Natalia graduated summa cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a Bachelor of Science in English/Language Arts Teacher Education. With a passion for student success, she has been tutoring for over 12 years. Her experience includes teaching middle school English language arts for nine years, instructing English as a second language online to students in China for two years, tutoring for an afterschool program for two years, assisting adult students with high school equivalency exams for nearly a decade, and teaching an ACT class in college.
Natalie's passion for tutoring stems from her belief that personalized learning is difficult to achieve in a classroom setting. Through tutoring, she can adapt her approach to meet the specific strengths and needs of each student. She specializes in ACT and SAT tutoring.
Natalie keeps her tutoring sessions light to make the learning and testing process less stressful. She aims to create a warm, welcoming, and comfortable learning environment, even through a computer screen. By breaking down complex concepts into manageable ideas, Natalie helps students grasp challenging material with confidence and ease. Leveraging diagnostics and data analysis, she pinpoints areas of potential growth for each student. She expertly selects appropriate challenges that maintain student motivation while ensuring they experience success and growth without feeling overwhelmed or defeated.
Natalie’s strengths as a tutor lie in her ability to make SAT and ACT concepts relatable and engaging for students. By tapping into their interests, she helps them form meaningful connections to the material. She's also adept at helping students overcome learning obstacles by recognizing when they need a break and shifting focus to a more manageable topic. This allows students to return to challenging areas with a fresh perspective. Natalie is committed to understanding the root cause of any obstacles students face. Once identified, she works diligently to untangle these barriers, providing tailored support and scaffolding to help students navigate them effectively.
Some fun facts about Natalie are that her hero is Dolly Parton, she's been a dedicated Taylor Swift fan for years, she showcased her musical talents by playing the flute in high school band, and to add to the harmony, her husband is a musician. Vanderbilt was her dream school, and she cherished every moment as a Commodore, forming lifelong bonds with friends she’s still close with today.
Truth holds a BA from Princeton University. She currently works as a College Access Consultant at eStem Public Charter Schools, giving presentations on the college admissions process, college essays, and Common App. Truth has helped over 100 students get accepted to the nation’s top schools, including Princeton, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and UNC.
As a first-generation student, Truth and her parents struggled immensely during the college application because they had no idea where to start or how to proceed. Luckily, her high school counselor, Ms. Rook, intervened and guided them by hosting weekly workshops to help prepare for the ACT, draft college lists, and brainstorm essays. Her counselor went above and beyond by meeting with her during winter break to review her essay drafts and encouraged her to apply to Princeton when she didn’t think she could get accepted. Truth does not doubt that Ms. Rook's efforts are a huge reason she got into Princeton and many other top schools. Getting into Princeton changed Truth's life trajectory—she wants to help other students get into college, as her high school counselor did for her.
Truth likes to empower others to achieve their best by validating them and their experiences. She sometimes remembers feeling insecure throughout the application process, wondering how to stand out. Her counselor helped her dig deeper to realize her strengths and the impact of her activities. Truth helps students reflect on their experiences, passions, and values so they can see they have much more to offer than they might think.
As a counselor, Truth strives to be a patient, empathetic, and encouraging guide for students. She remembers the balancing act that students must perform, juggling academics, extracurriculars, social life, and work, all while navigating the complex world of college applications all too well. Her role is to alleviate some of this burden by providing compassionate support; she wants students to know they have a knowledgeable advocate in their corner who is dedicated to their success.
A fun fact about Truth is that she has 13 aunts and uncles. While their holidays are pretty chaotic, she wouldn't trade her family for the world.
Audrey earned her Bachelor's degrees in English and Politics from Dominican University of California, followed by a Master's degree in English from Claremont Graduate University. She later pursued her JD at the New York University School of Law. With four years of tutoring experience, Audrey has guided around 250 students toward academic success.
Audrey gets immense satisfaction from watching students gain confidence in themselves and their potential. She specializes in ACT and SAT tutoring as well as English, reading, and writing-related courses at all levels, including AP and IB.
As a tutor, Audrey is positive and supportive, always celebrating student success and empowering them to feel confident and capable. She prioritizes understanding students on a personal level, tailoring her approach to their individual needs and preferences. She maintains a holistic view of their identity and encourages them to bring their authentic selves to each session. She also engages in meaningful conversations with students about their aspirations, including college choices, academic interests, and future plans. Audrey then adopts these goals as her own and always keeps them at the forefront of her tutoring sessions.
One of Audrey’s greatest strengths as a tutor is her ability to make challenging concepts enjoyable and relatable. When tackling reading challenges, she chooses practice passages aligned with students’ interests, facilitating better engagement. Likewise, for writing challenges, she seeks connections between their essays and personal experiences.
In her free time, Audrey enjoys baking, crocheting, painting, and spending time with her cat Daisy. She is an avid reader across every genre, but her favorites are historical fiction and fantasy. She has also been in six amateur musical theater productions!
Foundation Learning's English tutors have extensive experience in teaching or hold a college degree in a related discipline.
Parent involvement and check-ins are always welcome; we never want to leave you in the dark about your child’s progress. We always keep an open line of communication to ensure you can monitor your child’s progress.
Our proprietary matching process ensures students are paired with a tutor we believe meets their needs and preferences best based on the information you provide in the intake form. Our tutoring programs focus first on the areas where your child needs help most, then building on those skills for literary excellence. Tutors are picked based on student/family needs, preferences, and aspirations.
The tutoring plan that would suit your child best depends on the level and how much support they need, the area they need the most help with (such as reading comprehensively, effectively communicating ideas, writing essays, etc.), and their availability. If you’re unsure which plan would work best for your child, set up a call today to chat with us about your options!