Denver
Brady Hagerman
James Madison University '08
Subjects:
Biology, Environmental Sciences, Chemistry, Social Sciences (History, Sociology/Anthropology, and Humanities), English (Grammar, Writing, and Reading Comprehension), Mathematics (Algebra I & II, Trigonometry, and Pre-Calculus), Global Politics and Ethics, Economics, Governmental Studies, and overall tutoring collaboration
Tutoring Philosophy:
“My goal is to truly connect the information with the student’s learning abilities. I am a strong supporter of constructive dialogue between teacher and student, enabling consistent and useful sessions to emerge during the learning processes. Every individual has their own path for learning, and the Socratic method of teaching allows the student to comprehend their education through their specific method. This can grant them a novel sense of confidence and fun, alongside actually learning the material instead of simply remembering it.”
Background:
Brady was raised in a town outside of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and attended Cumberland Valley High School with a population of roughly 2,500 students. He was an honor roll student, alongside participating in the school’s men soccer and cross-country teams. He attended Virginia Tech for two years, studying social sciences and retaining Dean and President’s Lists awards. He transferred to James Madison University to graduate Magna cum laude with a B.S. in Biological Anthropology. During his collegiate career, he volunteered for the JMU E.A.R.T.H. Club, acting as the Budget Committee Chairman and lead member. After graduation, he obtained his Master’s Certificate of International Non-governmental Organization Management from JMU, granting him a greater sense of national and international ethics, politics, and economics. He currently works two jobs, one with a non-profit organization. He aids and tutors elementary students for an after-school program. With some free time, Brady enjoys running daily, hiking, writing short stories and poetry, reading, and volunteering for community services.
Dave Shanley
University of Pennsylvania ’05 – Psychology
University of Denver ’12 – Psychology, PsyD
Subjects:
Math (all levels and SAT prep), Science, Chemistry, Physics, Spanish (1, 2, 3)
Tutoring Philosophy: "Many students who have the potential for great success often end up struggling in school for a variety of reasons. However, through effective one-on-one tutoring, the tutor can help the student conceptualize things in new ways and offer different strategies for attacking problems, thus allowing students to gain confidence and achieve their full potential. Tutoring can be a fun and rewarding experience for both the tutor and student alike."
Background:
Dave grew up in La Canada, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. He was very fortunate to have parents who loved to take his older sister and him on trips all over the world from a young age. He played volleyball and sang in school music groups at La Canada High School.
Dave then went on to the University of Pennsylvania where he graduated in May 2005, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. With the goal of becoming a clinical psychologist, he enrolled in a Doctoral Psychology program at the University of Denver in September 2008.
He tried a couple of different jobs in the time between graduating from Penn and enrolling at DU. His favorite experience by far was teaching English in Santiago, Chile, for a year in 2007, and then spending six months backpacking through Latin America. Dave loves the outdoors, especially skiing and snowboarding, and is excited to be in Colorado.
Julia Kantor
Vanderbilt University
Subjects:
Literacy (reading, writing, comprehension skills), Social Studies (civics, government, history), Elementary math and science, test and college prep (personal essays, etc.)
Tutoring Philosophy:
“The value of a strong connection between tutor and student cannot be underestimated in the effort to both motivate and inspire youth to invest themselves in their own education. By looking at the whole student, rather than merely who they are in school, this connection can be fostered and help to create an environment where intrinsic motivation to succeed academically is developed.”
Background:
Julia grew up in Upstate NY where she attended excellent public schools and began to develop her interests in education and, more specifically, the various social justice issues that surround this field. Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN came next as she pursued a major in Education Policy and participated in a variety of community service organizations such as Alternative Spring Break and Habitat for Humanity. During her junior year, Julia discovered Teach for America and was instantly attracted to its social justice mission and interest in providing a high quality education to all students in the U.S. She was accepted into the program and taught two years in the NYC public system, teaching both literacy and social studies while earning her Masters in Childhood Education. Julia is currently working on her Ph.D. in education at the University of Colorado at Boulder with a focus on curriculum and instruction in literacy.
Sabrina Spishak Kemp
The College of William & Mary '96
Subjects:
Math (Algebra I, Algebra II), English (writing, grammar, and reading), Economics, Spanish (all levels), or general study assistance
Tutoring Philosophy:
"Learning is not just about memorization, it's about truly understanding and then being able to apply knowledge and skills to all subjects and areas of one's life. My goal is to help kids learn and retain their skills, rather than memorize and move on."
Background:
Sabrina grew up in the Washington, D.C. area, where she won an academic scholarship to Bishop O'Connell High School. At O'Connell, she was an honor-roll student-athlete, and went on to graduate from the College of William & Mary in Virginia with a B.B.A. degree in Marketing and a minor in Spanish. While at William & Mary, she founded the women's fast-pitch softball club, successfully completed an internship at the Hispanic Yellow Pages, and was active in community service. She spent six months in England on a work exchange program before returning to the States to pursue her career. After teaching a year of Spanish in an elementary school in North Carolina, she rejoined her family in D.C. to work in New Business Development and Project Management for a research firm. Throughout her school and work years, Sabrina has been an active volunteer and fundraiser for such organizations as Food & Friends, the National MS Society, the American Cancer Society, and her church.
Sarah Rector
Northern Arizona University ’05 – Mechanical Engineering
Subjects:
Science (physics, biology, chemistry), Math (algebra I, geometry, algebra II, pre-calculus, calculus, statistics), English (writing, grammar, reading), German, general study assistance.
Tutoring Philosophy:
"As a tutor, I think it’s important to provide guidance and encouragement so that a student can not only gain a better understand of the material, but can also develop confidence when dealing with any challenging subject. Often lack of confidence can act as a mental road block, and it’s important for a tutor to be able to work with a student who doesn’t believe they can succeed. Just like training wheels on a bicycle, tutors are not intended to ride the bike but to help a student transition from viewing a new, seemingly impossible task to viewing it as something that comes naturally."
Background:
Sarah grew up in northern Arizona, where she was often outdoors exploring the forests around her home, trail running and mountain biking. After graduating from high school in 2000 she attended Northern Arizona University on a Flinn scholarship. She decided to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, which combined her skills in math and science with her interest in cars. During high school, Sarah restored a 1971 Chevrolet with her father and drag raced the car for one season. Having taken many years of German, Sarah also began to develop a strong interest in other cultures. After taking a summer class in Hungary and Romania in 2001, she backpacked through Austria, Germany, and France. In the summer of 2003, Sarah completed a summer engineering internship with BMW in Munich, Germany. Upon returning, she took a job as a tutor on campus helping students with math, science, and engineering coursework. She really enjoyed her job, especially having been through these tough classes herself and understanding students’ frustrations. After graduating Magna Cum Laude with honors in 2005, Sarah took a mechanical engineering position in Scottsdale, Arizona working for General Dynamics. There she provided technical support for manufacturing and coordinated environmental testing for satellite systems. In 2006, she and her husband moved to Denver where she took a job as a mechanical engineer for URS Washington Division, working on designs of processing equipment for oil and gas as well as nuclear systems. She is now taking some time off from engineering to pursue some personal interests, one of which is tutoring!
Toni A. Gibbs
USC ’09, B.A., Anthropology
Subjects:
English (writing, grammar, reading), Literature, US History, Spanish, Religion, and general study assistance and homework help
Tutoring Philosophy:
“I credit education as the best method to achieve fairness – in that it gives all youth access to realizing their attainable dreams. My role as a tutor is to help establish a strong foundation for learning by providing clear structure and techniques for the student to master his/her academic goals. More importantly, I believe it is essential to create and maintain a caring and positive relationship, without fostering dependency. When all these factors are in place, the student is best positioned to gain the self-awareness needed for his/her current and future success.”
Background:
Toni is a recent graduate of University of Southern California. In addition to her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, she was awarded membership into the National Lambda Alpha Anthropology Honors Society. At USC, Toni joined the Rites of Sisterhood Mentoring Program, a group dedicated to helping improve the self-esteem of underprivileged, inner-city girls. She continued to hone her mentoring and tutoring skills through tutoring jobs while completing her academic requirements at USC. Toni also pursued mentoring youth in preparation for college, while at USC, by participating in programs such as the National Black Child Development Institute’s Entering the College Zone.
In high school, Toni attended Pasadena, California’s Polytechnic School. During her junior year, Toni was selected to teach in the school’s Summer Enrichment Program for disadvantaged youth. While preparing students for the SAT exams and their respective English courses, Toni discovered her passion for teaching and she continues to welcome opportunities to pursue her enthusiasm for education.
Sarah Hoyer
Unniversity of Pennsylvania
Subjects:
Writing, English, grammar, history, advanced chemistry, advanced bio, SAT prep
Tutoring Philosophy:
Students learn with greater ease and enhanced results when their tutoring is designed around their unique learning style. In order to best aide a student's progress, I feel it is important to develop a personalized learning program through individualized attention to each student. Additionally, students must be positively encouraged to succeed through taking pride in their work, and supported for the constructive efforts they make towards their goals. Only when an individual truly wants and desires to succeed can they do so, thus it is the job of a tutor not only to teach, but also to inspire their students with a life-long love of learning to benefit them in their present and future endeavors.
Background:
Sarah has been dedicated to tutoring and mentoring since high school. She volunteered as a tutor in English writing and Math for elementary and middle school-aged children and worked as an ESL tutor for adult immigrants to the US. Sarah graduated with a 4.0 from Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, PA in 2004 and went on to study English grammar and literature at The University of Pennsylvania. She graduated with her B.A. in English from The University of Pennsylvania in May of 2008 and has since been living in Denver. She plans to pursue her PhD in Psychology at the University of Colorado.