Miguel A.

Miguel graduated from Cornell University, where he earned a B.A. summa cum laude in computer science with a minor in mathematics, as well as an M.Eng. in computer science. During his time at Cornell, he spent five semesters working as a teaching assistant in computer science and one semester working as a math tutor at the Math Support Center on campus, where he developed a passion for helping students learn in a one-on-one environment. As a lifelong lover of math and computing, Miguel hopes to help students learn and grow in these subjects.

In his free time, Miguel enjoys playing video games, practicing martial arts, rock climbing, and reading One Piece. He has also traveled to countries such as Japan (he speaks Japanese!), China, Norway, Sweden, and Serbia.

Franco L-B

A specialist in physics education, Franco holds a Master’s degree in Physics Education from Concordia University (CGPA 4.15/4.30) and an Honours B.Sc. in Physics with a Minor in Computer Science from McGill University (CGPA 3.99/4.00). He has over a decade of experience teaching and tutoring science, physics, and mathematics to high school and CEGEP students in both English and French.

From 2020 to 2025, Franco taught physics and mathematics in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in Japan. He developed and delivered engaging lessons grounded in research-based pedagogy, guided numerous student research projects, and led interdisciplinary science initiatives. His students consistently achieved results above the IB world average, and he received his school’s Top Teacher Award in 2023.

Franco’s expertise is reinforced by extensive professional development in physics and mathematics education, including training in equity, diversity, and inclusion in STEM and a teaching mini-certificate from SALTISE on pedagogical design and active learning strategies. His Master’s research on innovative physics laboratory instruction has been published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at international conferences.

Fluent in English and proficient in French and Japanese, Franco combines active learning techniques with structured practice to help students strengthen problem-solving skills, deepen conceptual understanding, and develop a lasting appreciation for science, mathematics, programming, and the Japanese language.