Ryan E.

A Collier County native, Ryan holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Sociology from the University of Florida, along with minors in Disabilities in Society and Education Studies. His passion for education was sparked by the inspiring teachers in his own life, and he’s now dedicated to creating that same positive impact for his students. Ryan brings a patient, empathetic, and student-centered approach to every session. He believes in building mutual respect and making learning engaging, so that each student feels confident, supported, and excited to learn. At Prep Academy Tutors, Ryan is further developing his teaching skills with plans to transition into a full-time teaching role. In his free time, he enjoys reading, going to the beach, playing video games, and staying active through sports.

JULIAN S.

Julian S. is a dedicated teacher with the Durham District School Board who specializes in math instruction, literacy development, and supporting students with special needs. He began his teaching journey as a swimming instructor, where he first discovered his passion for helping learners succeed. This early experience inspired him to pursue an education in Early Childhood Studies, followed by a Bachelor of Education, solidifying his path as an educator. Julian has worked with many students struggling with literacy, helping them strengthen their reading and writing skills with personalized strategies. He has also taught internationally in China, where he worked with senior students and adults in ESL programs, gaining a strong foundation in language learning and communication. With extensive classroom and one-on-one experience, he is passionate about building confidence, fostering independence, and helping each student reach their full potential. Outside of teaching, Julian enjoys reading, rock climbing, swimming, and taking road trips across Ontario—always finding new experiences to bring back to his students.

Tania V.

Tania has spent the past 15+ years working with children ages 18 months to 6 years old, and nothing excites her more than helping little ones grow into confident, curious, and independent people. She brings a unique blend of psychology (B.A. from Tulane), business expertise (MBA from the Catholic University of Chile), and creativity to everything she does.

Fluent in both Spanish and English, Tania is also a certified child yoga instructor and a certified Dyslexia Advocate and Assessor. Whether she’s teaching art, yoga, Spanish, or helping kids discover the joy of reading and math, she ensures learning feels exciting, safe, and full of discovery.

Her teaching experience includes some of New Orleans’ most creative schools—Green Preschool at the Jewish Community Day School, Audubon Montessori Charter School, and University Montessori School—where she introduced children to art, language, yoga, and the beauty of nature and conservation.

At her core, Tania is thoughtful, straightforward, encouraging, and a little funny too. She believes children thrive when they are seen, supported, and inspired—and she feels fortunate to create such an environment every day.

Yolanda R.

Yolanda is an Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) with many years of experience teaching French, Spanish and Italian, languages she is fully fluent in. In addition to teaching mainly at the high school level, Yolanda is also a seasoned tutor. She enjoys working with students of all ages, one on one, as she maintains high curricular learning expectations delivered with positivity and encouragement.

Luis H.

Luis is a devoted and personable bilingual educator who focuses on helping students and parents fully achieve their goals without having to dedicate all their time to academics. Originally from Venezuela, Luis moved to the United States as a young teenager, giving him a unique understanding of language learning and cultural adaptation. His psychology studies at Texas A&M University motivate him to look deeper into the reasons why students may be struggling, like knowing whether students struggle due to school disorganization or from generally misunderstanding a school subject. His specialty and years-long experience in literacy intervention for students of all ages, ESL studies, Spanish, and elementary and middle school tutoring has made him natural at being able to form genuine, authentic and productive relationships with students and their families, who often recommend him to others. Based on his experience working with students as young as 3 years old up to doctorate level students and senior citizens, Luis’ approach to tutoring is based on the presumption that students would rather be doing anything but schoolwork after spending dozens of hours a week doing so, so his lessons are focused on showing students to appreciate what they’re taught in a way that is particularly engaging to them. In his free time, Luis enjoys reading nonfiction, spending time with family, watching movies and going out with friends.

Julia P.

With over a decade of experience tutoring learners of all ages in literacy-based subjects—including English, Geography, History, and Social Studies—and up to Grade 6 in Math and Science, I bring both expertise and enthusiasm to every lesson. As an OCT-certified high school teacher with a Master’s degree in Education, I am passionate about helping students succeed not only academically, but also in building confidence and curiosity. My approach is rooted in kindness, fun, and meaningful relationships, because I believe learning flourishes when students feel supported and inspired. Alongside academics, I also bring a love for teaching yoga, encouraging balance, focus, and wellbeing as part of the learning journey.

Samantha S.

Samantha is a bilingual educator with more than 20 years of experience helping students of all ages discover their strengths and enjoy learning. She has taught everything from core subjects in Elementary to Social Studies and English in Middle School to English as a Second Language (ESL) to adults and is known for turning challenges into confidence-building wins through social-emotional learning (SEL). With a Master’s in Positive Education and certifications in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), English as a Second Language (ESL), Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP) and Family Coaching, Samantha combines expertise with a warm, encouraging approach that brings out the best in every learner. Samantha combines strong academic expertise with a supportive, student-focused approach. She partners with families to ensure students not only improve their grades but also grow in confidence, motivation, and prevailing learning skills. A lifelong student herself, she’s always taking new courses to keep life (and learning) exciting. When she’s not teaching, you’ll probably find her traveling with her family to eco-destinations where she can connect with nature, reading a thrilling novel, or singing her heart out—sometimes all at once!

Walker J.

Walker is an Idaho native, born and raised in Idaho Falls. He moved to Boise in 2023 and is currently a full-time Junior at Boise State University, majoring in Construction Management with a minor in Spanish. A high achiever in high school, Walker served as Senior Class President before graduating summa cum laude with a 4.2 GPA. During that time he worked as a tutor for his twin sister who struggled with information retention. By using real-world scenarios and hands-on examples, he made learning more engaging, and discovered a genuine passion for teaching in the process. Instead of lecturing, Walker continues to use a conversational, student-centered approach, encouraging dialogue and active thinking. He looks forward to building meaningful connections with each of his students and supporting their growth through patience and collaboration.

David R.

“Salud, pesetas, amor, y tiempo para gozarlos,” “Health, wealth, love, and time to enjoy them ” is the motto of David R. He is a certified teacher in secondary social sciences grades 6-12, speaks Spanish and is working on his Creole. He grew up in Westfield, New Jersey with a profound respect for history and other cultures and languages. Since he was 17, he has worked with children from pre-k all the way to being seniors in high school. He completed his Undergraduate in history at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania in 2009. To further his education, he went on to study the social sciences such as geography, civics, political science, macro and micro economics, psychology, anthropology, sociology, US history, world and ancient history, in more depth at Rutgers University and Union County College until 2012.

After moving to Florida in 2012, he quickly became a substitute teacher in Collier County Public Schools. He worked his way to becoming a certifiedteacher at FGCU through the Teacher Immersion Program. His goal is to make informed citizens that are capable of making decisions and being able to differentiate truth from opinion. He has years of experience teaching various subjects such as ELA, Spanish, and, of course, various social studies subjects. Fostering the need for knowledge, the need for objectivity, to embrace our humanity and work together are at the forefront of his goals.

He currently resides in Naples, Florida with his fiancé and two children; his four-year-old daughter and one and a half year old son…who somehow is already in his terrible twos. His special interests vary greatly, much like the subjects he teaches; from sci-fi fantasy classics like Star Trek, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, anything by Isaac Asimov and Max Brooks to Shakespeare and Ernest Hemingway. Anime has always been a favorite form of media as well. Playing, fixing, and modifying his guitars and bass guitars is also one of his hobbies; he cannot wait to teach his children music.

Barbara T.

Barbara’s educational journey began with a passion for teaching Special Education, a field she dedicated herself to in the early years of her teaching career. After earning her master’s degree in Foreign Language, she showed her adaptability and versatility by transitioning to Spanish, a language she had spoken and grown to love. This change enabled her to inspire many students by teaching Spanish at all levels in both public and private schools. She also taught homeschool students to help them meet their high school language requirements.

Barbara actively contributes her free time by volunteering for various organizations, fostering a sense of community, while also prioritizing quality time with her family and friends.