Homework Help: Lower Stress and Boost Performance With Foundation Learning

Alyssa graduated with honors from Fordham University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Neuroscience. Currently, she is pursuing her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. With a wealth of tutoring experience, including serving as a teaching assistant at the graduate level, she has successfully guided more than 250 students toward achieving their academic aspirations.

Recognizing the profound influence of the teacher's role, Alyssa is driven by the "ah-ha" moments she sparks in students. Witnessing them grasp concepts they once found challenging brings her immense joy. She specializes in ACT and SAT tutoring. 

Alyssa is a friendly, dedicated, and easy-going tutor known for her expertise. While academics often demand seriousness, she incorporates fun into her sessions whenever possible. Alyssa advocates for active learning, emphasizing the importance of practice in mastering standardized exams. With over 10 standardized exams under her belt, she believes in the power of repetition to familiarize students with the various ways concepts can be tested, ensuring they feel confident and prepared on exam day.  

Alyssa excels in providing students with innovative resources to overcome learning hurdles. She begins by understanding their interests, which enables her to create metaphors or pneumonics tailored to resonate with them. By incorporating elements of their passions into tutoring sessions, she effectively recaptures their focus. If one metaphor or example doesn't click, she readily comes up with another. In fact, she finds that the whackier the metaphor, the easier it is to remember. If metaphors don’t work, she switches gears to explore alternative methods of problem-solving or conceptualization. She firmly believes in the value of offering diverse approaches to tackle different topics. 

In her free time, Alyssa enjoys training in the gym, doing yoga, karaoke, and playing video games!

Valeria earned a Bachelor’s degree from Emory University, where she served for three years as a Writing Center Tutor. She has also served as a Certified English Language Learner tutor and Matriculate College Advising Fellow. Additionally, she has worked as an Executive Assistant and College Prep Coordinator at Freedom University for two years, an organization dedicated to providing college prep classes, college and scholarship application assistance, and leadership development for undocumented students in Georgia.

As a first-generation student, Valeria intimately understands individuals' challenges when navigating higher education with limited support. Her passion for coaching is deeply rooted in her experiences and further fueled by her diverse admissions counseling roles. Working with students from varied backgrounds, she is inspired by their unwavering determination to pursue education despite facing adversity. 

Valeria’s teaching style is kind but firm, allowing students to have grace with themselves while encouraging them to take steps to achieve their goals—a responsibility that is ultimately up to them. She ensures each student's wants and dreams are centered in every conversation. For example, a student may want to be a doctor; ensuring they know each step to take in the college admissions journey is one step closer to achieving their dream. Valeria is open-minded and willing to talk through every decision, big or small. She is excellent at recasting ideas back to the applicant in a clear, concise manner, and she is a thoughtful listener and deep thinker who takes time to absorb and understand how to strengthen a candidate’s ideas.

When she isn’t coaching, Valeria enjoys writing, jogging, journaling (physically + digitally), playing Animal Crossing, and board games.

Syed has a Bachelor's in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Lahore University of Management Sciences and a Master's in Mathematics for Teaching from Harvard University. With more than five years of experience, Syed is a highly qualified tutor with a strong educational background. His interest in tutoring first began when he noticed his junior students were struggling in Math. Recognizing his strong affinity for the subject, he was confident in his ability to help them overcome their challenges.

Syed’s passion for tutoring stems from his ability to empower students and help them overcome academic obstacles. He views this capability as a superpower that allows him to guide students toward their desired academic achievements. Syed's tutoring style is both comprehensive and engaging. During a typical tutoring session, he dedicates half the time to providing lessons and conveying information to his students. The remaining time is allocated for problem-solving exercises and an oral quiz, which he calls Skill-Check. This approach ensures students have a well-rounded learning experience encompassing theory and practical application. By instilling confidence in students and equipping them with the necessary skills, he contributes to their personal growth and enriches their lives.

To enhance the learning process, Syed assigns reading materials or problem sets for students to work on independently after each session. He tailors his lessons according to the individual needs of each student, taking into account their strengths and areas for improvement. Syed leverages various online tools to create effective teaching materials, including past papers, question banks, Khan Academy, Geogebra, Desmos, AOPS, NRich, and various other websites. He can access relevant animations, simulations, notes, and problem sets by using these resources, providing his students with diverse and interactive learning materials. As such, Syed is highly adaptable and resourceful. He understands that every student has their own learning style and tailors his approach to maximize their understanding and progress. 

When he’s not tutoring Syed enjoys reading, playing chess, playing video games, and spending time with his two dogs.