Sarah completed her Bachelor of Arts in Language and Cultural Studies and Plant Biology at Sarah Lawrence College. She boasts five years of professional teaching experience but began her tutoring journey early in her high school career, fueled by the gratifying experience of witnessing students grasp challenging material.
Sarah's enthusiasm for tutoring stems from her belief that any subject can be enjoyable when presented in an appealing way to students. She is proficient in a diverse range of subjects, including K–6 math, all levels of biology (including AP), reading, writing, English Language Arts (ELA), ESL, AP Language and Literature, creative writing, and SAT reading and writing.
At the core of Sarah's tutoring philosophy is the empowerment of students through consistent encouragement. She believes students have been programmed to fear failure instead of embracing it as a part of the learning process. So, she takes a unique approach by celebrating mistakes, considering them stepping stones for growth rather than obstacles. Sarah's adaptability in the face of these stepping stones shines in her lessons, where she breaks down complex problems into manageable pieces for better understanding. Beyond being informative, Sarah’s lessons are also highly engaging; she connects academic concepts with students' interests to keep them motivated.
Sarah is adept at guiding students towards becoming confident and independent learners. Instead of simply providing them with answers, she equips students with the tools and information necessary to independently solve problems, fostering a sense of self-assurance.
Besides tutoring, Sarah is deeply interested in plant biology. She even worked as a research assistant at the New York Botanical Garden on an algae-based project! She also enjoys reading, creative writing, and spending time with her cat, named President. When he misbehaves, she likes to pretend to be a member of the Secret Service—Mister President, don't climb on the fence!
Jane completed her Bachelor of Science from the University of Pennsylvania and is an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School. She has mentored students through the college application process, helping students with college match and fit, career exploration, financial aid and more. Her guidance has led students to gain admission to prestigious schools, including Cornell, UC Berkeley, and UPenn. Professionally, Jane has served as a consultant at Boston Consulting Group.
Jane is passionate about paying forward the support she received to help other students navigate the complex college application process. She aims to make a difference by empowering young lives and maximizing their chances of achieving a top education. She finds it deeply fulfilling to see students achieve their goals and become better-equipped citizens of the world through her guidance.
As a coach, Jane takes a collaborative approach, actively listening to and empathizing with students. She prioritizes trust, self-empowerment, and individualized guidance tailored to each student's needs and goals. By using project trackers with deadlines, she ensures students stay accountable and on track. Understanding how challenging the process is, Jane breaks down the application into bite-sized steps and continuously encourages students with words of affirmation, celebrating every milestone.
In her free time, Jane enjoys reading, golfing, meditating, people-watching, cafe-hopping, traveling, and music. She was even part of the same college a cappella group as John Legend!
Victoria holds a Bachelor’s degree from Stanford University. As a first-generation college graduate, she understands students' challenges when navigating the admissions process. In her own experience, she was forced to find outside resources. Even in college, she networked to find alumni and professionals working in government to help her with job applications. Victoria completed approximately 100 informational interviews over four years, and now she wants to help students in the same place that she was in by becoming their guide and resource. Professionally, Victoria works at the US Department of State - Bureau of Diplomatic Security.
As a coach, Victoria’s teaching style is structured. She excels at helping students with ideas and an outline/plan without doing the work. Victoria likes to be a support system, encouraging people to do their best by being there for them when they need her and being a sounding board to make sure applicants are confident in the decisions they are making (i.e., ensuring that an essay topic is the right one, choosing what to put on a resume, etc.)
Victoria is motivated by deadlines; she finds that having a set schedule and clear expectations helps students stay motivated, too. She considers herself Midwest-friendly. She is outgoing and always happy to help or be available when needed. Victoria is respectful, positive, and realistic. She is always looking for solutions to problems and sticking to a plan.
When she isn’t working, Victoria enjoys lifting weights, watching sports (basketball, baseball) and reality TV (Housewives, Selling Sunset, Vanderpump Rules, etc.), journaling, visiting museums, and trying new restaurants and coffee shops.
We only work with the most capable tutors around. Foundation Learning’s science tutors have teaching experience or hold a college degree in a science-related discipline.
Parent involvement is always welcomed and encouraged! Our progress tracker ensures you always keep up-to-date on your child’s advancement through our programs. We believe in transparent communication so you can check in and see how your child is doing at every step of the way.
Our tutor pairing process is designed to place students with the science specialist we believe they’ll work best based on their needs, goals, and the information you provided in the intake form. Our tutors will understand precisely what a student needs and develop an actionable plan to help them get there.
The best plan for you and your child depends on how much support they need, their current areas for improvement (such as understanding the scientific method, climates, or our planet), and availability. Unsure which plan is best? Schedule a call with us today to talk about your options!