Founder/President of Ashley Tutors, Joshua Chernikoff has worked with more than 1,000 families providing DC area families one-on-one, in-home tutoring. With a team of more than 65 tutors, Ashley Tutors, which has been featured on NBC4 and WUSA9 news, can meet the academic needs of every student. Joshua is committed to finding the tutor who will be the "right match," and he begins with a comprehensive interview with the student and the parents. The experienced, knowledgeable tutors assigned by Ashley Tutors will help students of all ages and stages of their education (pre-K to post-grad) achieve their full academic potential. With a background in journalism and marketing, and over five years in education management, Joshua offers a fresh perspective and the resources to provide
personalized solutions for our clients.
Michelle Huang graduated from Wootton High School in 2005, then attended Johns Hopkins University and received a B'A' in psychology with a minor in business. After college, she moved back home and joined the D.C. Teaching Fellows, an alternative teaching program. For two years, she taught math and music in D.C. schools while earning a master's degree in secondary math from American University. She is currently an eighth grade math teacher at Stone Middle School in Fairfax County. Michelle loves teaching math and says she learns something new with every student, whether in the classroom or in tutoring. Her hope is that all of her students learn as much from her as she does from them. In her spare time, Michelle likes to spend time with friends and family, and watch TV. A major interest right now is running triathlons and other long distance events. She says she likes to push herself to the limit and is always amazed at how much she can handle. Physical endurance activities also allow her to eat anything she wants, which she lists as another very important hobby.
Seth Tendler is a native Washingtonian who graduated from the D.C. public schools. After a hiatus to travel across the U.S., he enrolled at Arizona State University and graduated with honors in December, 2008, with a bachelor's degree in English literature. After college he moved back to D.C. and joined the Ashley Tutors' team. Then, in the fall of 2009, Seth moved to Lisbon, Portugal, for a year, teaching English and spending his free time traveling across Europe, discovering new people and places. As part of Ashley Tutors, Seth runs the Homework Club at Bradley Hills Elementary School in Bethesda. Working with a diverse group of students, he specializes in organization and study skills, reading, and writing comprehension. In September, Seth will be teaching at McKinley High School and will attend Johns Hopkins University to pursue his master's in special education.
Somer Snider is a graduate of Millersville University in Pennsylvania with a B.S. in science and elementary education and an extra certification in urban education. She taught fifth and sixth grades for two years before moving into middle school in Montgomery County to teach pre-algebra and algebra to seventh and eighth grade students. While teaching middle school, Somer earned a master's in education for curriculum and Instruction for middle school math (particularly algebra and geometry). At present, she's teaching honors geometry and supervising the math department at her middle school. She's also in charge of professional development for teachers in her department and often works with them in their classrooms. Meanwhile, she is back at graduate school to get a second master's degree – this time in administration. Somer loves teaching math and believes that every student is a mathematician; they just need to find the confidence and mindset to tap into their abilities. She says she's always inspired by the fact that she learns just as much from her students as she teaches them! Somer has taught students of all ages, including kindergarten and first grades when she was student teaching in Pennsylvania, and she has served as a director of student teen tours during summer vacations. She and five other counselors would travel across the country for six weeks with 50 teenagers - a true test of patience! In her spare time she likes to run, do yoga, or walk her three-year-old rescue dog. Right now she's coaching the middle school version of the Girls on the Run program. Somer enjoys teaching the girls about finding self-confidence and independence through fitness and a healthy lifestyle.
Claire Zinda, a graduate of Saint Louis University with a bachelor's degree in special education for mild-moderate disabilities, is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio She has been a part of the Ashley Tutors' team for three years and has worked with over ten families. She is currently the lead middle school teacher at The Frost School in Rockville, a private, special education school. Claire teaches math, reading and science to sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students and has been at Frost since January, 2008.
Josh Messite graduated from Quince Orchard High School in 2002 and began the journey toward his B.S. in mathematics from the University of Maryland. He didn't expect to fall in love – but he did. He fell in love with the complexity and structure of a mathematical system. A high-energy athlete involved in football, basketball, golf, tennis, the martial arts, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and muay thai, Josh loves to sit down and apply that same high energy to his brain. He says there's "Nothing like straining and sweating over a problem for hours and finally getting that 'aha' moment, where all your work comes together in your head and the problem almost solves itself." Josh loves figuring out those tough math problems and strives to share that same satisfaction with every student and client. In addition to tutoring, Josh has also taught math to prospective medical students at Sanford Brown Institute.
Courtney Andes has a degree in French and a master's in elementary education from the University of Virginia. After graduating in 2007, she moved to Annecy, France, where she taught English to elementary-aged children at three different schools. Originally from the Shenandoah Valley, third grade in Fairfax County. Courtney loves seeing how much confidence children can gain through learning. Her focus is on enriching their educational experience through advanced academics, and she likes helping children begin to understand the complex, but fun world we live in. When not teaching school or tutoring, Courtney enjoys dancing, reading, and walking outdoors.
Paul Chrenko holds both an undergraduate degree in religious studies and a master's degree in managing and leading within non-profits. He has worked with over 15 Ashley Tutors' families in two years. An athlete at heart, while in college he played both soccer and basketball. Since he grew up in Northville, Michigan, and attended college in Franklin Springs, Georgia, and Lakeland, Florida, he decided to split the difference between north and south and settle in beautiful Washington, D.C.
Beth Vacante is a preschool special education teacher with Montgomery County Public Schools. She has been working with MCPS for the past five years and, prior to that, taught in the Prince George's County Public Schools for two years. Beth holds an M.S. in early childhood special education from Johns Hopkins University (2009), a B.A. in English from Hood College (2004), and also completed a secondary education teacher certification program through the University of Maryland University College (2006). She is Maryland certified to teach early childhood education (grades K-3), secondary English (grades 6-12), and special education (ages birth-21 years). She has experience working with students of almost every age. Her training and expertise includes working with students with special needs including autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and developmental delays/atypical development. When she's not teaching, Beth loves staying active and playing sports. She is currently training for her first marathon, and also enjoys boxing/sparring. Beth believes exercise is extremely important, not only for physical health, but also for mental well-being. She always encourages families to make time for exercise and outdoor play, because studying is important, but play is too.
Paul Hashagan moved back to his home state of Florida after he earned a B.A. in economics and a minor in math from the University of Virginia. In Florida, he coached high school basketball before deciding to return to school to pursue a master's in math education. While obtaining his master's at Florida International University, he began tutoring students in math and also did some substitute teaching. When he finished this program, he moved to DC and began his teaching career. For the last seven years, he has taught sixth grade math at an independent school in D.C., while spending his non-teaching time tutoring and coaching. Paul primarily tutors math, although he has also worked with students on chemistry, history, biology, and Spanish. Paul is happy to say he has had pleasant and positive experiences with all of his Ashley Tutors' students. Through Ashley Tutors, Paul has also taught in the Emerging Scholars Program on Saturdays, helping talented fifth grade students with their transition to independent schools. As he continues working with Ashley Tutors' students, Paul looks forward to helping students learn in the way that best suits their learning style.
Leigh Robinson earned an M.A. in forensic psychology and youth studies from Argosy University, Washington, D.C. She is a dual certified special education/general education teacher at Baden Elementary school in Brandywine, Maryland, and is also studying for her TAG certification. After working with law firms in downtown D.C., Leigh was awarded a fellowship with the New Teacher Project, working in high needs schools in Prince George's County. She feels fortunate that Prince George's County allows her to be innovative in order to close the achievement gap and to work with diverse students and teachers. This originality is an attribute she brings to her work as a tutor. In tutoring sessions, she uses her love of games and crafts to make her students feel successful and build confidence while having fun. With older students, she works on not only curriculum but also on work habits and strategies for success that can be applied through college into the work place while stressing the connection between curriculum and real life. Leigh has been with Ashley Tutors since June, 2010, and says she feels fortunate to have worked with wonderful students from preschool age through middle school. Teaching is her dream job and she counts herself lucky to do what she loves and love what she does, every day!
Michelle Tamoria, an engineer working with NASA on the Fermi Satellite project, earned her bachelor's in science for mechanical engineering and master's in engineering in Systems Engineering from the University of Maryland - College Park. She has been a tutor most of her life. As the oldest child in a very large extended family, she had the responsibility of being a positive role model, as well as a tutor to her younger siblings and cousins. She also spent some time in the local school system as a substitute teacher. Two of Michelle's favorite hobbies are digital photography and baking. She loves trying new foods and new experiences, and believes in keeping an open mind. That is, with one exception. A life-long D.C. resident, Michelle says she's a Redskins' fan for life.
Meryl Mahoney graduated from the University of Maryland in 2006 with degrees in education and English. Since then, she's been teaching seventh grade English at Rocky Hill Middle School. Meryl loves working with students and making English fun. She teaches a diverse population of students, which encourages her to constantly revise her lessons to adjust to their needs. In addition to her work with Ashley Tutors, Meryl teaches a writing workshop which allows students to improve and advance their writing skills. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and riding her bike. In 2009, she completed a 100 mile century bike ride to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Meryl says she feels fortunate to live in the D.C. area where she can take advantage of all the culturally rich offerings, especially if those events are related to art, music, or food.
John Golden graduated from the University of Maryland at College Park in 1997 with a B.A. in history. Right after graduation, he took a seven-month internship at the Middle East Institute, while continuing to work for his father's insurance company. In October, 1998, he moved to Israel to study and work on the peace process. From early 2000 into the summer of 2001, he was back in the D.C. area working in the insurance business, but his continuing interest in Israel brought him back to Tel Aviv in July, 2001. He worked on his M.A. and traveled in the region and in Europe until the end of 2006. Upon returning, he settled in Arlington and tried his hand at consulting and lobbying. Then he decided to return to his original academic career, aiming to achieve Maryland certification in special education and history. John's hobbies include reading, writing, hiking, ATV riding, boating, and cooking, to name but a few.
Meredith MacKenzie is a graduate of the University of Missouri and a skilled Spanish teacher. Meredith began studying Spanish in the second grade and completed Advance Placement Spanish 5, passing the AP Test. Then she continued her Spanish studies in college. She spent a year as an international volunteer in Ecuador, where she taught English as a foreign language to native Spanish speakers. She also participated in an after-school program to help disadvantaged kids with their homework. As a tutor for Ashley Tutors she has worked with the full range of students from first grade non-readers to International Baccalaureate Spanish 5 at the high school level. She has specialized in the Fairfax County, VA elementary immersion program and is qualified to tutor primary math and science in Spanish. In her other job, Meredith is a press secretary for a member of Congress. She finds working at the U.S. Capitol very exciting. She also likes the opportunity to set up Capitol tours for Ashley Tutors' students and their families.
Jeremy Robbins holds a degree in biology from Ohio University. Although he has always aspired to be a professional golfer, his far-from-impressive 20 handicap isn't quite good enough to get on the tour; so he set his mind on the next best thing – dentistry. He loves science and enjoys tutoring because it gives him the opportunity to help others appreciate it. When he's not helping students, doing research, or reading textbooks, you'll probably find Jeremy traveling somewhere. Ever since his first trip to Mexico when he was five years old, he has had a passion for seeing the world. To date, he has been to over 30 countries, and hopes to eventually step foot in all of them.
Lindsey Saltzman is a special ed paraeducator at Stedwick Elementary School. This is her fourth year in the Montgomery County Public Schools. With a bachelor's degree in social work, Lindsey is now working toward a master's degree in school counseling. She has a special affinity for tutoring elementary school children, especially in math. Lindsey loves dogs, so along with becoming a school counselor, she plans to combine her love of kids with her love of dogs and work part time using pet therapy to help kids. In her spare time, Lindsey likes to travel. She's engaged to be married to long-time boyfriend, Jim.
Andrew Wardis a 2009 graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park, and holds bachelor's degrees in math, physics, and English. He started tutoring while attending Rockville's Wootton High School and has been doing it ever since. Andrew's subjects have ranged from chess to Latin, but he is most often found helping with physics, the SAT, and especially high school math, which he tackles on his trusty, ever-present whiteboard. His favorite word is "spork."
Gregory Johnson is a UCLA graduate who was born and raised in Los Angeles. During his second year at UCLA he got involved in the Early Academic Outreach Programs (EAOP) and tutored students in math at underserved schools. Upon graduation he received a full-time job at UCLA's EAOP and was put in charge of disseminating college access information to students at five high school sites. Part of the job included learning about the internal workings of the college admissions process, and he became a freshman admission application reader for one of the most sought-after colleges in the nation. Gregory found his way to Washington, D.C. to attend the Howard University School of Law. He's in his final year at Howard. Since starting law school, he has worked for a law firm in Cape Town, the Orleans Public Defenders in Louisiana, and for Creative Artists Agency in Los Angeles. While his interests are varied, he still loves helping youth, and lists "Seeing my students get better grades than they had before they met me" as one of his favorite activities. His other pastimes include getting passport stamps, eating great food, watching "his" Los Angeles Lakers, and rooting for the Bruins.
Lara Levi was born and raised in Miami Beach. She attended Tufts University in Boston, majoring in art history and comparative religion and participated in the Writing Fellows program, offering writing and editing help to fellow students. She also taught Hebrew School and Jewish education at a local synagogue, creating the curriculum and educational activities from scratch. In 2008, Lara founded Little Miss Editor, an editing service for prospective college and graduate students. Along with tutoring, she currently works at the World Wildlife Fund as a grant writer.
Josh Zhang graduated from Kenyon College in 2007 with a B.A. in biochemistry. He has worked with Ashley Tutors since 2008 and loves to tutor math and science. In 2006 he had a summer science research project in the land down under (Australia) which he says has been the most exciting experience of his lifetime. As Josh says: "Where else but Australia could I experience rich culture, a sports crazy nation, the world's food at my fingertips, and study the deadly effects of Malaria" Josh enjoys Tex-Mex food, traveling, and movies that put a smile on his face, as well as epics such as the Lord of the Rings and Avatar.
Maggie Hollaran holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Washington and Lee University. With that degree, she worked in environmental consulting before earning an M.A. in marine science from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, College of William and Mary. Although she grew up on Long Island, since college she has spent most of her time in D.C., Virginia, and now Maryland. In addition to working with Ashley Tutors, Maggie works at the Smithsonian Institution's Laboratories of Analytical Biology. There she extracts, amplifies and sequences the DNA of marine vertebrates and invertebrates for Barcode of Life projects. While working at the Smithsonian, she has obtained a Scientific Diving Certification and has collected fish in Turks, Caicos, and Belize. Maggie appreciates that, through Ashley Tutors, she interacts with terrific students, most often tutoring in algebra. She likes spending time with her family and friends, cooking, and working on her home. She also loves to ski and to travel.
Kelli Golanski graduated from West Virginia University in 2005 with dual degrees in chemistry and forensic science. She worked for an aerospace company as a chemist for three years before going back to school. She is now enrolled in graduate school at the University of Maryland, researching environmental issues in natural waters. She plans to graduate in 2012. Kelli began tutoring six years ago as a way to make money during undergraduate school. Now tutoring has developed into a true passion and an integral part of her life. Her tutoring experience is primarily in math and science, and she has worked with students ranging from middle school to graduate school. Kelli says her greatest joy comes from meeting with students who are doing poorly in math or science and showing them that not only can they succeed, but they might have some fun while doing so. One of her favorite quotations is "Never tell a young person that something cannot be done: Man may have been waiting for centuries for someone ignorant of the impossible to do that very thing.". Kelli's hobbies include running, playing basketball and skiing.
Anne Deschamps received her undergraduate education in biology from Northeastern University in Boston, MA in 2001, and her PhD in molecular and cellular biology from the Medical University of South Carolina, in Charleston in 2007. She was formerly a postdoctoral fellow in the Translational Medicine Branch of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. At NIH, she was a member of the Fellows Editorial Board and assisted the NHLBI Associate Director of Education with an outreach program for post-baccalaureate fellows. She received the NIH Fellows Award for Research Excellence (FARE) in 2009 for her work describing a G-protein coupled estrogen receptor and its role in cardioprotection. Anne is a member of a number of professional societies including The American Physiology Society, American Heart Association, and the International Society for Heart Research. She is currently employed as a science policy analyst in the Office of Public Affairs at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. In addition, Anne is an active community volunteer and enjoys tutoring middle and high school students in math and science.
Tanya Ellis was raised in Massachusetts and has a B.A. in Africana studies from Wellesley and an M.S. in television from Boston University, Tanya works full time in the media industry as a producer, and has taught, tutored, and mentored for the past eight years. She strongly believes in the talent and power of today's youth and wants to teach them how to harness it to not only to benefit themselves but also their communities. About tutoring, Tanya says "I love bringing a sense of fun and creativity to my sessions, as I believe empowering students to think outside the box supports greater academic success."
Tim Herbert is a native of Dallas, Pennsylvania. He attended The University of Scranton, where he earned a bachelor's of science in biology, a B.A. in theatre and minored in Spanish. After graduating in 2003, Tim took time off to work and earn money for graduate school. In the fall of 2005, he began work on his master's in forensic science from Arcadia University, graduating in 2007. Tim now works at the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) in Rockville Maryland, in the mitochondrial DNA department, which helps identify MIA/POWs from foreign American conflicts by using mitochondrial DNA from ancient bone samples. Tim has been a member of Ashley Tutors since 2008. The subjects he tutors most are math, science and Spanish. When Tim is not tutoring or working, he enjoys running, reading and watching movies.
David Hessler first attended Oberlin Conservatory of Music and then earned a B.S. in computer science from the University of Maryland. Graduating from a specialty high school for the arts, David is passionate about music and the visual arts. He specializes in tutoring mathematics, computer science, and music theory. David believes that tutoring is about asking the right questions to guide the student to the right answer. He also uses computer visuals and kinesthetic exercises to help students grasp material. David has eight years of tutoring experience, tutoring at Oberlin, Kaplan, and privately in the D.C. area before joining the Ashley Tutors' team. In his free time, he rock climbs, plays video games, and is an avid reader. He reads Shakespearian plays (his favorite is Titus Andronicus), Homer's epic poems, and science fiction.
Abbi Owen has a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Maryland and is currently working on her master's degree with a specialization in gifted and talented education at Towson University. This is her fourth year as a middle school math teacher for Montgomery County Public Schools, and she says: "I LOVE my job!" Abbi started working for Ashley Tutors because she believes that every child is capable of learning and has potential to do something spectacular with their lives. "You truly don't know how much something you say or do will affect the future," and she likes helping children because they ARE the future. Math is Abbi's specialty, and she enjoys tutoring elementary and middle school math. But since she also likes history, she looks forward to an opportunity to tutor that subject as well. For fun, she enjoys going to concerts and movies and watching Redskins' games with her husband and dog.
Bret Seraile is a musician/songwriter. He started tutoring when he was studying for his master's degree in accounting at the University of Memphis. During that time, he tutored and mentored inner city youth as a community service, and learned that he liked tutoring, especially math, and working with kids in general. Bret is continually impressed by children's intelligence and common sense. He says he learns from each child he teaches, and he looks forward to continuing his role as a positive influence in their lives. A 2005 graduate of Northwest High School in Germantown, Bret was a state champion in football. In 2009, he graduated from Hampton University in Virginia with a B.S. in accounting. He's been writing music for his own enjoyment for years, and over the last several years, he has begun to record hip hop/alternative songs. He would like to begin performing live in the near future, as music is his true passion in life. He hopes to use his musical talent, combined with his education in finance and accounting, to build successful businesses and create opportunities for others. In his free time, Bret enjoys recording music, playing sports, and being with friends and family.
Veronica Colón is originally from San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico. After graduating from the University of Puerto Rico with a degree in psychology and neurobiology, she was offered a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health as a research associate. It was at NIH that she became interested in international studies and diplomacy and then pursued a master's in foreign service at Georgetown University, with a concentration in Latin American studies. She graduated in May, 2010, while already working for the telecommunications multinational, Telefonica Internacional. Veronica was an independent teacher at Georgetown for students studying for their Spanish proficiency exam and for others interested in the language. When she learned about Ashley Tutors, she saw the opportunity to take her passion, teaching a beautiful language, to a different professional level. In her spare time, she volunteers by helping Spanish-speaking patients at St. Elizabeth's Hospital. In addition, she is the National Director of Development and Political Affairs for the National Puerto Rican Chamber of Commerce. Veronica enjoys learning new languages (she is an intermediate Portuguese speaker and is learning Mandarin), teaching, photography, painting, running, biking and reading.
Anne Aichele has had a life-long passion for education. Since earning her bachelor's degree in elementary education from Elizabethtown College and her master's degree in higher education from North Carolina State University, she has had a variety of positions as an educator. She has been a school-based therapist, a special education teacher, and now serves as director of Disability Support Services at Marymount University. From a very young age, Anne realized the importance of cultivating relationships with the next generation. She loves the look on the face of a student when they reach the "AHA" moment--that instant where everything falls into place and the world makes sense. Anne enjoys tutoring and always looks forward to working with new students and creating collaborative learning relationships. Anne spends time with friends, family, and her dog, Cooper.
Kristen Lloyd graduated in 2003 from The Woodlands High School in The Woodlands, Texas as an AP scholar with honors. She attended Claremont McKenna College in Los Angeles, California, where she received a B.A. in government and history. In college she studied in Budapest, Hungary, and ran cross-country and track. Kristen completed a master's of arts in teaching from American University in June, 2011, and is currently enrolled in a pre-doctoral history program at George Mason University. Since 2009, she has been a social studies teacher and department chair at Ballou STAY High School in Southeast Washington. Kristen loves being a teacher and tutor. She believes that "All students should have the opportunity to find the intrinsic value of learning. Sometimes they just need somebody dedicated to helping them find it." In her spare time, Kristen volunteers with The Junior League of Washington. She's a founding member of Club Red of the National Capitol region, and served as the club president for one year. She's also an avid runner who completed the Boston Marathon in 2011, and frequently runs local races. She enjoys gourmet cooking and hiking with her dog, Ronald.
Eva O'Connell is a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in cell biology and neuroscience and a minor in psychology. In the fall, she will be attending LECOM medical school in Florida, where she plans to pursue a career in pediatric medicine. Her favorite pastime is dabbling in the arts – she enjoys all mediums from oils to charcoal, and can spend countless hours locked away working on projects. Eva finds the arts to be a wonderful stress reliever and an activity that puts her back at peace after a long week. Besides art, outdoor activities such as biking, kayaking, and swimming are favorites. In the winter, snowboarding is a must! Whether it is working with young children or a peer, Eva always tries to bring her enthusiasm, and she encourages her students to do the same.
Dwayne Brown graduated from the William Knibb Memorial High in Falmouth, Jamaica in 2002. He then attended the City University of New York-Brooklyn College campus where he received a B.S. in biology with a minor in chemistry. After college, he worked for a year in the radiology department at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York. Dwayne is now enrolled at Howard University where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in pharmacology in the College of Medicine. In his spare time, Dwayne likes to travel to different countries, spend time with friends and quality time with family. He considers himself very disciplined and dedicated and constantly tries to work to his best potential. Dwayne enjoys tutoring anything in the sciences or in English and says his greatest fulfillment comes from knowing his students are learning and doing well.
Leo Rydlun is a 2005 graduate of Walt Whitman High School. He then went on to obtain a degree in education from the University of Maryland and was a student teacher in the first grade at Whetstone Elementary. To broaden his qualifications, he took the Praxis II exams and became certified in middle school math, science, social studies, and English. Leo substituted in many grades, subjects, and schools in the Whitman, Churchill, and Wootton clusters, and was a long-term substitute for special education English at Hoover Middle School. He then took a position teaching eighth grade algebra in Salisbury. After teaching there, he returned to Montgomery County and is currently working for a company that leases office space. Leo has been a part of Ashley Tutors since 2009, and has tutored students in elementary, middle, and high school subjects. He looks forward to providing one-on-one instruction and playing a role in students becoming self-motivated to achieve. He is a supporter of sustainability practices such as reducing, reusing, and recycling to ensure resources are available for others. His more abstract interests can be described as a combination of theology, philosophy, psychology, and biblical studies.
Mailee Zhou graduated from high school in 2008 with a 3.9 GPA and an SAT score of 2000. She's now working on a B.S. degree in biology from George Mason University, where she's an active member of the GMU tennis club. Mailee has been tutoring since high school. As a member of a very close knit family, she started early with tutoring her younger siblings and cousins. Since enrolling at GMU, she's helped numerous classmates in biology, chemistry, and math. Ashley Tutors was a perfect fit for Mailee, since she loves tutoring and mentoring kids of all ages. Seeing them succeed is a huge accomplishment for her. In her free time, Mailee volunteers at the children's hospital.
Alex Hartley graduated from Wesleyan University in 2010 with degrees in neuroscience and psychology. During college, she worked at an after-school program for elementary school students and in a local elementary school as a classroom assistant and recess club leader. She has taught middle school through the Breakthrough Collaborative for the past three summers and is currently interning in the central office at D.C. Public Schools. In her free time, Alex enjoys playing the accordion, exercising, reading, and baking.
Anna Ferre received her B.S. degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland, College Park in May, 2005. After college, she moved to Alexandria to work as a government employee for the Missile Defense Agency. Early in her career she began to pursue further education by completing a rigorous two-year program to certify in Six Sigma (a continuous process improvement methodology) as a Black Belt. Upon certification, she began to organize and teach three-day Six Sigma courses throughout the Missile Defense Agency so that the agency could eventually implement its own program. In 2009, Anna received her M.S. degree in systems engineering at the George Washington University and began working as a systems engineer for the Raytheon Company. Anna has always had a passion for making sure young adults are aware that engineering is an exciting and rewarding career – and that a good math and science foundation is not only a must but can be fun and easy to learn as well. She stresses to her students that all it takes is practice and imagination to develop what each one of us is capable of accomplishing with a little hard work. Anna likes to stay active by playing golf and tennis and by running. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family.
Cameron Busacca is a 2007 graduate of Montgomery High School in New Jersey. He's now a student at the University of Maryland, where he is pursuing a B.A. in French and a minor in computer science. Since his early high school years, Cameron has been tutoring children and young adults in computer science, math, and science. He's also taught classes on Java, web design, flash, and Microsoft programs. Cameron has loved working with kids ever since he was a kid himself. He says he likes teaching because "every student I've worked with learns in a different way, and has their own strengths and weaknesses." In his spare time, Cameron plays sports, exercises, and challenges himself. One of his favorite pastimes is competing in beach volleyball tournaments. He also enjoys playing video games, watching TV, and hanging out with friends and family.
Jordan Beane is the chief videographer for the Washington Redskins, a position that he's held since 2009. He was born and raised near Albany, New York, and attended college at American University. He graduated in 2007 with a major in print journalism and a minor in international relations, working in video production (both in scouting departments for the Nationals and the Redskins as well as for the Redskins Broadcast Network) since graduation. Says Jordan: "No one told me a blacksmithing degree would be more valuable now than one in communications Jordan was raised in a family of educators and rare is there a family event that doesn't include some kind of breakaway discussion about teaching. While he has chosen a different field, tutoring with Ashley Tutors gives him an opportunity to experience some of what his family has done. He also enjoys having the opportunity to help kids like he was in high school - imparting some advice and making sure they avoid some of the speed bumps he ran into as a teen. Some of his hobbies include reading, writing and running. He "completed" his first half marathon last summer, which only validated his belief that humans are not made to endure that sort of abuse (He now keeps his runs to five miles or less).
Mark Giarrusso is originally from Long Island, New York. He has a B.A. in history from Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania, and a secondary education certificate in social studies from Dowling College on Long Island. Mark has worked in several special education programs in NY and PA; as a classroom aide; as a one-on-one aide for children from the elementary to high school level; and as a substitute teacher. He's also been involved in the real estate industry as a minority owner in a real estate investment and management company in Myrtle Beach, SC. Mark joined Ashley tutors in January of 2011.
Stacy Stickels teaches in Montgomery County and has a bachelor's degree in special education for infant to adult. She is also Highly Qualified in Early Childhood Education. Stacy has been both a teacher and a tutor for the last seven years. She first taught middle school special education in a variety of subject and grade levels for four years, and now teaches pre-K. She also works as a teacher for the Emerging Scholars Program every Saturday. Where she assists fifth grade students for entry into independent schools.
