Biography

With over 20 years of experience in teaching, communications, and youth programs, I am proud to be a part of the AJ team, as an educator, leader and college consultant!

I graduated from UC Davis in 2005 with a BA in Developmental Psychology. In the midst of thirteen overlapping years of experience in recreation, sports and summer camping, I returned to school and earned an MS in Organizational Administration and ultimately acquired a Specialized Certificate in College Consulting from UC San Diego. My work at AJ Tutoring began in 2014, and in that time I have taken on several roles in professional tutoring, team leadership and college consulting.

In my recreation work, I built and implemented programs for all ages, specializing in mixed- group leadership and instruction, staff training, team building and behavior guidance. Across many years of training, I have studied a diverse array of emotional counseling and communication techniques, such as Nonviolent Communication and Success Counseling, which have shaped an engagement style rooted in need analysis, empathic listening and compassionate support.

Starting my career in this way laid a strong foundation for the true calling I would eventually answer in education and college readiness, in that I can effectively work to support and counsel aspiring teens as they carve out a path to college. Along the way, I have developed an adaptive approach to provide comprehensive advising and education on everything from essay drafting and standardized test prep tutoring to course load strategy and college list development.

Amidst a dynamic and constantly shifting admissions landscape, I strongly believe that expert guidance and empathic support are the most critical joists that even the most highly qualified student benefits from relying on. As one parent put it to me, “Even gold medal winning Olympic athletes have coaches.” Indeed they do, and such is the enduring motto behind the outstretched hand I offer to any student who might benefit from comprehensive support.

Through a shared vision of growth built on a foundation of positive confidence, I am here to help engineer new pathways to success. I would be delighted to meet with you, learn about your aspirations and develop a customized plan to support the process.