Ivan L.

With more than 20 years of experience as a teacher and tutor, Ivan has a rich background in education, spanning various countries and educational levels. As an engineer, he brings a unique approach to helping students succeed and boosting their self-confidence, particularly in quantitative subjects. Ivan is known for his patience and his ability to understand each student’s unique perspective. He emphasizes the importance of mastering the basics to foster deep understanding, avoiding mere memorization and promoting genuine learning.

Gunnar P.

Gunnar Peterson is an accomplished senior at North Central College, where he will receive a degree in Finance and Accounting at the end of this Spring. With hands-on experience at Sikich LLP and First Trust Portfolios, Gunnar brings practical industry knowledge to his tutoring sessions. He has also earned recognition for his skills, including NIU’s Business Competition Award in Accounting. With a strong passion for mathematics and business-topics, Gunnar is dedicated to share his knowledge with others in a meaningful way. Apart from his professional life, Gunnar enjoys exercise and the outdoors. His favorite pastimes incorporate both, that being: mountain-biking, motorcycles, hiking, and skiing.

Rachel B.

Rachel is a former teacher and nanny with a passion for helping students succeed. With a master’s degree from DePaul University, and a 4.0 GPA, Rachel loves to learn and share her knowledge. She gets to know her students’ background and interests before starting her lessons, as to make the information at hand pertinent to each child. With kindness and enthusiasm, Rachel strives to make learning a fun and comfortable experience for both the student and their families. Communication is her strong suit, as she enjoys sharing milestones and challenges with parents to ensure student success. In her spare time, Rachel travels the world with her husband, Cole. The pair resides in the Northwest suburbs with their two cats, and in her spare time, Rachel runs a successful photography studio out of her home office. Get in touch with Rachel today – she cannot wait to get to know you!

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.

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.

SHADMAN H.

Shadman holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) degree in Mechanical Engineering from the City College of New York (CCNY). As a graduate of NYC’s top public specialized high school, Stuyvesant, and Valedictorian of his engineering university at the Grove School of Engineering at CCNY, Shadman has demonstrated extraordinary success in his educational endeavors. Shadman has taught students (elementary, middle, high school, and college) 1-on-1, in small groups, and in larger classrooms (both online and in-person) for 10+ years. His experience includes teaching all mathematics subjects through high school and early college (pre-algebra, algebra I, algebra II, trigonometry, precalculus, calculus, statistics), standardized test preparation (SHSAT/PSAT/SAT/ACT), and various other STEM subjects. Shadman is extremely passionate about assessing each student’s specific needs and tailoring a custom plan for them to not only succeed in the classroom, but develop a similar love for learning that they can take with them for the rest of their lives.

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.

Casey M.

Casey is an accomplished tutor with a diverse academic background: dual Bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Mathematics, a Master’s of Science in Applied Mathematics (with a minor in Astrophysics), Casey brings a wealth of knowledge to his tutoring lessons.

With over a decade of experience as a math instructor and possessing a Level 2 tutoring certificate, Casey is adept at teaching in both classroom and one-on-one settings.

His expertise extends beyond traditional mathematics; Casey’s research and publications span complex domains such as computer science, operations research, software engineering, data science, and the application of artificial intelligence, showcasing his ability to translate mathematical concepts into real-world applications.

What sets Casey apart is his philosophy-driven approach to teaching mathematics, enabling him to establish meaningful connections with his students and ignite their passion for learning.

Beyond academia, Casey holds a second-degree black belt in Taekwondo, reflecting his commitment to discipline and excellence in all endeavors.

Leah P.

Leah is a second year college student at College of Dupage. Prior to this semester, Leah was majoring in applied mathematics at the University of Colorado Boulder, and still very much enjoys math despite stepping away from it as a major. While at Colorado and in high school at Downers Grove North, Leah took Calculus 1-3, Linear Algebra, Differential Equations, Statistics, Fourier Series/Boundary Value Problems, and various other engineering and science classes. Leah enjoys helping kids to understand math and learn to enjoy it as they have throughout their academic life. Tutoring allows Leah to keep math in their life as well as help others, two things that make them happy. Leah understands that each student understands things differently, and they are able to cater their teaching style and explanations to meet each student’s needs. As Leah is still a student themselves, they are very understanding and will work to make sure each student feels heard as well as answer any and all questions they might have. Outside of school, Leah likes to read, do puzzles, work out, and discover new music.