LIZ G.
Liz is excited to be a Prep Academy Tutor. Liz has 17 years of dedicated teaching experience. Liz has taught 2nd grade, 3rd grade and 5th grade. She has also been a Reading Coach for three years. Liz is committed to fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment and wants children to feel confident and successful. Liz believes that education is a journey of exploration and growth. Liz looks forward to getting to know her students, building strong connections, and helping each student reach their full potential.
Roxanne H.
Roxanne is a licensed teacher with a bachelor’s degree in English, and a master’s degree in K-12 Reading and Writing.
Working with Roxanne, your child will crack the reading code, understand complex texts, and become an expert in writing structures. Best of all, they will love what they’re learning, and love THEMSELVES for it.
Roxanne’s reading curriculum integrates evidence-based components of dyslexia instruction with a practice that follows the standard Orton-Gillingham scope and sequence.
Tutoring includes skill-specific coaching, progress monitoring, homework support, and communication with the student’s classroom teacher.
Also, Roxanne has been honoring all forms of neurodiversity for fifteen years.
Scheery G.
Scheery Lu Renken-Goekler is an Early Childhood certified teacher. Upon graduating from John Marshall High School in Oklahoma City, she married and relocated to Albuquerque, NM. After raising her family, she focused on her higher education. Scheery went on to receive:
an Associate of Art degree in Early Childhood Education from Albuquerque Technical Institute Community College a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Multicultural Education from UNM a Masters of Curriculum and Instruction from Wichita State University
Training and Experience Because of Scheery’s passion for teaching and working with children, she became a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) in Washington, D.C. and has continued her membership for many years. She became president of the Salina Chapter of Kansas Association for the Education of Young Children (KSAEYC). Scheery presented at several annual conferences including the ones at the Professional Learning Institute. She also worked on committees for Week of the Young Child.
Ms. Renken-Goekler worked for over twenty years for the Council for Professional Recognition. This included helping candidates attain their Development Associate Credential (CDA), by teaching classes, doing observations, and helping set up developmentally appropriate classrooms or environments. She took the training in Washington, D.C. and other places to further her position and becoming a Council Representative so she could administer the final test to CDA Candidates.
During her career, Scheery has taught college-age students in New Mexico and Kansas as well as ages as young as six weeks. The youngest classes were in a challenging nontraditional school of gang members. She successfully taught the three-year-old and four-year-old programs including a student who received the first cochlear implant. She enjoyed observing them bloom and grow as the months went by. During this time she also taught Early Childhood Classes at the Community College.
Scheery has an immense love for children and a life-long love of Christ, so it was only natural that she enroll in Colloquy for Ministers of Religion courses. This took her on the path to Messiah Lutheran Church and School where she taught kindergarten students using their educational and religious curriculum and also tutoring ages three through eighth grade for fifteen years. Her passion for tutoring is to reach as many children as possible because if a child can read, they can accomplish anything for the rest of their lives
Patrick G.
Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, Patrick loved learning new things. This led to things like a robotics competition in grade school, and the quick recall team in high school. Over the years, that love of learning has grown into a love of teaching.
After graduating a year early with a double major in Political Science and English literature from Xavier University, Patrick entered the world of teaching. That experience was so rewarding, he went back to Xavier to earn a Master’s degree in English literature.
Since then, Patrick has taught and tutored in a variety of settings, from ESL classes to College level courses. While his strengths are in the literary arts, Patrick has tutored a variety of subjects, including Math, Science, History, and Spanish from the Elementary to High School level.
Patrick wholeheartedly believes anything can be accomplished with dedication, support, and effort. Patrick also believes that establishing a sense of trust and genuine care is paramount to achieving everything with his students. He thrives on helping students gain confidence in their studies and in life.
When not in the classroom, you’ll likely find Patrick traveling and enjoying all the beauty the great outdoors has to offer in Colorado and beyond, or perhaps at open mic or trivia night.
Kayla H.
Meet Kayla Hicks, a Speech-Language Pathology graduate student. Kayla grew up in Oklahoma City where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Oklahoma State University. There she taught high school students from Phnom Penh, Cambodia formal grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation of spoken and written English. She also tutored college students in English, Essay writing, and Psychology. Kayla then moved to Illinois to work toward her Graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Midwestern University where she is expected to graduate in May of 2023. Kayla has gained professional experience as a Speech Pathology graduate student who has facilitated evaluation and intervention in neurodegenerative disorders of communication (TBI/ABI, Parkinson’s Disease, Stroke, Cognition, Aphasia, etc.) and children with unique communication needs (Expressive/Receptive Language Disorder, AAC, Autism, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, Articulation, Language, Social learning, etc.) Through speech and language intervention, she has been able to foster her love of teaching and support students and adults with unique needs across multiple subjects to meet their educational goals. She has been able to make her students feel more confident in the classroom and their personal life by supporting improvement in writing, reading, vocabulary, language, speech, and math.
Kayla’s experience has allowed her to be flexible and adaptable with all students. She offers a calm, yet welcoming demeanor, infectious joy, candor, and positivity. In her spare time, Kayla loves going on walks, playing games, laser tag, and dancing. Kayla also spends her time helping out at a local dance studio, where she gets to share her love of dance. You can catch Kayla with a big smile on her face, helping someone become their best self.
Carolyn P.
My name is Carolyn Paschen and I am a lifelong learner and teacher. I come from generations of teachers who were dedicated to being a part of student learning. I taught in Boulder Valley Schools for 21 years before I retired in 2018. Literacy is my greatest passion. Helping children discover the joy that comes from reading and writing is something I have missed since I retired. I look forward to working with children as a tutor at Prep Academy.
JOAN C.
Joan is a veteran teacher with a Master’s degree in Elementary Education. She spent 14 years teaching, both in elementary and middle school classrooms. She has tutored privately in Westchester and Fairfield counties for the past 15 years. During Covid, Joan homeschooled families in the local area. Currently, she works with elementary students in all subjects as well as middle and high school students in English and history. Joan also supports students’ writing, study skills and executive functioning.
Omar N.
Omar is currently a second-year medical student at Rush Medical College. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and minor in biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has been tutoring one on one for more than 6 years now, and has experience with elementary through college aged students. Omar has tutored a variety of subjects, including math, economics, science, English, ACT subjects, and Arabic. He has also taught classes of 20+ as a Sunday School instructor for 4 years and is comfortable with all types of students and settings. Omar’s time tutoring and teaching have taught him that everyone has different learning styles, and teaching methods must be adjusted accordingly.
SARA L.
Sara has been tutoring for over thirteen years. She received her Bachelor of Arts in History from Eastern Connecticut State University, and a Master’s in Education from Sacred Heart University. She is currently working on her EdD. in curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Sara has been teaching elementary education for twelve years and is currently a second-grade teacher. She has written curriculum for her district and is currently a lead literacy teacher for the district.
Her mission as a tutor is to ensure that every student succeeds. Her goal is to instill in children the passion to be lifelong learners. The students Sara has worked with have ranged in age from three years old to eighteen years old. She has worked on skills including phonics, number recognition, math facts, and test preparation. She creates individual tutoring plans for each of her students based on their skills. Sara creates meaningful bonds with all of her students as well as their families.
When Sara is not working, she loves reading, spending time with her three children, and traveling.
DIANA M.
Diana M. is an experienced teacher currently working in Westchester County. She received her undergraduate degree and from Quinnipiac University in English Language Literature and Arts. She also received her Master’s Degree from Quinnipiac University in Elementary Education (K-6)
Diana is a warm and caring educator who creates an engaging learning environment for young children. She successfully supports students reach their academic goals and helps them develop a stronger sense of self-confidence as a learner. Diana has taught 1st, 2nd and 3rd grade. She has worked closely with students who perform below and above grade-level standards. As a general education teacher, she has also worked in an ICT classroom setting where she co-taught a large Special Education population daily.
Diana prioritizes clear and open communication with families and students and, creates genuine relationships. Diana is a dedicated educator who brings a variety of instructional strategies and materials to meet the individual needs of her students. She is enthusiastic and wants to help each child achieve their personal best!