Emily T.

Emily Tracy is a certified elementary educator with 15 years of experience teaching students in grades 1–3. She currently teaches third grade at Bache-Martin Elementary School in Philadelphia and is passionate about helping young learners build the skills and confidence they need to succeed. Emily earned bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Sociology from Kutztown University before returning to school to pursue her passion for education. She later earned her master’s degree in Reading and Reading Specialist Certification from Holy Family University and is also Wilson Certified, giving her specialized expertise in literacy instruction.

Emily specializes in individualized reading tutoring for students of all ages and math tutoring for students in grades K–3. She believes the best learning happens when students feel comfortable, supported, and genuinely enjoy the process. By creating engaging, personalized lessons, she helps close learning gaps, build confidence, and foster a lifelong love of reading. When she’s not teaching, Emily enjoys spending time with her two children, her dog and two cats, and cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles—Go Birds!

Elie C.

Elie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from Hunter College and completed his teaching internship at Camden High School, where he taught students in grades 9 through 11. He later earned a Bachelor of Education focused on junior grade levels from Stockton University in 2023. These experiences prepared him to work with both middle and high school students in diverse learning environments.

Passionate about education, Elie enjoys connecting with students from different backgrounds and helping them grow academically and personally. His experience working with students across Philadelphia and surrounding communities has strengthened his commitment to supporting learners at every stage of their educational journey.

Outside the classroom, Elie tutors students from middle school through high school in mathematics, ranging from foundational skills to advanced courses such as calculus. He believes that building strong relationships with students is essential to helping them gain confidence, improve problem-solving skills, and reach their full potential. As both a teacher and mentor, Elie continuously develops new strategies to support student success and create engaging learning experiences. Helping students grow in confidence and achievement remains one of the most rewarding parts of his work.

Dr. Samantha N.

Dr. Samantha N. is an interdisciplinary archaeologist with years of tutoring and teaching experience in social science, natural science, and math. She graduated from Cornell College in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and Archaeology. In 2026, she graduated from Boston University with a Ph.D. in Anthropological Archaeology. Throughout this time, she gained experience in tutoring and teaching students at the collegiate, high school, and middle school levels. She loves archaeology because of the way that it connects to so many other disciplines: chemistry, geography, history, and economics, just to name a few! As a teaching fellow in Boston University’s Department of Anthropology, she used hands-on activities and guided questions to help her students learn how to learn. She believes that this allows students to comprehend and retain information better than if they had relied solely on rote memorization. In 2022, she received Boston University’s Outstanding Teaching Fellow in Archaeology Award for her dedication to her students and her contributions to the course material. In her spare time, Samantha enjoys knitting, spending time with her cats, and gardening.

Shannon S.

Shannon S. has a decade of teaching experience along with over nine years of tutoring children ages 3–14. She currently works as an Autistic Support Early Intervention Teacher for children ages 3–4. Throughout her career, Shannon also taught Kindergarten, 3rd, and 4th grades, gaining a strong understanding of how children learn and grow across different stages.

Shannon has extensive experience supporting children in developing early literacy skills, including pre-reading skills, building confidence in learning to read, and strengthening math skills. She enjoys helping children grow academically and gain confidence in their abilities, tailoring her approach to each child’s unique needs.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Allied Health from Widener University, where she also completed a Master of Education and obtained teaching certifications in Preschool–8th Grade for both Regular and Special Education. Shannon is currently pursuing a second Master’s degree in Early Intervention at West Chester University.

Shannon lives in Old City, and in her free time, she enjoys reading a good book, going for a run, and spending time with friends. She is looking forward to the opportunity to work with you and support your child’s growth and success!

Ian S.

Ian Sadock is a cognitive music theorist and molecular biologist. With fourteen years of service in the Emergency Medical Services, Sadock is a Nationally Registered Advanced EMT and holds a Bachelor of Science in Cell & Molecular Biology with a minor in Chemistry. He has taught at a number of prestigious institutions, including The University of the Arts, Settlement Music School, and Cheltenham Township Adult School. Sadock serves on the Board of Directors at Jazz Bridge, a local Philadelphia non-profit, and holds a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance with a concentration in Jazz from West Chester University, as well as a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies. Building on over a decade of teaching experience, he is currently pursuing a PhD at Temple University while conducting research in cognitive ethnomusicology and audio analysis for artificial intelligence.

Richard F.

Richard F. is a STEM educator and, since 2023, a one-to-one learning specialist at Fusion Academy, a premier 1-to-1 private school in Malvern, PA. There, he delivers highly personalized instruction in math, science, and executive-function skills. He has extensive experience supporting neurodivergent learners, including those with dyslexia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia.

Richard holds a biotechnology degree from Rutgers University (New Brunswick, NJ), where he won multiple scholarships and earned Deans List honors. He served as a teaching assistant for Ethics in Science under Julie Fagan and as a research assistant in social psychology under Stephen Kilianski and in biochemistry under William Belden. Before entering education, Richard worked as a scientist and engineer in the pharmaceutical and biomedical sector for companies including Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Sanofi, and Penn Medicine. Richard served as the Environmental Monitoring Program Lead for UPenn’s CRISPR immunotherapy laboratories under Carl June and Bruce Levine and supported the COVID-19 vaccine emergency release at Johnson & Johnson. He also completed Lean Six Sigma Green Belt training with Lockheed Martin and served as Vice President of Marketing and Communications for the Northern New Jersey Chapter of APICS.

Outside of the classroom, Richard is an award-winning competitive powerlifter and poker player. He has competed against some of the world’s top professional poker players on internationally viewed live-stream broadcasts, including Doug Polk’s The Lodge (2022), applying performance psychology, probability-based thinking, and disciplined decision-making to his teaching approach. He also plays piano and sings, having performed internationally and at Carnegie Hall on multiple occasions with the Nutley High School music program. Richard has appeared in several amateur high school and college stage productions including The Wiz, Pirates of Penzance, and Made in the Philippines. He has also appeared as a guest musician featured on Hong Kong’s Regal Airport social media channels.

Joan F.

Joan F. is a third-grade teacher in the School District of Philadelphia, recognized for her lifelong dedication to education. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education from Temple University and obtained her Pennsylvania Level 1 teaching certification in 2023. Joan has taught kindergarten, third, and fourth grades, demonstrating enthusiasm and attentiveness in each classroom. In addition to her time teaching in Philadelphia, Joan taught third and fourth grades in the Bahamas for four years. This international experience broadened her perspective and enhanced her ability to support students from diverse backgrounds. Joan also has five years of experience as a nanny for children from infancy to age seven, which enhanced her understanding of early childhood development and her capacity to engage young learners.

With over 15 years of experience in diverse educational settings, Joan is dedicated to fostering both the academic and personal growth of her students. Her ongoing commitment to education consistently yields positive outcomes for her students.

Dr. Kevin G.

Dr. Kevin G. has over ten years of experience in the Philadelphia area teaching and supporting students with study skills and executive functioning. He is currently the Director of Learning Services at Saint Joseph’s Prep which oversees the school’s academic support programs. He has a PhD in Educational Psychology, teaches a doctoral level course on the psychology of teaching, and writes and presents on how to help teens and young adults develop their executive functioning capacity.

Alexander M.

The first of his family to attend college, Alex M. graduated summa cum laude with his Bachelors in English from Rowan University in 2020 and his Masters in Teaching (Grades 7-12 English) in 2025. He was humbled to have been asked to serve as research assistant to the department’s senior English professor Dr. Cindy Vitto in his final semester of undergrad.

Alex is passionate about educating others, serving as a tutor/success coach at the nonprofit Hopeworks Camden; he constructed and managed various academic games in the dorm referred to as “The CRIB” and tutored young adults struggling with writing papers. Further, he tutored students at Villanova University’s Writing Center with regards to college essays, and student taught at both the Philadelphia Performing Arts School and Mastery Charter Lenfest.

Outside of academia, Alex is a huge fan of science fiction literature/films and video games. You may catch him exploring his beautiful neighborhood of West Philly’s coffee shops or going “psst-pssst-pssst” to a random stray cat before realizing that you’re watching him.

Wendy F.

Wendy is a dedicated practitioner of education. When she was in high school, she began her education journey as a summer camp counselor at the Franklin Institute Discovery Camp, and flourished into camp counseling at Flourtown Summer Day Camp. She is currently in her second year of teaching 8th grade math at a public school district. Wendy graduated from Saint Joseph’s University in May of 2024 with a bachelor’s in middle school education concentrated in math. She is currently enrolled at SJU in pursuing her master’s in school counseling. She just can’t get away from the Hawks! As an educator, Wendy enjoys learning and engaging with the student’s mindset through discussions. This way, she understands how to best adjust her teaching style to her students. Her students understand that, while math is a difficult subject, it can be learned in various ways with time and effort. They will walk away from her lessons knowing that math can help them navigate life through critical thinking, logic, and problem-solving. Alongside her teaching passion in math, she loves to teach emotional intelligence and Mandarin!