"Seeing my students succeed is my primary driving force in assisting students to reach their academic goals."
Saied holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Computer Science with a minor in Mathematics from Rutgers University and a Master of Science in Applied and Computational Mathematics from Johns Hopkins University. He also has a Certificate in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (CELTA) from Cambridge University. Saied has over eight years of experience as a tutor and has helped hundreds of high school and college students. His passion for tutoring began during his childhood in the Jamaican school system, where he experienced the opportunity to substitute for a mathematics teacher for three months.
Saied specializes in ACT and SAT tutoring, all math courses from Pre-Algebra to Calculus II, and English composition. His passion for tutoring is driven by his love for imparting knowledge and helping students master the world of mathematics. Engaging in one-on-one interactions, understanding each student's learning style and interests, and presenting content in a way that resonates with them and sparks those light bulb moments are what continually motivates him to strive for excellence as an educator.
Saied's tutoring style is characterized by a dynamic partnership with students. In the initial conversation, he strives to understand each student's preferred learning style and identifies any knowledge gaps they may have. Based on this assessment, he develops a customized plan to address their needs. Recognizing that some mathematical topics can be abstract, Saied incorporates real-world applications to solidify concepts and encourage students to apply what they have learned. By fostering this iterative process, Saied nurtures mathematical maturity and helps students make connections between different mathematical ideas, informing his approach to introducing new content. What truly drives Saied is witnessing his students' success, confidence, and motivation. Students' genuine smiles of accomplishment further fuel his passion for assisting others in achieving their academic goals.
Saied's greatest strengths as a tutor lie in his background in applied mathematics, which enables him to present content in a relevant and applicable way. He ensures students grasp the core foundations necessary to tackle any mathematical challenge. Additionally, Saied is skilled at pushing his students to excel. During tutoring sessions, his primary focus is ensuring the concepts are deeply understood and internalized so that when presented with external content-related problems, students glide through with ease.
When he isn’t tutoring, Saied enjoys hiking, chasing beautiful skylines and waterfalls, and learning new skills. He is certainly one for adventure, as he swam with sharks when he was only 13 years old and has been skydiving!
Ben graduated from Brown University with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and History of Art and Architecture. Throughout his seven-year tutoring career and as a certified ESL instructor, he has held roles such as tutor, college counselor, and online educator. Ben's guidance has led over 1,000 students to success, including admission to renowned institutions such as the University of Chicago, the University of Virginia, and Cornell University.
Ben loves forming connections with students and watching them learn, blossom, and succeed. He specializes in SAT and ACT tutoring, as well as math, ELA/ESL, history, social studies, science, Japanese, and Russian at all levels, including AP and IB.
Ben’s tutoring style is student-centered. He prioritizes understanding students' interests, learning preferences, and areas of difficulty from the outset. Armed with this knowledge, he tailors sessions to address each student's individual needs effectively. Moreover, Ben ensures that he communicates with students on their level, avoiding talking down to them—a common pitfall in tutoring—thus fostering a supportive and respectful learning environment.
One of Ben’s standout traits as a tutor is his ability to help students work through learning blocks. Drawing on his extensive tutoring experience working with diverse students, he adeptly recognizes and addresses learning difficulties, restructuring sessions as needed to facilitate comprehension and progress.
In his free time, Ben likes to read, play video games, go hiking, travel, and learn new languages. He combined the latter two passions when he studied abroad in Moscow, Russia for a semester in 2018.
Lizette earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan before completing a Master of Arts from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Professionally, Lizette has over a decade of experience in higher education, having served as Assistant to the Dean at the University of Texas and Associate Dean of Student Development and Records at Morton College.
As a first-generation college graduate, Lizette is committed to helping others reach their potential. She understands that while some students have clear goals, others may need guidance. She enjoys being part of their decision-making process and assisting them through uncertainties.
As a coach, Lizette is known for being outgoing, understanding, and passionate. She is dedicated to finding solutions and maintaining a glass-half-full outlook. Her teaching style is centered around the individual student; she meets them where they are, learning about their interests and motivations to help them excel. Lizette empowers her students to believe in their own “magic” and provides the tools needed to stay on track and succeed.
Outside of teaching or coaching, Lizette enjoys watching college football, reading books, going to the beach, exploring natural trails, and traveling! One of her fondest travel memories is riding a camel across the Sahara Desert during a vacation to Morocco.
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!