Homework Help: Lower Stress and Boost Performance With Foundation Learning

Zachary earned his Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature on a full-ride scholarship at the University of Florida, followed by his JD at Cornell Law School. With over a decade of tutoring experience, Zachary has also worked as a college and law school admissions counselor, providing him with a comprehensive understanding of how to support students in achieving their aspirations.

Zachary's life was forever changed by the influence of exceptional tutors, leading him to believe that it only takes one person to change someone’s life trajectory. Driven by this conviction, he is committed to offering the same transformative guidance to students. He specializes in SAT prep and AP and IB courses, including human geography. 

As a tutor, Zachary is easy-going, patient, ambitious, and creative. He recognizes the limitations of conventional learning models, especially for neurodivergent and differently-abled individuals. His teaching methodology goes beyond identifying knowledge gaps; it aims to reprogram behavioral routines. Zachary firmly believes that 99% of academic success is rooted in ordinary habits. He also acknowledges the emotional aspect of the learning process, understanding that feelings of shame or guilt can impede meaningful progress. Therefore, he adopts a holistic approach to academic and standardized testing improvement.

Zachary's tutoring methods are grounded in scientifically proven learning principles, ensuring their effectiveness. He emphasizes Socratic dialogue, cognitive reframing, and the importance of taking breaks. To keep sessions engaging, he incorporates humor, personal anecdotes, introspection, and contextualization. Zachary also excels at customizing sessions for each student, always taking the time to understand their unique profile before diving in, as he knows that a one-size-fits-all approach rarely works.

In his free time, Zachary enjoys playing video games, doodling, cooking, learning foreign languages, watching movies and TV shows, and collecting consumer product packaging from around the world.

Simone earned a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Design and Ecolocy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as well as a minor in Visual and Media Studies from Duke University. She has over eight years of tutoring experience, including teaching English as a second language to German and Spanish-speaking students. Professionally, Simone has also worked in public health and education as a UNC Global Gap Year Fellow and with an affordable housing agency in Chapel Hill.

Simone’s passion for tutoring stems from her desire to contribute to students’ learning processes. She likes to plant an idea in someone's head and watch it grow into a tree of their own knowledge. In other words, she loves to amplify students' ownership over their learning. She specializes in SAT tutoring as well as English, history, and algebra tutoring at all levels, including AP and IB.

As a tutor, Simone is collaborative and playful. She recognizes students as leaders in their learning journeys, and she incorporates optimism and play into her lessons to diminish feelings of anxiety or dread. Her tutoring is entirely student-centered and designed to empower students.

Some of Simone’s greatest strengths as a tutor include her ability to keep students motivated and engaged. When a student needs encouragement, she can be firm and steadfast, but supportive. She uses positive reinforcement, pep talks, feedback from students, and breaks as needed. Simone also connects content to real-world examples relevant to each student's life so that it can be grounded in something familiar and useful to them.

In her free time, Simon likes to dance, listen to music, try new foods, and travel. She took a gap year before starting college and spent three months in Mexico and another three months in Colombia.

Olivia holds a Bachelor of Arts from Duke University and is pursuing a Master of Arts at the University of Florida. With her background as a college adviser with the Duke College Advising Corps and admissions advisor at Sante Fe College, Olivia has successfully guided 60+ students into esteemed institutions, including the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University. With a deep commitment to education, Olivia also served as an Education Policy Fellow at the US House of Representatives.  

Olivia's passion for coaching springs from her own transformative college experience, which impacted her academically, socially, and emotionally. As a result, she strongly believes all students should have the opportunity to experience undergraduate life to the fullest.

As a coach, Olivia strikes a balance between an easygoing attitude and inspiring students to reach their full potential. She takes the time to understand their interests and hobbies before tailoring her coaching style accordingly. Olivia finds that collaborative coaching/learning environments are most productive, allowing students to retain their unique voices and authenticity during the application process. 

In her free time, Olivia enjoys staying active, listening to new music, reading, and spending time with her friends and family. She also loves being adventurous; she went skydiving with her dad when she was just 16!