Santa Barbara Instructors
Ma'ayan B.
Hometown: Bodega
College: Cal Poly
Resides in: San Luis Obispo, CA
About Me:
I grew up splitting my time between beautiful Sonoma County and Israel. After graduating high school I was torn between pursuing engineering or the culinary arts. I love cooking but I am currently studying Industrial Engineering at Cal Poly.
Why I teach at Revolution Prep:
It's hard to resist a chance to get the SAT back into my life, so when I heard about the Revolution I couldn't help but jump on the opportunity. Now I spend my evenings teaching others the test taking skills which have served me so well.
Alexandra C.
Hometown: Westlake Village, CA
College: UCSB, University of Southern California
Resides in: Santa Barbara, CA
About Me:
I spent a lovely four years at USC and earned two degrees in Neuroscience and Psychology and a minor in Psychology and Law (that's always a mouthful). After applying to graduate and law schools (can we say more standardized tests?), I settled down in beautiful Santa Barbara to start a PhD program in Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience. In addition to doing research on legal reasoning, I am a teaching assistant in the Psychology department. I found my love for teaching (and my upbeat, humorous teaching style ;) in the first class I lectured for and I have never looked back!
Why I teach at Revolution Prep:
I love it when my students have those 'A-ha!' moments and conquer a question or topic they thought was impossible.
Students are needlessly intimidated by the SAT! With a little preparation, it's the easiest and least time-consuming way to make yourself a GREAT college applicant. Who doesn't love a shortcut?
Eric C.
Hometown: Los Osos, California
College: University of California, Santa Barbara
Resides in: Santa Barbara, CA
About Me:
I graduated from UCSB in 2008 with a degree in English and a specialization in Literature and the Environment. Besides tutoring for Revolution Prep, I'm an AmeriCorps reading tutor at Goleta Valley J.H., an avid bicyclist/hiker, and a serious John Steinbeck fan. Emphasis on serious.
Why I teach at Revolution Prep:
It's infinitely better than the other tutoring companies I've checked out and it has awesome principles that I can definitely get behind, like making tutoring costs affordable for all students.
Genevieve D.
Hometown: Santa Barbara, CA
College: Stanford University
Resides in: Lompoc, CA
About Me:
I got my degree in English (with a creative writing emphasis) last June, and immediately discovered that majoring in what you love doesn’t necessarily translate to a six-figure salary. But since it also means not being unhappy for the rest of my life, I’m not losing much sleep over it. As my major suggests, I am a writer-in-training, building my portfolio for grad school in a year or so. Who knows, maybe you’ll see my name on the shelves in your local Borders someday! I also enjoy traveling—I spent the majority of my junior year abroad in Europe, an experience I highly recommend. You haven’t tasted a chocolate croissant until you’ve tasted one in Paris! When I’m not working (or trying to find work) I spend a lot of my time running, swimming, watching terrible/amazing TV shows, and hanging out with my crazy/amazing housemates.
Why I teach at Revolution Prep:
If I had a resource like Revolution Prep when I was taking the SAT, maybe it wouldn’t have been so agonizingly painful! Revolution Prep has a great energy and effective approach. I want to see you all ace this test, so that you can have as great a college experience as I did!
Micah E.
Hometown: West Hartford, CT
College: Northwestern
Resides in: Santa Barbara, CA
About Me:
I am an Environmental Science grad student at UCSB. Traveling and the outdoors are my biggest passions, both of which scuba diving, trekking, and roadtripping fulfill. I want to eventually return to Africa, where I have previously worked among chimpanzees and coral reefs, to contribute to community conservation efforts of marine habitats.
Why I teach at Revolution Prep:
I love the challenge of teaching, the high stakes involved in SAT prep, and the approach Revolution takes to learning.
Todd F.
Hometown: Wheeling, West Virginia
College: DePauw University
Resides in: Santa Barbara, CA
About Me:
I'm currently in the MA/PhD program in the Religious Studies Department at UCSB. My current research focus is on the topic of Moral Psychology and its relationship to religion.
Why I teach at Revolution Prep:
I have a great deal of experience teaching at the high school and college level and I really enjoy helping people with the big scary tests that are part of the transition from one to the other. I also like that Revolution teaches valuable learning skills that will be useful for students in college and not just valuable on standardized tests. Lastly, I fully endorse the goal of making quality test preparation accessible to all those who are willing to put the effort into it.
Daniel H.
Hometown: Murrieta, CA
College: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
Resides in: San Luis Obispo, CA
About Me:
I like to think of myself as a hybrid between Pikachu and a Snow Leopard. I love fresh powder between the trees, rocky trails under my bike tires, or the sound of Vin Scully on the radio while chomping a Dodger Dog. I also dig spoken word performance (SLAM) poetry. I just finished my degree in Architectural Engineering, and right now I'm escaping the number-crunching and working with Cal Poly students as a campus staff worker with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, with a slice of Revolution on the side. On a more serious note, I was cloned at birth, my other clone was released 8 years later and hides behind me in random photos.
Why I teach at Revolution Prep:
It sucks that you can't go to the college you want to, only because no one was there to teach you the sneaky tricks of the devious SAT. That's where I come in.
Carl M.
Hometown: Arroyo Grande, California
College: University of Southern California
Resides in: Arroyo Grande, CA
About Me:
I graduated from USC in 2006 with degrees in filmmaking and urban planning, which goes to show that I'm all over the place; I'm interested in just about everything. I spent the last 4 months traveling and am settling down in my hometown for a while before my next excursion.
Why I teach at Revolution Prep:
The SAT sucks, but luckily college is awesome. It's simple: get through the SAT to get to AWESOME! I remember how mind-numbing it was getting into college, and that's why I'm here to help you out. I'll make sure you know how to trudge through all the SAT's little tricks so you can experience the awesomeness that is college.
Mackenzie M.
Hometown: Agoura Hills, CA
College: UCSB
Resides in: Goleta, CA
About Me:
I guess you could say I kind of lead a double life--On weekdays you'll find me in the science labs of the UCSB campus, completing my Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology, or buckling down to teach some serious SAT-butt-kicking classes! But come weekends, if you can't find me, just head for that sweet mountain air! I'm an avid hiker and snowboarder, but I've also been known to enjoy a night in watching a good comedy flick or rocking out on the guitar--video game, that is! I've worked a number of jobs, from ice cream-scooper to airport concierge to doggie daycare associate, but by far the best has been the tutoring and teaching that I have done. One day I hope to combine my love for teaching with my love for travel, and be able to help students across the world!
Why I teach at Revolution Prep:
I know that students can be bright, motivated, and talented at a MILLION things, but still be thwarted by the SAT when it comes to college apps! I'm here to make sure that this one ridiculous test doesn't mess with anyone's potential to get into the awesome colleges that they deserve to but might never have realized they could!
Juliana O.
Hometown: Northampton, MA
College: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Resides in: Santa Barbara, CA
About Me:
When I was five years old, I wanted to grow up to become the first female President of the United States. I also wanted to create world peace. So far, I haven't done either of those things, but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy. Here is a list of some thing that I have done. (All of these are true and I have the photos to prove it!)
In no particular order, I have: found the area under a curve; traveled to India; made a light-emitting diode (LED); worked at a steakhouse; read all of the Harry Potter books; worked in the kind of lab where they make you wear full-body white bunny suits; danced with a professional ballet company; TA-ed a class in a PhD program; driven from Boston to LA; graduated from college; graduated from high school; and taken the SAT (twice).
I'll have to get back to you on that "world peace" thing. I might need some back-up for that one. It's a little trickier than I thought.
Why I teach at Revolution Prep:
I'm not a big fan of the SAT. It tries to confuse you and keep you from getting the right answer, and that's what I'd call "fighting dirty." I think test questions should be written with clarity and simplicity, not with tricks and traps.
I'm a big fan of Revolution Prep, because we've put together some good advice and clever strategies that will help take the frustration of the the SAT. With a little assistance from us, you can get the SAT score that you deserve, which will help you to get into the college of your choice.
Here's my kind of equation: Studying with Rev Prep = Higher SAT score = More options for college = Happier YOU!
What could be simpler than that?
Bradley O.
Hometown: Yorba Linda, CA
College: Oxford/UCSB
Resides in: Santa Barbara, CA
About Me:
I am currently finishing a PhD in Religious Studies. A couple of years ago I completed a master's degree at Oxford University in the UK. I did my undergraduate work at Azusa Pacific University, and also received an MA from there.
I love to stay active--hiking, surfing, basketball, and whatever else I can think of. I just published my first co-authored book, am addicted to the Office and love to travel.
Why I teach at Revolution Prep:
I have been in school my whole life. I know what it is like to be a student and I know what it is like to have high goals. I teach for Revolution because love helping students reach their goals and seeing them succeed.