Bria is a distinguished alumna of the University of California, Berkeley, earning both a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees. While at UC Berkeley, she served as a mentor and application guide for students within TAMID.
Bria intimately understands the stress and uncertainty of the college application process. As an only child, she lacked a role model to turn to for advice, ultimately navigating the process without the guidance she now provides. This personal experience fuels her passion to be that guiding light for others.
As a coach, Bria excels at being supportive and giving constructive feedback. When editing resumes or essays, she always tries to do what she calls a compliment sandwich – start with a compliment, add what needs to be changed/fixed, and then end with another compliment. Bria knows criticism can sometimes come off as harsh or offensive, even if it is not meant to be, so she found this is a good way to get the message across and have students feel good about themselves and their writing.
When working with students who are hitting a learning block, Bria uses positive reinforcement and encouragement to remind them of their end goal and that all their hard work will pay off. She is always optimistic, outgoing, kind, compassionate, and empathetic.
Outside of counseling Bria is a travel agent as a side hustle because she is passionate about travel and helping others travel, too. She’s been fortunate enough to visit 26 countries so far! When she’s not working or traveling, she loves to cook and bake, hike and be in nature, spend time with friends, watch TV, paint, and do puzzles.
"My superpower is my ability to help a student achieve what they're looking for and overcome any academic obstacles in the way."
Syed has a Bachelor's in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Lahore University of Management Sciences and a Master's in Mathematics for Teaching from Harvard University. With more than five years of experience, Syed is a highly qualified tutor with a strong educational background. His interest in tutoring first began when he noticed his junior students were struggling in Math. Recognizing his strong affinity for the subject, he was confident in his ability to help them overcome their challenges.
Syed’s passion for tutoring stems from his ability to empower students and help them overcome academic obstacles. He views this capability as a superpower that allows him to guide students toward their desired academic achievements. Syed's tutoring style is both comprehensive and engaging. During a typical tutoring session, he dedicates half the time to providing lessons and conveying information to his students. The remaining time is allocated for problem-solving exercises and an oral quiz, which he calls Skill-Check. This approach ensures students have a well-rounded learning experience encompassing theory and practical application. By instilling confidence in students and equipping them with the necessary skills, he contributes to their personal growth and enriches their lives.
To enhance the learning process, Syed assigns reading materials or problem sets for students to work on independently after each session. He tailors his lessons according to the individual needs of each student, taking into account their strengths and areas for improvement. Syed leverages various online tools to create effective teaching materials, including past papers, question banks, Khan Academy, Geogebra, Desmos, AOPS, NRich, and various other websites. He can access relevant animations, simulations, notes, and problem sets by using these resources, providing his students with diverse and interactive learning materials. As such, Syed is highly adaptable and resourceful. He understands that every student has their own learning style and tailors his approach to maximize their understanding and progress.
When he’s not tutoring Syed enjoys reading, playing chess, playing video games, and spending time with his two dogs.
Prior to attending the Duke University School of Medicine, Miriam completed her Bachelor of Science in public health from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She has three years of tutoring experience, including being a summer instructor for Breakthrough Atlanta, a CHEMpossible assistant instruction at UNC, and an anatomy and physiology supplemental instructor.
Miriam is passionate about tutoring because she believes in the power of education. She was fortunate to participate in several enrichment programs as a child, which nurtured her love of learning and boosted her confidence to pursue her dreams. She specializes in tutoring Anatomy, Physiology, Algebra, and English at any level, including AP, and ACT tutoring.
Miriam aims to empower students through one-on-one academic support. She believes personalized tutoring can be pivotal in helping students study according to their learning styles, tackle academic challenges, and build confidence in their abilities. When tutoring, one of Miriam's top priorities is helping students understand the reasons behind the concepts they are learning. Her typical session starts with a brief explanation of the topic, followed by practice problems to apply concepts. Each session ends with the student teaching the concept back to her, solidifying their understanding and confidence.
When topics are difficult or uninteresting, she finds it helpful to zoom out and show how the concept fits into the broader subject. She also makes connections to students' interests to increase engagement. For instance, she might relate physiology to sports for a student interested in athletics. Her tutoring style focuses on creating a supportive and interactive environment that allows students to thrive. She empowers students through active participation, setting achievable goals, and providing constructive feedback.
One of Miriam’s greatest strengths as a tutor is her encouragement and active involvement in student learning. She celebrates all their successes and supports them through any challenges. For her, tutoring is not simply about understanding concepts but about building foundational skills that can be utilized in all phases of learning. She excels at helping students develop effective strategies for approaching new concepts by adapting to their learning styles and preferences. She always gives 100% effort while providing holistic support, guiding study skills, time management techniques, and exam preparation strategies.
Outside of tutoring, Miriam enjoys running, weightlifting, reading, and doing Lagree. She has also been interested in language learning in the past, having studied German throughout middle and high school, earning a German language diploma. She even had the opportunity to attend college in Germany!
Our chemistry tutors have substantial teaching/tutoring experience or hold a science-related degree. All our tutors are chemistry content experts.
Yes, Foundation Learning aims to make it easy for parents to check their child’s progress using our progress tracker. This tracker shows you precisely what your child is working on and allows you to see tutor comments and feedback after sessions.
Our matching process is based on what we learn about students, including their needs, strengths, and aspirations. We aim to pair students with the tutor we think best aligns with what level of support they need and the areas they want to improve in most.
The best program depends on what students and families aim to accomplish through our programs and what level of support they’re looking for. If you’re not sure which package is best, our team is here to answer your questions!