Princess A.

Princess A. is a Master’s student in International Education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. She brings years of experience tutoring and mentoring students across subject areas, test preparation, and college readiness, with particular expertise in English and College Essay Writing.

To date, Princess has guided more than 120 students — in the U.S. and internationally — through the college application process. Her students have earned admission to the University of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago, Tufts University, Brandeis University, the University of Hong Kong, Middlebury College, and beyond.

Princess loves to travel and has been to 10 countries so far. Outside of her work, she enjoys spending time with her cat, tackling last-minute painting and crocheting projects, and exploring her neighborhood with a film camera!

Amanda

Amanda Guedes has a bachelor’s degree in Kindergarten Elementary from Mcgill University. She has been working with children since her teenage years when she volunteered at a daycare and then began working there as a replacement educator. She then continued to pursue her love for working with children through the education program at Mcgill University. She graduated in 2019 and since then has worked towards her career in teaching. Upon graduating, she went abroad to London, United Kingdom to start her teaching career and gain experience. There, she completed two years of teaching –at the grade 5 level and kindergarten level respectively –and got to appreciate the education system and its methods within the UK. Upon her return to Canada, she was able to bring back those methods and began teaching for the English Montreal School Board. She has been with them ever since and continues to put all her love into teaching. She also began tutoring four years ago and has since then taken on many students to provide extra practice to help them succeed in their academic journey. She has helped students with their homework, extra practice to solidify their understanding, practice for both final and entry exams, and so forth. Amanda speaks three languages and is able to help students in both the English and French sectors.

April A.

Brook L.

Brook L. is a certified teacher with a Master’s degree in Teaching and Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Humanities. She is a certified TESOL instructor, and accredited by the American Tap Dance Society.

She has 15 years of experience teaching English Language Arts (ELA). Six of those years were spent teaching middle-school English. In addition, she has worked as a technology instructor, theater director, International Baccalaureate Primary and Diploma instructor, an academic advisor, and an ESL tutor.

Brook’s strengths include grammar and punctuation, language proficiency, SAT and ACT test prep, and helping students embrace new reading-comprehension strategies rooted in the Science of Reading.

She also created a Girl, Awake! Project: a mentorship program that advocates for girls’ education.

When Brook is not teaching, tutoring, or writing YA and dystopian fiction, you’ll find her crocheting, reading, or walking her Golden Retriever pup: Salvador Doggie

Umar A.

Umar is a certified teacher with over three years of classroom experience and is qualified to teach across all elementary divisions. He has taught students in every elementary grade and previously taught science and mathematics at a private high school, where he developed a strong ability to explain complex concepts in clear and engaging ways.

Umar holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Education from Tyndale University. His teaching philosophy focuses on building confidence, fostering curiosity, and creating a supportive environment where students feel encouraged to take risks and grow as learners.

Umar was drawn to tutoring after seeing the powerful impact personalized academic support can have on student success. He works closely with students to strengthen foundational skills, deepen their understanding of key concepts, and develop effective study habits. Whether helping students catch up, keep up, or get ahead, Umar strives to make learning both meaningful and enjoyable.

Outside of teaching, Umar enjoys staying active, working out with his brother, and spending time with his two young children while embracing the adventures of new dad life.

Erica

EN: As a speech-language pathology graduate student, Erica has specialized training in language development, literacy foundations, and how children process and understand information. Her training allows her to go beyond homework help and identify the underlying skills that support success in reading, writing, and math.
Erica provides structured, engaging tutoring tailored to each child’s learning profile, helping students build both competence and confidence.

FR: En tant qu’étudiante diplômée en orthophonie, Erica a suivi une formation spécialisée dans le développement du langage, les fondements de l’alphabétisation et la façon dont les enfants traitent et comprennent l’information. Sa formation lui permet d’aller au-delà de l’aide aux devoirs et d’identifier les compétences sous-jacentes qui soutiennent le succès en lecture, écriture et mathématiques.
Erica fournit un tutorat structuré et engageant adapté au profil d’apprentissage de chaque enfant, aidant les étudiants à renforcer à la fois leur compétence et leur confiance.

Marielle B.

EN: Marielle has strong academic knowledge in English, French, and humanities-based subjects. She is a Communications student at the Université de Montréal, where she is completing her Bachelor’s degree and developing skills in writing, analysis, and communication.

Marielle supports student learning by adapting to different learning styles and emphasizing clarity, organization, and structured thinking. She aims to help students improve comprehension, strengthen study habits, and build academic confidence. Bilingual in English and French, Marielle offers subject support in both languages and values creating a supportive and encouraging learning environment.

FR: Marielle possède de solides connaissances académiques en français, en anglais et dans les matières des sciences humaines. Elle est étudiante en communication à l’Université de Montréal, où elle complète son baccalauréat et développe des compétences en écriture, en analyse et en communication.

Elle accompagne les élèves en s’adaptant aux différents styles d’apprentissage et en mettant l’accent sur la clarté, l’organisation et la structuration des idées. Elle cherche à aider les élèves à améliorer leur compréhension, leurs méthodes de travail et leur confiance académique. Bilingue en français et en anglais, Marielle offre un soutien scolaire dans les deux langues et privilégie un environnement d’apprentissage bienveillant.

Olwyn (Ollie) S.

Olwyn (Ollie) is in her last year of her Bachelors degree in Sociology (Honours) at Concordia. Alongside her studies, for the past three years, she has worked as a tutor, primarily for elementary-aged students. She uses a patient and empathetic approach which encourages a love for learning. Ollie believes a positive relationship with her students is key for their success in tutoring.

Ollie has prior experience in private tutoring and tutoring in schools. Through previous positions, she has developed a specialization in tutoring English and is now UFLI-trained. She has since used the UFLI program and its components to work with a variety of students, including neurodivergent students. Over the years, she has learned how successful a consistent approach, such as through UFLI, can be. In addition to English tutoring, Ollie also has experience tutoring math and with homework help, as well as other subjects, through her diverse prior positions.

Having previously tutored in schools, Ollie’s background as a tutor is highly collaborative. She is a strong believer in communication with parents and teachers and always appreciates feedback. This ensures a consistent approach which is sensitive to the needs of the student. Alongside communication, Ollie is careful to document her work and to stay organized, this is to track progress and ensure that sessions include a range of activities within the chosen approach.

Ollie is passionate about her work and eager to make a difference. She can promise to be a thoughtful and supportive tutor, who inspires her students.

Meghan P.

Meghan has an MA in History and a BA (double major) in Classics and International Development from McGill University. She is in the final stages of completing her PhD in History and Classics at Yale University. Meghan has published a number of articles in academic publications and presented her research at conferences around the world. She speaks three languages fluently (English, French, and Romanian) and works in several others (Italian, German, Latin, and Ancient Greek).

Meghan is a passionate teacher who believes that every student is capable of excellence. Her approach is characterized by empathy, patience, and kindness. With over 15 years of experience in higher education, Meghan is sympathetic to the pressures modern students face: difficulties in focus, wavering confidence, and the temptation of unethical AI use among others. Meghan has had particular success in motivating students who were especially shy, withdrawn, or otherwise on the margins of the classroom. Strategies for how to bring such a student back into the fold differ on an individual basis but are always couched in mutual respect and understanding. Frequently, students who may have been struggling the most at the beginning of the term—be it with meeting deadlines, quality of work, or something else—became some of Meghan’s strongest and most self-motivated students by the end of the academic year.

Areas of Expertise: Reading, Writing, and Critical Analysis (all levels); History (all levels); Latin; Ancient Greek; Biology (K-12); Homework Help (English: K-12; French: K-6).

Travis McG.

Travis McGinnis has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from Regis University, with endorsements in both Gifted and Talented Education and Social Studies. With 15 years of classroom experience in the Adams 12 and Jeffco School Districts, Travis is an expert at guiding students through Reading, Writing, and Math using goal-setting and arts-integrated methods.

In 2017, Travis was awarded the Talented Teacher Award by the Jeffco School District, and recognized for “100% student achievement,” as all his students met or exceeded their goals in Reading, Writing, and Math. In 2016, he also contributed to Devinney Elementary School winning the National Blue Ribbon Award.

Outside the classroom, Travis enjoys playing soccer, boardgames, baking sourdough bread, and writing fantasy and science fiction novels. When he’s not writing, gaming, or baking masterpieces in the kitchen, he enjoys quality time with his wife, four children, and their mini-goldendoodle puppy.

Travis’s experience as an educator, his enthusiasm for learning, and zest for life make him an ideal “smart friend” for elementary and middle-school students who could use a little inspiration to overcome challenges and master the learning process.