics & Economics from UC Davis where he worked as an editor and manager at The California Aggie, the UC Davis student newspaper. He aspires to be a high school math and stats teacher and is currently taking his teaching credential. Jonas has tutored all levels of mathematics but his expertise lies in statistics. He believes students can achieve anything. They just need to be able to interact with the material so that they too can understand it in their own terms. He loves music, cooking and writing, a definite change from all the statistics classes he has taken. Jonas is also an accomplished pianist and directs a few musical productions in the Bay Area. B.A.S. in Statistics & Economics, UC Davis
Jonathan Chi Math Jonathan is a graduate from the University of California: San Diego with a B.A. in Math and Applied Science. During his formative college days, he spent two years on sabbatical pursuing a passion for cooking which led him to cook in restaurants throughout California. Returning to college, he complete his degree in Math and now is in the process of pursuing a teaching credential and a Masters in mathematics. In his spare time, Jonathan loves to cook and blow glass. B.S. in Mathematics and Applied Science,
UC San Diego
Jonathan Harvey Math Jonathan Harvey has been in recent years been doing both paid tutoring and substitute teaching, after tutoring on a volunteer basis intermittently for 30 years. While spending a summer in Shanghai, China in 1987, he did volunteer tutoring of English composition. His volunteer tutor experience also includes working with students for whom English is a second language, and disadvantaged youth. He now primarily tutors math, general science, social studies, and computer programming. He has twice been on staff at a weeklong summer science camp in the Sierras teaching recreational mathematics.
Jonathan has degrees in subjects in the Humanities (a Bachelors in European History, and a Masters in Religious Studies), but worked for most of his professional life as a computer programmer doing scientific software. He took advanced computer and math classes at Kent State University in Ohio, and locally at Foothill and DeAnza Junior colleges. Over 21 years, he has worked for three medical companies, two Internet Service Providers, and done an internship at NASA.
Jonathan especially enjoys wilderness hiking, live theatre, and contributing to Wikipedia. He plays checkers and backgammon fairly well, but is a terrible chess player.
M.A. in Religious Studies,
University of Pennsylvania
B.A. in European History,
University of Pennsylvania
Joon Kim Math, English Joon Kim is a graduate of Boston College Law School and an active member of the California Bar. He currently works at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California for a federal magistrate judge. He also has a degree in business from the University of Cincinnati where he graduated with summa cum laude honors. Mr. Kim has experience tutoring students throughout high school and college. In his free time he enjoys watching sports, playing basketball, and traveling. Juris Doctor,
Boston College Law School
B.S. in Business,
University of Cincinnati
Jorge Brabata Spanish Jorge has been living in San Jose California since March of 1997. Before coming to this country, he lived in Mexico City, and in Villahermosa, the capital of the Mexican state of Tabasco. Jorge has been a teacher, T.V. and radio producer, and political commentator on both sides of the border. He has also worked as a traslator from English to Spanish and vice versa for many years.
Joseph Tan Biology Joseph is currently a post-baccalaureate student at San Francisco State University with designs on leveraging his strong molecular-biological research background and social aptitudes in an M.D./Ph.D program. A lifelong curiosity in biology and science in general lead him to a successful career at the University of California, San Diego where he earned a B.S. in molecular biology. Following his tenure at UCSD, he worked at the National Cancer Insitute accredited Beckman Research Institute at the City of Hope in Duarte, CA. on SATB1, a protein found to be over represented in highly metastatic breast cancers. He became a published co-author in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, and currently has a manuscript of his work in review. Along with honing his expertise in basic science, Joseph is an experienced tutor having substantial experience teaching saxophone, and doing volunteer tutoring with inner city children. B.S. in Molecular Biology,
UC San Diego
Joshua Cembellin English, SAT English, Creative Writing, Literature Joshua Cembellin has a B.A. in English, with a minor in Creative Writing. Four of his poems have been published by the CSUC literary magazine Watershed. During his time as an undergraduate student at CSUC, he worked part time in the English department, serving as a tutor in the University Writing Center. He also gained experience as a small-group instructor for remedial writing workshop classes. He enjoys literature, and wants to help young students gain a strong grasp for comprehensive reading. He is also interested in helping students strengthen their writing skills, while also allowing them to enjoy and feel comfortable in a classroom or one-on-one learning environment. He plans to continue his education, as he is currently enrolled in the M.A. English program at San Jose State University. B.S. in English, minor in Creative Writing, California State University, Chico
Joshua Deetz Chemistry and Mathematics Joshua Deetz is an alumnus of UC Davis with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering. Following graduation, Josh entered the petroleum industry where he worked for both Sandia National Laboratories an Chevron. He aspires to one day obtain his doctorate degree and conduct research related to energy independence and renewable fuels. In his spare time, Josh enjoys hiking, traveling, and rock climbing. Currently, Josh is available to tutor chemistry and mathematics. B.S. in Chemical Engineering,
UC Davis
Julie O'Brien Chemistry, Mathematics Julie O'Brien holds an M.S. and B.S. from the University of Oklahoma. Using molecular cloning, she has also conducted research in biochemistry and neuroscience laboratories at UC Riverside and San Diego State University. She has extensive teaching experience in college-level general chemistry, biochemistry, and neuroscience from three different universities, as well as experience in tutoring individuals at both the high school and college levels. Her goal is to help ANY student understand, summarize, and prepare for comprehensive CHEMISTRY exams (SATs, APs and/or final exams) in order to obtain a desired result in a relatively short amount of time. She believes that mathematics is a fundamental subject for high school students in developing logical thinking and that it is critical for study in other subjects such as physics, chemistry, and economics. She has tutored students in high school level algebra, geometry, and calculus, and enjoys solving math problems. After a brief stint in the East Coast, Julie is very happy to be back in California. She hopes to enjoy the abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables, the world's best weather, and the vast landscape, while working with passionate students in achieving their goals. M.S. in Biochemistry,
University of Oklahoma
B.S. in Chemistry,
University of Oklahoma
June Sheldon Biology, Chemistry June Sheldon has had an extensive college teaching career at a number of colleges and universities in five disciplines (Human and Cell Physiology, Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Remedial Math, Microbiology, and English) while she was homeschooling her now three adult daughters. At San Jose State University she developed a grammar test, computer drills, and analysis tools that elevated Computer Science ESL average literacy scores three grade levels in one semester. Over 1500 students in a five year period were tested. Her degree was in Molecular Biology and her teaching emphasis has been in human physiology but her broad based scientific approach has enabled students in diverse disciplines to master their subjects. M.S. in Biology
San Jose State University
Kaley Oldani Math Kaley Oldani has been a tutor for several years. She has worked with the AVID program as a tutor and mentor, Homework on Wheels tutoring, as well as built her own clientele for tutoring by word of mouth. She has worked with students ranging from 7 years of age to high school seniors. She graduated from the California Polytechnic University of Pomona with a B.S. in Civil Engineering with an Environmental Emphasis. She was membership chair of her school's ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineering) club, a member of the civil engineering honors society, Chi Epsilon, and held two part time jobs while still a full time student. She currently works as an intern at the Alameda County Water District in the Groundwater Division of the Engineering Department. During her free time she enjoys yoga, hiking, camping, traveling, photography, and painting. B.S. in Civil Engineering,
Cal Poly University, Pomona
Kai Man Jim Math I like to study math since I was in high school because it is the class room where I think all the smart people were gathering at. I also work for my math teacher as a T.A. and a math tutor after school; therefore, I have certain experience to work with high school students. To me, the way to learn is to enjoy and think, but not to push. Beside math, I like to work and fix computers, would like to challenge hardware and software problems like virus.
My original born place was Hong Kong. I came to U.S. when I was 16 year old. Therefore, I am bilingual. I can speak both English, Cantonese, and Mandarin.
B.A. in Computer Science,
UC Berkeley
Karen Huyser Math, Physics Karen comes to ThinkTank Learning with many years of teaching, tutoring, and mentoring experience upon which to draw. She has mentored undergraduate women engineers at Stanford, tutored college physics at Michigan, and served as a teaching assistant for undergraduate classes in astronomy and electrical engineering. Her doctoral work involved the creation of computer software to solve a complex statistical classification problem. She has worked for NASA, Hewlett Packard and Agilent, has many years of experience in academic research, and is currently pursuing a career in biostatistics. Karen is a tutor because she loves to to see the light of understanding turn on. She is patient and personally committed to the success of each of her students. Her other interests include singing, reading thrillers, watching movies, hiking, and observing and identifying native birds and plants. Ph.D. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Stanford University

B.S. with Honors in Physics and Astronomy, University of Michigan
Karen Vanuska English Karen Vanuska graduated Magna Cum Laude from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania with a BA degree in Russian, International Relations, and English. After working for eight years as a Language Analyst for the Department of Defense, she returned to school and obtained an MFA in Creative Writing from Saint Mary's College of CA. She has taught English and Writing and Composition to children in grades two through college freshman. She has a CA Teaching Credential for grades K-8 and she is a substitute teacher in the San Mateo-Foster City School District. In her spare time, she continues to work as a freelance writer, publishing short fiction, creative non-fiction, book reviews and articles on parenting. As both a teacher and a mother of three school-age children, Karen brings a keen awareness of the diverse ways in which children learn. She strives to help children gain confidence as they gain knowledge. B.A. Russian, English
& Internaltional Relations
Bucknell University

M.F.A. Creative Writing
Saint Mary's College of CA
Karin Buckley English Karin Buckley has been a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher for nine years in both public and private middle and high schools. She holds a BA in English from Widener University and an MA in English from Simmons College; she also has a Single Subject Credential to teach English in California. Outside of work, Karin loves to walk through Golden Gate Park, crochet, and tend to her needy 17 year old cat (just not all at the same time). B.A. in English,
Widener University

M.A. in English
Simmons College
Karin McKie English Karin McKie is pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing at San José State University, with a focus in creative nonfiction and dramatic writing. She has published in Today's Chicago Woman, Perspective, Interiors and Sources, The Book: An Actor's Guide to Chicago, and Chicagoplays; has been managing editor for Perspective and Reed magazines; and reviews theater online. She has lectured and taught at SJSU, DePaul University, Roosevelt University, North Park University, her alma mater James Madison University, plus Community Media Workshop, Arts Management Project, Fernwork Arts Incubator and at many youth organizations including the Chicago Park District. She recently won the 2011 Bonita M. Cox Award for Classical and Medieval Studies for her paper "Through a Glass, Brightly: The Mirror Metaphor in Aemilia Lanyer's Salve Deus Rex Judæorum," which she also presented at the Humanities Education and Research Association Conference in San Francisco. She has also presented "The Why Chromosome: Gender Bending and Male Birth in Shakespeare's The Tempest" at UCLA during the Women and Theatre Program during the Association for Theatre in Higher Education conference; and "Bearing a Charmed Life: The Necessity of the Weird Sisters in Shakespeare's Macbeth" at the 19th Annual Shakespeare Symposium at California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, CA. She also won the Phelan Familiar Essay award for her nonfiction essay "Marlboro Reds," which has been published in excerpt and will be published in full soon. Her nonfiction radio commentary has been on Chicago Public Radio, and nonfiction solo shows have been performed at Chicago's Fillet of Solo and Downstage Left. She has adapted Shakespeare's "greatest hits" into a "lovers and fighters" play (performed at Chicago's Footsteps Theatre), pulp fiction novel Hot Blooded Blonde (American Theater Company's Relatives), and has written, performed and directed sketch comedy (and combat) segments for Boom Chicago, WNEP Theatre, Babes With Blades, and The Second City training center. In television, she's written for WETA-TV, Washington, DC, and for Time-Warner's talk show Four You. At SJSU, McKie has studied with authors Sandra Gilbert (Madwoman in the Attic), Tim Cahill (Hold the Enlightenment), Andrew Altschul (Lady Lazarus), Cathleen Miller (The Birdhouse Chronicles), Andrew Fleck (early modern English scholarship), David Kahn (Scriptwork), and screenwriter Barnaby Dallas (Spartan Film Studios, DreamWorks Animation), as well as with Michael McColly (The After-Death Room) at Northwestern University. MFA, Creative Writing Candidate,
San José State University
BS in Communications/Theater,
James Madison University
The Second City Improvisation and Sketch Certificate
Kate Folk English Kate Folk holds an MFA in Writing from the University of San Francisco and a BA in English and History from New York University. She is a fiction writer with short story publications upcoming in several literary journals. She is also seeking representation for her first novel, which she wrote and revised as her master thesis. Kate has completed graduate coursework in pedagogy, has extensive tutoring experience, and is a certified ESL instructor. Originally from Iowa City, IA, Kate is now officially a Californian and hopes to remain one for the foreseeable future. In her free time, she enjoys riding her bike, eating unfamiliar foods, and playing laser tag with her two cats. MFA in Writing,
University of San Francisco
B.A. in English and History,
New York University
Katherine Carpenter English Katherine Carpenter is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in broadcast journalism, as well as a minor in music industry. She looks forward to working with motivated students who need help in english, as well as speech and debate. Her background is in radio and advertising, as well as public speaking at fundraisers. During summers Katherine directs camps and leadership programs for teens with diabetes, and her hobbies include horseback riding and watching movies with her husband and their cat, Handsome Pete. B.A. in Broadcast Journalism,
Minor in Music Industry,
University of Southern California
Keiko Hori Abalos Japanese Keiko was born in Japan and came to the U.S. to study biology. Keiko graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a B.S. in Biological Science - Zoology. After she finished undergraduate, Keiko took various positions tutoring Algebra II, Geometry, and Japanese. She enjoys teaching and sharing her knowlege with others and is very excited to make studying more fun and inspirational for students. B.S. in Biological Science - Zoology
California State University, Long Beach
Keith Ngan Math, Biology, Chemisty Keith, a San Francisco native, graduated with a B.S. degree in Biomedical Engineering and minored in Chemistry at UC Davis. His teaching career began as early as high school, when he first worked as a teaching assistant and slowly progressing to be a head teacher in various summer programs. At UC Davis, he tutored college general chemistry for almost 4 years while also working with elementary school students in an afterschool program. He remains active in exercise and sports, and hopes to bring that enthusiasm and excitement to the students with which he works. B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and minored in Chemistry,
UC Davis
Kelly Crumrin English Kelly Crumrin graduated with honors from Illinois Wesleyan University with a B.A. in English. For the past 12 years, Kelly has been a professional writer, publishing articles in several magazines and working in the public relations field. During her college years, Kelly spent her summers as a camp counselor for kids of all ages. As a tutor, Kelly finds it very rewarding to inspire young people to enjoy the written word and to express themselves more effectively through writing. In her spare time, Kelly reads, gardens and plays the drums. B.A. in English with minor in Asian Studies
Illinois Wesleyan University
Kelsey Drenker Biology Kelsey recently graduated from the Univeristy of California Santa Cruz with a B.S. in Biology. This degree allowed Kelsey to taste all of the divisions in biology, ranging from molecular and cell biology to anatomy and physiology. Her passion for the sciences drove her to help fellow peers by holding study sessions throughout her college career. Kelsey wants to ignite the same desire for learning in her students by presenting material in new, fun, and relatable ways. Her lifelong passion has been horseback riding and she wishes to pursue a career as an equine veterinarian. B.S. in Biology,
UCSC
Kelsey Moore History Kelsey Moore is a graduate of California State University. She recently completed her MA in Education and Social Studies Single Subject Credential from University of Phoenix. She works as a substitute teacher in the San Ramon Valley Unified school district and an assistant Speech and Debate coach at San Ramon Valley High School. Kelsey is passionate about teaching and students. She also really enjoys reading, movies, date nights with her husband, and volunteering with the youth at her church. M.A. in Education,
University of Phoenix
B.A. in Communication,
CSU East Bay
Kengo Soghoyan Biology, Chemistry Kengo Soghoyan graduated from University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Neurobiology. He enjoys breaking down difficult subjects and helping students excel. He has been a Teachers Assistant for an Introductory Biology course at UC Davis. Kengo has completed extensive coursework in biology and chemistry, and worked on several projects based on DNA repair proteins. He enjoys swimming, playing water polo, and reading during his spare time. B.S. in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Neurobiology,
University of California, Davis
Ken(Chi Cheng) Chan Chemistry, Math Ken holds a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Bachelors of Science at University of California, Berkeley. He has tutored elementary students in math related subjects and also help college students in economics and engineering economics. Following graduation, he worked as an process engineer in a start-up company. Ken came to the U.S. with his parents when he was 13, and is fluent in Cantonese and Mandarin. In free time, he enjoys playing basketball with friends. B.S. in Chemical Engineering,
UC Berkeley
Kevin Chen Biology, Chemistry Kevin Chen holds a BA in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of California at Berkeley. Over the past two years, Kevin has had experience teaching math and the sciences to students of diverse backgrounds and age groups, and has developed a great passion teaching and interacting with his pupils. On his free time, Kevin enjoys jogging, watching TV, and lifting weights. Having done well in his math and science courses at Berkeley, Kevin aspires to become a physician, and is currently in the process of applying to medical school. B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology,
Emphasis in Cell and Developmental Biology,
UC Berkeley
Kim Xuan Tran Math, Biology, Chemistry With a love for figuring out the bigger picture of how things work and how it can be used to help others, Kim graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Environmental Science and has a publication in the Berkeley Scientific Journal for his public health research. He remembers how science can seem like a horrible nightmare, but by sparking a common interest with his students and by breaking down complicated theories into the fundamentals with some humor, he aims to make learning an enjoyable experience for both the students and their parents. Being aware that every person is different in how they learn, he is open-minded, dedicated, and passionate in exploring different avenues to fit the needs of every child. In his spare time he enjoys volunteering with community organizations such as the Berkeley Free Clinic and is currently pursuing a career in dentistry. B.S. in Environmental Science,
University of California, Berkeley
Kimberly Kim English Kimberly Kim is an MFA Writing student at California College of the Arts where she is a writer of many genres and styles as she writes on topics related to culture, art, and community building. She writes fiction, poetry, and personal essays, and was published in Audrey magazine in the Dec 08/Jan 09 issue. She is also a dedicated teacher and has taught esl to students of all ages ranging from elementary school kids, to college students, to CEOs, in such countries as South Korea. She recently mentored high school students in San Francisco who were involved in a book project - students who later published their stories in the book, "We the Dreamers," which came out in spring of 2010. Finally, when brainstorming for her writing assignments and stories, she enjoys sipping on vanilla cappuccinos! MFA in Writing,
California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
B.A. in Political Science,
University of Michigan
Kristoffer Downing Chemistry Kris graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. He applied that training towards automating equipment in vaccine, pharmaceutical and biotechnology facilities. He also served as lead engineer for a start-up company searching for a way to generate electricity and soil amendments from biomass such as farm waste and dying trees. In his spare time, he also enjoys motorcycling, skiing, movies and video games. B.S. Chemical Engineering, Cornell University
Kshipra Jain Biology, Mathematics Kshipra Jain graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a B.S. in Psychology as well as a B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience. Kshipra is very interested in education and wants to be able to share her knowledge to help students excel at school. She loves teaching and has many years of experience tutoring students and peers. Kshipra has lived in India, Singapore and Germany before moving to the US, so she has a great understanding of cultural diversity and is very comfortable at interacting with people from all walks of life. Kshipra wants to pursue a Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology and hopes to become a psychology professor in the future. B.S. in Psychology,
B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience,
UC San Diego
Lari Quinn English Lari Kathleen Quinn earned her B.A. in English at UCSB, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa, with High Honors and with Distinction in the Major. Lari is a published writer, and won awards at the East of Eden and Jack London Writers Conferences for her screenplay and poetry. One of her poems, was a finalist in the Rainer Maria Rilke International Poetry Competition. She has written a novel and several non-fiction educational books. Lari enjoys tutoring, and her love of literature and the English language inspire her in teaching and mentoring others. B.A. in English, and M.A. in Counseling Psychology
University of California, Santa Barbara
Larissa Andersen English Larissa graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno with a B.A. in Secondary Education, English, and Theater. She taught 7th grade English and Theater in Las Vegas, NV for two years before moving to California. She is an experienced tutor who loves working with students of all ages. She currently runs the Homework Lab at the San Carlos Youth Center and attends San Jose State University. She will graduate with her Masters in Library and Information Science in December of 2011. In her free time, Larissa enjoys reading mystery novels and acting in community theater. B.A. in Secondary Education, English, and Theater
University of Nevada, Reno
Laura Burge English Laura Burge graduated with honors from Pitzer College with a B.A. in English and World Literature and a minor in Music. She tutored college students in English and composition. During that time, she gained a lot of experience working with both American and international students with widely varying levels of English skills. Before that, she tutored high school students in English and Math. She enjoys working with and helping students at all levels. Laura also enjoys reading and writing and plans to pursue creative writing in graduate school. In her spare time, Laura likes to sing, dance and speak Italian. She hopes to return to Italy someday, where she studied for a semester during college. B.A. in English, World Literature,
Pitzer College
Laura Langland-Shula Physics, Math Laura Langland-Shula loves to educate students in math and physics through her passion of astronomy. She holds a PhD in astrophysics from UC Santa Cruz, and gradated with honors as an astrophysics major from UCLA. She has taught physics and astronomy at the high school and community college level since 2007. A Bay Area native since kindergarten, she enjoys contributing back to the Silicon Valley community. Her hobbies include choral music, reading, and knitting. Ph.D. in Astronomy and Astrophysics,
UC Santa Cruz
B.S. in Astrophysics,
UC Los Angeles
Lauretta Lu English Lauretta earned her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at UC San Diego. She served on the Executive Board of two Pre-Law organizations, made Provost's Honors frequently, and received an award for an Outstanding Undergraduate Research Paper. Lauretta scored in the 95th percentile on the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) which focuses on Critical Reading, Logic, and Writing. She has tutored middle and high school students in Math, Reading Comprehension, and English. Lauretta is an avid hiker, golfer, and volunteer in her free time. B.A. in Political Science,
UC San Diego
Le An Math Le An graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.S. in Chemical Biology (College of Chemistry). She has many experience in tutoring and teaching Math from 9th grade to 12th grade. On her spare time, Le likes to read, exercise and hang out with her friends. B.S. in Chemical Biology,
UC Berkeley
Lenka Schvaigerova Math Lenka Schvaigerova received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Economics from San Francisco State University in May 2009; she graduated Summa Cum Laude. Ms. Schvaigerova transferred to San Francisco State University in 2006, after attending the University of Economics in Prague, Czech Republic, for two years. Following her graduation, she fulfilled her post-baccalaureate practical training at Econosystems, Menlo Park as an Economic Assistant. Currently, Ms. Schvaigerova works as an independent Economics Researcher. For the last two years, she has been an active member of the San Francisco Chapter of National Association for Business Economics and as of January 2010, she serves as their secretary. B.A. in Economics,
San Francisco State University
Liliana Barajas Spanish Liliana was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and moved to the US when she was five years old. She grew up in the Bay Area, but eventually moved to Los Angeles to attend UCLA, where she worked with elementary school children as a classroom aide. She was also a volunteer English teacher for day laborers, helping to develop lesson plans and organize field trips to several LA museums. After graduating, she moved back to Northern California and soon began teaching Spanish for both Spanish learners and Spanish speakers at Skyline high school in Oakland. She left Skyline to finish her MA in Education, but continues to teach ESL for adults part-time and tutor Spanish learners. In the future, she plans to pursue a second Masters degree in Spanish Linguistics, and would like to begin an after-school program for Spanish-speaking elementary school students. B.A. Chicana Studies & Art History, UCLA
Linh Do English, History Linh graduated from the University of San Francisco with a B.A. in English and minor in Asian American Studies. She is currently enrolled in the School of Education at USF, where she is pursuing her Master's in Teaching and teaching credential. She has extensive experience working with students, especially those who come from an underprivileged background. She has mentored a student who was new to the country, teaching him English. It was one of the most rewarding experiences she has. Currently, she volunteers several times a week at the Reading Program, helping ESL students gain a better grasp on the English language. Her literary passions include anything from Sappho, Jane Austen, and Wordsworth to texts on American and Asian American history. B.A. in English and minor in Asian American Studies,
University of San Francisco
Lisa Nguyen Spanish Lisa Nguyen considers herself a lifelong learner and is passionate about education. She has a BA degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley. She also has a minor in Art History and possesses a secondary education teaching credential in English. She is particularly fond of Modernist literature and postmodern literary theory. Currently, she is teaching English at Lynbrook High School in the Fremont Union High School District. Although her students are considered high-performing, she also has teaching experience working with English Lanuage Development students. She was an editor for the Cal Literary Arts Magazine in Berkeley and worked as a teaching assistant for a writing center at Evergreen Valley College. Her favorite activities include reading, hiking, biking, and going to art galleries and museums. In the near future, Lisa would like to pursue a graduate degree in either English Literature or Art History. B.A. English,
U.C. Berkeley
Lora Rasmussen History Lora Rasmussen's educational background consists of a recently completed Masters of Arts in Mediterranean and European History before 1500 with a secondary focus in American history, with which she passed her Exit Exams with Distinction. Lora obtained her Bachelors in History also from San Francisco State University, graduating magna cum laude and as the History Department's Undergraduate Honoree. Lora has worked as a TA of World History at San Francisco State University and as an Employment Specialist/Instructor teaching people with disabilities in the methodology required to obtain long-term, professional employment. Examples of specific historical research papers include: the shift from the Republic to the Principate, the Julio-Claudian political system and concepts surrounding consensus, Augustus and the Aeneid, Egyptian culture and canopic jars, the administrative and legal shifts of Henry II of England, the motives of Henry VIII and the English Reformation, honor and reputation in Medieval Iberia, a literary comparison between the Homeric Epic and the later Hellenistic Argonautika by Apollonius of Rhodes, trade and exchange of Islamic culture through the Silk Road, the Classical model and the American Constitution, the disjunction between American and British perceptions regarding the rights and obligations of free citizens as a major component of the Revolution, and racism and community of Italian Americans in the Late Nineteenth to Early Twentieth century America. M.A. in History,
SFSU
B.A. in History,
SFSU
Lue-Yee Tsang English, French, History Lue-Yee Tsang, a UC Berkeley graduate, holds a B.A. in linguistics. Having tutored a range of students from 2nd graders to college students, he is applying to graduate school to study medieval literature and pursue a career as a university professor. In his (semblance of) free time, Lue-Yee enjoys reading substantial texts, writing about theology, taking strolls in Paris, singing Chinese oldies and Gregorian chants, and designing ambitious Gothic cathedrals in the sky. B.A. in Linguistics,
UC Berkeley
Lydia Hou Math, Statistics Lydia Hou recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a double major in Math and Statistics. Lydia's experience working with young people include being a teacher for junior high school students at Corner Stone Academy, tutoring freshmen and sophomores in college, and also working at a summer camp. Lydia has taken multiple Math and Statistics classes which has enabled her to improve her research skills as well as her analytical abilities. As a result of both her rewarding field research on toads during the summer of 2009 and her academic coursework, Lydia is confident that she can make a strong contribution to the improvement of your child's learning process. Lydia is currently pursuing a Masters in Applied and Statistics at UC Berkeley. B.A. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics, U.C. Berkeley
Lynne Thomas Math and Physics Dr. Lynne Thomas earned her Ph.D. in Experimental Applied and Engineering Physics from the Lab of Plasma Studies at Cornell University. She then earned a New York State Teaching Certification in Physics and General Science. After moving back to California, she converted her New York Teaching Credential into a CA Single Subject Credential. Lynne has 16 years of classroom experience teaching Mathematics and Science to a range of students at Notre Dame High School, the Tech Museum of Innovation, The Harker School, Wheatley School on Long Island, Long Island University's School for Gifted Youth, and SUNY at Stony Brook. She has tutored students one-on-one in math, chemistry and physics since she attended Newport Harbor High School. She currently works as an adjunct physics instructor and math and science tutor. She has long been active in programs promoting greater interest in math and science to junior high and high school students, working with students from an East LA magnet school while attending Caltech, volunteering at various Science Museums, and hosting groups through Expanding Your Horizons while attending graduate school. In her spare time she loves to read, swim, snorkel and scuba, practice Yoga regularly and visit with family and friends. Ph. D. in Applied & Engineering Physics, minor Electrical Engineering, Cornell University,

M. S. in Applied and Engineering Physics, Cornell University

B. S. in Applied Physics, California Institute of Technology
Mabel Zhuang English, Writing, ESL Mabel Zhuang is a graduate from UC Berkeley with a degree in Political Economy. She has over 2 years of tutoring experience teaching in both grade school and community college. Her passion for working with young people has led her to continue teaching now with TTLearning. Apart from tutoring, Mabel is currently working as an associate at Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, an insurance and investment firm, and volunteering at IDEX, a nonprofit that works on economic development in third world countries. Outside of work, she has a strong interest in the theater arts having spent 2 years performing in comedy sketch, improv, musical theater, and most recently, film. She also enjoys traveling, trying new cuisines, and learning different languages. B.A. in Political Economy,
UC Berkeley
Mackinley Levine English Mackinley "Mack" Levine received his B.A. in English and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of California at Berkeley with high honors in the major of Middle Eastern Studies. He wrote his honors thesis on Palestinian-Americans and has worked in Washington, D.C. to support the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Mack has volunteered as a writing coach for over two years at Berkeley High School and has extensive experience working with at-risk youth and young adults with a first language other than English. In addition to his passion for helping young people with writing and literacy, Mack is familiar with older forms of the English language and has produced both an original translation and critical analysis of the damaged, incomplete "King of Tars" story from the 14th century Auchinleck manuscript. In his free time, Mack works as a DJ and participates in olympic-style weight lifting. B.A. in English and Middle East Studies,
UC Berkeley
Maile Huynh Math, Biology Maile received her Bachelor of Science degree from University of California Davis. Maile had 7 years extensive experience working with Kaplan, Club Z, The Learning Curve, Davis High School, Carson School, and Valley Oak School since year 2002. She has successfully helped her students receive great improvements in the areas of Biology, Chemistry, SAT Math and Algebra. Her teaching style is very personal because she truly believes that in a small class, every single student should receive significant amount of attention and be well taken care of. On her free time, she keeps up an active life style by engaging in various sports and community service events. B.S. in Biotechnology, minor in Managerial Economics,
UC Davis
Mario Uriarte Math Mario Uriarte is an alumnus of the University of Arizona where he earned his B.A. in creative writing and life skills. He went on to earn a Masters from Mills College, also in creative writing, along with a minor in mathematics. Whatever subject he tutors, rest assured that he will find a creative way to teach it. He is currently in the processes of writing the next great American young adult novel, and preparing to become a high school math teacher. B.A. in Creative Writing and Life Skills,
University of Arizona
Mark Ericsson English Mark Ericsson is a credentialed English teacher who has taught a wide range of students at the high school level. He has taught AP Language & Composition, Freshmen, Junior, and Senior English/Literature classes. He is passionate about writing, critical reading, thinking, and finding creative ways to interact with texts. His passions have lead him to work both inside and outside of the classroom, applying his skills at various settings in documentary, television, and music production. He is passionate about working with youth to help them achieve their goals. Credential, Single Subject - English
San Jose State University
B.S. in Communication,
UC San Diego
Mary Anne Hernandez English As a recent graduate from California State University East Bay with a B.A. in English (concentration in Creative Writing), Mary Anne aspires to be a high school teacher. Working hard to fulfill this goal, she has tutored a diversity of students at multiple grade levels. Her previous work experience has proven that Mary Anne is an exceptional, reliable, and friendly employee. With a strong interest in facilitating student learning and encouraging literacy, critical thinking, and comprehension, she has advised and mentored students in English including literature, reading, academic writing, and creative writing. In the coming quarters, Mary Anne will pursue her Single Subject Teaching Credential in English, M.A. in English, and Ph.D. in English. B.A. in English,
CSU East Bay
Matt Hooker-Agvanian English, Spanish Matt is a recent alumnus of the University of Southern California, where he graduated honors with a double major in Theatre and Spanish. Matt was a Dean's List Scholar and Phi Beta Kappa member, and was active in school theatrical productions both as an actor and director. He currently resides in San Francisco and splits his time between tutoring, acting, and writing for a local music magazine. Matt enjoys traveling and has lived and studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Madrid, and various parts of Mexico. In the past he has taught English and Spanish to pupils of various ages, and he is thrilled to be working with the bright students at Think Tank Learning. B.A. in Theatre, University of Southern California

B.A. in Spanish, University of Southern California
Matthew Jamison English Matthew Jamison graduated from Harvey Mudd College with a BS in Music with a concentration in Ethnomusicology and a minor in Physics. While there, he tutored both high school and elementary school students. He plans to pursue higher education in the near future. In his spare time, he enjoys dancing, writing poetry, busking, being outdoors, and spending time with friends. B.S. in Music with a concentration in Ethnomusicology and a minor in Physics,
Harvey Mudd College
Monica Ascher Biology Monica received her BS in Marine Science with a focus in Biology from Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, on the Monterey Bay. As an undergraduate, she tutored other students in plant, animal, and molecular biology. She has extensive experience in ecology and experimentation, including the use of scientific SCUBA diving. Monica is currently obtaining a Secondary Education Teaching Credential in Biology trough San Jose State University and works with high school students of all backgrounds and learning levels. In her free time she enjoys mushroom hunting, bike riding, and swimming. B.S. in Marine Science, focus in Biology,
Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Monterey Bay.
Mallory Craig English Mallory Craig graduated from Sonoma State University in 2008 with a B.A. in Creative Writing and a Minor in Psychology. During the school year, she worked at the universities Writing Center as an English tutor for two years, tutoring both undergraduate and graduate students of various calibers of writing.
During her senior year, she interned as a Research Assistant for a Psychology professor at SSU where she helped launch the publication of a book about Autism. She also interned at Gentry magazine one summer, where she has a few published articles. Aside from tutoring, she is currently taking an online technical writing course, allowing her to experience a vastly different style of writing.
B.A. in Creative Writing and a Minor in Psychology,
Sonoma State University
Mark Carpenter English Mark Carpenter has been teaching since 2002, when he earned his Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Southern California. He teaches writing, reading, and English grammar to students ranging from preschool to the university level. He recently completed his Master of Arts in English and a certificate in teaching English Composition from San Francisco State University. In his free time, he writes short stories and volunteers at summer camps for children with diabetes. B.A. in English,
University of Southern California
Mark Shulewitz Biology Mark Shulewitz graduated with a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cell Biology from the University of California, Berkeley. As a graduate student, he taught graduate level biology classes and labs as a teaching assistant. Mark did postdoctoral work in cancer research and worked as a scientist in the biotechnology industry. Recently, he has worked as private tutor for high school biology. He enjoys helping students understand complex concepts in the biological sciences and guiding them towards mastery of their biology courses. B.S. Molecular Biology,
University of Pittsburgh

Ph.D. Molecular Cell Biology,
U.C. Berkeley
Matthew Hubbard Math Prior to returning to school to get his Master's Degree in math, Matthew worked for several years in the video game industry for companies including Atari, Activision, Electronic Arts and Lucasfilm Games. Since getting his master's, he has tutored many students in math and SAT prep, as well as teaching math at local colleges. He has taught a wide variety of math courses from the undergraduate curriculum, including geometry, statistics, elementary algebra through linear algebra, calculus and discrete mathematics. M.A. in Math
Matthew Legaspi English, Biology Matthew graduated from the University of California at Riverside as a double major in the Environmental Sciences and Biological Sciences programs. He became a professional tutor in early in his life, and became known for his dedication, empathy, inventiveness and ability build student confidence. By continually enhancing the academic performance of his students, he graduated as the top rated tutor in his previous agency. Though he has a wide variety of tutoring experience, he specializes in Biology and English. His versatility was proven through his ability to improve the English skills of international students. Regardless of a student's background or origin, he has always found ways to make them better writers. He demonstrated expertise at improving the vocabulary building, sentence structure, and essay writing skills of his students. He is a pro at guiding his students to find the best ways to complete their English assignments. His creative style also allows students to improve their writing skills while writing about topics they are actually interested in.
Previously, he worked full time as part of a field research team for an epidemiological study. The research team was responsible investigating Southern California for the bloodsucking parasite Triatoma Protracta. He joined ThinkTank Learning because he wants to keep helping students make their dreams come true. Matthew is generally an easy-going guy. He has leadership experience in various community service and charity based student organizations. His hobbies include fashion, soccer, writing, science, and videogames. He currently spends his morning and afternoon hours doing pesticide research and chemical analysis in San Francisco for a non-governmental organization. He also has a Black Labrador named Linus.
B.s. in Environmental Sciences and Biological Sciences, UC Riverside
Matthew Sherling English Matthew Sherling graduated from the University of West Georgia with both a BA and MA in English/Literature. He has served as a Graduate Research Assistant, a Graduate Teaching Assistant, and a tutor in UWG's Writing Center - all providing him with the opportunity to develop and practice his creative and critical skills in an educational setting that involves teaching. He now attends San Francisco State University as an MFA student in poetry, aspiring to publish his own writing and to become a college professor. Outside of school, Matthew's interests include: listening to copious amounts of music, experimenting with photography, occassionally painting, camping/hiking, and forging quality relationships with people. M.A. in English,
University of West Georgia
B.A. in English,
University of West Georgia
May Mar Biology May graduated from University of California Davis, where she majored in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. Her experiences in tutoring ranges from tutoring elementary students to college students, mainly in a variety of biology courses (ie. Biochemistry, Molecular and Cell Biology, Genetics and Gene Expression, Introduction to Evolutionary Biology, Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior laboratory). Although she majored in Biology, May tutored some General and Organic Chemistry as well. During her time at UCD, she became extremely involved in community service work affiliated with Paul Hom Asian Clinic. At this clinic, May worked with the underprivileged Asian Americans of the Greater Sacramento area to provide free health care for those that are uninsured. Not only was she a co-director, but May began as a Chinese interpreter in mainly Toishanese and Cantonese, with some Mandarin. In her spare time, she enjoys watching the latest movies, eating, spending time with her family, and keeping up with the local news.
Furthermore, May's energetic personality combined with intriguing biology examples help engage the students to apply the basic concepts of biology.
B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior,
UC Davis
Michelle Wong Xu Math, SAT Math Michelle has taught public high school math and SAT in community college. Her teaching philology is that every child is gifted. It is a teacher's privilege to help a student to reach his or her goal. Michelle believes focus is the best strategy for success. So, she focuses on helping her students all the time. Master of Education in Secondary Mathematics,
Johns Hopkins University
B.A. in Business Economics,
UCLA
Michelle Shieh Math Michelle graduated with high honors from University of California, Berkeley in 2011 with a B.S. in Business Administration. Math has always been one of her favorite subjects and she hopes to help students be just as excited about Math and the patterns and logic within it. In her spare time, Michelle likes to bake, read, and do archery. B.S. in Business Administration,
UC Berkeley
Mike Lloyd English, History Mike is passionate about studying language and history, which often go hand in hand. He is earning his teaching credentials to teach high school history. He received his TEFL certification while teaching English in France and has conversational knowledge of 4 four foreign languages. He has traveled around the US and through most of Europe exploring historical sites as well as attending annual history conventions attended by historians from the US and Europe. He also is assisting a veteran from WWII in writing his memoirs from the war. Recognized by SJSU as a strong writer, he continues his education independently after the completion of his BS. B.S. in Hospitality Management,
Minor in Business Administration,
San Jose State University
Miko Nakamura Japanese Language and Literature Miko was born and raised in Japan but has been living in the United States for the past 25+ years. She has many years of combined work experience in cross-cultural business administration where one of her job functions that she really enjoyed was to teach Japanese to business professionals who were preparing to work overseas in Japan. Her proven methods have helped many students with their transition to an otherwise foreign environment. She has experience teaching and tutoring students of all levels and age groups and is very passionate about teaching Japanese language and culture. M.A. in Counseling Psychology, University of San Francisco

B.S. in Business Administration, University of Phoenix
Mindy Kartin Chemistry Mindy received her MS and PhD degrees in Chemistry from Clemson University-SC, where she was honored twice by the Outstanding Graduate Student Award for her performance as a teaching assistant and as a research assistant. She has many years of experience of teaching, lecturing and tutoring high school and college level chemistry courses in the U.S. and abroad. She has mentored high school, undergraduate and graduate students through summer and year around research internship programs. In addition to her academic teaching background, she also has many years of academic research and federal research laboratory experience as a research scientist at National Laboratories in the US. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, baking, pottery, pilates, soccer, movies and loves to spend time and to travel with her husband and their lovely dog Xena. M.S. in Chemistry, Clemson University-SC
PhD in Chemistry, Clemson University-SC
Ming-Hsien (Daniel) Hwang Math Daniel earned his M.S. degree from USC. Since then, he has worked in both high tech and financial industries. Graduated from competitive schools himself, he learned what it takes to achieve academic success. He also enjoy teaching math and helping young students in his spare time. M.S. in Electrical Engineering,
USC, Los Angeles, CA
B.S. in Computer Science and Information Engineering,
National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan
Miranda Braselton Math Miranda Braselton earned a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics at San Jose State. For the past several years, she has taught math of all levels to the students of SJSU, first as a tutor and then as a teacher's assistant. Most recently, she has enjoyed teaching remedial math to incoming freshmen. She is currently working on a Master's Degree in Applied Mathematics. M.S. in Applied Mathematics,
San Jose State University
B.A. in Mathematics,
San Jose State University
Miriam Pardo-Figueroa Statistics, Math Miriam holds a M S in Statistics and a B S in Economics, not to mention extensive teaching experience and a wealth of practical knowledge so essential for making the dry, precise science relevant and applicable.
During her graduate studies at University of Southern California, Miriam took the position of a Teaching Assistant for "Statistics for Management and Business" program, and having discovered a passion for teaching, became an active tutor in a variety of subjects ranging from Middle School math up to graduate-level statistics, for the audiences as challenging as the Athletics Association at CSU Long Beach.
Thanks to her work experience in finance, accounting, and international policy, Miriam finds it easy to resonate with the aspirations of her students, and teaches her subject on the basis of real world examples that excite the imagination and the passion for the power of knowledge in her pupils.
Having grown up in Peru, Miriam is comfortable in cross-cultural environments (in fact she has over five years of teaching Spanish behind her belt). Her spare time is split between biking and reading about world history.
M.S. in Statistics, Cal State Long Beach
B.S. in Economic, University del Pacifico
Monique Macasaet Math Monique Macasaet earned her B.A. from the University of California, Davis. In college she took various pre-medical courses, and interned for the University of California, Davis Medical Center as well as a student-run clinic called Bayanihan Clinic located in Sacramento. Since high school, she has been tutoring both math and music to kids of all ages. She looks for every opportunity to share her knowledge with others. Following graduation, she taught music lessons with a company called Art and Soul music and on the side she is an avid performer as well. B.A. in Music,
UC, Davis
Nan Lee English Nan graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts in English. Immediately afterwards, she utilized her skills in a variety of industries: ocean freight shipping, computer networking, custom cabinetry, and health care. She has also steadily worked with youth and children since her high school days, and has been tutoring English since 2002. Nan enjoys helping students of all ages and abilities, from kindergartners learning reading to graduate students requesting editing help on their theses. In her spare time she loves watching all sorts of movies, trying different types of food--and of course, reading and writing! B.A. English
University of Washington
Natalie Gramont French Natalie has been teaching and tutoring French and English as a second language since 2006. She lived in France for 7 years, 3 years in Marseille and 4 years in Toulouse. Natalie skipped a year of high school and started college early, she also began traveling the world at a young age and completed the last year of her B.A. in France with a study abroad program. She maintained enrollment in the UIC Honors College and was inducted to the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Fluent in French, she decided to pursue two more degrees in France, a Maitrise in Roman Archaeology and a BTS in Business Administration, and completed many contracts on archaeology sites and in museums. She spends much of her free time doing pottery and sculpture. B.A. in Art History,
University of Illinois at Chicago
Maitrise in Archaeology,
Université de Provence, Aix-Marseille
B.T.S. in Business Administration,
I.T.P. Billieres, Toulouse
Natasha Narayan Biology Natasha Narayan graduated with the honor of Excellence in Research from the University of California, Irvine with a B.S. in Biology, before completing her Medical Post Baccalaureate education at the prestigious University of California, San Francisco Medical School. Natasha conducted biomedical research for four years and has achieved three publications in scientific journals such as Glia. She has extensive experience in tutoring elementary to college undergraduate students in general biology, genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology. She is highly motivated and enjoys sharing her knowledge and strives to encourage scientific thinking in her students. Currently, Natasha is pursuing a medical degree. B.S. in Biological Sciences,
UC Irvine
Nay Saw Biology Nay graduated from San Francisco State University with B.S. in Biology (concentration in Physiology). While pursuing his degree, Nay volunteered in UCSF anesthesiology department conducting research and he is currently working full time at Stanford University Neuroscience department. Besides having hands-on experiences in reputable labs, he has over 4 years of experience in teaching core biological concepts and tangible lab experiences to high school students and college graduates. He would utilize various methods including computer interface lectures, practices quizzes, and tackling practical situations to make learning biology fun and interesting. B.S. in Biology,
San Francisco State University
Neha Tamhane Chemistry Neha graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a B.S. in Psychobiology and previously attended Mission San Jose High School in Fremont, CA. During her timeat UCLA, she interned as a dental assistant and served as thetreasurer of an organization for women in science and engineering.She has been tutoring in math and chemistry for the pastyear and has an extensive background in psychology and the othersciences. B.S. in Psychobiology,
UCLA
Ngoc Nguyen Biology, Math Ngoc Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. During her undergraduate years, Ngoc had teaching experience as a tutor for an undergraduate physiology class. She enjoyed and valued the teaching experience greatly and continued to work as a tutor at an elementary school while in Davis. After graduating from UC Davis, Ngoc continues to work as an instructor at an after school program where she helped teach elementary and middle school students supplementary subjects, including Math, Science, Literature, and History. In her free time, Ngoc loves to play tennis and badminton. She also enjoys playing the piano and guitar. B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior
UC, Davis
Noah Cho English Noah graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a B.A. in English, and returned to UC Irvine the following year to get his Teaching Credential. Following this, Noah spent the next six years as a member of the Fairmont Preparatory Academy English Department in Anaheim, CA. Noah also served as the Department Chair for the English Department for three years. During his tenure at Fairmont, Noah taught various modes and genres of literature, including AP Literature and Composition, to 8th, 9th, 10th and 12th graders. Noah also helped develop and revamp the English curriculum for Fairmont, increasing the focus on writing, grammar and college-style elective courses. Noah is a passionate educator who cares deeply about his students, and seeks to help them find their way not only as students of literature and English, but as model citizens in an diverse world. B.A. in English,
UC, Irvine
Single Subject Credential Program,
UC, Irvine
Oliver Kao Physics, Math Mr. Kao has Bachelor of Science in Physics and Master of Electrical Engineering from University of Florida. He started giving tutoring session to the Univeristy Basketball and Football players when he was in graduate school. He also taught Physics to college students. Later he applied his strong academic knowledge to industry for years and continued his teaching at night school. Teaching has become his passion as well as hobby. He always enjoys the accomplishments of seeing students continuously improved in both SAT scores and school grades. He is looking forward to helping more students in the bay area. MS in Physics, University of Florida
Olga Klinger English, French, Math Olga graduated cum laude from Pomona College in Southern California in 2008. Since then, she has worked extensively as a teacher and tutor, first on a Fulbright teaching grant in South Korea, where she taught a total of 800 students per semester, and then as a tutor to under-privileged high school students in the Bay Area. Olga is an English and French major and has a passion for languages. Apart from being a Russian native speaker, she also speaks some Spanish, Korean, fluent French, and is currently learning Farsi. She plans to pursue an M.A. in International Relations at Johns Hopkins University, as one of her primary interests is international affairs and diplomacy. Olga enjoys tutoring everything under the sun from English and persuasive writing to Algebra II and ESL. In her free time, she loves practicing pilates and traveling wherever she can. Pomona College
Pam Boyle Spanish, English Pamela Boyle graduated from the University of Maryland-College Park with a M.S. in Environmental Science. She has experience in tutoring English (reading/writing), Math, Science and Spanish at the grammar, high-school and community college levels. In addition, Pam spent two years advising and mentoring math and science college-level students and assisted them in their long-term academic plans, research projects and graduate school applications. She is a great tutor because she believes in creating a fun, personal relationship with the student to create trust and contribute to his/her academic success. Moreover, she believes in motivating students by teaching real-world applications of the subjects and forming connections to the students' interests and goals. Professionally, Pam is a local environmental scientist and planner and is dedicated to creating sustainable communities. During her free time, Pam enjoys cooking, the outdoors, biking, and traveling among other things. M.S. in Environmental Science, University of Maryland
Pamela Ly Biology Pamela recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Integrative Biology. Pamela began tutoring when she was in high school, but her need to teach people went beyond that. Now she is working towards a teaching credential and has already passed her general science and biological science CSET. In the meantime, while preparing for teaching credential school, Pamela has been tutoring students from elementary all the way to high school. She also volunteers at her old high school where she occasionally substitutes, presents her own lectures, and helps out in the classroom. Overall, Pamela enjoys learning and especially enjoys teaching what she has learned. She is working towards her goal of becoming a high school biology teacher. B.A. in Integrative Biology,
UC Berkeley
Paul Copeland History Paul Copeland graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.A. in Political Science. He has continued to pursue his lifelong passion for politics and history through self-education in U.S. and World History, and U.S. Government. Paul also received a M.A. in Labor & Industrial Relations, and went on to spend over twenty years in private industry. Through that work experience, he developed systems for time management, goal setting, and goal accomplishment. Paul has tutored for over seven years, working with high school, middle school, and elementary school students. He particularly likes the small group environment of tutoring. M.A. in Labor & Industrial Relations,

University of Alabama
B.A. in Political Science,
University of Alabama
Paul Kohara Math, SAT Math Paul is currently a full-time math and business professor at DeVry University where he has been employed for the past 5 years. His prior teaching experiences include teaching business math at the Academy of Art College in San Francisco and as a graduate assistant for business courses at San Francisco State University. He also volunteered as a tutor and professor aid for the mathematics department at the College of San Mateo. M.B.A. in Business Administration,
San Francisco State University

B.S. in Civil Engineering,
UC Berkeley
Paul Negley English Paul Negley's eclectic work background stretches from green entrepreneurship, public health, political fundraising, finance, to writing. He came to San Francisco from American University where he pursued his second Masters in International Affairs. After a two and a half year stint in Morocco with the US Peace Corps, he attended the UN affiliated University for Peace in Costa Rica where he received a MA in Natural Resources and Sustainable Development. Paul is an alumnus of The College of William and Mary where he studied Government and Philosophy. He has scored in the 98th percentile in writing on the GRE; and recently published two short stories. Currently, he is conducting research for the Rainforest Action Network on the Global Finance Campaign to evaluate the financial sectors role in global climate change. B.A. Government,
College of William & Mary

M.A. Natural Resources & Sustainable Development,
University for Peace,
United Nations Affiliate

M.A. International Affairs,
American University, School of International Service
Paul Wooten Psychology Paul is a recent graduate from California State University, East Bay (CSUEB) with a B. A. in Psychology. Paul was born and raised in Salt Lake City, UT and transferred to CSUEB two years ago. Paul was a long-time student as he pursued his degree, not because it was difficult, but because he changed his mind late in the game. After pursuing Theatre Education for four years -- with some minor work in German and English Literature --he switched to the psychology track and completed it in two years. Most recently he worked as a research assistant in the Emotion, Health, and Psychophysiology lab at UCSF. His career goal going forward is to become a psychiatrist, for which he is currently enrolled in the pre-med program at CSUEB. He hopes to be able to combine psychology and behavior therapy, with the use of medicine (psychiatry) to raise the quality of living of "permanent" residents of psychiatric institutions, with the end goal of them being able to rejoin and live within society. He lives in the East Bay with his beautiful wife and two Siberian Huskies. B. A. in Psychology,
California State University, East Bay
Patrick Clark English, SAT, AP, MCAT Verbal Patrick holds a BA in English from Santa Clara University and is working towards a MS in Education at Cal State East Bay. He hopes to someday earn a doctorate and become president of a college or university, but will never stop teaching! Before working in education, Patrick worked as a technical writer for several Bay Area tech and biotech companies as well as for NASA. He has worked in education at the college and university level for 20 years, 15 of those years as either a Department Chair/Program Chair or the Dean. However, with the exception of a month or two, for those 20 years he has also been teaching continuously. He enjoys teaching grammar, composition, literature, speech, critical thinking, and SAT, and also enjoys tutoring English, SAT, AP, and MCAT Verbal. He has helped students from middle school to graduate school write and reason well and believes there is no nobler nor more important mission than education. Passionate and committed, he loves nothing more than seeing students attain academic excellence and achieve their dreams! M.Ed. in Cal State East Bay
B.A. in English,
Santa Clara University
Peter Alexander English, Math, Physics Peter Alexander has taught mathematics at every level from jr. high school to graduate level at U.C. Berkeley. He started tutoring over 20 years ago and loves helping interested students advance in their mathematical fluency. He is presently working on his doctoral thesis in mathematics at U.C. Berkeley. He enjoys applied mathematics, statistics, operations research and physics. His research presently involves a great deal of overlap between high energy physics and mathematics. He also has worked in statistical modelling of financial derivatives, risk management, and simulation of rare event phenomena. He is able to tutor at all levels in any mathematical subject or statistics. M.S. in Mathematics,
UC Berkeley B.A. in Mathematics,
UC Berkeley
Phillip Aquilina Math, Physics Phil Aquilina attended St. Ignatius College Preparatory before graduating from the University of California, Davis with a double major in Mechanical Engineering and Aeronautical Science and Engineering. During college, he designed and built scaled down composite airplanes from scratch and mentored younger engineers in the math and physics that are required to design planes. He has developed comprehensive knowledge, skills, and a passion for the two subjects that he hopes to pass on to a younger generation of students. In his free time, Phil enjoys riding his bike, playing basketball, and is currently teaching himself rocket design. B.S. in Mechanical Engineering/Aeronautical Science and Engineering
UC Davis
Ponni Rajamanickam Biology Ponni Rajamanickam graduated with her undergraduate degree in Microbiology and a minor in Psychology, from the University of California, Davis. Since her high school days she has been tutoring her peers in Math and Science. In her junior year in college she taught Math at California Middle School in Sacramento to students that did not have English as their first language. She continued to informally tutor her peers in her college coursework, including calculus, general biology and microbiology throughout college. She also teaches Tamil, her language, to students ranging from 5-15 years every Sunday morning. She is currently working as a Microbiologist at ZeaChem, a company that produces biofuels. B.S. in Microbiology and Minor in Psychology, UC Davis
Priscilla Mena Spanish and English Priscilla graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a BA in Comparative literature with a concentration in the English and Spanish languages. She also has an associate's degree in humanities and liberal arts. She is currently pursing a masters in education and enjoys tutoring and helping peers. Priscilla absolutely loves literature either in English or Spanish and is experienced in assistance with essay writing. In her free time she enjoys gardening, cooking, and loves watching movies. B.A. in Comparative literature with a concentration in the English and Spanish languages, UC Berkeley
Qi Wang Chinese - Excellent communication and interpersonal skills both in English and Mandarin
- Ability to effectively communicate with student to make progress in Chinese
- Ability to identify the problems of students using Chinese as a second language
- Ability to deal with children of different cultural backgrounds and age groups
- Many years experience of teaching international students Chinese and develop their reading and writing skills
- Preparing lesson plans and study material for the students
- Formulating different teaching methodology for the students, to foster the learning process
B.S. in Electronic Engineering,
Jiaotong University, Dalian, China
Qin Zou Math, Physics Qin Zou graduated from Stanford University with a MS degree in Electrical Engineering. He has taught college level math/engineering classes and tutored high school math related subjects (including SAT II MATH IIC). Right now, he is working full time as a software engineer. In his spare time, he likes to play basketball, hike, and watch movies. He loves to teach and to share his knowledges with his students. He is also fluent in Chinese (Mandarin). B.A. in Electrical and Computer Engineering,
University of Maryland

M.A. in Electrical Engineering,
Standford University
Randy Wu Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math Randy holds a bachelor of science in Chemistry from Harvard University and a Ph.D. in biophysics from the University of California, San Francisco. While at Harvard and UCSF, Randy was a teaching assistant for undergraduate and graduate students in five classes in biology and chemistry, and has won several university teaching awards. Randy has over 12 years of experience working with middle school and high school students in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Math at all levels, including SAT, SAT Subject Test, and AP. As an undergraduate, Randy wrote several guidebooks for Sparknotes in Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. Randy is also fluent in Mandarin Chinese.
After working as a Patent Agent in Boston, Randy is currently pursuing a J.D at Stanford Law School. He is looking forward to working with bright and motivated students!
B.S. in Chemistry,
Harvard University
Raymond Wang Biology, English, History, Math Raymond Wang graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Biology. He often spends his free time volunteering for various organizations and taking an active role in his community. Raymond began tutoring his peers in high school and continued in college. He plans on continuing his education in the health profession. B.S. in Biological Sciences
emphasis in Medical Microbiology,
UC, Davis
Richard A Stewart Math, Statistics,
Economy
Richard has tutored high school and college students in the Bay Area for over ten years. He specializes in mathematics, statistics, and business courses based on his education and a career in operations research and systems analysis. Staying in touch with the students of today is a gratifying experience for him, especially in demonstrating that the technical tools taught in the current curricula are being used in industry. B.S. Math, Economics,
University of Southern Mississippi

M.S. Statistics,
Virginia Tech University,

MBA Management,
UC Berkeley
Robbin Jang English, Math, Spanish Robbin graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in International Development Studies. He enjoys helping and working with students, and has a background working with all ages. Sharing his experiences as a successful all-around student, along with his passion and excitement for learning and gaining knowledge, helps him to engage and communicate with students. Currently, Robbin plans on attending business school to continue his studies and attain an International MBA. In his free time, he enjoys playing golf, music, and going hiking. B.A. in International Development Studies,
UCLA
Robert Jonas Chemistry Robert Jonas has a well-rounded Bay Area education, having earned his Ph.D. in bioinorganic chemistry from Stanford University and his B.S. in general chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley. He has taught and tutored kids in math and science at the high school and college level for nearly a decade, while also pursuing his own work in the medical device field developing novel filtration membranes. A co-inventor on two U.S. patents, Robert also has given lectures at local and national chemistry conferences. For the past eight years, he has been a senior judge in chemistry and environmental sciences with the annual Silicon Valley Science and Technology Fair. When not aiding and educating students in their pursuit of a strong science education, Robert spends his time as an avid woodworker and free lance journalist. Ph.D. in Chemistry,
Stanford University
B.S. in Chemistry,
University of California, Berkeley
Robert Meyer English, History, Latin Robert Meyer received his Master's Degree in History from San Francisco State University in 2010; there he studied Ancient and World History. He also completed his Bachelor's Degree in History at San Francisco State University in 2008. Since 2009 he has taught Humanities with the Aim High organization in San Francisco and does guest lectures at various community colleges around the Bay Area. He has also worked in the education industry in various capacities, including as a tutor and a SAT prep consultant. He is currently working on his first book, a history of the United States since 1975. M.A. in History,
San Francisco State University
B.A. in History,
San Francisco State University
Rodman Martin English Rodman grew up in Huntington Beach and moved up to Pleasanton in high school where he attended Amador Valley. He graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo magna cum laude with a BA in Political Science. Rodman then went to law school at Santa Clara University and recently graduated with a Juris Doctorate degree. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with friends, watching movies, golfing and fishing. B.A. Political Science,
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

Juris Doctorate,
Santa Clara University
Roland Fung Math, Biology After freezing solid in upstate New York, Roland packed his bags for the Middle East and spent a rewarding albeit sweltering year teaching biology to premedical students at Cornell University's medical school in Doha, Qatar. He plans to continue working in education and hopefully biotechnology, but also to return to school after some time. A self-described "hobby collector," Roland is interested in a variety, if not an unhealthy glut, of activities. A few these include include boxing, playing the guitar, scale modeling, badminton, flying kites, motorcycling and cooking, but he is by no means an expert in any of them. His favorite TV show choice would be a three-way tie between House, Scrubs and The Office, while his favorite YouTube personality would surely be Maru the cat. Roland always recommends cloud watching or star gazing to his students as the best form of self-therapy. B.A. Biological Sciences,
Cornell University
Ron Wu Math Ron graduated from a prestigious school in Taiwan, National University (NCTU). After graduation, he worked at Taiwan Power Company for a number of years. Then, he continued his graduate study at the University of Nebraska- Lincoln with MS degree in Electrical Engineering and Applied Math. In University of Nebraska, he had been a teaching assistant at the dept. of Math for two years.
Back in Taiwan, he had taught at a community college for ten years. The subjects he taught covered Calculus, Differential Equation, and Engineering Math. Ron has a passion for learning math and knows how to apply the knowledge well in differnt industries. He enjoys teaching math and likes to work with kids to inspire them to major in the fields of Science or Engineering when they enter their college of their dreams.
During his free time, he enjoys reading novels, listening to music, and hiking. He holds a single subject teaching credential in the subject of math.
B.S. in Electrical Engineering, NCTU

M.S. in Electrical Engineering and Applied Math, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Single subject teaching credential in Math
Ron Shinomoto Chemistry Ron Shinomoto graduated from the University of California with a Ph.D. in Chemistry. Previous to his doctoral studies he obtained a B.S. in both Chemistry and Physical Science from California State University, Hayward. He completed the teaching program offered by the Department of Education at California State University, Hayward, and obtained a Single Subject Teaching Credential from the State of California. He also taught a senior level course in inorganic chemistry at Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. In addition to his teaching experience he worked for over 15 years in R&D in the field of organometallic chemistry and seven years in quality control as an analytical chemist. He currently works as a technical and scientific writer for CSR Pharma Services. Ph.D. in Chemistry,
University of California, Berkeley
B.S. in Chemistry,
California State University, Hayward
B.S. in Physical Science,
California State University, Hayward
Ronney Tay Math, Chemistry, Biology Ronney was admitted to the University of California, Berkeley as a Regent's Scholar, and performed clinical and nutrition research at the University of California, San Francisco for three years. He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in with a degree in Nutritional Science: Physiology and Metabolism and scored in the 98th percentile on the Dental Admissions Test. He is currently in the process of applying to dental school. With his strong background in biology, chemistry and math, he has had a great history with tutoring students at all levels of math and science. He enjoys playing racquetball, watching movies and having a great time. He believes that learning should be a great experience and he strives to create an environment where his students can flourish and succeed. B.S. in Nutritional Science,
UC, Berkeley
Ryan Soykin English, History Ryan Soykin graduated Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Irvine in June of 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Literary Journalism. He worked with and learned from Pulitzer Prize-winning authors in UCI's acclaimed English department, and studied a variety of topics, from realism and romance to Greek classics and 19th century American literature. Ryan graduated with a minor in Political Science after mastering the history of Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States. While in college, Ryan was Editor-in-Chief of a university newspaper, which allowed him to hone his English skills while overseeing and helping others at the same time. Ryan also earned a Single Subject Teacher Credential from San Jose State University and has extensive experience working with middle and high school students. As a recent college graduate, he is adept at writing essays and analyzing works of literature, as well as understanding historical concepts. Single Subject Teacher Credential, Social Science,
San Jose State University
B.A. in Literary Journalism,
University of California, Irvine
Saied Haddad Spanish Saied Haddad, an East bay native Post-Baccalaureate of Physics, has work at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory designing wireless communication technologies for the purposes of national security applications, both at the lab and as a contractor, since the 3rd year of his undergraduate career. By the magic of world travel and academic achievement, Saied also speaks four languages: English, Arabic, Spanish, and Mandarin. In addition he has gained the opportunities to teach science and language courses at the high school, university, and one-on-one tutoring levels throughout the East Bay Area. In his free time, Saied enjoys playing music, cooking, playing tennis and golf, as well as developing skills in oration, diction, and debate. B.S. in Physics,
Minor in Mathematics,
CSU Hayward
Sara Erteza Biology Sara is a recent graduate of UC Berkeley where she studied Integrative Biology and Public Health. She enjoys at tutoring students in the sciences and has over 3 years of experience with high school tutees. In high school, Sara graduated with a 4.5 GPA and was an AP Scholar with Honor. She took 12 AP courses and maintained leadership positions in various organizations including National Honor Society and Science Olympiad. Sara scored in the 98th percentile on the SAT I, and received scores of 800 and 780 on the SAT II Biology and Mathematics subject tests, respectively. At UC Berkeley she excelled in her studies while pursuing opportunities in international healthcare. Sara eventually plans on getting her M.D./MPH and working abroad for the World Health Organization. Currently she is studying for the MCAT and preparing her medical school applications. When she isn't busy studying or tutoring, Sara likes listening to music, hanging out with friends, and playing piano. B.S. in Integrative Biology and Public Health,
UC Berkeley
Sara Netto English Sara grew up near Fresno in the San Joaquin Valley. After excelling in high school, she earned her BA from UC Davis in 2009, receiving Highest Honors in English and Honors in Philosophy. To follow her passion in writing, she enrolled in University of San Francisco's MFA in Writing program. While there she worked as an English Teaching Assistant, preparing and teaching college level classes. Now that she has her Master's degree, she looks forward to teaching college level English and getting her first book published. She has over two years of teaching experience, including individual tutoring and classes. In her free time, she enjoys reading old hardcover books and creating new recipes in the kitchen. MFA in Writing,
University of San Francisco
B.A. in English and Philosophy,
UC Davis
Seaton Tsai English Seaton is a Juris Doctor graduate of University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law. Prior to law school, he graduated from UC Davis and earned a Bachelor of Arts double majoring in English and Communication. During law school, he served as a teaching assistant for the school's Global Legal Skills program, helping second year law students learn the technical and strategic aspects of persuasive writing for the courtroom. He also competed on an international level in multiple moot court competitions, involving oral and written advocacy in various contemporary legal issues including international criminal law and international trade. He has also tutored English literature at the high school and college level. He is a 49ers, Giants and Warriors fan and enjoys attending games, trying new restaurants and lifting weights in his spare time. McGeorge School of Law, JD,
University of the Pacific
B.A. in English and Communications
UC Davis
Scott James Espinosa Biology, Math, Chemistry Born and raised in South San Francisco, CA, Scott has always had a passion with the youth and education. He believes any form of higher education is a right for everyone. Scott graduated from UC Davis, earning a B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. While at UC Davis, he worked for the Student Recruitment & Retention Center. One of their goals was to recruit high school students from historically underrepresented communities to pursue any form of higher education. This was done through various retreats and mentorship programs. Scott served as a great mentor to high school students, academically and holistically. While Scott has experience in tutoring friends and other students throughout his academic career, he is also an experienced Filipino cultural dance choreographer. On his spare time, Scott enjoys listening to music, basic graphic design, and playing badminton. Currently, Scott is finishing his prerequisites required for applying to graduate programs, where he wants to work towards a masters in Nursing. B.S. in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology,
University of California, Davis
Sherri Huang Math, English, Chemistry, and Biology Sherri graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a major in Biochemistry and minors in writing and in anthropology. She has always been an avid student of the sciences, and as an undergraduate was a research assistant in a laboratory studying bacterial cell division. Sherri was also a writing mentor and has training in working with students of all writing abilities, from those who wish to work on organization and argumentation to students whose primary language is not English. She is an alumnus of Mission San Jose HS and enjoys mentoring students from the same community that has fostered her intellectual drive. A.B. in Biochemistry, minors in Writing and Anthropology,
Washington University in St. Louis
Shirah McDonald English Shirah has taught English as a Second Language for 10+ years. Her ESL journey began by working for EF International Schools as the director of the intensive language study abroad program. She then found her way to the community college circuit, teaching adult education. She loves orienting her students to American English and culture. She has a bachelors degree in English Literature from Brigham Young University and a masters degree in Applied Linguistics from San Diego State University. She has a large library of teaching curricula she uses to structure her lessons around your individual needs and interests. Shirah's students would say that she cares about them and about getting it right. She is passionate about teaching and has worked with the following nationalities: Chinese, Indian, Mexican, Russian, Brazilian, Spanish, German, Dutch, Swedish, Italian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Swiss, French, Finnish, Korean, and Taiwanese. Shirah sets up lessons to encourage as much conversation as possible. She is also a published writer, having recently developed a relationship with a local parenting magazine. B.A. in English Literature,
Brigham Young University
M.S. in Applied Linguistics,
San Diego State University
Stacey Huang Math, Chemistry Stacey graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.S. degree in chemical engineering. She is currently working at a start-up company in Palo Alto as a chemical engineer. She has tutoring experience for over 8 years and has worked with students from K-12 level. During her free time, she likes to play the piano, read, and jog.
B.S. in Chemical Engineering,
UC Berkeley
Stanislav Kelman Math, Physics Stanislav is an Adjunct Professor with DeVry University and Keller Graduate School of Management where he teaches a variety of courses in Mathematics, Statistics, Business Applications and Management Information Systems. He is also a GMAT/GRE test preparation instructor at the San Francisco Institute of English and an MBA Admissions Consultant with Veritas Elite Prep. His background spans a number of industries and functions including two hi-tech startup experiences as well as a consulting engagement with Infosys Technologies in India. He once worked as a Senior Systems Engineer with General Dynamics, where his responsibilities included developing advanced rocket motor models and running tens of thousands of guided missile simulations. Stanislav is an avid traveler and have visited 43 states and 18 countries so far. He also enjoys live music and has a passion for all things automotive. M.B.A. in Management and Marketing,
Columbia Business School Economics

M.S. in Mechanical Engineering,
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering with minors in Physics and Mathematics,
Christian Brothers University
Stephen Keteltas Chemistry and Math For as long as he can remember, Stephen has always enjoyed learning about the natural laws that explain how our physical world works. In high school, he participated in the International Baccalaureate program and decided to take the program's extremely challenging "higher level" chemistry course. He scored a 5 on the AP exam, allowing him to skip General Chemistry in college and giving him more time to focus on undergraduate research and teaching. In 2001, Stephen received the "Outstanding Senior Award" for his work, the highest honor for undergraduate students in the Florida State University's Department of Chemistry. After earning his Bachelor's degree, Stephen moved to the Bay Area and worked as a tutor and teaching assistant at Stanford University, helping students in many of Stanford's Organic Chemistry lecture and laboratory courses. Most recently, he has worked at a large Bay Area pharmaceutical company for many years, using a wide variety of chemical reactions to prepare new types of anti-cancer drugs. While noting the importance of careers in research, Stephen now has a greater understanding of the need to educate America's future enerations. He hopes to pursue a career as either a high school teacher or college professor, and he is a member of the American Chemical Society's division of Chemical Education. Stephen believes that learning about chemistry can be much easier and more fun when students realize the important role it plays in every aspect of our lives. In particular, he is very interested in the science of pharmaceuticals and fine fragrances. His favorite metal is Palladium and his favorite nonmetal is Carbon. When Stephen's not talking about chemistry, he enjoys skiing, swimming, watching movies, driving import cars, eating dessert, studying another language, playing video games, dancing to Latin American rhythms, or just hanging out at the beach. He appreciates all genres of electronic music, but loves the Chicago and West Coast styles of house music the most. B.S. in Chemistry and Biochemistry,
Florida State University
Susan Joy Rippberger English, Spanish Susan Joy Rippberger has lived in Santa Barbara, El Paso, San Francisco, Mexico City, Cuernavaca, and now calls Oakland home. She has an MFA in New Genres from the San Francisco Art Institute, a Ph.D. in International Education and Policy Studies from the University of Pittsburgh, an MA in International Education from UCSB, and a BA in Sociology from UCLA. Her work as professor, researcher and visual artist is grounded in social theory and cultural studies. Her interest in visual art focuses on installation, video, and performance theory. As a professor, she has coached her graduate students, most the first in their families to attend college, to write for academic journals. To date, over 100 of her students have published their final papers in professional venues. M.F.A. in New Genres,
San Francisco Art Institute
Ph.D. in International & Development Education and Policy Studies, including a Certificate of Advanced Study in Latin American Studies,
University of Pittsburgh
M.A. in International Education and Administration,
UC Santa Barbara
B.A. in Sociology,
UCLA
Certification in Public Education: Administrative Service Credential
Certificate of Competence: Spanish Language and Culture
Teaching Credentials: Standard Elementary and Secondary, Single Subject: Social Studies, Sociology, Spanish
Susan Shey Biology Susan Shey graduated from UC Berkeley where she earned a B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology and completed a minor in French. In college, she tutored organic chemistry at the University's Student Learning Center, and back in high school, she had considerable experience working with younger children at summer camp. She is currently applying to medical school, while volunteering at the hospital and taking Spanish. In her spare time, Susan enjoys drawing, painting, making crafts, learning languages, reading, baking, and blogging about baking. B.A. in Molecular and Cell Biology and minor in French, UC Berkeley
Sylvia Dyal English Sylvia Dyal is currently an English teacher at Gunderson High School in San Jose, California. This year she is teaching freshmen English, freshmen SDAIE English and AP Language & Composition. In years prior, she has taught Accelerated sophomore English, junior Honors English, Speech & Debate, American Jurisprudence and Journalism. She has been teaching for 8-years.

Ms. Dyal received her teaching certification from San Jose State University and her BA in English from UC Davis. She also received her J.D. and practiced litigation before switching careers to education. She is currently working on her Masters of Art in English at Notre Dame de Namur University.
B.A. in English, University of California, Davis

Teaching Certification, San Jose State University
Tao Li Physics Tao Li graduated from University of Oregon with a Ph.D degree in Physics. He has taught college level and graduate school level physics classes/labs as a teaching assistant and tutored college level physics as a private tutor. He is fluent in Chinese (Mandarin). In his spare time, he likes to play basketball, tennis, and go (Weiqi). He loves to teach, and to share his knowledge of physics and math with the students. Ph.D in Physics,
University of Oregon
Teresa Su Math Teresa Su graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Electrical Engineering from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She was a college-level calculus tutor prior to joining TTL as a math tutor. Teresa is committed to academic excellence and has an extensive background in mentorship roles. In her spare time, she enjoys volleyball, piano, being outdoors and continuing education. B.S in Eletrical Engineering,
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Tiffiany Liu English Tiffany Liu recently graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a degree in Psychology. She loves to play with kids, and has taught students of all ages, ranging from preschool to high school. She is interested in working with children with special needs and may go into speech therapy. Tiffany enjoys painting, making crafts, and baking. She also loves to travel and learn foreign languages. B.S in Psychology,
University of California, Berkeley
Tay Nguyen Math Tay Nguyen received her Bachelor's and Master's degree from the University of California, Davis both in Civil Engineering. Tay is a member of Chi Epsilon, a civil engineering honor society. She has tutored elementary and high school students in math, mainly Algebra I, Algebra II, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus. As a graduate student at UCD, she was a teaching assistant for a hydraulics laboratory class and an engineering statics discussion, which involved a great deal of computations and equations to solve problems. She graded lab reports and tests, reviewed lecture materials, and held office hours to help students on their homework. She is a highly motivated and reliable person who enjoys tutoring math. She likes to play board games such as Sequence and Scrabble. B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering,
University of California, Davis
Thinh Tran Mathematics Thinh Tran came to the US a long time ago to study chemicalengineering. After graduating with Magna Cum Laude honors at the University ofSouthern California (USC), he went on to earn a Ph.D., also in chemicalengineering, at the University of Minnesota.
After a successful and exciting career in engineering and management in thehigh tech industry, including a six-and-a-half year special assignment in Asia,Thinh Tran tried out high school teaching. He took education classes at SanJose State University and got his California teaching credentials in math, physics,and chemistry in 2008. He taught math at Gilroy high school for the school year2008-2009. Before that he served as a long-term substitute teacher at Pioneerhigh school, San Jose (chemistry, spring 2007), and Leland high school, SanJose (physics, spring 2008). While these lines are written, he is also earning(very tough) money as a science book author.
As far as test taking skills are concerned, Thinh Tran has been anover-achiever all his life. During the several years as a high school teacher,he was hoping to transfer these skills to all of his students. He came to theconclusion that the best way to help students improve in academic performanceand test taking skills is one-on-one or small group instruction. That motivatedhim to become a tutor.
He has been a tutor for several years now, and enjoys it tremendously.
Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering,
University of Minnesota
B.S. in Chemical Engineering (Magna Cum Laude),
Universityof Southern California
Teaching Credential Program (Science-Physics),
San JoseState University
California Single-Subject Credentials in Mathematics, Science Physics, and Chemistry (specialized)
Thomas Brown Mathematics, English Thomas graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.A. in Environmental Science: Biological Track, and holds an MBA from Strayer University. He has been an educator for over ten years, and has instructed and tutored students in a range of academic subjects, including English and Math. Additionally, Thomas has edited countless academic papers as a principal editor, and is an experienced business consultant, analyst, and technical writer. Thomas was an Olympic-caliber athlete, and enjoys staying active through exercise. He also currently serves as Engineering and Creative Project Director for a web project, dedicated to the high school segment. B.A. in Environmental Science, University of California, Berkeley

M.B.A., Strayer University
Tony Huang Math, Physics Tony Huang graduated from University of California, Berkeley in 2009 with a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineer and Computer Science. In order to success in Berkeley Engineering Department, he finished a series of lower division math along with upper division engineering math. Tony worked as a math mentor in City College of San Francisco. He learned all students' difficulties in Math and helped them to overcome these difficulties. Tony believes all students can success in Math if they can find the correct way to learn it. B.S. in Electrical Engineer and Computer Science,
U.C. Berkeley
Tony Luu Math Tony studied mathematics all his life including earning his Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics at UC Davis and a Master of Science in Mathematics at Cal. State East Bay. While at Davis, Tony did some tutoring to other fellow student. Tony also taught math courses for Cal. State East Bay math department for three years. M.S. in Mathematics,
CSU East Bay
B.S. in Applied Mathematics,
UC Davis
Trisha Deb Biology, Chemistry Trisha recently graduated from University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. While in college, she participated in research and conducted her own undergraduate project in Environmental Science. She has had the opportunity to tutor her fellow classmates in upper and lower division biology and chemistry courses as well as elementary school students in english, math, and reading. Currently Trisha is assisting professors at UC Davis with research and applying to dental school. From her past experiences, she understands the value of tutoring and is enthusiastic about making science FUN and EXCITING! B.S. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
UC Davis
Tung Nguyen Math Tung received BS degree at UC Davis and currently he is a graduate student of Civil Engineering at San Jose State University. Tung has tutored Math and Sciences at De Anza College and San Jose State University while attending those schools. At San Jose State University, he has completed tutor training class and earned CRLA certification (The College Reading and Learning Association). In addition, Tung was nominated Tutor of the Month by De Anza College and was awarded Certificate of Merit by AMATYC Student Mathematics League for outstanding achievement in National Mathematics Competition. The subjects he tutored include Algebra, Trigonometry, Geometry, Finite, Pre-calculus, and Calculus. Tung enjoys tutoring students and helping them learns. His students often said that he makes the problem look so easy. While working with students, he can see their weaknesses and try his best to help them. In his free time, Tung enjoys watching Tennis, Olympic Games, and World Cup Soccer. M.S. in Civil Engineering,
San Jose State University
B.S. in Civil Engineering,
UC, Davis
Victor Luis Mleczko Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Spanish, Math Victor earned his bachelor's in Political Science at Georgetown's School of Foreign Service. Instead of working for the State Department as many from his program do, he opted to explore direct service work unrelated to politics. Experiences working as an EMT and as a CNA eventually drew him into the medical field as did volunteer work in Central America. Most recently, he returned to school at San Francisco State to complete a Pre-Health Certificate in preparation for Medical School. When taking a break from premed studies, you can find him enjoying the great outdoors on a bicycle or at home playing the accordion. B.S. in Political Science,
Georgetown University
Post-Bac,
SFSU
Vikas Yellapu Physics Vikas earned his B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior from UC Davis. During his time at UC Davis Vikas participated in conducting clinical research at the UC Davis Medical Center ER. In the ER he helped in medical research that included finding effective markers to predict heart attacks and finding the best treatment for patients in septic shock. He also worked at the UC Davis Plant genomics center, trying to find the most efficient way to extract ethanol from plants to use as biofuel. Vikas has ample experience tutoring subjects in science such as physics, chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology to both college and high school students. He likes to emphasize the concepts in a way that students are able to learn and apply them effortlessly. During his free time he likes to play basketball, tennis, read journals, and listen to music. B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior,
UC Davis
Vivian Pham Biology Vivian attended UC Berkeley with a 4-year scholarship and graduated with honors in Integrative Biology. While in college, Vivian conducted two years of molecular biology research at UC San Francisco medical school and UC Berkeley. Vivian also taught elementary school students and college students at UC Berkeley. As the eldest child, Vivian is very familiar with being a mentor in addition to tutoring. Her experience with tutoring and enthusiasm for biology allow her to successfully help students of all age groups achieve academic success. Aside from tutoring, Vivian is currently interning with doctors and preparing to apply to medical school. B.A. in Integrative Biology, U.C. Berkeley
Willard D. "Bill" Gillette Math, Physics Bill has a BA in Physics from the University of Maine and was a National Science Foundation Scholar in the Master of Arts in Teaching - Harvard Project Physics program at the University of Massachusetts. He has taught physics and mathematics and has been the chief investigator in several corporate research programs. He has patents relating to wind energy and orbiting space structures. Bill has participated in several startup companies and is now president of one of them. He softens the intensity of business life by tutoring at ThinkTank Learning plus golfing, flying, and bicycling. M.A. in Teaching, Harvard Project Physics Program
University of Massachusetts

B.A. in Physics,
University of Maine
William Juola English, History, French, Latin William graduated from St. Norbert College with a B.A. in French and a minor in History. He studied abroad at LUniversit Catholique in Lille, France for a full academic year, achieving several major accomplishments; he was the first student from St. Norbert to study abroad for more than one semester and he achieved the highest GPA of any St. Norbert student while abroad. While abroad, he tutored French college students, translated for a school website, and interpreted for tours of the school. Upon returning to St Norbert, he became President of a social group on campus, a contributing member of both Phi Sigma Iota (a modern foreign language honor society) and an active in the Francophile club. Since moving to California over 2 years he has made teaching and tutoring his passion and his profession. He has taught SAT prep courses as well as small group and one-on-one classes for a private school in Los Altos. B.A. in French minor History,
St. Norbert College
William Karis Biology William has earned his BA in both Biology and Botany from Connecticut College where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and with honors distinctions in response to his senior thesis. Throughout his entire academic career he has tutored peers and younger students in a variety of subjects including world history, calculus, chemistry and most commonly, biology. In addition to his academic experiences, Billy has worked as a research assistant on three different ecological studies, gaining an in-depth understanding of the scientific method and biological processes. He has also played four years of NCAA basketball and his hobbies include outdoor activities such as hiking, cycling and camping. B.A. in Biology and Botany,
Connecticut College
William McConnell Math, Physics Bill has spent 30 satisfying years working as an engineer for IBM and Hitachi in the disk drive business. He during his career, he was promoted to Distinguished Engineer; he has numerous technical publications, patents and formal awards; and he has mentored many young engineers. He retired, and has decided to return to the teaching and tutoring career he enjoyed as an undergraduate and graduate student. His primary goal is to improve his student's ability to think independently and develop the confidence to succeed in their academic studies and subsequent careers. Ph. D. Mechanical Engineering minor in Mathematics
Stanford University

M.S. Engineering Mechanics, University of Michigan

B.S. Engineering Mechanics, University of Michigan
William T. Hendel English, French William earned his Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UCLA, with specialties in English and French literature. He also holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley, where he double-majored in Comparative Literature and Philosophy, double-minored in French and Latin, and was awarded Highest Honors in Comparative Literature. William has taught at UCLA, as well as the University of Memphis, where he served as Director of the International House, a residence hall devoted to world languages and cultures. With over twelve years of experience in education, William has taught and tutored English language, literature, and writing, in addition to all levels of French language and literature, from beginning to advanced. To his teaching and tutoring, William brings a patient, encouraging approach that carefully builds on students' past accomplishments to pave the way for long-lasting, future success. A native of the Bay Area, William enjoys the outdoors, cooking, and music. Ph.D. in Comparative Literature,
UCLA
M.A. in Comparative Literature,
UCLA
B.A. in Comparative Literature and Philosophy,
UC Berkeley
William Wong Biology William Wong earned a B.S. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). As an undergraduate there, he did academic research focused on gene regulation using the flowering plant Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism. While at UCLA, William tutored his friends and other students in various topics of biology. He hopes to utilize his experience to help student further their academic goals. B.S. in Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology
UCLA
Xiaoshan Wang Biology Xiaoshan Wang grew up in Jinan, China. He finished his undergraduate study at Shandong University Jinan, China with a Bachelor's of Biological Sciences. In 2007, he earned his Master of Science degree from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine. During his graduate study, he received formal teaching assistant training. He would like to share his studying experience and knowledge with the students, and he would like to learn from the students as well. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, photographing and play all kinds of electronic devices. Solving problems is one of his favorite games. B.S. in Biological Sciences, Shandong University
M.S. Veterinary Medicine, Virginia-Maryland Regional College
XiaoXiao Gao Biology During his studies at UCLA, Xiaoxiao mastered coursework covering a broad range of Biology. As a biology student pursuing Medicine, he engaged himself in a variety of extra curriculum that would enrich his knowledge of Medicine. He has worked as an Undergraduate Researcher in a plant genetic lab at UCLA studying DNA Methylation; He has spent three months inside the Cardiothoracic department of the Nan Jing Military Central Hospital, observing major Cardiac surgeries such as Coronary artery bypass and Mitral valve replacement; He is also a Santa Clara County certified EMT-Basic. Xiaoxiao has tutoring experience with students of varying ages, starting off as a private tutor and later tutoring high school and college students in Psychology, Math, and varies subjects in Biology. His hobbies include reading, badminton, cinema and art. B.S. in Biology, UC Los Angeles
Xin Zhang Physics, Math Xin graduated from Columbia University with a M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering, and he received his B.A. in Mathematics from Carroll College with distinct honor. Xin has over 10 years of teaching and tutoring experience. He has taught at UC Berkeley Extension and University of Phoenix OnLine. He tutored students from elementary to college level. Besides teaching math, physics and computer science, he enjoys working with young students. As a youth leader at a Hayward church, he mentors, teaches and connects with the youth. He believes every student can excel if he/she is given the right guidance. Xin speaks English, Chinese and some Korean. M.S. in Electrical Engineering
Columbia University
B.A. in Applied Mathematics
Minor in Computer Science and Business Administration
Carroll College
Ying Jin Math Ying Jin earned her B.S degree in Mechanical Engineering from UC Berkeley and M.S degree in Mechanical Engineering from University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Ying is currently working as a senior level software engineer. Ying has many years of experience in tutoring all levels of high school and college level math. Ying enjoys tutoring and teaching in her spare time. M.S. in Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
B.S. in Mechanical Engineering
UC Berkeley
Minor in Mathematics
UC Berkeley
Yuki Saito-Miller Japanese Yuki is a Japanese native who moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1998. Following her love of people, language, and art, she studied journalism, with emphasis in photojournalism, and earned B.A. degree from San Francisco State University. Yuki has given private tutoring sessions and taught English in Japan, as well. She loves working with kids because she is excited about how learning a language can enrich young student's mind and help broaden his/her perspective in life. She enjoys photography, music, swimming, and running in her spare time. B.A. in journalism, emphasis in photojournalism.
San Francisco State University
Yuri Kano Japanese I was born in Tokyo, Japan and went to college there, working for several years after graduating. Having lived in the United States since 1990, I taught beginners Japanese college course for 3 years. I have tutored high school & college students, as well as business professionals of all levels. Presently, I am giving private tutor sessions with several students in SF Bay area. I like to play classical piano and go hiking on my days off.