Dorothy Nguyen graduated from Rutgers University pre-med with a degree in American Studies and a minor in Music. She has been tutoring students and peers since her freshman year of high school—peer tutoring ESL high school students in a wide range of subjects and classical piano training for students in all ages. Now, the subjects she primarily tutors include high school chemistry, biology, and math, including Algebra, Algebra II, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, and Calculus. Dorothy also tutors elementary and middle school math topics. In addition to core academic math and science, she also tutors math and science for standardized tests, including the SAT, ACT, ISEE, SSAT, CTP, SHSAT, TACHS, Hunter Entrance Exam, and AP Biology.
In addition to her academic coaching and test preparation work, Dorothy is an experienced executive function coach. She has helped children with attentional challenges and other learning disabilities to become more effective with study and organizational skills, including time management. She helps students work on their memory to retain information, mental flexibility to sustain concentration and reduce shifts in attention, and self-control so that they get in the habit of prioritizing their work and monitoring their own progress.
Dorothy’s teaching style is focused on connecting with students and making sure that they not only understand the material but also find the topics interesting. Dorothy believes that there are many equally valid ways to teach a student, and she tailors her lessons to the specific needs of each student. She encourages students to use outside resources to garner interest and deeper understanding of various subjects.
Dorothy is a comedian and writer. She has won multiple screenwriting contests with a half-hour comedy, a one-hour drama, and a dramedy short. When she’s not making people laugh, she can be caught listening to her favorite comedy/science podcasts.
Ima Abia graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in mathematics. She then received a Master’s degree in Mathematics from New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences. Upon graduation from the University of Pennsylvania, worked as a consulting actuary for three years and successfully completed the first 2 exams administered by the Society of Actuaries. Ima then joined Goldman Sachs, where she worked as a product controller for four years.
Laura Togut graduated from Harvard University in 2008 with a degree in Economics. She currently works as a freelance food photographer and food tourism entrepreneur. Laura is also a regular contributor to the popular food blog Serious Eats.
Kovan Pillai, PhD, is the Executive Director of the New York Math Circle and currently provides 
Although deeply fond of his native Medellin, Colombia, Jose Bladimir Parra was always in love with American culture, including its traditions, its music, and the English language. He first dreamt about living in the United States when he was twelve-years-old: he thought living in the United States would be the ideal way to learn English. After graduating from the National University of Colombia as an Industrial Engineer, he worked in the engineering field for about eight years before moving to South Florida, where he soon became a family man.