Elizabeth O.

Elizabeth has been an educator for over 20 years, working across public, private, and preschool settings. She holds a California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and is passionate about using a multi-sensory approach to help children learn and thrive. She believes in making learning fun and engaging by incorporating hands-on activities, creativity, and movement to keep students excited and motivated.

A few years ago, Elizabeth stepped away from the classroom to focus on raising her son. However, her passion for teaching never faded. She has continued working with students through tutoring and leading toddler sensory classes, where she fosters early learning through play and exploration.

Outside of teaching, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her husband, 7-year-old son, and their playful puppy. In her free time, she loves visiting the beach, going on long walks with her dog, and playing sports with her son.

Emily P.

Emily is a certified teacher in Texas with a minor in teaching English as a Second Language. She also has experience as a behavioral therapist for children with autism. Passionate about personalized learning, she finds tutoring to be the perfect opportunity to support students at their individual levels.

As a tutor, Emily has primarily focused on reading, writing, math, and social studies, helping students achieve significant growth both in and out of the classroom. She strives to build confidence in her students, fostering a love for learning in a fun and engaging environment.

A mother of two young children, Emily is beginning her homeschooling journey with her oldest son this year. With plans to homeschool long-term, she deeply values meaningful, impactful lessons tailored to each child’s unique learning needs.

Stacey C.

With a robust foundation in early childhood and special education, along with her credentials as a licensed learning consultant specializing in neurodiversity, Stacey brings expertise and passion to her work with students.

As a Neurodivergent Specialist, Stacey’s approach, grounded in the constructivist theory, prioritizes experiential learning through dynamic, hands-on activities, social and emotional engagement, and meaningful project-based outcomes.

Matthew R.

Matthew’s journey into education was an unexpected yet deeply rewarding path. After earning a BA in Television, Film, and New Media, he initially pursued a career in the film industry. However, in 2013, while teaching a film course at the Digital Media Academy summer tech camp, he discovered a passion for guiding young scholars toward academic, creative, and professional success. This experience inspired him to pursue a single-subject teaching credential, leading him to a fulfilling career in education.

Since 2018, Matthew has been an educator at The Preuss School, UC San Diego, where he has honed his teaching philosophy and instructional methods. Initially stepping in to fill a vacancy in the Drama department, he transformed the curriculum into a film-based program that integrates Art, English, and History. His courses reinforce grade-level ELA comprehension and writing skills through in-depth units on story structure, plot development, character analysis, and thematic content. Students apply these skills to writing their own screenplays, while Film I students explore film theory and cinema history. In his advanced Film II/Honors Film course, students engage in collaborative, hands-on projects that guide them through all stages of video production, from pre-production to post-production.

Matthew’s adaptability and innovation were especially evident during the pandemic when The Preuss School transitioned to remote learning for two years. While many educators faced challenges, he embraced the format, finding new ways to engage students and enhance learning through strategic virtual instruction. He firmly believes that, when thoughtfully designed, virtual learning can be just as impactful—if not more—than in-person instruction.

His passion lies in inviting students into the vibrant world of poetry, literature, and history and watching them engage with enthusiasm. Through teaching, he hopes to foster a deep sense of global awareness, empathy, and compassion in his students, empowering them to express themselves through both written and visual storytelling.

Matthew is eager to begin the tutoring process for students in need of support in English, reading, writing, history, social studies, college essay writing, and test prep. Additionally, with his background in Film, he is thrilled to assist students seeking help with video production, editing, or acting. His expertise also extends to Public Speaking and Debate courses, providing students with valuable skills to enhance their speaking abilities.

Matthew is excited to bring his expertise and passion for education to Prep Academy Tutors, where he continues to support students in their academic journeys.

TANAKA S.

Tanaka holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from UBC Okanagan and a Fashion Design Diploma from the Visual College of Art and Design. A lifelong learner, she is passionate about language, communication, and helping students succeed.

She specializes in structured, adaptive learning for English Language Arts students and has experience tutoring elementary and high school students in reading comprehension, writing, and Math.

Her professional background includes:

Back-of-House Operations Coordinator – Trained new hires from diverse cultural backgrounds, enhancing communication and adaptability.
Freelance English Tutor – Helps students improve reading comprehension, writing skills, and confidence in English.
Tanaka is self-motivated and continually explores language, learning, entrepreneurship, and leadership through teaching. She is also passionate about creative expression through fashion, meaningful networking, and mastering yoga.

Michael B.

Michael graduated from The University of Texas at San Antonio with a Masters of Science in Mathematics, a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics, and a Bachelors of Science in Physics. He is currently finishing up a Masters in Philosophy.

Before joining Prep Academy Tutors, Michael had 4 years of experience as a Teaching Assistant and Tutor in both Mathematics and Philosophy. He also has served as a guest lecturer in philosophy courses. Michael’s commitment to his students is strong, and he cares deeply about teaching and helping people learn.

Sharon C.

Sharon is a certified teacher from San Antonio who studied at Abilene Christian University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in History and Social Studies (2004). She has taught students in the classroom as a World History, US History II, and Sociology Teacher and as a substitute teacher from PreK to 12th Grade. She was also a Librarian Assistant for a few years. She guided students through the research process by showing them how to find information in books and computers and create a final product in a written paper, a project with pictures on poster board, or a slide show presentation. She has also tutored students in Math, Science, and Reading. Since 2021, she has homeschooled her three children.
She cares for her family of one husband, three kids, and two dogs. She enjoys using her skills to craft things, singing soprano, occupying her mind through reading books, and stepping into a different mindset by playing TTORPGs with friends and family.

Nicole D.

Nicole graduated from New Mexico Highlands University with two Bachelor’s degrees, one in History and one in Elementary Education, with a minor in Bilingual Education. Nicole taught for eleven years, over the course of which she excelled at math and reading instruction. In addition to math and reading intervention, Nicole was a bilingual educator (Spanish) and a dyslexia interventionist. However, her real passion lies in Robotics and Computer Science.

Nicole has written Robotics/Computer Science curriculum for two districts. She has also taken several teams to competition with VEX and FIRST(tm) who have successfully won awards over the years.

In her spare time, Nicole enjoys visiting her daughter, who attends LSU, and spending time with her two dogs.

Courtney P.

Courtney P. holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Science from the University of Texas at Austin and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Pharmacy at the same institution, having successfully completed three out of four years of the program. During a recent break from her doctoral studies, she taught mathematics and science to 4th and 5th grade students at Prairie Lea ISD, where she also provided after-school tutoring for students in grades K–12 across a variety of STAAR-tested subjects.

Courtney has extensive experience delivering small-group and one-on-one interventions for students needing remedial support, as well as for bilingual emergent learners and those with special education needs. While her formal classroom experience is still growing, she brings a wealth of tutoring experience that began during her freshman year of high school. Over the years, she has supported students in mastering challenging Advanced Placement courses, including Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, Statistics, U.S. History, and World History.

Outside of education, Courtney leads an active and dynamic lifestyle. She manages the 35-acre farm where she lives, enjoys kickboxing, and spends time with her two dogs. A talented cook and avid baker, she also enjoys sketching and has developed a strong knowledge of war and military collectibles, antique firearms, sports card trading, and coin collecting—interests she shares with her fiancée through their family business.

Ann S.

Ann Stec grew up teaching.  As the oldest of four children, and the only girl, she would often create a “classroom” for her younger brother, taking them through practice with letters and numbers.  Her mom would buy used workbooks at thrift stores for her to use with her “pupils” each week. Ann loved it–her brothers were decidedly on the fence! 

When it was time to officially choose a career, Ann went to Illinois State and graduated with a B.S. in Education with concentrations in Language Arts and Reading.  Her plan was to teach junior high school students to love reading and learning.  But a few years into teaching, Ann was recruited to teach teachers at the elementary level how to teach reading in their classrooms.  It was a leap–big kids to little–but it turned out to be a game changer!

While working at the elementary level, Ann found that some students continued to struggle to acquire literacy skills, despite receiving intervention.  She realized she needed to learn more about how to help these students and decided to pursue her Wilson Level 1 certification.  She credits that decision as the single best decision of her professional career and she has spent the last nineteen years of her career helping kids who learn differently master how to read.

Ann believes that the best instruction–at any level–empowers students to be reflective learners and goal setters.  She believes that teacher, parent and student comprise the learning team and is an advocate of working with parents and students together in order to help all kids reach their academic potential.

Ann is in her 29th year of teaching and  currently works as a Reading Specialist/Literacy Coach in Naperville 203.  She holds a Master of Arts in Teaching, is ELL certified and is a certified Wilson Level 1 Instructor. In her free time, she volunteers with animal welfare agencies (she has nine pets!), READS, thrifts, travels, and hangs out with her favorite people as much as possible.