Learn more about all of our great tutors!
Spring 2019 Tutors
Name: Alex Griffin
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Senior
About Me: Hi my name is Alex! I am thrilled to be apart of The Learning League team! I play soccer for the Chicago Edge and also enjoy hiking and playing hockey. I am especially interested in US National Parks. My favorite subjects are math, chemistry and engineering. Through the engineering program at OPRF, my team was a finalist on two Northrop Grumman projects designing a hovercraft and creating a flying drone. I am an honor roll and AP student who is planning to study engineering in college and live out west in Denver or Seattle.
Why I am a good learning coach: I have always enjoyed teaching and helping kids with sports and their school work. I first started to teach kids to play soccer when I was in 7th grade. Since that time I became a referee and am now mentoring younger referees during their first season. I also enjoy helping my brother with his math packet during the summer and homework during the school year.
Name: Ian Heinig
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Junior
About Me: Hello, my name is Ian! I was born at a very young age and have been thriving ever since! I actively take piano lessons but also enjoy listening to a variety of different music styles. I play volleyball, and in school I excel in many classes, especially math. I always enjoy a good challenge at school or on the court. I have been a part of a youth group where I have gone on mission trips, led group discussions, and made great friendships. I look forward to working with your child!
Name: Jackson Gerut
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Senior
About Me: Hi! I’m Jackson and I am a Senior at OPRF. I have lived in Oak Park for my whole life. I like to
take a lot of challenging classes in high school, and I am always excited about new opportunities and experiences. My favorite subjects are History and Math, but I also am in an accelerated Spanish course that is very enjoyable. Currently I am in business club and am apart of the business INCubator class at OPRF. In my free time I enjoy hanging out with my friends and playing sports like basketball and soccer.
Name: Zaideh McDermott
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Sophomore
About Me: Hello! My name is Zaideh. I am going into my sophomore year of high school. I have lived in Oak Park basically my whole life, and I've always enjoyed school and learning new things. I especially like Math, French and English, but I enjoy all subjects. I really love the French language and I hope to travel to France someday. I am very organized with my school work, and am a very hard worker. I hope to join many clubs at OPRF throughout my high school career. Outside of School I like spending my time with friends and family and listening to music. I absolutely love traveling and there are so many places that I want to visit someday!
Why I am a good learning coach: I have experience with younger kids, I have a sister in 4th grade and younger cousins. I have always been interested in education and becoming a teacher. I love working with kids and helping others learn new things. I challenge myself in school and I hope to help kids who are struggling or kids who are hoping to advance. I have been working at the learning league since the spring, and I am excited to make learning fun and interesting for my students.
Name: Ruby Mead
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Junior
addition to honors courses this fall, and I love to learn! My favorite subjects in school are English and History, however I enjoy Math and Art as well! I’m a dancer at The Academy of Movement and Music and take part in smaller clubs in school such as the school’s service club, where I get the opportunity to volunteer my time towards those who need it. I love to write and draw, and those hobbies in addition to reading and hanging out with my friends take up my free time! I’m super excited about my upcoming year in high school and the challenges that come with it!Name: Amaya Gatling
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Senior
About Me: Hi! My name is Amaya and I'm a senior at OPRF. I've always liked to learn, which is why I take 
challenging classes at school. I'm currently in AP Statistics, AP French, AP Biology and took AP English last year, so I'm very prepared to tutor in any of those subjects. In my free time I volunteer at University of Illinois hospital, and babysit.
Why I am a good learning coach: I've been babysitting for years, so I have had lots of practice helping kids with homework. I have been working at the learning league since the fall of 2017, and I really enjoy helping kids understand things and watching their growth as students.
Name: Merrick Ohata
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest High School 
ear in school: Senior
About Me: Hello! I'm Merrick, and I am a senior at OPRF. I like to read science fiction and fantasy, something that inspired my independent study to create a language last year. I spent my spring of 2017 studying in the south of France, so I am fluent in French and will graduate high school with the French language biliteracy seal. In addition to languages, I am interested in music theory and composition and math, which I hope to pursue in college. I am the student manager for OPRF's science olympiad team and I compete with the OPRF scholastic bowl team as well. In my spare time I like to read, compose music, play board games, or work on various projects.
Why I Am A Good Learning Coach: Having completed AP courses on a wide range of material spanning from American history to calculus, I have a strong understanding of the core subjects and hope to help younger students solidify their understanding of basic concepts through more advanced material. I am typically the one my friends seem to come to when they are having difficulty in their math or science classes, so I have gained a lot of experience coming up with different ways to think about ideas and problems to match with different learning styles. I pride myself on my ability to adapt to someone else's needs when it comes to explaining and find immense satisfaction in seeing everything coming together in their brain. I am excited to work with students at the Learning League this term!
Name: Monica Bradford
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest 
Year in school: Junior
Name: Claire Marko
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Sophomore
About Me: Hi! I am a sophomore at OPRF and this will be my first year tutoring at The Learning League. I enjoy playing piano, drawing and painting, and spending time with friends and family. I like to play badminton and tennis for fun, and I love to travel. I am very interested in history and Spanish, but I also really enjoy math and science. I am looking forward to this year at TLL!Why I am a good learning coach: I really enjoy working with kids, and I have a lot of experience with babysitting. I like to apply what I have learned in school by thinking of creative ways to explain the the concepts. I feel that it is very fulfilling to help others learn, as it makes it feel like the work I put into learning in school is really worth while. I am currently in all honors classes, including Pre-Calculus, and AP American History.
Name: Lauren Maldonado
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest 
Year in school: Senior
About Me: Hi! I am someone who has always been more interested in arts than athletics, though I enjoy running and would like to get back into track and field and cross country when I have more time. As of now, I really enjoy playing guitar and piano. Music is something that I am very interested in and is a big part of my life. In school, my favorite classes have always been science and I would like to do something in the science/chemistry field in the future.
Why I am a good learning coach: Since middle school, I have been helping my two younger sisters with homework and I really enjoy helping others and seeing people improve over time. I was a tutor at the Learning League last year and I really enjoyed the environment and the opportunity to help kids with subjects.Name: Matthew Hawthorne
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest 
Year in school: Senior
About Me: During my free time I enjoy playing soccer, spending time with my family and friends, and reading, while simultaneously staying active in clubs I am passionate about such as Spoken Word and Roses4Austin. I have also been very successful in Policy Debate, finishing 2nd overall in the 2016 Illinois State Tournament. At school, my favorite subjects are History and English, but I take rigorous classes across the board. Last year I took AP US History, AP Macro and Micro Economics, AP English, Honors Trigonometry, and Honors Spanish. This year I replaced a few AP classes with more abstract electives, such as Honors African American Lit/Racial Theory, Sociology, and Honors Women in History. I plan on majoring in Political Science next year.Why I am a good learning coach: Whether working at WSSRA integrating children with IDDs into Park District activities, reffing AYSO soccer games, volunteering at the arts and mentoring program Roses4Austin, or babysitting for my neighbors, I have been dealing with kids in multiple capacities for many years. Having succeeded at the highest levels of high school, I am confident in my ability to help kids confront and overcome their challenges pertaining to learning.
Name: John Flanagan
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest 
Year in school: Sophomore
Why I am a good learning coach: I believe I am a good learning coach because I always to my very best to help my students. There’s no better feeling than explaining a concept and knowing your student fully understands it. I love teaching, and I know when I was younger, sometimes I could have used a tutor. I always do my very best to make sure my student is understanding the material and having fun with it.
Name: Julia Sullivan
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest 
Year in school: Senior
About Me: Hi! My name is Julia and I’m a senior at OPRF. I really enjoy learning new things and challenging myself with the classes that I take. My favorite classes are math and science. I also love playing volleyball: I played club volleyball for 7 years and played on the high school team all 4 years. Playing volleyball has helped me become a better leader on and off the court. I am also the President of Huskie Helpers club, which plans activities with the Hephzibah kids, and I am Co-President of the Opportunity Knocks Junior Board.
Why I am a good learning coach: I love working with kids and helping them create fun tricks to fully understand a new concept. I have taken many AP classes that give me a great understanding of various core subjects, from history to calculus. I have also been babysitting for 6 years, and volunteering with Hephzibah for a long time, so I am able to understand the mindset of younger kids. Additionally, I spent the last 2 summers coaching the OPRF volleyball camp for middle school students.Name: Emma Roskopf
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Junior
About Me: Hi! I’m Emma. My hobbies include reading, learning, baking, cooking, gardening and spending
time with friends. My favorite types of books are fantasy and science fiction, because I love the creativity and the plot twists. In school, I am part of the Ultimate Frisbee team, the Marching Band, and the Tau Gamma service club. My favorite classes are math, science and Chinese. These are my favorite classes because I find them fascinating and challenging.Why I am a good learning coach: I really enjoy math and reading, and hope to share that passion for learning with others! When I was younger, my older sister would always help me with homework whenever I would get stuck. I always found it incredible how fast she could teach me a concept because she could just focus on me individually and explain it in an easier way. I strive to provide that for other children, because for me, understanding a difficult concept is one of the most rewarding experiences and always makes me want to learn more.
Name: Wil Miller
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Senior
About Me: I’m 18 years old. In my free time I like to do graphic and clothing design. I am the president of graphic design club at OPRF. I have been taking design classes since my freshman year of high school. I also love to skateboard, I started skateboarding in the third grade. Next year I am going to UIC to study graphic design and I hope to develop my passion into my career.
Why I am a good learning coach: I have always excelled in math and STEM related classes. My greatest strength is understanding the material conceptually and then applying what I learn to new concepts. When I was in elementary school I struggled with executive function skills, but as I got older I developed organization strategies. With this experience I feel qualified to help others who struggle in this area. I have worked summer camps before focused on STEM subjects and really enjoy working with kids.
Name: Kaitlyn Rodriguez
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest 
Year in school: Senior
About Me: Hello, my name is Kaitlyn! I am currently a senior at OPRF and have lived in River Forest most of my life. I am very involved in school and it is my priority. I have always enjoyed my classes and love taking on challenges. I love Math and Science, especially Chemistry and Calculus. My schedule has always been filled with plenty of APs, but I also have a soft side for fine arts and have taken classes like wheel throwing.
Why I am a good learning coach:
I have spent the past two years in different tutoring environments and have met children from diverse backgrounds and grade levels. I love working with kids and it is extremely rewarding to see them excel and feel confident in their work. Personally, I am a big help when it comes to my little brother. Since we were little, I would sneakily teach him multiplication and division when we were supposed to be sleeping.
Name: Elly Freeland
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest 
Year in school: Junior
About Me: Hi! I'm Elly! I am a member of the OPRF diving and synchronized swimming teams. I am also a member of our Mock Trial team I love learning new things especially languages! I have completed all levels of French at OPRF already. I also love science, English and, Math. I am taking Pre-Calculus, AP English, AP Gov, and AP physics this year. I have also completed AP US History. I especially prepared to tutor those subjects! I want to study environmental science and International policy in college.
Why I am a good learning coach:I have been helping my friends with their math and science homework since freshman year. So I know where most of the pitfalls are especially in early high school. I have a lot of experience explaining math and science topics and I love learning and teaching those subjects! Also, I was in a Montessori school from 4th grade to high school. So I strongly believe in child-led learning. I always strive to let the child lead and just guide them in the right direction.
Name: Helena Loranz
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest 
Year in school: Junior
About Me: I consider myself to be a pretty creative person. My favorite class is photography and I spend a lot of time writing. I like poetry and am a part of spoken word at school. I also really like math and thinking logically. I have dreams of being an architect because it combines both of those interests. I love traveling and last summer I was accepted to study abroad for a month in France. That was definitely one of the most interesting experiences of my life.
Why I am a good learning coach: I really enjoy being a coach and have tutored many kids in the past. I love learning and being able to help others feel the same love of learning that I do. This is especially true when it comes to math and problem solving. I love working out problems and finally understanding them, so to be able to help someone else do the same is very fun and rewarding.
Name: Emily Kerstetter
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest 
Year in school: Junior
About Me: Hello! My name is Emily. I am currently a junior at OPRF. I like to spend my time playing flute, drawing, and reading when I can. At OPRF, I’m a flute section leader in marching band and part of the Science Olympiad team. I’m very passionate about music, but I plan on studying engineering/architecture in college. My favorite subject is math because of the amount of logic involved in it.
Why I am a good learning coach: As the oldest cousin in my family, I’ve always enjoyed spending time with kids. I love editing my friends’ essays and helping them with other homework, which has led to comments that I’d be a good teacher. I love the feeling of helping people understand concepts and seeing them gain confidence. As a section leader in marching band, I also have experience coming up with (hopefully fun) varying methods to teach new concepts to people, which I hope to apply as a tutor!
Name: Jake Kilburg
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Senior
About Me: Hi! I’m Jake Kilburg and I’m a senior at OPRF. I am enrolled in many AP courses at the high school, including Calculus, Physics, Economics, and Psychology. I have been on the honor roll and dean’s list throughout all of my high school career. I am also a part of the OPRF Leadership program, in which I mentor, tutor, and build connections with multiple Freshman in their study hall classroom throughout the year. Outside of school I love playing baseball in the summer and hanging with my friends, and I especially love music. I play the piano and the guitar, both of which I currently teach myself. I am also heavily involved in my youth group at my church, through which I go on summer service trips and lead group activities.
Why I am a good learning coach: I have a lot of experience tutoring kids. Every week I privately tutor an 8th grade student who goes to Julian Middle School. I consistently help various Freshman in my Leadership class with their homework, and I help my 13 year old sister with her schoolwork and projects all the time. Last summer, I worked as an umpire for Oak Park’s youth baseball and softball leagues, and I enjoyed helping the young players grow throughout the season. I personally learn best when I can interact with school material in different ways, and I am committed to finding ways of learning that work best for your child!
Name: Cecilia Crumlish
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Junior
About Me: Ciao! My name is Cecelia. And before you ask I am not named after the Simon and Garfunkel song. I am a student at OPRF. I play soccer with Chicago Edge, and am the captain of my team. In my free time, I enjoy camping, hiking, biking, skiing and spending time with my family. I also participate in wheel-throwing club and art club at school. Whether it is painting to let off steam, doing portraits or working on my AP concentration I always make time to be creative. In school, my favorite classes are science and Italian. In the future, I plan on pursuing a double degree in illustration and environmental science.
Why I am a good learning coach: I spend my summers working with kids, either babysitting or volunteering with Wonderworks Children’s Museum. I am very comfortable around children, and am extremely excited to get to know who I’m working with. I approach tutoring with the ideology that everybody learns differently and that understanding the person I am tutoring will prove to be the most effective way to help them. I enjoy the rush I get from solving problems and understanding things and that excitement is only amplified when I get to help someone else do it.
Name: Kai Yoko
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Junior
About Me: My name is Kai Yokoo and I am currently attending Oak Park and River Forest High School as a junior. I am a section leader for the OPRF marching band, vice president of Chemistry club, and a part of Science Olympiad. I also mentor robotics along with other STEM disciplines to students at Julian Middle School and mentor a student with my instrument through P!NG Mentoring at OPRF. My favorite subjects are science and math, and I hope to pursue Materials Science Engineering when I go to college!
Why I am a good learning coach: I am currently taking a couple AP's that include calculus and chemistry, which allows me to have a well-rounded understanding of certain fields. I have much experience mentoring students, and I value really understanding why we are learning certain things. I also value making subjects fun for the students! It is incredibly motivating and exciting when a student is able to solve something they couldn't do before, which is the best part of mentoring for me!
Name: William Miller
School Attending: Oak Park River Forest
Year in school: Senior
About Me: I’m 18 years old. In my free time I like to do graphic design and clothing design. I am the president of graphic design club at OPRF. I have been taking graphic design since my freshman year of high school. I also love to skateboard, I started skateboarding in the third grade. I am going to UIC to study graphic design and I hope to carry that knowledge with me into my career.
Why I am a good learning coach: I have always excelled in math and STEM related classes. I have always been good with not only knowing what to do, but understanding the material. When I was in elementary school I struggled with organization but as I got older I learned how to keep myself organized, because of this I know how to help others with organization. I also have always worked well with kids, I have worked summer camps before focused on STEM subjects.
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