Bella R.

Isabella, or Bella, is a 5th grade teacher at St. Pius x School. She is currently completing her Masters in English Language Learning and her Credential in Elementary Education. She is a San Diego Mesa College and SDSU grad and will soon be a National University grad.

Bella has a passion for being in the classroom and particularly loves teaching math. She believes that math instills confidence, resilience, and a passion for problem solving. She is dedicated, open-minded, patient, and creative. With all of her experience, she has gained many teaching strategies that she keeps in her toolbox. She is great at adapting her teaching style at any moment and can recognize when modifications need to be made.

In her free time, Bella enjoys walks with her dog Nala, watching movies, and going to Disneyland.

Shaylee C.

Shaylee Chen is a dedicated and passionate educator with a B.A. in Education, Communities, and Organizations (ECO) from the University of Washington. She is currently pursuing her M.S. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. Having grown up in various countries and immersed in diverse cultures, Shaylee has cultivated a profound appreciation for multiculturalism and linguistic diversity. This international background has not only refined her mastery of Mandarin Chinese but also developed her fluency in French. Her global upbringing enriches her teaching with a unique and inclusive perspective. With three years of experience in multilingual teaching environments, Shaylee possesses the skills necessary to support and inspire students from diverse backgrounds. Her commitment to fostering engaging, personalized lessons, is driven by her belief that curiosity and interest are key to student success. Shaylee is eager to bring her expertise and passion for education to new opportunities and make a positive impact on the lives of her students. Outside of her professional and academic endeavors, Shaylee enjoys exploring new cultures, playing billiards, and swimming.

Emmanuel P.

Emmanuel has been teaching since 2007 in a diverse range of places, from Los Angeles to Japan, Miami, and San Diego. He has taught students from 2nd to 12th grade, and has a special enthusiasm for phonics at the early grade levels and US history at the upper grades, although he is similarly enthusiastic for mathematics from lower elementary all the way through high school . He also has a keen interest in languages, and is bilingual in French and English, as well as having studied Spanish, Hebrew, and Japanese. Emmanuel believes that every subject is inherently fascinating and that every student is capable of excelling, even in a subject that they never imagined themselves to be experts in. He loves helping students to embrace struggle and feel the satisfaction that comes with pushing themselves to more than they thought possible.

Lindsay L.

Lindsay has been assisting students with math since she was a student herself. She began tutoring in college as a way to make money; however, it evolved into more of a hobby than a job. She fell in love with helping students understand the complexities of mathematics and witnessing that lightbulb turn on inside their heads. Lindsay earned her BS in Mathematics from Virginia Tech in 2016. However, she wanted to continue learning how best to teach math. She worked her way to complete her MA in Education by 2022. Lindsay has been working with students of all ages for over a decade, both in person and virtually, while maintaining a full-time job as a Cost Analyst for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). She is excited to join the Prep Academy Tutors team and help more students in need.

Annie D.

Annie is a current MD/PhD student at UT Health San Antonio. She holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Tech and an M.S. in Medical Science from UNT Health Science Center. She has tutored and taught math, science, and engineering courses since 2012. Annie enjoys one-on-one or small group interactions, preferring to personalize her tutoring to the student(s). She also enjoys getting to know students and providing help in tutoring-adjacent skills such as time management, prioritization, and organizational skills. In her spare time, Annie enjoys spending time with her partner and dog, doing barre and yoga, playing the piano, reading, figure skating, and discovering new board games.

Shoshannah K.

I grew up in McAllen, TX but have been in San Antonio the last 19 years so I consider myself an SA local. I have my BS in Mathematics from the University of Texas San Antonio and Masters in Edu from Southern New Hampshire University. I am not a natural at Mathematics, but I enjoyed finding way to help me understand mastering it when learning and love finding ways for students to do the same!

Sally L.

With a BS in Secondary Education and Math from Wheaton College, Sally is devoted to instilling a passion for learning and fostering a culture of curiosity among her students. Certified in teaching middle and secondary math, she brings a wealth of experience from teaching and tutoring students of various ages across three different countries. Sally takes great joy in forming personal connections with her students and understanding their unique needs and learning styles. Her teaching style is characterized by enthusiasm for the subject matter, empathy towards her students, and a knack for innovative methods. Sally’s primary focus is on empowering students to take ownership of their learning journey. Outside of occasionally doing calculus for fun, she enjoys hiking, reading dystopian novels, and pretending like she’s an expert in baking.

Alexia H.

Alexia is a current graduate student at San Diego State University (SDSU), where she will be earning her Master’s in Teaching Mathematics and Science. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education while earning her Multiple-Subject Teaching Credential and TESL/TEFL Certificate simultaneously at SDSU. Through her undergraduate program and teaching experience, she has been exposed to various learning environments, teaching methods, and learners. She has experience working with students in primary grades up to high school. She has tutored students one-on-one and supported others through small groups and whole-class instruction.

Alexia believes every student has the potential to achieve all their personal and academic goals. She aspires to inspire students by building up their self-esteem and confidence. She enjoys getting to know students personally, integrating student interests and Funds of Knowledge into the learning. Her teaching philosophy is rooted in making every student feel loved and valued, to see them as remarkable individuals who come into a session with skills and interests that will benefit them in their learning and make it an enjoyable experience, whether that be knowing how to tie their shoes or having the patience to create an elaborate Minecraft world. Alexia knows all students are capable and recognizes they are people first and learners second. She understands what it means to meet them where they are and guides them forward by fostering a safe learning environment that promotes supportive, inclusive, and tailored learning where she hopes students feel confident in making mistakes and feel motivated to take ownership of their learning!

Dr. John J.

John Jaros is a highly experienced mathematics teacher with an AS in Respiratory Therapy, a BA in Mathematics, an MS in Physics, and a PhD in Computer Science. His extensive teaching background includes helping students in elementary school, middle school, high school, and college. If you are having difficulty with arithmetic, algebra, geometry, trigonometry, or calculus, he is confident that he can answer your questions, eliminate your confusion, and set you on the road to mathematics excellency. Dr. J. loves math because it is one of the few areas of knowledge that has both practical applications as well as theoretical investigations. In addition to enjoying teaching, Dr. J. is an avid computer programmer, a big admirer of his and his wife’s cat Copernicus, and an “exercise junky” on his home treadmill.

Tracy Schwieger

From a very early age, my goal has been to be a person who makes a difference in the lives of others. So you could say, I’m living my dream.

As a child, I knew I wanted to be a teacher. When I was in 7th grade, I realized my passion was math. This passion drove me to a B.S. in mathematics at Arkansas State University and a M.S. in Education a Northcentral Arizona University.

In my 23 years of teaching algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus, my greatest satisfaction is having former students (especially the ones who struggled) tell me I was the one teacher who believed in them, and that made all the difference.

My approach to tutoring is very similar. I do not just teach math; I teach students of all ages how to think and reason.

I truly believe that confidence is the key to success — in school and in life. That’s why I start by assessing what a student knows and what they don’t know. Then I build on that as they go from confusion to confidence, confidence to competence, and competence to mastery.