OUR SPECIALISTS

MESSAGE FROM KATIE HART, DIRECTOR

Welcome! Thank you for visiting our website. We are celebrating our 15th year serving Chapel Hill-Carrboro and surrounding area students and love what we do! Before becoming director in 2018, I spent time as a verbal specialist on the ColPrep team. I earned my Masters in Teaching at UNC, and then spent ten years in North Carolina public schools, seven of them in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro system, teaching all grade levels of high school English. While in the CHCCS system, I earned my National Board Certification. I love teaching ColPrep's SAT/ACT courses, developing strategies for college-bound tests, and leading students through the college application essay process. When I am not scheduling students or working as a specialist myself, I enjoy traveling and spending time in Carrboro with my husband and three children.

Our Verbal Team

AMANDA is completing her PhD in Musicology at a local prestigious university, and is a long-term Triangle resident. She completed her BA in Studio Art and Spanish, an MA in Translation Theory, and an MA in Musicology. She loves tutoring students in writing, language, study skills, test prep, and AP exams. Her main goal as a writing tutor is to help students achieve clarity in their writing through clarity in their thinking. She is passionate about working with students with ADHD on their organizational and study skills, as she has excelled in the academic environment while managing her own ADHD. Her care for students informs her enthusiastic and individualized approach.

SPECIALIZATIONS: SAT and ACT verbal strategies, writing specialist (college applications/essays, writing improvement and/or enrichment), AP English/Literature, AP Spanish Language/Literature, AP Art History, AP Music Theory

CHRIS earned her BA in English from Duke University. She has extensive teaching experience in high school English classes, with her last 11 years at Carrboro High, CHHS, and Northwood High School. She has also worked as a copy editor at Duke University Press and the University Press of Mississippi. She retired last year, but is thrilled to continue working with students, especially with writing improvement/enrichment and on winning college applications and essays. She loves to bring out the "writer within."

SPECIALIZATIONS: Writing specialist (college applications/essays, writing improvement and/or enrichment)

ELLE graduated from Duke University with a BS in Biology and a BA in Global Health. Over her undergraduate career, Elle spearheaded research regarding quality of and access to leprosy care options in Sri Lanka, emergency care for scarf-related injuries in Bangladesh, and the dynamics and drivers of domestic minor sex trafficking in the United States. She was awarded the Michael Merson Undergraduate Student Leadership Award in Global Health for this work. Currently, Elle is a researcher at the Duke Department of Emergency Medicine and a teaching assistant for three graduate courses on grant writing, implementation science, and systematic reviews at the Duke Global Heath Institute. Elle is also a published writer through the American Medical Writers Association. Her philosophy toward teaching is student-centered and emphasizes conceptual understanding. As another tutor said, if a student doesn’t understand something, it hasn’t been presented in a way that works for them.

SPECIALIZATIONS: life sciences (all levels of Biology and Chemistry), calculus-based Physics, and English; college application and essay development; ACT/SAT test-taking strategies for all sections

EMILY is a freelance science writer and tutor who specializes in math, grammar, and writing. Many people know her as a fun and creative tutor, but what they don’t know is that she is passionate about the roles of information and problem-solving in society. She supports students who are on a journey to becoming powerful, flexible thinkers.

SPECIALIZATIONS: CC Math 1 through BC Calculus; ACT/SAT Verbal and Math/Science Strategies, writing improvement and/or enrichment

HANNAH earned her BA in English Literature, with minors in Spanish and Africana Studies, at Auburn University. She is currently a PhD candidate at a local, prestigious university, where she teaches writing and composition. Hannah also has a background in working with children from ages 8 to 14 in tutoring as well as mentorship and self-empowerment.

SPECIALIZATIONS: writing specialist (college applications/essays, writing improvement and/or enrichment), AP English, organization/study skills.

JAN is a veteran teacher of middle school and high school English and Social Studies/History in the CHCCS district, with B.A. degrees in English and Journalism from the University of WI Madison. "I love working for ColPrep Tutoring," Jan says. "Nothing is more exciting than seeing a student take a leap of understanding--whether it is during a challenging reading or in constructing an elegant sentence." When not tutoring, Jan is working furiously on her own first novel.

SPECIALIZATIONS: middle school/high school reading, organization/study skills, pre-ACT and PSAT previews, assessments, and reviews; APUSH success, SAT and ACT verbal strategies; and writing skills (college applications/essays, writing improvement and/or enrichment)

RALPH earned his BA in English from UNC-CH and his MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia College. He taught grant writing to graduate students at Tulane University for sixteen years and first-year composition at NCCU for a decade. He has published a number of short stories and novels; most recently he published "Argos: The Story of Odysseus as Told by His Loyal Dog" with HarperCollins. After sending two children to college recently he understands the college application process and is eager to help students find their "authentic voice" in order to craft impactful essays.

SPECIALIZATIONS: writing specialist (college applications/essays, fundamentals of grammar/punctuation, writing improvement and/or enrichment), SAT/ACT verbal strategies

SEBASTIAN is a PhD candidate in Immunology at Duke University, studying pathogens that infect the brain and central nervous system. His passion for helping others drives him to understand the immunology and treatment of these diseases. He graduated from Virginia Tech with a BS in Biochemistry, with minors in Chemistry and Professional & Technical Writing. He serves as a TA at Duke and has been tutoring students since high school. Sebastian enjoys building relationships with students and seeing them grow as individuals.

SPECIALIZATIONS: SAT and ACT verbal and math/science strategies, college applications and essays, writing improvement/enrichment

SOPHIA recently graduated from UNC with a BS in biochemistry with honors and distinction. Sophia has extensive experience as a peer mentor for biochemistry courses and as a tutor for various subjects including math, science, and Spanish. Sophia is passionate about helping students conquer challenging course material and achieve their full potential.

SPECIALIZATIONS: SAT and ACT verbal and math/science strategies, CC Math I through BC Calculus, Chemistry, Study skills/organization

Our Math and Science Team

ADITI is completing her Bachelor of Science in Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, specializing in Environmental Health Sciences and minoring in Statistics and Chemistry. Her tutoring philosophy centers around teaching students to encounter uncertainty with greater confidence by breaking down concepts into manageable parts. She is also passionate about helping students find a learning and organizational style that best suits their needs, especially for students that struggle with time management, motivation, and ADHD. She hopes that all students can walk away feeling comfortable asking questions and finding joy in learning. Aditi sees tutoring as a stepping stone for her public service and plans to work as a public health professional in the future, with a focus on health behavior intervention development and health education.

SPECIALIZATIONS: SAT/ACT verbal and math/science strategies, AP Statistics, CC Math 1 through AB Calculus, organization/study skills

BREANNE is a Ph.D. student in chemistry, currently conducting RNA research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She graduated from Minot State University with a BA triple major in Biology, Chemistry, and Mathematics and concentrations in Physical Science and Physics. As an undergraduate Bree served as a Supplemental Instructor in Organic Chemistry for two years. She also was a lead tutor in biology, chemistry, and math courses for three years. At UNC-CH, Bree was a teaching assistant for analytical chemistry courses. She is passionate about helping students find excitement in STEM fields and enjoys developing her mentor skills to fit the individual needs of every student.

SPECIALIZATIONS: CC Math I through BC Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and SAT/ACT Math/Science

CONNOR is completing his PhD in Environmental Sciences and Engineering at UNC's School of Public Health, conducting research on environmental microbiology and antibiotic resistance in environmental waters (including a recent project tracking COVID-19 in wastewater). He graduated from Rutgers University with a major in Biotechnology and minors in Biochemistry and Environmental Science. Connor loves thinking through mathematical and scientific reasoning and has a passion for communicating science to all audiences. He also is passionate about music and plays the drums for multiple local bands of varying genres.
SPECIALIZATIONS: SAT/ACT, Math 1-2, AP Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Sciences

GRANT is a Ph.D. student in electrical engineering at The University of Colorado Boulder. He is currently conducting research on radio frequency power amplifiers and monolithic microwave integrated circuits. He graduated from Centre College with a BS in physics. Throughout his studies, Grant has conducted research with various industry and government entities including Johnson Space Center, SpaceX, the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. He is excited to help other students excel in STEM fields and has tutored students in physics throughout his undergraduate career.

SPECIALIZATIONS: Physics, CC Math through BC Calculus, SAT/ACT Math/Science

KATIE A. is a chemistry Ph.D. candidate in the Bo Li Lab at UNC-CH where she studies the chemical and biological mechanisms of bacterial virulence. She is an NC native and received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a Biotechnology minor from NC State. In undergrad, she tutored student athletes in math and science and was a teaching assistant in organic chemistry. At UNC-CH, Katie gained experience as a college chemistry tutor and biochemistry teaching assistant. She loves working with students to help them understand the course material and formulate an individualized plan for success. In addition to math and science, Katie is also passionate about scientific writing. In her spare time, she enjoys training her Aussie mix, Nitro, and playing with her bunny, Leo.

SPECIALIZATIONS: CC Math I through BC Calculus, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and SAT/ACT Math/Science

KIRSTEN is an Applied Mathematics graduate student at the University of North Carolina She received her BS in Mathematics and minor in Computer Science. Hailing from a small liberal arts college she enjoys fostering supportive learning communities where students are excited to explore new mathematical and scientific ideas. Currently, she mentors undergraduate women through her chapter of American Women in Mathematics. Kirsten’s research experiences and interests lie in mathematical biology, fluid dynamics, and marine biology. From years of experience as a Calculus recitation leader and math tutor, she enjoys working with students to help them develop their critical thinking skills to succeed.

SPECIALIZATIONS: Tutor for CC Math 1 through BC Calculus; Biology/ AP Biology; SAT/ACT Math/Science

LUKE is an M.D./Ph.D. student at Duke University. He has completed his medical coursework and core clinical rotations and is now in the Ph.D. phase of his program studying immunology, specifically how we can improve the immune system’s ability to fight off cancer. Prior to coming to Duke, Luke graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.S. in Biology and in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. For three years after college, he worked as a research fellow, first studying undergraduate science teaching and learning and then immunology. Luke has experience tutoring math and science at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels, and was an introductory biochemistry and biology course TA. He also has experience working as a scientific writing editor. Luke enjoys working with students, and prioritizes helping them achieve a concept-based understanding and build their confidence in a low-stakes setting that welcomes questions and discussion. His teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that if a student isn’t “getting it” it is not because they can’t, it’s because the concept hasn’t been presented in a way that works for them!

SPECIALIZATIONS: Biology/ AP Biology; Chemistry/ AP Chemistry; study skills and SAT/ACT math/science.

SELENA is a Ph.D. student in Immunology at Duke University. As a member of the Duke Brain Tumor Immunotherapy Program, her work focuses on understanding systemic immune deficits that arise in patients with brain cancer. Prior to Duke, Selena graduated from Bowdoin College with a degree in Biology, then spent two years working at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In addition, she is a manuscript editor with American Journal Experts. Selena is currently enrolled in the Certificate in College Teaching program at Duke. She has experience as a teaching assistant for graduate and undergraduate students, and as a tutor for both undergraduates and high school students. It is important to Selena that her students learn in a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere where they feel encouraged to ask questions. Selena plans to pursue a career at the intersect between research science and the clinic, likely in the field of cancer immunotherapy. She is passionate about helping others and getting people excited about science!

SPECIALIZATIONS: Biology/ AP Biology; Chemistry/ AP Chemistry; Study skills/organization

SHANNON completed her undergraduate education at Rhodes College in 2016 and went straight to graduate school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Shannon was awarded her Ph.D. for her dissertation research focused on quantifying protein-protein interactions in living E. coli cells under Dr. Gary Pielak. She currently works as a scientist developing analytical characterization methods for vaccines, fusion proteins, and gene therapy products. Shannon has tutored many middle school, high school and college students in math and science subjects while in undergraduate and graduate school.

SPECIALIZATIONS: CC Math I through BC Calculus, Chemistry, SAT/ACT Math/Science, Study skills/organization

WILL is a Ph.D. student in Chemical Biology and Biophysics studying the biosynthesis and mode of action of antibiotics. He graduated from University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) with a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, followed by a M.S. in Biochemistry where he studied the regulation of cell signaling using computational methods. Will has tutored high school and college students in trigonometry and analytical geometry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry. In addition to tutoring, Will has taught undergraduate biochemistry and organic chemistry, and has trained more than a dozen student in research labs. He is passionate about getting students to think critically and find the study strategies that work best for them.

SPECIALIZATIONS: Chemistry/ AP Chemistry, Biology/ AP Biology, ACT Math/Science, Math I through Calculus AB.