One-On-One Personalized HSPT Tutoring

Jada earned a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, followed by a Master’s degree from the University of Maryland. She served as a Graduate Advisor for two years while earning her Master's degree, providing support to more than 50 student leaders and directors and planning campus-wide activities, including the management of over 600 student clubs and 10,000 attendees. 

Prior to this, she held a role in UCLA's residence life, overseeing a community of 1,200 students. She also contributed as a facilitator at the LGBTQ Campus Resource Center and offered counseling support at campus protests and major events for the Black Campus Committee. Beyond academia, Jada also has experience working at Disney, Warner Bros., and FOX Sports.

As a first-generation college graduate, Jada empathizes with the challenges of navigating the admissions process. She strives to be the counselor she wished she had and is passionate about simplifying the process and removing barriers to higher education for all students. She believes it is a true privilege to empower students to confidently navigate this exciting chapter of their lives. Her coaching style is influenced by her background as an athlete and educator and her preference for the "challenge and support" student personnel model.

In her coaching role, Jada excels at helping students recognize their autonomy and capabilities. She believes in collaborative work, valuing both counselor and student expertise. She approaches students holistically, recognizing their diverse identities and life circumstances. She uses a variety of teaching strategies, including auditory, visual, and kinesthetic methods, tailoring her approach to each student’s needs and motivations. 

By identifying whether students struggle with extrinsic or intrinsic motivation or both, she helps them rediscover their goals and address underlying factors affecting their drive. Jada aims to empower students through support and belief in their potential, providing both affirmation and honest feedback. Students Jada has mentored have been accepted to some of the nation’s top schools, particularly in the UC school system. 

In her free time, Jada enjoys going on nature walks with her dog, reading, going to comic book stores, hosting TV show watch parties with friends, drawing and making digital art, making playlists for friends, and going to drag shows! She is also a huge sports fan and loves going to college women's basketball, WNBA, and soccer games. In fact, Jada played soccer competitively for 15 years and managed the Maryland Women's Basketball Team, which allowed her to travel to the NCAA March Madness Tournament until the Elite 8 round!

James completed his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government from the University of Iowa before also completing his Master’s degree in Journalism from the same institution. After working as a national and international news reporter for several years, he transitioned to full-time teaching, motivated by his passion for helping students achieve their academic goals. James has 21 years of teaching experience, including his current role as a Journalism and American Government Teacher at Chicago Public Schools. He also regularly conducts tutoring sessions and has tutored over 500 students.

For James, tutoring is a means to share his knowledge and help others succeed. He finds great satisfaction in witnessing the "lightbulb" moments students experience. He specializes in ACT and SAT tutoring, as well as US history, world history, American government, American literature, writing, journalism, and economics.

James' extensive teaching experience, deep subject knowledge, and empathy for today's youth distinguish him as a tutor. He is approachable, friendly, and entirely student-focused. He tailors his tutoring to each student's needs and emphasizes successful outcomes, often making uninteresting material engaging by drawing parallels with the real world and subject matter.

James excels at supporting students through learning blocks, drawing on their existing knowledge, and gently guiding them with strategic prompts, suggested skills, and relevant information to help them overcome the block or work around it.

In his free time, James enjoys gardening. 

Hope graduated Magna Cum Laude from Boston University with a Bachelor of Science in Film and Television with a concentration in Sociology. She's played a significant role in students' educational journeys, including serving as a teaching assistant for a film production class at Tufts University. She first began tutoring out of a simple desire to help others learn.

Driven by the goal of helping students unlock their full potential, Hope acknowledges that traditional classroom teaching doesn't always cater to every student's needs. She aims to offer personalized learning experiences to foster academic growth. She specializes in ACT and SAT preparation, English tutoring, and AP courses.

Hope's tutoring methodology revolves around flexibility and repetition. Her aim is to ensure students feel completely at ease with the test or course material, allowing them to tackle it with confidence. Recognizing that each student learns differently, she tailors her approach to meet individual needs. At the core of her strategy is the pursuit of understanding the "why" behind any learning blocks. She engages in meaningful conversations with students to pinpoint the root cause of the issue. Rather than applying band aid fixes, she delves deeply to address and break down the problem comprehensively. Furthermore, she fosters motivation in her students by meticulously tracking their progress and encouraging reflection. This enables students to recognize the strides they've made, reinforcing their belief in their own potential. 

Some of Hope’s standout qualities as a tutor are empathy and understanding. She walks into every session with compassion, enthusiasm, and the belief that every student will experience immense growth. This creates a supportive environment where students feel valued and empowered to reach their goals. 

In the past, Hope used to memorize country flags for fun. Nowadays, she enjoys writing and singing music.