Beacon Hill & Columbia City Tutors
Quin
I am an experienced writer and educator with rich, varied experience in teaching students reading and writing. I graduated with degrees in English and Economics from Whitman College, where I also worked as a tutor and poetry instructor with middle schoolers. Since then, I've had the opportunity to teach in a variety of contexts, from elementary school to college, from a university in China to a public elementary school in Eugene, Oregon. I received my MA in Elementary Teaching from Lewis & Clark College with additional coursework in ESOL, and I am a certificated elementary school teacher working on receiving my ELL and reading endorsements. Outside of my classroom experiences, I have also worked in educational equity positions at Whitman and UW Medicine. Reading and writing have meant so much to me in my life, and I love to bring that to others, whether through teaching foundational schools to an early elementary schooler, or helping a grown-up tap into their playful, creative side.
Outside of reading and writing, or teaching other people about reading and writing, I like to paint, play basketball, run, and make jokes with my friends.
Bruno
I am an SPS teacher with 10 years of experience as an educator and tutor, certificated in English and Language Arts, Reading, and English Language Learners. My work has primarily been as a reading interventionist, which includes dyslexia intervention, bilingual reading intervention (Spanish), and ESL, but I have also taught ELA 6th-8th and tutored SAT Math and Reading. My training and experience have allowed me to see reading and writing as skills that can be assessed, monitored, and remediated through research-proven methods and best practices.
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As an ESL student and non-reader in childhood, I understand the challenges that students face as readers and writers. It was through my own experience in reading intervention that I became an avid reader and academically successful, so I believe whole-heartedly in data-informed instruction and in the benefits, beyond the classroom, of being a confident reader and writer.
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I have a BA In English with honors and a BM in Vocal Performance with honors from the University of Texas at Austin and continued my education in pre-medical studies. I scored in the 99th percentile in the English portion of the ACT, in the 97th percentile in the writing portion of the SAT, and I was recognized by the NHRP as a National Hispanic Scholar. At UT, I was a finalist in the English Department Writing Contest in both fiction and literary criticism. My reading intervention training includes Wilson, Esperanza, 6 +1 Traits, and the Teachers College curriculum.
Teal
As a youth librarian, my goal is always to cultivate safe and meaningful relationships with the children and teens in my community. The same framework shapes my work as a tutor, where a trusting dynamic is foundational to the exploration of my students’ educational priorities.
I have a Master’s degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Washington, where my focus was representative and equitable youth services. My work in libraries has provided me with experience in early literacy, connecting with reluctant readers, and finding “just right” books. All of these skills come together when I’m working with students, tailoring my expertise to suit their individual needs and finding a way to make learning both fun and productive.
In addition to my library work, I have a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature with a minor in Spanish. In my culminating paper, I explored the ways that Lousia May Alcott creates a feminist utopia in her classic novel Little Women. During college, I also worked as an editor for the women’s center’s literary journal. After graduating, I worked as an editorial intern at The Feminist Press in New York, where I helped refine manuscripts for publication. Outside of work, I am on the volunteer staff of GeekGirlCon, where I’ve spent the last five years writing and editing content for their blog and marketing materials. In all, I have over seven years of professional writing and editing experience, which I am delighted to put to use supporting my students and growing their confidence.
I strive to create an equitable, accessible, and enjoyable learning environment in every tutoring session. When it comes to working with students, it is my belief that a lifelong love of reading and writing can begin at a young age with plenty of encouragement and a personalized approach.
