Instructors - Washington
Aaron, Breanna, Brian, Camille, Cori, David, Derreck, Emily, Evan, Hao, Jan, Jessica, Karen, Laura, Mark, Mike, Paige, Renee, Roberta, Sandy, Semonti, Stefanie, Thomas, Tiffany, Tina, Vicky, Victor
Aaron Dilley
Aaron has been a math tutor for over 6 years, the last 4 of which have been spent at Best In Class Education Center. He attended the University of Washington where he graduated a full year early with a B.S. in Mathematics. During his time there, he participated in many academic ventures including the annual Mathematical Contest in Modeling, where he and two colleagues published an award-winning paper placing them in the top 5 contest-wide. He has earned perfect scores on the AP Calculus exam (BC), the math portion of the SAT I, as well as 800's in each of the SAT II math subject tests. Additionally, he is a two –time USA Math Olympiad Qualifier (USAMO).
Aaron is well-versed in teaching kids from as young as kindergarten, up and through all high school classes. He has taught the following courses: Pre-Algebra, Algebra, Geometry, Algebra II/Trigonometry, Statistics (AP), Pre-Calculus, Calculus (AP: AB/BC), SAT I Math and SAT II Math, and all grade school level math subjects.
Breanna Menzies
Breanna graduated from Seattle Pacific University with a BA in Classics and French. She has worked in many interesting fields such as for the Seattle Municipal Archives as a Research Aide, and in the Consumer Protection Division of the Washington State Attorney General's office, has taught piano lessons and plays the cello. She loves to see her students succeed and is especially insightful about languages. She loves to teach SAT/ACT prep, essay/creative writing, history, and biology.
Brian Jeter
Brian Jeter's desire to work in education started in high school where he was a member of the Teacher Cadets, a program for high school students with an interest in teaching. He graduated from the College of Charleston with a BS in Psychology. A major portion of his college coursework was in learning theory and human development. Brian also earned his MBA from Webster University with an emphasis in training and education. He has worked in education for the past seven years and has a well of experience teaching children, teens, and adults.
Camille Zhou
Camille has worked as an English Instructor at Best In Class Education Center for over two years. She entered the University of Washington at age 16 through the Academy for Young Scholars and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in both English and Public Health at age 20. With a passion for social justice, Camille has volunteered for several non-profit organizations, including the UW Pipeline Project and Broadview Emergency Shelter. Bilingual in English and Mandarin, she has also worked as a citizenship class teacher at Refugee Women’s Alliance and as a talk time instructor at the Chinese Information and Services Center (CISC). Camille is currently pursuing a J.D. at the University of Washington School of Law.
Corinne Solonar-Kong
Cori has been an English teacher for over twenty years. After graduating from the University of Montana with a B.A. in German (Emphasis in Linguistics) and certification in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages), an interest in all things international lead her to take teaching positions overseas while also raising a family in those cultures. Cori has held positions in both public and private K-Pre-U education in Japan and Malaysia and completed a M.Ed. in Curriculum Studies while serving two years as an America Reads America Counts Campus Corps Program Coordinator. She currently teaches international university students at a private English language center and at Best in Class Education Center. Acquiring new viewpoints for consideration and witnessing students discover their potential are some of her greatest rewards for teaching.
David Metting
David has worked at Best In Class Education Center as a technology instructor for the summer camp program and as a year-round English tutor. At the University of Washington, David majored in English, with honors, and Comparative Religion. His studies focused on linguistics, writing, literature, French and world religions. David has participated in various outreach programs, such as leading ESL conversation classes for International Scholars. Working with the students at BC, especially reading and coaching them on their essays, has been a highly rewarding and enlightening process for him.
Derreck Ross
Derreck graduated with a Bachelor's and Master's in Applied Mathematics from the University of Washington in just 4 years. While at the University of Washington, Derreck made the Annual Dean's List for 2 years in a row. While furthering his studies in mathematics and programming, Derreck enjoys the teaching the fundamentals of mathematics and technology to students of all ages. One reason Derreck enjoys working at Best in Class Education is that he feels it allows him to build a strong relationship with his students. During his free time, Derreck's hobbies include reading and playing video games.
Emily Ehrhart
Emily graduated Summa Cum Laude from Saint Louis University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Political Science. She later went on to receive her Master of Arts in Counseling from Webster University. Since completing her academic work, Emily has tutored and counseled students as young as kindergarten and as advanced as college. She primarily tutors students in Language Arts, Writing, Reading Comprehension, Social Studies, and History. Additionally, she has tutored students in SAT/ACT Prep, and has assisted students throughout the college application process. As a counselor, Emily has provided academic advising to college students and assisted students of all ages in developing their time management and organizational skills. Emily is dedicated to recognizing the unique needs of students and further developing their strengths and skills. She is passionate about learning and shares her enthusiasm with all of her students.
Evan Rademacher
Evan has been a math tutor with Best In Class for over two years. He graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics at age 21. While at UW, he completed difficult and exciting projects such as designing a microprocessor from the ground up and programming a remote-controlled aerial drone to fly through an obstacle course autonomously. He currently works as a both a math tutor and web developer at Best In Class. Evan's favorite aspect of tutoring is using different approaches to solve problems, which can help students understand material better. In his spare time, Evan enjoys playing guitar, snowboarding, and working on cars.
Hao Lam
In the past, Hao has taught Math at the Renton Technical College for a number of years. He founded BC Education Center in June 1995 and started teaching Math at the Center since then. Hao has helped hundreds of high-school students with their Math skills and has also developed a number of test-taking strategies to help SAT students take their tests more efficiently. In addition, he has also produced hundreds of SAT Math practice questions for the SAT prep course. In the past 18 years, his passion in teaching has assisted numerous SAT students entering the college of their dreams.
Jan Hallock
Jan graduated from the University of Oregon with a double degree in Linguistics and Human Physiology, as well as teaching certifications to teach English and Spanish as foreign languages. She earned perfect scores on both the reading and writing sections of the new SAT, and a 790 on the SAT II Literature. She has tutored English both formally and informally for over five years. She tutored English, Spanish, and study skills at in the community college setting, as well as teaching a community education Spanish course for two terms. She also taught English for the SAT, SSAT/ISEE, and SAT II Literature tests. Several students she has tutored have been accepted to their top-choice schools, including New York University, Johns Hopkins, University of Oregon, and University of Washington.
Jan is a self-described "total nerd" when it comes to languages: shegets excited about words like "phlebolith", enjoys Shakespeare and John Donne, has studied five foreign languages, and can get distracted for hours reading an etymology dictionary. Although she has experience teaching children as young as 4 and adults as old as 50, her particular passion is working with teenagers to help them overcome their fear of vocabulary, reading, and writing sections of standardized tests. She genuinely enjoys spending time with junior high and high school students, and cares for her students as whole people rather than just as students studying for exams.
Jessica Wickwire
Jessica Wickwire graduated from Washington State University, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English. A creative writing enthusiast, with a passion for teaching, Jessica has been working as an English Tutor with Best In Class Education Center 2009, and has been working as an Educational Assistant with the Issaquah School District since 2010. Jessica is currently applying to Graduate School, as she hopes to pursue a Masters in Teaching.
Karen Lee
In Karen’s adolescent years she found that her passion was writing. She attended the University of Washington and continued pursuing her zeal for the English language. She achieved a B.A. in English Language and Literature from the University of Washington. Along with writing, she also enjoys working with children and has been tutoring them for many years. She has worked with children at V.B.S (Vacation Bible School) and also has experience in teaching personalized essay writing classes. For over three years, she has continued to work with children on improving English skills here at Best In Class Education Center as an English tutor. She also teaches the Gifted Test Preparation classes here at the center and specializes in teaching Essay writing and editing.
Laura Samorano
Laura graduated with College Honors, Cum Laude, from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Drama and English literature. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and has helped spread the love of language to Seattle Public High School students through the Young Shakespeare Workshop. She hopes to continue on with her education by pursuing a master's degree either in Teaching, English, or Law.
Mark Forman
Mark has been working with students in language arts for over three years. In addition to working with students in both middle- and high-schools throughout the Seattle area, Mark also works as writing tutor for the University of Washington, working with both undergraduate and graduate students at all levels of writing, and has spent time in South Africa working with students there in English and a variety of social justice-related issues. Mark believes that all students are good readers and good writers and seeks to draw out the strengths each and every one of them possess while getting them to employ these strengths to the varying demands of each reading and writing assignment. Mark also feels that there must be a connection between the classroom and real life and always seek to show this connection to students. Mark graduated cum laude from the University of Washington with a B.S in psychology and a B.A. in English. He also received a Master in Teaching Program for secondarty school at the UW.
Mike Kelly
Mike Kelly has been teaching English to students of a variety of ages and backgrounds for over three years. At Best In Class Education Center, Mike teaches the verbal and writing section of the SAT course, and regularly instructs high-school students in reading and composition as well as assists them in college planning. Mike graduated cum laude from the University of Washington with a double major in Honors English and Philosophy and, just to prove he's an etymology fanatic, a minor in Latin. Mike holds a TEFL teaching certificate and recently returned from teaching ESL at a public high school in Thailand. He brings his love of language and ideas to the classroom where he makes learning vocabulary and grammar both engaging and comprehensible. With his philosophical background in logic and argument, he coaches students on how to develop the imperative skills of critical reasoning and clear writing and how to apply these skills effectively in essays and on tests.
Paige Wakamatsu
Paige has been a math tutor at Best In Class Education Center for the past five years. She earned both her B.S. in Chemistry and B.S. in Applied and Computational Mathematical Sciences at the University of Washington, Seattle campus. She also earned a Master in Teaching degree from Seattle University. Paige is certified by Washington State to teach secondary math and is currently teaching Algebra and Geometry in the Seattle School District. She taught International Baccalaureate Calculus, both Standard Level and Higher Level courses, at Ingraham High School, named by Newsweek magazine as one of the top high schools in the U.S.
Renee Before
Renée graduated with College Honors from the University of Washington with a B.A. in English and Psychology. She has been tutoring for over 5 years, beginning with tutoring fellow classmates and athletes, and followed by University of Washington's Pipeline Project at several Seattle high schools. She has been teaching English at Best In Class Education center for over two years. Recently, she studied abroad in Peru where she implemented community outreach programs and worked with local elementary students. Renée enjoys working with children and watching them succeed beyond expectations. She also thoroughly enjoys the entire writing process, and most especially, coaching students along the way.
Roberta Jensen, Ph.D.
Roberta Jensen, Ph.D., is a former English and humanities teacher, who taught in junior high, highschool, and college, and received her Ph.D. in Human and Organizational Systems Management from Fielding Institute. Her previous education included receiving a B. A. from Whitman College, an M.A. from Stanford University and a completing a management development program at Harvard Business School. Dr. Jensen has supervised several test grading programs, including supervising graders of the SAT essay. She has worked with Brainchild Institute for three years to prepare students for the verbal section of the SAT.
Sandy Yung
Sandy has been teaching Mathematics at Best In Class Education Center for over two years. She also has experiences in providing assistance to after-school programs and with one-on-one tutoring. She graduated from University of Washington with a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science & Engineering. She also earned her Master’s degree in Industrial and Systems Engineering. Sandy studied the Integrated Mathematics Honor Program throughout her high school years, so she has experience in guiding students to understand the usefulness of mathematics in context-based problem and concepts. She encourages students to think analytically and be able to apply mathematical models into real life applications.
Semonti Hossain
Semonti is a double degree in Neurobiology and Economics through the Honors Program at the University of Washington. Her first experience with teaching was through the UW Pipeline Project to help rural elementary school students write their own stories. She finds working with students to achieve their academic goals at BC to be highly rewarding. Outside of academics, she is involved in photography, South Asian classical dance, laboratory research, volunteer work, student organization leadership, and global healthcare activism. She has earned a 790 on the SAT I Math, and a perfect on the SAT II Math 2C Subject Test. In addition to being a Washington State and Mary Gates Scholar, Semonti’s interest in research and healthcare has made her a finalist in the Americans for UNFPA Student Award and International BioGENEius Challenge.
Stefanie Henkel
Stefanie graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in English. She has been working with children of all ages for the past 7 years grasp the beauty of the English language. Stefanie has even spent time in China and South Korea teaching elementary and high school students English as a second language. With the ability to help all aged students with writing, reading, college essays and preparation, and SAT verbal and writing, Stefanie can help a wide range of students without a doubt.
Thomas Bui
Thomas graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. During his time as a student he was a math tutor at the UW Office of Minority Affairs Instructional Center, where he assisted college students with homework and test preparation. He strongly believes the ability to understand mathematics is a skill anyone can a acquire with proper guidance and good old fashioned hard work.
Tiffany Wan
Tiffany graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in Communication and Comparative Literature. Her focus was in journalism and she has contributed to local publications such as Seattle Met Magazine, Seattle Weekly and The Seattle Times, as well as national outlets like SPIN. She writes regularly for a music blog called SSG Music and composes short fiction for a writing group called Write Here Right Now. She has taught English for Best In Class Education for more than four years and enjoys working with students who have a passion for writing and language. As an instructor, she loves working with students one-on-one to develop their skills and help them excel academically.
Tina Bui
Tina graduated from the UW with a double degree in English and Human Resources, but she decided to pursue a career in teaching and enrolled in the Masters in Teaching program at UW. She graduated from the UW program with a Masters in Teaching and is certified to teach English/language arts at the secondary level. Tina spent the last few years substituting at various schools in the Renton School District and returned to Best In Class Education Center in the summer of 2010 to teach English at summer camp. This is her fourth year teaching as well as managing the summer camp.
Highlights from Tina's college career include being one of the four-member winning team of the PriceWaterHouseCoopers X-treme accounting competition at UW, which had a prize of $1,000. She also was the president of the UW chapter of Habitat for Humanity her senior year at UW. Lastly, Tina spent three months as a Seattle City Council legislative intern for Councilmember Richard McIver.
Vicky Yan
Vicky is an M.Ed Candidate in Higher Education at the University of Washington in Seattle. She has been teaching English at Best in Class for two years and loves working with diverse students to help them discover the joys of reading, writing, and the pursuit of education. Her teaching skills range from SAT preparation to creative writing to curriculum design. Previously, Vicky served as editor-in-chief of The Daily of the University of Washington, where she won national journalism awards for her work on special publications. Vicky holds a B.A. in sociocultural anthropology.
In her spare time, Vicky practices yoga and teaches herself to cook. She is also a big sci-fi fan; her favorite movie is the Matrix.
Victor Ho
Passionate about mathematics since he was a child, Victor has now been teaching math at Best In Class Education Center for over 6 years. During his junior high and high school years, he represented his school in the Washington State Olympiad and participated in his school’s math team, placing 1st in the Lake Washington School District Math Olympiad two years in a row. Victor earned a perfect score on the AP Calculus AB exam and near perfect scores on the AP Chemistry exam and SAT I Math section. As a senior, he took part in the nationwide FIRST Robotics Competition in partnership with Microsoft. He graduated from the University of Washington with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, specializing in embedded systems and digital signal processing. During his years there, he designed various devices including an autonomous robot which placed 2nd in a competition.