Our Tutors

Maya is a graduate of NYU with a bachelors in Linguistic Anthropology who went on to receive a master’s degree in Bioethics from Columbia University. She is a career tutor with 20 years of experience from multiple tutoring companies including The Princeton Review. Additionally, she previously worked at Mt. Sinai in the field of bioethics. When Maya isn’t tutoring, she is a renowned visual artist who works primarily with sculpting marble and clay, as well as making her own jewelry.

What’s one experience you had working with the Tutoring Collective?

I had one student who I was prepping for the SAT and she wasn’t a fan of math. She was one of those girls who cared a lot about style and how she presented herself, and I realized that she had latched onto me as someone who was cool and had good style. So, because I loved math so much and had such enthusiasm for the topic, it made math more interesting to her. By the time we were done, she had really fallen in love with math and even decided to major in it when she went to college.

Kara is a Virginia native who graduated high school with a 4.25 GPA and received a full scholarship to Adelphi University, where she graduated with honors. She went on to become freelance ghostwriter with clients that include Fortune 500 executives, entertainment websites, and a host of the San Antonio Spurs. Between writing and tutoring, Kara is also a professional dancer and a company member of both SteLi Dance Company and Borne Dance Company.

What was a favorite moment from working with the Tutoring Collective?

My favorite moment to date was when I found out that one of my students got onto Honor Roll in front of his whole family. It was such an amazing moment to know that not only had I helped him get his grades there, but that his whole family had seen how hard he worked to improve his academics and was acknowledging that hard work. Moments like that are why I love this job.

Teja grew up in New York City, where she attended the Dalton School, followed by Barnard College. She graduated on a pre-med track with a neuroscience major, and after being accepted to the Fulbright U.S. Student program, she spent 9 months in India conducting clinical trials in the field of nephrology. There, she helped test and treat patients suffering from acute kidney injuries with new, life-changing diagnostic technologies. As she continues her journey to becoming a doctor, Teja helps students all around New York, tutoring in a wide range of subjects including High School math and science, ELA, and MCAT test prep.

How would you describe working for the Tutoring Collective?

I think there’s a personal touch that you don’t see in a lot of other tutoring agencies. Having worked for [ ] in the past, I had a manager, who I never even met, and this huge classroom of somewhat mismatched students. With the Tutoring Collective, Laurie plays to your strengths and focuses on connecting you to kids who can really use your help. She knows me and she knows the families on a personal level and makes sure that everyone is getting exactly what they need.

I love the one on one interactions, especially with test prep, because you see [student’s] progress over time and see how excited they get to share their results with you as they improve. It can be almost diagnostic at times. Sometimes the parents and students may not know why test scores aren’t improving or why something is so challenging and the first step is figuring out what a student’s strengths are and what can be improved on together. It’s so rewarding for everyone once something finally clicks and they start getting better at a subject they thought was impossible.

Edoardo is an Italian born, first generation immigrant, who grew up in New York City, attending Lab Middle School and the Bronx High School of Science. He graduated from Tulane University with a double major in Political Science and Digital Media Production, and spent a semester studying at the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague. Now, when he’s not tutoring, he does translation work for major Italian companies, writes for online pop culture publications, and directs shorts with filmmakers around the city.

Sam grew up in DC and moved to New York to attend Columbia University, where he graduated with a biology major paired with a math minor. He’s worked for the Tutoring Collective since his junior year at the prestigious university, tutoring students of all ages while working to become a doctor. Now, when he’s not tutoring, Sam conducts clinical thoracic research at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, plays the piano, and competes in biking and running events around the state.

Can you speak about an experience you’ve had tutoring for the tutoring collective?

I was working with a high school senior who was struggling in her AP Physics class who I realized hadn’t learned fundamental concepts, but rather was just figuring out how to solve individual problems. She had always been taught to solve for the equation, without really understanding it’s roots. And as she got to high school that became a real problem for her as she was faced with more and more complicated subjects.

So I realized I had to take a different approach. Instead of going through problems we focused on study techniques, how to take notes in a textbook, how to better pay attention in class and how to organize yourself. We focused on changing her mentality about studying and learning in general. Looking at it not just as a means to an end, but as a way to better yourself. It was such a challenge but she made serious progress and even when she went to college, we would video chat about her organic chemistry class, applying the techniques we had worked on together to continue improving her grades. It was so rewarding to see this improvement because I had worked with her for over two and a half years and she’d made such incredible strides not just in these specific subjects, but as a student and as a person.

Alba is a New Yorker who attended Columbia Secondary School followed by Columbia University, where she majored in Neuroscience and Behavior on a pre-medical track. She began tutoring in High School, even starting a math tutoring program for 6th graders when she was in the tenth grade. While at Columbia University, when not tutoring, Alba conducted immunology and Alzheimer research and volunteered as a patient advocate in the emergency room at Bellevue hospital. Now, as she applies for medical school, Alba works with an orthopedic surgeon, aiding him with clinical, translational, and biomechanical research.

Bio:

Will received his B.A. in Music from The Ohio State University, majoring in cello performance and minoring in ethnomusicology. He went on to graduate studies in cello performance at Brooklyn College and Humboldt University in Berlin and received his Master of Music degree from Brooklyn College. Will has over 20 years of experience as a tutor in NYC, Mexico City and Berlin. He is fluent in German and Spanish, and proficient in French. Will worked for Parsons School of Design / The New School University as Adjunct Professor and tutor, teaching ESL for Design, English Writing Intensives and American Cultural Language classes. Will continues to teach Yoga, Mindful Movement and Meditation classes at The New School University, and works as a tutor and coach of many subjects.

Story:

One of my best tutoring experiences involved teaching Beginner Spanish via Skype from Mexico City and New York City to a German student in Berlin...

Tobias and I only met in person one time as I taught Spanish to him online, using our mutual English and German. At first it was awkward and funny as we used our home-office surroundings to build on vocabulary and conversations. Neither of us was accustomed to online classes, but we quickly learned to use our computers, scanners, printers and other gadgets to have great lessons. We became pals in no time as we continued Spanish classes via Skype over the next year. Tobias frequently traveled back and forth from Berlin to Mexico City and to other destinations, and I traveled back and forth every month between New York City and Mexico City. Tobias reported that the lessons helped him feel more socially connected, as the frequent travel demands of his job meant that he was alone at home or in hotels most of the time. Tobias gained impressive fluency in Spanish while we worked together, and the classes were always fun.

Bio:

Alex grew up near Minneapolis, where he attended an arts high school and specialized in songwriting. After spending a year at Oberlin College, Alex transferred to Columbia University, majoring in philosophy and concentrating in computer science. Alex has tutored for The Tutoring Collective for seven years and is the co-founder of “Highway to High School,” a volunteer tutoring service that helps students who can’t afford private test prep get into high-tier high schools. When he’s not tutoring, Alex continues to write music and perform with his Blues-Rock cover band.

Story:

I went to a high school where arts took precedence over academics. Though I am very much a right-brain-dominant person, I also love math and science. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to enrich my education by taking upper-level calculus classes at the University of Minnesota. I have enjoyed tutoring students who, like me, are passionate about topics inside and outside of academia. A recent memory I cherish is witnessing a student of mine discover his love for creative writing while responding to an essay prompt I provided. It was super cool to see him realize that he could rock a paper and still preserve his creative dignity. Why should it be one or the other?

Bio:

Jeannine grew up in Queens, New York and attended the LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts as a Drama major. As a student, she scored in the 99th percentile on her SATs and SHSATs and was a National Merit Scholar. After graduating from high school at 16, Jeannine enrolled in Vassar College, where she received her B.A. in English. Jeannine has worked for the Tutoring Collective for ten years, helping students around New York prepare for entrance exams, get ahead on classwork, and learn the skills needed to manage their academic lives. Jeannine is also a working actor, singer and director as well as an avid crocheter and knitter, single handedly crocheting her own wedding dress!

Story:

I think one of the best things about tutoring for all these years is seeing the kids I’ve worked with mature and grow, not just as students, but as people. They get so tall! I’ve tutored some kids from 5th grade to 12th and it’s so incredibly rewarding to see them accomplish what they’ve set out to do, whether it’s master a concept or get into their dream school. It's my goal and greatest pleasure as a tutor to help my students build the confidence to succeed on their own.

Bio:

Sheila grew up in New Jersey and attended Carnegie Mellon where she studied biological sciences. While there, she wrote a weekly science and math column called "Findings," inspired by John Tierney's New York Times column of the same name. A few years later, she got to meet John Tierney and write for the Science Times herself. She also worked at Seed Magazine, helped write captions and headlines at the Times Culture desk, and was a NASA Astrobiology Institute scholar in 2009. When she’s not writing or tutoring, Sheila enjoys doing anagram drills and running marathons.

Story:

I used to have terrible math anxiety. Like crippling. One of the reasons I started tutoring was to confront this head-on. Over the past ten years, the best part of the gig by far has been using my own totally relaxed candor to help kids overcome their insecurities about math. Sometimes I will look at a proof and say "I have no idea where to start" -- and I'm serious. This can startle kids but they slowly start to trust their instincts and make their own way, which is enormously gratifying for both of us. Math is about wrong turns, false starts, self-doubt and never, ever giving up. I also love the range of kids I get to work with. Some days I'm on the floor playing with toys and other days I'm solving parametric equations!

Bio:

Jackson grew up in New York City and attended the Dalton School followed by Cornell University. There, he pursued his dream of becoming a veterinarian, majoring in Animal Science and participating in numerous research programs in fields such as tropical ornithology and chemical ecology. For his work with the Cornell Sheep Program, where he practiced animal healthcare management, milked sheep and delivered lambs, Jackson was awarded the livestock scholar award in 2018. Jackson is returning to Cornell to become a doctor of veterinary medicine this upcoming Fall and plans to work with large animals. In his free time, Jackson teaches himself Spanish, frequently meditates, and does creative writing.

Story:

One of the first students I worked with was doing super well during our tutoring sessions but continued to struggle on tests at school. I started ending every lesson with a small test on the material we had gone over and it made me realize how much of a factor confidence could be in terms of improving. It wasn’t about the concepts with him, he knew them well, but kept second guessing himself at school. Taking these tests together not only gave him the practice he needed, but also the positive reinforcement that’s sometimes harder to find in a school setting. It was a matter of showing him he could do well in a testing environment and then bringing that confidence to school.

Bio:

Noah grew up in Columbus, Ohio before moving to New York to study at Columbia University where he double majored in physics and math. Since graduating, Noah has been conducting research at NYU labs on condensed matter systems and realizing devices for quantum computers. He will be attending the University of California, Berkeley for his PhD and continue to work on quantum computers in his pursuit of becoming a physicist. He’s been tutoring for around two years, often helping high school students with math and science classes. Noah has studied French for years and speaks it fluently, even spending a semester abroad studying in Paris, France. He loves travelling whenever he can and is an avid cook.

Story:

Something that’s stressed a lot in working for the Tutoring Collective is the importance of student’s organizational skills and executive functions. When I was working with an 8th grader last summer I really saw the reasoning behind this emphasis. The student was super smart but had had some problems in school with turning in homework assignments and essays in on time. He was on his way to high school without a good organizational foundation and I knew the transition would be so much harder without one. Together, we completely reorganized all his academic tools, from his calendar to his backpack to his folders. Once September came around, he went into his new school better prepared and more academically confident. I was so happy to see that he managed to get straight A’s his first semester.