Meet the Tutors
Anne Friedli
Subject Areas: K-12 Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies; K-8 Science. ACT & SAT Test Prep
Anne is the founder of Outside the Box: Creative Tutoring. She majored in Elementary Education with double minors in Mathematics and Language Arts at Northern Michigan University. Anne is autistic, and after working in the classroom as a student teacher, she realized that it wasn’t her style to be tied to a traditional teaching setting. She wanted to reach students individually so she chose to work with students one-on-one outside of the classroom. This gave her the freedom to key in on each student’s interests. She prides herself on finding what it is that gets a student excited to learn.
Though her autism makes it difficult for her to socialize with other adults, it has proven to be her super power when it comes to working with and relating well with children and teens. She loves to laugh during sessions and will not hesitate to sing, dance, and be utterly ridiculous when honoring a student’s achievements. She often uses silly voices and accents to make boring topics enjoyable. Anne believes that a student that is laughing is making a strong connection to the material. She regularly makes jokes and tells offbeat stories to teach serious topics. Just don’t be surprised if you get a note sent home that says your child was giggling while taking a test.
Anne has always loved creative writing. As a child it was her goal to grow up and be a famous author. Her passions have shifted and she loves working with children now, but she did find time to write a children’s novel, Annie Bananie, and a young adult novel, Dancing in the Rain. Dancing in the Rain has been self-published through Schuler Books and is available on Amazon and through their website.
Anne’s family grew in 2022 as she and her husband adopted a ten year old girl. For as long as Anne can remember, she knew she wanted to adopt children instead of having her own. A quote that has inspired her comes from the movie Martian Child. “I don’t want to bring another kid into this world, but how do you argue against loving one that’s already here?” Though her husband, Adam, has since passed away from stomach cancer, Anne and her daughter are living life to the fullest, just like he wanted them to do.
Subject Areas: K-12 Language Arts and Drama; K-8 Math, Science, and Social Studies. ACT & SAT Test Prep
Sam is a self-employed Marketing Consultant, husband, and dad of four kids. He is also co-leader of the children’s ministry at Tribes Church in Rockford. He home schooled two of his children for three years and is very active in their homework and education. Sam is excited to tutor for Outside the Box: Creative Tutoring so he can help more students and expand their possibilities.
Sam’s passions are many, but acting and drama are probably his biggest. He majored in English and minored in Theatre at the University of Michigan, and has been doing something with acting when he can since graduating in 1992. Sam’s dream is to start a children’s theatre here in Grand Rapids and have drama programs and camps for kids who want to be the next Academy Award winners.
Subject Areas: K-12 Math and Science, Test Preparation. ACT & SAT Test Prep
Peggy is currently a real estate entrepreneur. She worked in insurance management and consulting for over 20 years at the corporate offices of CNA Insurance and Specialty Underwriters. She has always loved science (and college football) since she got her BS in Chemistry at the University of Notre Dame. She has tutored various ages and worked as a substitute HS teacher.
Peggy enjoys working one on one with students to build their confidence and knowledge by connecting the study of science and math to everyday life experiences.
When not working, she enjoys live music (especially opera), gardening, foreign languages and travel. She has been to the UK, France, Germany and China.
Subject Areas: All Ages History, Literature, Spanish, Writing, and Reading. K-12 STEM Learning (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) - Virtual Lessons Only
Julian graduated from Florida International University with a degree in History and a Caribbean Studies certificate. From here, he is currently pursuing a master’s degree from Western Michigan University. As a historian, he was required to read many firsthand accounts as well as literature from different time periods. While reading, it became necessary for him to use critical thinking and writing skills to teach and learn more about history. As a native Spanish speaker, languages come naturally.
While obtaining his degrees in Florida, Julian was a teacher for an afterschool program called Bricks 4 Kidz. He taught kids to use their critical thinking skills to build models using Legos. With an emphasis on using one’s imagination and creative ideas, Julian encourages students how to think and learn in a fun learning environment.
Subject Areas: Spanish (All Ages)
Mayela was born in Durango, Mexico, but was raised in the industrialized city of Monterrey, Mexico where she Graduated from the Monterrey Institute of Technology. She has BA in Accounting. She has worked in financial and accounting audits for KPMG and freelance work. She also is an English language instructor from the same institute in Monterrey. In 2010 she moved to McAllen, Texas and in 2015 moved to Grand Rapids as she and her family were uprooted due to her husband´s employment. Since then has moved on to teaching Spanish for Lingual Learners and is an ELL bilingual teacher’s assistant in the Sparta school district.
Mayela is the proud Mother of two beautiful girls, two yorkies and has been happily married for 20 years. She has found her passion in teaching Spanish to children and helping immigrant children to learn English. She is very empathetic, kind hearted and really cares about their development. Other than teaching the language, she enjoys exposing them to the vast and wonderful Spanish speaking cultures. Mayela enjoys reading and traveling abroad. During her 20 year marriage, she and her husband have visited Paris, London, Belgium, Netherlands, Switzerland, Monte Carlo and Italy. She loves to be in the company of her family and cannot wait for the moment to go visit her loved ones in Texas and Mexico.
ASL All Ages (Virtual Lessons Only)
Nadia has grown up with sign language as her first language. She is hard of hearing and wears two hearing aids. She has deaf parents that taught her sign language. She was involved with many of the different deaf clubs events. She also volunteered at Camp Chris William for the Deaf/Hard Of Hearing/Blind/Coda campers since 2016. She has worked with a variety of ages and disabilities. She was always inspired to help other people who are in need or interested in learning the language and culture.
Currently Nadia is a small deaf business owner. She makes her own art and crafts. She makes bath salts with herbs, candles, wire wrapping with crystals, wood crafts and paintings. During her free time Nadia enjoys traveling out of state and going on adventures with her friends. She loves being outdoors and spending time with her family and friends.
Subject Areas: Spanish
Carmen was born in Mexico. She grew up in the state of Sonora. She has a BA in Accounting. In 2008 she got married and moved to Tucson, AZ. She was a volunteer in United Way-VITA during Tax season. She was a foster mother too. In 2015, she moved to Grand Rapids, MI due to her husband’s employment. She has worked teaching Spanish in Lingual Learners and volunteering with some families. She loves teaching Spanish and Hispanic Culture to children and adults. She also practices English with her nephews.
Carmen is very responsible, kind and reliable. She enjoys cooking, reading and traveling with her husband, extended family and friends.
Subject Areas: ASL All Ages (Virtual Lessons Only)
Lacie was born and raised in Michigan by her deaf parents and had two C.O.D.A. siblings. She grew up in the mainstream schools and graduated from Model Secondary school for the Deaf in Washington D.C. She spent 6 years working with mental health in Florida. Lacie relocated to Austin, Texas, to serve for Texas School for the Deaf for 10 years as a residential educator. She is currently living in McAllen, Texas, to continue her entrepreneurship journey. Lacie enjoys traveling, camping, art crafts, and spending time with her family.
Subject Areas: K-College Math, Science, and Language Arts; Greek; ACT and SAT Test Prep (Virtual Lessons Only)
Evan is currently a Therapeutic Counselor. He graduated from Clark University with a major in Psychology and a minor in Physics. He continued his education in Europe and graduated from University of Nicosia in Cyprus. Cyprus is a beautiful island with a rich history, you should ask him about it. He enjoys helping people to improve the quality of their life and future. One of the best ways to ensure this is providing and guiding people with the necessary tools to succeed.
Evan is a citizen of planet Earth and loves to travel. He recently moved back to the USA from Europe and is getting situated for his twin daughters and wife to join him. Even though his daughters are 8-years-old they have learned to speak Greek during their time in Europe.
Preschool-6th Math; K-8th Science; K-12 Language Arts, Social Studies; All Ages ESL
Sharon has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Spring Arbor University. Her passion is helping others, so tutoring is fun for her! Sharon was a substitute teacher at her children’s elementary school for 13 years. Then, she spent 2 years as a Preschool Aide for 4-year-olds. While she was still a substitute teacher, she began working for VIPKID. This company trained her to make learning fun as she taught English as a second language to children online. Sharon has also tutored adults in ESL through Bethany Christian Services.
Sharon enjoys spending time with her family! Sharon, her husband, and two children have traveled from the New England States, to the Deep South, and as far West as South Dakota. As a family, they have had the many opportunities to learn about the different cultures that make-up the United States.
Subject Areas: K-12 Math, Reading, K-8 Science, K-8 Chemistry, Proficient in Reading, Speaking, Grammar, and Comprehending Romanian, All Ages ESL
Irina was born in Romania. She was a teacher for 1st to 4th graders. Ask her how the educational system is different and how kids have only one teacher from 1st to 4th grade. She came to United States of America in 2000. After going back to school, she graduated from Grand Valley State University with a BA in Legal Studies. Currently, she is a Practice Assistant, assisting Intellectual Property lawyers.
Irina enjoys her Book club and reads extensively. One of her greatest passions is to encourage her students to read more and to enjoy learning about the world around them. Also, she is good at math: Algebra, Calculus, even Geometry. Math is fun if you have the right teacher to make you love it and understand it.
Would you like to learn some Romanian? Would you like to learn about another culture and some European history? Ask Irina.
Irina misses her long walks with her dog, Lucy, and now she walks her hubby. Also, she likes to cook, work out, even knit. Irina loves to explore nature and her family is often out exploring the lake, new parks, and outdoor activities in general.
Subject Areas: Music Theory and Piano Lessons All Ages, K-10 Math, Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science
A single mother in her early thirties, Jessica hails from Rockford, Michigan. She has exhibited a lifelong academic bent and passion for learning. For Jessica, school was about academics, and making friends was just a bonus! She graduated high school with a 4.1GPA. Jessica earned a full-ride academic scholarship to Lee University in Tennessee. She ultimately ended up accepting the scholarship offered by Aquinas, and was invited to compete for additional scholarship money in Aquinas’s Leaders Scholarship program. While pursuing business management, Jessica jumped some steps and went straight to owning, operating, and managing her own LLC, “Melodies Music Studio” of Rockford, Michigan. Jessica managed all of her own marketing and advertisement, website design, independent contract employees, curriculum sales, instrumental rentals, and so on. However, her passion was in the teaching! She has taught piano and music theory for 16 years, specializing in children with special needs. After many years as a stay-at-home-mom, Jessica’s passion for academia was recently re-kindled when she began tutoring a sophomore student in Rockford High School’s virtual program.
As a mother of a multi-talented, intellectual fifth-grade daughter, Jessica has her hands full! Her daughter has grown into her favorite person to spend time with, and they have many shared interests and hobbies. There is one thing particularly that Jessica and her daughter have in common: their love for animals! Flora and fauna won Jessica’s heart from a young age, and she found herself involved in everything from rehabilitating orphaned wildlife to hiking, horseback riding to gardening. A four-year-old thoroughbred racehorse, nine-year-old bullmastiff, three cats, and Chilean Rosehair tarantula currently complete the family. Jessica spends a lot of her free time in the saddle, as her equestrian career is very important to her. She also enjoys reading, writing, crafting, eating sushi, listening to 90’s country, and binge-watching horror movies on Netflix.
Subject Areas: Pre K-12 Language Arts
Reyna is a registered behavior technician and has been working with children on the spectrum for two years. She has a background working with special needs students as direct support staff as well as helping at church and tutoring elementary aged students. She even taught a drum class. She volunteers at a local community center weekly where she helps with children from around the world.
Subject Areas: 6-12 Math (Including AP Courses), Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies, ACT and SAT Test Prep
Peter is currently teaching Algebra 2 and Pre-flight Math at West Michigan Aviation Academy. This school year is his second in Michigan, as he moved here to be with his wife Catherine in July 2021. Before moving to the Grand Rapids area, Peter taught math and special education in Antigo, Wisconsin and Loveland, Colorado. While Peter has specialized in mathematics throughout his career, he is a lifelong learner, and loves to immerse himself in the sciences and humanities, and has a passion for education and seeing his students grow. Peter’s values each student as an individual with a unique set of strengths and weaknesses, and uses this perspective to get the best from his students every day.
When he is not teaching, Peter is a busy father to his 9 month old (as of December 2022) son, Ezra. Peter was formerly a competitive chess player and speed solver of several Rubik’s puzzles, and can still be found enjoying those passions on a less competitive level. He also loves to cook and hike often with his family and friends.
Subject Areas: 3-8 Math, 3-12 Language Arts, 3-12 Social Studies, and French for All Ages
Alec started in the Upper Peninsula, but soon found himself at MSU where he graduated in 2009 with a BA in Journalism. He spent many years substitute teaching and freelance reporting until he decided to make the switch formal. He attended the Graduate Teaching Certification (GTC) program at GVSU and received his teaching credentials in French and English at the secondary level in 2020. Alec is passionate about Foreign Language Acquisition, and is still pursuing a master’s degree in Education. ( 5 courses to go!)
When Alec isn’t working, his real passion is music. He won’t admit it, but he thinks himself something of a rock star. He’s been singing in choirs and on his own since he was in elementary school, and started playing guitar in 2015. If you want to avoid getting work done, get him started talking about his favorite bands.
Subject Areas: 2-6 Math, Language Arts, and Social Studies.
Mike has lived his whole life in the Grand Rapids area. Mike is a currently a substitute and a Shipt Shopper. Mike has been subbing for over 10 years in schools around the Grand Rapids area. Mike is certified in grades K – 8. Mike has a Bachelor’s in Education from the University of Phoenix and a Master’s in education from Central Michigan University. Mike’s favorite subject is History. Mike says that tutoring is a way to help children on a 1 to 1 basis so they can be successful later in life.
Mike enjoys playing board games, card games, and video games. Mike also loves to travel and explore and hopes to do as much as he can in the future. Mike plans to go to the Kentucky Derby next year and New Orleans in 2025. Mike also stays active by playing basketball and softball. Mike also likes going to museums, the beach, sporting events, and music festivals. Mike says that variety is the spice of life.
Subject Areas: PreK-6 Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, & Science
Katie is a 4th grade teacher during the school year. She graduated from Cornerstone University in 2022 with an Elementary Education degree with specializations in math and reading. Katie loves to play games as a way to learn and practice, as well as using quick mnemonics to help remember new concepts. Katie is from Illinois originally and loves to go back to visit her two sisters and parents.
Katie spends a lot of her time with friends and being outside. She just did her second triathlon in June and enjoys getting to train with her friends. She is a massive Chicago Bears football fan and could talk sports all day long! She loves getting to build relationships with students. Creating inside jokes on accident is her favorite!
Subject Areas: French (all levels), K-8 Math, Science, and Language Arts
Christina has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Calvin University where she studied French and Public Health with a minor in Biology. After graduating in 2022, she moved to France for two years where she worked as an English Language Assistant. Christina greatly enjoyed working with children of all ages and teaching them about the US and the English language. She would love to now share her knowledge of the French language and culture with anyone curious to learn about it! Christina worked with children ages 2 to 12 in France, but also has prior experience tutoring middle schoolers in the TEAM 21 program at Wyoming Junior High School as well as college students at Calvin.
Christina enjoys travelling and exploring new cultures and has been not only to France, but also to Spain, Morocco, Hungary, and Egypt, among many other countries. She loves all things nutrition and holistic health and spends her free time cooking, working out, and learning about food and using food as medicine. Bienvenue!
Subject Areas: PreK-6 Math and Language Arts
Delona has a bachelor’s degree from Grand Valley State University, majoring in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Language Arts. Delona has been an elementary school teacher for the past four years. She has taught third and fourth grade and currently teaches second grade in Kentwood Public Schools. Delona is currently in school at Michigan State University to continue her love of learning. She is majoring in curriculum and instruction.
Delona enjoys traveling. She spent a week learning and exploring in Spain during high school. In college, she studied abroad in The Netherlands and was able to travel to other neighboring countries while there. She also enjoys trying new restaurants, spending time with her dog (Dior), reading, cooking and baking.
Subject Areas: PreK-5 Language Arts and Math;
Art all ages
Melanie is a recent high-school graduate with a few college classes under her belt. She was homeschooled for all of her education up until she began college classes. She loved all subjects, excelling particularly in English and art. She is a people person who loves interacting with others.
Melanie tends to do art in all forms during her freetime. Whether that’s sketching, painting, drawing, or making 3D characters, she’s always working on a project. She’s a big bookworm and writes short stories and poetry.
Subject Areas: 7-12 Math, Science (Physics, Chemistry, and Computer science), and Spanish
Aiden is a senior in high school that will be attending the University of Michigan to study physics in the fall of 2025. He has taken nearly all A.P science and math courses and scored a five. Currently, he is a software lead for his robotics team, Comets 3357. In addition, he participated in the Science Olympiad and medaled in various events. He has experience with tutoring through the NHS.
His favorite part of tutoring is being able to provide students with the intuition behind why what they are learning makes sense; he likes to focus more on understanding the underlying principle, than just solving the problem.
Aiden’s favorite time of the year is summer when he can play tennis, pickleball, and spikeball with my friends. He also enjoys playing games, whether it’s video games or board games.
Subject Areas: K-7 Language Arts, Math, and Science. D&D Dungeon Master for ages 10 and up.
Seph grew up with a love of learning instilled in them from a young age. From this love of learning, teaching others flowed naturally. From helping and teaching their siblings and classmates to volunteer tutoring and missionary work to helping coworkers learn new computer systems to teaching friends how to play video games, teaching others is a natural joy for Seph. He was in National Honors Society, as well as other advanced courses in their schooling. They’re looking forward to helping kids discover the same love and joy of learning that they themselves had growing up.
In their free time, Seph enjoys playing video games, as well as D&D with their friends on the weekends. He lives with his spouse and two amazing cats, Kiara and Kristofferson. They will also happily tell you all about Brandon Sanderson’s newest novel, and how it ties into the rest of his universe.
Subject Areas: Pre-K through 6th Grade Math, Reading, and Science; ESL and Chinese all ages
Jayce holds a bachelor’s degree in Biomolecular Science and a master’s in bioinformatics from the University of Michigan. During her undergraduate years, she worked as a math and reading tutor in Ann Arbor public schools and later served as a Graduate Student Instructor for various college courses while completing her master’s at the University of Michigan. She is currently working in an onco-immunology research lab in Grand Rapids and is excited to incorporate teaching into her career again.
She believes that teaching should be adaptable, engaging, and personalized to meet student’s individual needs. Jayce aims to support students in their early education by helping them build a strong academic foundation and establish their confidence in their learning journey.
Jayce loves arts and crafts, as well as watching Chinese dramas in her free time. Additionally, she enjoys staying active through jogging, biking, and exploring local trails with her friends and family. However, her greatest passion is experimenting with new recipes and making dishes that bring people together.
Subject Areas: K-9 Math, Science, History, and Language Arts
Ed is currently the Director of Dining Services at Porter Hills Retirement Village. He has worked in a variety of leadership positions within the hospitality industry over the last 40 years. He has always loved math, science, history, and language arts. He excelled in all of these subject areas while earning his BA degree at The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. He then went on to earn his MBA at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia.
Ed also enjoyed assisting his wife in homeschooling their daughter and was a licensed HS substitute teacher for multiple years in Illinois.
He enjoys working with students on both a one on one and small group basis. He really enjoys demonstrating how these subjects are valuable and relate to real life applications and experiences all throughout our lives.
He enjoys travel (has been to almost every state, throughout Europe, Mexico, the Caribbean, Australia, and Indonesia). He also likes going to 80’s rock concerts, tennis, golf, and reading.
Subject Areas: Preschool – 6th grade Math, Reading, Writing, Social Studies
Tim has a passion for teaching young people. He is currently an elementary school parapro and bus driver for Jenison Public Schools. He graduated from California State University, Long Beach in accounting spending 36 years as a finance manager and business owner. Throughout his career he gravitated toward teaching: helping numerous adults learn computer software and teaching non-financial people how to understand business information. After retiring from corporate life, Tim went back to his first love: helping kids. Tim enjoys building relationships with kids while making learning fun and practical.
In his free time Tim loves all things outdoors, and as often as possible with his wife and two grown daughters. He walks, hikes, plays pickleball, and golfs. He especially enjoys the winter for snowshoeing and both downhill and cross-country skiing. His passion though is kayaking: all year long, on rivers or lakes, in long or short boats, and in all seasons and weather. There is nothing as peaceful as being on the water.
Subject Areas: K-12 Math, Language Arts, and Science
Hope is currently a freshman at Aquinas college, where she plays basketball and is studying clinical exercise science to follow the pre-physical therapy pathway. While in high school, she was a peer tutor through the National Honor Society and was also a peer editor under the guidance of her English teacher. Hope graduated as Salutatorian of her class and received the student of the year award in both Science and English due to her dedication and high scores on AP tests in these subjects. She enjoys working with all age levels, as she has experience working with different grade levels through youth coaching, student council & NHS events, and helping others in her college classes.
In her free time, Hope loves to read and be outdoors! She is a big time animal lover and grew up pretending she was an explorer as she devoured National Geographic books. Her favorite animal is an otter. Hope also loves sports, and was a three time varsity athlete before she committed to continue her basketball career while studying at Aquinas.
Cadence is a senior in high school. She has completed mathematics courses through AP Calculus AB and is working toward a career in STEM. Mathematics has always been a source of joy and an important tool in her career as a student, and she believes that everyone should be allowed the opportunity to understand and utilize it.
She hopes to provide other students the opportunity to feel confident about and enjoy mathematics while dispelling any anxiety surrounding the subject using empathy and positive feedback. Cadence has a calming and patient presence, quick to lend encouragement and reassurance. Math is for everyone!
Cadence’s hobbies include esports, theater, and art. She loves animals, especially her cat, Penny!
Subject Areas: K-12 mathematics
Andrew is an undergraduate student majoring in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Michigan, with a planned minor in Spanish Language, Literature, and Culture. Throughout his experience with education, he has always been a high-achieving student who loves to help others. Because of his passion for STEM, he values helping students develop critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Overall, he’s committed to making sure that all students have an opportunity to learn in a way that caters to their personal needs and learning habits.
Andrew enjoys creative hobbies such as crochet, origami, and 3D printing. He also loves to bake, and is a dog lover with two goldendoodles. He wants to visit as many places around the world as possible, and so far has visited Iceland, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Peru! He’s a pretty big nerd and encourages others to embrace being nerdy if it brings them joy!
Subject Areas: K-12 History/Social Studies and Sciences, 9-12 Math, Spanish, SAT Test Prep
Ava is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Grand Valley State University, where she aspires to help those struggling with mental health. Now midway through her academic journey, Ava contributes a varied skill set and a deep enthusiasm for creativity and mentorship. Her academic pursuits include behavioral psychology and neuropsychology, complemented by a long-standing engagement with music and a deep interest in ethical studies. With a decade of trumpet performance experience and a deep passion for innovation, Ava blends artistic expression with intellectual curiosity.
Ava is passionate about teaching and aspires to make a meaningful impact by helping others while also having a good time. Her various interests extend beyond academia. She is an avid reader and writer of fiction, enjoys gardening and playing tennis, and finds joy in creative, hands-on pursuits like cooking, gardening, and visual arts. Known for her curiosity, creativity, and dedication, Ava continues to seek opportunities that blend her passion for teaching others with her love for artistic expression and interpersonal connection.
Subject Areas: PreK-8th Grade Math, Science; K-12th Grade Language Arts, Reading, Writing, French, Art, Music
Hailey graduated from Calvin University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a minor in Biology. She loves working with kids and has done so for many years through babysitting and volunteering at schools. She is currently a special education paraprofessional in Forest Hills. Hailey has experience working with children and teens who are autistic, cognitively impaired, and emotionally impaired. She thoroughly enjoys accomplishing goals with her students, even if they are small, everyday achievements. Hailey empathizes with students who are struggling and takes pride in taking the time to talk through any insecurities related to learning.
In her free time, Hailey enjoys visiting coffee shops, reading, going for walks, playing pickleball, and relaxing in the neighborhood park. She loves music and enjoys going to concerts and traveling to different music festivals. Hailey values a healthy balance between work and play and is always open to trying new hobbies. Her newest favorite hobby is watercolor painting.
Subject Areas: K-6 Math, Reading, Writing, and Science; High School Biology and Psychology
Subject Areas: Algebra and Calculus
Siyabulela Tyaliti, is originally from South Africa. He commonly goes by Paul. He has been in the United States for seven years so far. He holds a bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Cornerstone University. Paul currently works as a tutor at Kumon Math and Reading Center of Grandville, where he primarily tutors Algebra, a little bit of Pre-Algebra, and a little bit of Basic Math. Paul also worked as a tutor at Kumon Math and Reading Center of Grand Rapids, where he primarily tutored algebra and calculus, for his internship in the Fall 2024 semester in his bachelor’s degree at Cornerstone.
Outside of studying mathematics and tutoring mathematics, Paul likes to play board games during his spare time. He also enjoys reading and writing poetry and science fiction stories. Paul also loves to watch rugby (particularly when the South African national team plays). He also enjoys watching documentaries about physics and astronomy, and listening to classical music and choral music, and he finds that therapeutic.
Subject Areas: K-9 Math, K-12 Language Arts, Chemistry, Psychology, Theater, Piano, and Art
Lauren is a self employed artist while being a full time student at GRCC. She has been teaching art classes for a couple of years on top of offering painting commissions of pets, people, and weddings. She spent a year at Taylor University majoring in Studio art, and minoring in art history and psychology. Now she is working on getting her bachelor’s in chemistry in the hopes to become a forensic scientist for the Michigan State Police. She loves teaching and helping others with the things she is passionate about.
Name a hobby and Lauren has probably done it. From taking every art and theater class she could in highschool, to playing multiple instruments, and to participating in several sports – equestrian team being one of them. She loves being outside, creating art, writing, and learning new subjects. If she could, Lauren would be a full time student for the rest of her life as her profession.
Subjects: Pre-K - 5th math and language arts
Emma was homeschooled all the way up through high school until she graduated in 2022. Since then, she has acquired about 2.5 years of experience in her current occupation, daycare. Her love of being with kids, however, really started with being a big sister – and it hasn’t stopped since. Her love of learning also started young, and in high school she was able to use that to help her siblings with math when they got stuck. As for her, drawing cartoons and making up tunes, raps, and puns were all things she did in high school to help her learning stick!
Growing up, she lived close to the library and would make frequent bike trips in the summer with her backpack, which was usually full of chapter books, peanuts comic books, and often whatever science subject or skill she was interested in at the time. Math was her favorite subject and she still enjoys it, especially when it means she gets to do her favorite hobby – bake! Emma is excited to help others discover new things about our amazing world and have fun in the process.