Tutor Profiles
Learn more about all of our great tutors!
Name: Adrianna (Andi) Marquardt
School Attending: Northeastern Illinois University studying Special Education
Year in school: Freshman
About Me: Because my sister has a learning disability, I have dreamt of being an educator since 2nd grade. Starting in 8th grade, I have tutored peers with disabilities. I also was a teaching assistant in Biology and Special Education during my senior year of high school, was a volunteer at Opportunity Knocks (community based program for teens and adults with disabilities), and was a stage buddy for students with special needs in school plays and choirs. Some fun facts about me are that I sing, can communicate in American Sign Language, speak Latin, bake, and play Minecraft.
Why I am a good learning coach: I have been a learning coach for The Learning League since the company first started. I believe learning should be fun. If my students are not having fun while they are learning, then I believe I am not doing my job correctly! I always observe how each of my students learn (audio, visual, or kinesthetic), and incorporate activities depending on their learning style. If a student does not understand how to solve a problem one way, I show various different techniques until one suits him or her.
Name: Rachel Worthington
School attending: Oak Park River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About me: I am in four AP classes this year, including AP statistics and AP calculus. When I graduate, I plan on attending college and going into actuary science or accounting. I am a football manager, a Girl Scout junior leader, and I volunteer at a hospital once a week.
Why I am a good learning coach: I have been with The Learning League since October of 2012. I really enjoy working with kids and trying to introduce material in different ways. I also really like using memory tricks to remember certain math facts. My mother has a daycare, so I am used to working with younger kids. I often help them with homework and introduce new ways of looking at things. My favorite thing about being a learning coach is trying to change a child’s least favorite subject to his or her favorite subject.
Name: Julia Swain
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: Some of my interests include playing viola, writing, reading, and swimming. I play in the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, and I am principle violist in the Windy City String Ensemble and OPRF’s Symphony Orchestra. I have participated in the Illinois Music Educators’ Association District Festival for the past six years and the IMEA All State Festival for the past two years. For me, the most satisfying reward is knowing that I have helped someone. After college, I hope to become a violin and viola teacher and inspire my own students to let music change their lives.
Why I am a good learning coach: I have a lot of experience from helping my younger sister with her homework as she has progressed through elementary school. I have also helped children with violin and viola and have participated in Best Buddies. From my experiences, I have realized that everyone learns in a different way. So, if I notice a student is having trouble grasping a concept, I can easily use another teaching style, whether it is auditory, kinetic, or visual.
Name: Noah Fletcher
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: I enjoy learning in and out of school. At my high school, I am in Psychology Club, ASPIRA, and Snowball. In Psychology Club, we learn about different aspects of the brain and how they affect our cognition. ASPIRA is a leadership organization that works to keep the school’s policies in check. Snowball is a weekend retreat devoted to staying away from drugs and alcohol. The other leaders and I work throughout the year to make it an enjoyable and memorable weekend. When I grow up, I want to be a psychologist.
Why I am a good learning coach: I am a good learning coach because I have a younger brother and sister with ADHD. I frequently help them with their homework. From my experiences assisting them, I have gained tutoring skills. I have also been in honors and Advanced Placement classes throughout all of
high school.
Name: Caitlyn Robertson
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: I live in Oak Park with two younger siblings; an 11-year old sister, and my 4-year old brother. I love to dance, and have performed many styles including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, and modern. I have been a part of my school’s musicals/theatrical productions, and both my freshman and sophomore year, my Improv team won first place in a competition at Comedy Sportz in Chicago. I am a manager of my school’s football team, and I am a member of the mentoring program at my school for incoming freshman. I am very excited for my senior year, and even more excited for the years of college ahead. I plan to study my favorite subject, Biology.
Why I am a good learning coach: I have a lot of experience with children, as I am the oldest in my
family. I enjoy helping my younger siblings with homework, whether it is my sister’s math homework, or helping my brother learn to spell. I baby-sit for a wide age range of children, and I spent five years as an assistant dance instructor. I loved being a student-teacher and working with kids of different ages and personalities, and I wanted to become a tutor to continue working with kids. We all learn in different ways and it’s my goal to make each of my students feel encouraged and intelligent, all while making learning fun and entertaining!
Name: Rachel Sklar
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: I play varsity field hockey at OPRF. I am also involved with Best Buddies (a club that connects high school students with students who have disabilities) and Huskie Athletic Council (a club that promotes school spirit). I am an OPRF mentor for incoming freshman and transfer students. I enjoy being outdoors and active. While I enjoy English and math, my favorite subject in school is history (in which I have won an award for outstanding achievement). I also enjoy English and math. In the future, I hope to attend college and pursue a career in either business or law.
Why I am a good learning coach: In addition to being a tutor with The Learning League, I also tutor for Cluster Tutoring. Cluster Tutoring provides free tutoring for children from the Austin neighborhood. Cluster tutoring has given me the opportunity to tutor students of different ages and skill. I have also been an OPRF mentor for two years. As a mentor, I have helped new students transfer to my high school. Mentoring has taught me how to connect and work with older students.
Name: Kiley Nelson
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: I grew up in River Forest with four younger siblings. At OPRF, I am a member of the J. Kyle Braid Leadership Group, the West Suburban Leadership Conference, Officer in Huskie Athletic Council, Students Against Destructive Decisions, OPRF Ambassador, OPRF Freshman Mentor, and the Dean’s List. I love being involved and interacting with a variety of people. In addition to volunteering at OPRF, I am an officer of The Infant Welfare Circle 80 and I coach an under-10 volleyball team for 1st Alliance, the travel team that I have played for since I was 13.
Why I am a good learning coach: I have been a Learning League coach for a year now and I absolutely love it! I have worked with kids at all grade levels. I find the most joy in tutoring when my students have those “Aha!” moments. I remember one time when one of my third graders who had been struggling with multiplication at the beginning of the year told me that she thought multiplication was easier than addition! At that moment, I gained an incredible amount of confidence in myself as a coach. That is my goal for all of my students. I push them to make the initially challenging tasks become those that they are most comfortable performing in the classroom.
Name: Michelle Lang
School Attending: Fenwick High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: I strive to be energetic and optimistic in everything I do. I have achieved first honors for the past six semesters and am a member of the National Honor Society. I have played softball since I was in second grade and I really enjoy singing. Currently, I plan on becoming an accountant.
Why I am a good learning coach: When working with my students, I realize that they are putting in extra time and effort. Therefore, I try to make the work fun so that they look forward to our sessions instead of dreading them. Every student is different, so I do my best to get to know each of them. By doing this, I am able to teach them in a way most suitable to their needs and personalities.
Name: Dryden Steele
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: School is always a priority for me and I take education very seriously. I love helping people out and enjoy making a positive impact on everyone I meet. I have maintained A’s and B’s throughout my high school career and math is my strongest subject. I also help incoming freshman adjust to the high school environment.
Why I am a good learning coach: I help my younger sister with her schoolwork quite often. A sense of humor and understanding are key components in teaching, and I believe I have both.
Name: Michael Benjie Lyczak
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: As a senior, I am taking a variety classes, including Women’s Literature Honors and College Algebra Trigonometry. In school, I often help my teachers with the class.
Why I am a good learning coach: I am a good learning coach because I enjoy working with kids. I am very good at listening to them when they need help or have a question. I always look forward to working with my students at The Learning League.
Name: Connor Mcilwain
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: I participate in a variety of athletics, school clubs, and community service organizations. Some of my favorites are Best Buddies and Hephzibah. I love to travel, run, and read! My favorite authors are John Grisham and David Sedaris, and my favorite destinations are New York City and Thailand. I hope I end up somewhere on the East Coast for college.
Why I am a good learning coach: As a student, I understand the kinds of environments most suitable for learning. I believe that collaboration is the best way to not only learn but foster meaningful relationships. Thus, I love working with students as equals, getting to know them, and learning how I can best serve them. I have plenty of experience working with children in both academic and casual settings. From babysitting to volunteer work at Hephzibah to peer tutoring with a local organization I am equipped to handle all types of students.
Name: Grace Martin
School Attending: OPRF
Year in school: Junior
About Me: I am a varsity water polo player for OPRF and a swimmer on Team Millennium. I play flute in school and with an orchestra in Chicago called Protégé. I also like to play piano. I love to read, and my favorite subject in school is history (but math is a close second). This year will be my 5 th year as a PADS homeless shelter volunteer, and I also participate in Tau Gamma, my schools community service club. One fun fact about me (and one reason why I love working with kids) is that I have 7 cousins and the oldest one is only 6 years old!
Why I am a good learning coach: I am a good learning coach because I love learning myself. I have a 4.0 GPA and I’ve always enjoyed helping my friends of my little sister with their work. I also love kids and am very interested in the learning process, partly because my mom is the director of a small school.
Name: Au’briana Chambers
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: As a senior, I am taking a variety of classes, including AP Psychology, honors German, and College Algebra Trigonometry.
Why I am a good learning coach: My path as a student and a learner has really helped me understand how students learn. I understand that children have different learning styles and I do my best to understand how each student learns so that I can guide that child to be an independent learner. I have been able to help my brother understand math by working with him and understanding his learning style. I really feel like I can be effective in helping kids develop better skills in their areas of difficulty.
Name: Maggie Cusick
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: I run varsity cross country for my school and participate in clubs like Best Buddies and Amnesty International.
Why I am a good learning coach: I am very driven, focused, and organized in life. While teaching children, I try to be positive and patient so they really grasp what they are learning. I have tutored at Beye Elementary and loved it!
Name: Anna Vogel
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: I love swimming and water polo and participate in both at OPRF. I am also a member of Team Millennium, which swims out of Fenwick High School. Academically, I have received top honors at OPRF all three years I have attended. My favorite subjects are English and Latin. I also enjoy playing clarinet and am in band at school.
Why I am a good learning coach: Since my freshman year in high school, I have volunteered as a mentor in the Oak Park Ping! (Providing Instruments for the Next Generation) program. This involves mentoring middle school students every other week through instrument lessons. Additionally, I have worked with children ages seven to 14 at YMCA Camp Echo as a counselor for the past two summers. While we do not work on school subjects, I have learned how to work with kids in different ways, teaching them skills such as swimming, sailing, and arts & crafts. These experiences have helped me to understand children and have improved my ability to adapt to different learning styles.
Name: Jonah Koetke
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Junior
About me: My teachers would say I am friendly, kind, hard-working, intelligent, and creative. I enjoy math, science, and reading. I enjoy learning languages and I am currently studying German and Latin. I love music, Flamenco Guitar, reading, psychology, camping, and volunteering.
Why I am a good learning coach: I volunteer to teach Sunday school at my church and I have tutored my sister. I come from a long line of educators and I appreciate and value learning. I think it is important for students to love learning and I hope to instill that value in my students.
Name: Sean Lonergan
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Sophomore
About Me: I play football in the fall and run track in the winter and spring for OPRF. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, traveling, and relaxing. I am also learning Japanese.
Why I am a good learning coach: I love working with kids, whether it be through babysitting, teaching, or just spending quality time with them. I have taught Sunday school at my church.
Name: Juliette Nye
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in School: Junior
About me: I am currently a junior at Oak Park and River Forest High School, which I love! I am very passionate about dance, and am in a group called Orchesis at OPRF. I have been dancing for 14 years, so almost all my life! Additionally, I am the vice president of a group called Tau Gamma at the high school, where we go around the Oak Park and River Forest communities and volunteer at events, hosted by groups such as Parenthesis, Sarah's Inn, The Animal Care League, and many, many more! I love volunteering because in general I love helping out. Also, I think it is great to be involved in my community, which happens to be where The Learning League comes in! Most importantly, my favorite thing to do is help kids. I am a straight-A student at OPRF, taking 3 AP and 3 classes. I am in the highest math-level for my grade, which sometimes can be a challenge, but I really enjoy problem solving and working with others to succeed.
The second semester of my sophomore year, I was an exchange student in the south of France. In addition to my passions for dance, volunteering, and learning, I also am interested in languages. I was there for about 7 months, and it was certainly an invaluable experience. I learned many valuable life lessons, including how to be more independent. Also, I am now fluent in French!
Why I would be a good learning coach: I am a very positive, excited person! I think it is a great trait because it helps both me and others become interested in what we are doing. Because I am so positive about everything I do, I hope to instill that quality in others, especially kids, so that they can go on to have a productive, successful, and fulfilling school experience! Because I love working with people, am very social, and love all school subjects, I think tutoring would be a wonderful fit for me! This is my first year tutoring at The Learning League, and I'm positive it's going to be a fun-filled, progressive year for both me and the kids!
Name: Elisa Schmidt
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: My teachers would say I am hardworking, self-motivated and I enjoy helping others. I was awarded with the Cum Laude award as a junior for being at the top 5% of my class. I am in the Spanish Honor Society. I have also participated in the musical at OPRF for the last 2 years. I am interested in photography and graphic design.
Why I am a good learning coach: I love working with kids. I tutor my neighbors’ children and I often baby sit. Through Ascension Church, I participate in an Appalachia Service Project. Here I am a part of a youth leadership program called “Team” where I mentor and work with students of all ages.
Name: Meg Valenti
School Attending: Oak Park River and Forest High School
Year in school: Junior
About Me: I love playing sports, especially volleyball and track. I am also an active member of several clubs at OPRF, including Best Buddies, New E.R.A., and Huskie Athletic Council.
Why I am a good learning coach: I am a dedicated student and a reliable person who loves to work with kids and watch them succeed.
Name: Cheryl D’Souza
School Attending: Trinity High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: I am in the National Spanish Honor Society and the top half of my graduating class. I am also a partial International Baccalaureate and honors student, the 2012 Tennis MVP, the number one singles for tennis in 2012, a student ambassador, and a singer.
Why I am a good learning coach: I am a good learning coach because I babysit children and do my best to help them grow academically. I also have younger cousins, and I help them with their studies. I understand the way children learn and am therefore able to help them figure out their learning style.
Name: Henry Calkins
School Attending: Oak Park and River Forest High School
Year in school: Senior
About Me: In school, I have taken four years of Italian, Math, and English. I have also taken several business classes, which I plan on studying in college. Outside of school, I am an avid musician. I have been playing guitar for about ten years now and am in a band. Along with music, I love visual art and, in my free-time, I love to design and paint the bottoms of skateboard decks (I love skateboarding as well). Why I am a good learning coach: I have two younger siblings that I often help with their homework. I also worked as a substitute counselor for West Suburban Recreation Association in the past and therefore have experience working with children of different age groups.
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