I am a graduate of The University of Akron (Bachelor's and Master's) and Kent State University (Ph.D.) I have been studying and teaching about how to help people be better readers and writers for over 30 years. I am also a professional musician (keyboard/piano) and like to bring music and pop culture into my lessons. I have taught at the middle school, high school and college levels. I like helping people. I like to get to know students as human beings as I am working with them. While I tutor a broad range of subjects, I am most passionate about helping people be better readers and writers, studying English, Literature, and History. I try to make even preparing students for standardized tests fun, as I believe doing well on standardized tests is all about mastering the "code" of how these tests are written and using some strategies that have been successful for my students over the years on multiple levels. I respect students who want to grow and who understand the value of spending time on self improvement. In my spare time, I enjoy reading, running, weight training, and spending time with my three middle-school-age children.