Welcome To Tutoring Club

Michelle is the Owner and Director of Tutoring Club of McLean. She manages the day-to-day operations of the Center and takes a personal interest in each child she meets. As part of the national Tutoring Club organization, Michelle delivers the very best curriculum for students. On top of that, being a local owner allows her to individualize the lessons for each student, to be readily available to parents and students, and to contribute directly to each student’s success. Michelle monitors each student’s progress every step of the way and hires professional, caring, and accomplished instructors who share her passion. A Southern California native, Michelle received her degree from California State University, Long Beach. Michelle has always had a passion for helping people overcome their obstacles and achieve their best. Throughout the years, she has motivated students, friends, family members, and associates of all ages to do so and feels no greater reward than helping others realize their goals. She is a big believer in strengthening her community and in giving back and believes that we can all make a difference in the world in which we live. “I have always wanted to build a business that strengthened my community, ever since I wrote my first business plan when I was in the fourth grade,” Michelle said. That business plan has been preserved over the years and is now framed in the Tutoring Club’s offices. By bringing Tutoring Club to the DC metro area, she is able to share those passions and provide an environment where children succeed and where learning is fun!

Contact Michelle at McLeanVA@TutoringClub.com

Rachana has always been passionate about tutoring and providing mentoring outreach to children. Throughout high school she volunteered with programs through Academic Honor Societies and the guidance counselor’s office to help students struggling with subjects such as Algebra, Trigonometry, and Biology. She has also worked with the mentor program SHINE, which combined dance with math tutoring to help 5th and 6th grade girls become interested about going into STEM fields early on. She graduated from Robinson High School with an IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma and from the University of Virginia in May, 2023 with a B.S. in Commerce with concentrations in Management and IT. She then moved into the marketing consulting space for a year before re-joining TCM. In 2020, Rachana worked with TCM as an online tutor during the height of the pandemic and we’re excited to have her back in this new role. She has a strong passion for working with students and has over 10 years of experience working with them in tutoring settings. Seeing students overcome obstacles and achieve new heights of success has always been greatly rewarding to her. She looks forward to getting to know students from diverse backgrounds and is ready to meet them wherever they are in their academic journey! In her free time, Rachana enjoys reading, volunteering, and learning how to aerial dance.

Contact Rachana at SchedulingNVA@TutoringClub.com

Amber enjoys helping students meet their goals through thoughtful work and careful planning. She loves the idealism that students bring with them, and she helps students by celebrating successes and brainstorming through difficulties. Relentless optimism, high standards, and knowledge of options are key to her student-centered approach. Originally from Florida, Amber earned her BA in English from the University of Florida. After a year working with AmeriCorps in North Carolina, she went on to earn her MA in English from Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. She taught first-year writing at UMass Boston and then went on to complete her Ph.D. in English at George Washington University, where she focused on Victorian literature of the working classes. Between teaching writing and literature and advising, Amber has worked with college students for more than a decade. In her free time, Amber enjoys running, reading, and spending time with her family, including two young children (who help keep her running!).

Contact Amber at AmberCV@TutoringClub.com

Harrison graduated from University of Maryland, College Park in 2019 with a degree in Biochemistry. While there, he spent time as a research assistant and as a math and science tutor to students K-12. After graduation, Harrison worked at the NIH in Bethesda aiding with COVID and Tuberculosis research on mice and monkeys, but found that his true passion was working with students. He is excited to return to tutoring and works with students needing assistance in math, science, ACT/SAT/AP exam prep, reading, and writing. When not working with students, you can find Harrison cheering for the Yankees, enjoying some pizza, or hiking the local trails.

Laura graduated from American University in 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and a minor in Psychology. Growing up in Vienna, Austria, and later moving back to McLean, VA, Laura attended McLean High School where she was on the leadership team of the National Honor Society. Her love for working with and teaching kids stemmed from a young age. Throughout high school, she worked as an assistant at the Sunday School at Temple Rodef Shalom and later worked as a Head Counselor for several years. When she’s not working, you can find her hanging out with friends, trying new restaurants, and traveling!

Kelly believes in creating a comfortable learning environment for each individual as a way to motivate students and create excitement in learning. Through developing this excitement, students begin to become confident in school, as well as all aspects of life. She is passionate about helping students achieve their academic goals and helping them to develop into life long learners. Originally from Westminster, Maryland, Kelly earned her BS in Psychology from Mount St. Mary’s University, graduating Magna Cum Laude. During her time at the Mount, she was fortunate to be a part of two separate service trips to Honduras, where she spent time building schools and homes, teaching children English, and playing many games of soccer. Having these experiences and seeing the change one can make in the lives of others led her to become a tutor in Philosophy and Psychology while in college. Currently, Kelly is pursuing her MPH in Global Health from George Washington University. One day, she hopes to work on designing and monitoring health programs for people, especially children, in developing countries. When not in class or working, Kelly enjoys experiencing new places, whether it’s locally or around the world. She also enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing soccer, hiking, and catching up on her favorite TV shows.

Bill’s life has been focused on teaching and writing. He earned his BA in Philosophy with a minor in Mathematics and English at the University of Illinois, and both his M.Sc. in History and Philosophy of Science and his Ph.D. in Philosophy at the London School of Economics, under the late, great Sir Karl Popper. He taught at the college-level for five years, and then became a homemaker, raising his three children while his wife was a World Bank economist. In 1994, he started the Jewish Institute for Youth & Family, where he taught in religious schools, and developed and published materials on Jewish values for use in his teachings to middle and high schoolers. Bill has also written three published books and countless articles, and has designed a font for sale on Font Bureau. Bill loves to teach and to write and looks forward to making a difference in his students’ academic journeys.

Emma grew up in Great Falls and currently lives in Reston. She attended Mercersburg Academy, a college prep boarding school in Pennsylvania. At Mercersburg, she was a Writing Center Fellow for three years, member of the Cum Laude Society, and president of the Jewish Club. This initial tutoring experience made Emma realize how much she loves helping students achieve their academic and personal goals. She also was a camp counselor at URJ Camp Harlam for several years and loves working with children. She is currently attending George Mason University pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Geography with a minor in Tourism & Events Management. Emma was a shift supervisor and lead trainer at Starbucks and oversaw training for dozens of employees. Currently, she teaches fourth grade Judaics at Northern Virginia Hebrew Congregation. In her free time, Emma is hanging out with her friends, family, and guinea pigs, cooking a new recipe, or walking around Reston.

Jacky is a recent graduate from the University of Colorado Boulder where she studied physics and Spanish. She discovered a love for teaching through the Learning Assistant Program at school and is considering going to graduate school for education. In her free time she likes to paint, bake, and game.

Jason received his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Salisbury University where he loved tutoring his fellow students. After graduation, he worked for the New Zealand Embassy. It was at the embassy where he discovered his passion for teaching when he became an instructor for new hires. He is currently at Georgetown University pursuing a Master of Professional Studies. When he’s not working in academics, you can find him zipping around the world to complete his goal of seeing all seven continents, which he’ll achieve by the end of 2023!

Jessica is a graduate of New York University, where she studied Mathematics and French. She has spent most of her adult life educating young learners in both classroom and tutoring settings. She is eager to help students with Math subjects, reading and writing, and French language. Outside of TCM, Jessica spends her time rock climbing, reading books, and playing chess.

For years, Joe has held a deep fascination for social studies. This inspired him to pursue a degree in anthropology, a pursuit that he followed at James Madison University for his undergraduate degree. A Northern Virginia native, Joe grew up in Vienna, VA and went to Madison High School where he participated in his school’s varsity crew team. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree at University of Maryland Baltimore County Graduate School. While in school, Joe worked a variety of fun summer jobs – as a sports videographer, as a mascot for Wolf Trap National Park of the Performing Arts, and as an associate at the Vienna Woods Swim and Tennis Club, to name a few. He found his joy for teaching others when he became a student teaching assistant while at JMU. In his spare time, Joe enjoys taking care of his dog, Onyx, and playing video games.

Marilyn recently moved to this area from Puerto Rico where she was a teacher of high school and middle school English in a private school for the majority of the past 28 years. She loved living in the Latino culture and her knowledge of Spanish helped her understand the challenge students faced while writing when their thinking was in two languages. She also worked for Central Texas College teaching the freshman composition course to Air Force National Guardsmen in San Juan. Prior to that, she taught English and Latin in Upstate New York at a suburban high school. She says that even though she has been teaching forever, she is still not ready to really retire! Teaching and working with kids has been her passion for all these years. Marilyn received her BA and MA in Latin from SUNY Albany, another MA in English from Russell Sage College, and did further graduate work at the University of Nottingham in England, an experience which she says changed her life. Another passion of hers is travel; Egypt and Morocco are still on her “bucket list”. She’s more than sampled the other continents and wants to get to North Africa. She loves classical music, opera, the ballet; loves to read and do crossword puzzles; follows professional football and tennis; and, now that she’s closer, has many more opportunities to spend time with her family.

Ryland is currently attending George Mason University as a Systems Engineering major with a concentration in Bioengineering. She has a strong interest in math and science. She was a member of Mu Alpha Theta, or Math Honor Society, in her high school. She found her interest in tutoring by helping her younger brother and classmates with homework. In her free time, Ryland enjoys drawing and listening to music.

Sami has always had a strong interest in math, coding, and problem solving, which led him to pursue a degree in computer science. He is currently attending George Mason University where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. He believes that tutoring makes it possible for him to reach out to students and help them overcome barriers to their academic success while also forming long-lasting bonds. Sami was a member of several honor societies, including Phi Theta Kappa, and served as president of the science and coding club. He also played soccer for various teams throughout high school and college. Sami has been selected to the 2022 All-Virginia Academic Team in recognition of his academic achievements. During his free time, Sami loves to play soccer, explore, and learn new things.

Writesh grew up in Arlington, VA, where he graduated from Yorktown High School. Over the past eight years, Writesh has worked as a math tutor. The most rewarding part of tutoring for him is when students come back and tell him that what he taught them has made a difference in their lives. Writesh earned his Associates in Computer Science from NOVA and is currently enrolled at George Mason University working towards his Bachelors in Computer Science. When Writesh is not at work or at school, he loves playing Dungeons and Dragons, reading fantasy novels, or watching and sometimes even performing stand up comedy.