BILTMORE’S TUTOR REQUIREMENTS
- Master’s Degree and/or PhD
- Teaching Experience
- Extensive Background Check
- Exceptional Interpersonal and Motivational Skills
QUALIFICATIONS: All of our tutors have Master’s degrees or PhD’s and extensive teaching experience. Beyond these industry-leading requirements, Biltmore Tutoring looks for individuals who have outstanding interpersonal and communication skills. Once a potential tutor meets these qualifications, Biltmore Tutoring runs an exhaustive background check and selects only those who measure up to our standard of excellence.
TRAINING: Tutor training at Biltmore Tutoring is extensive. After meeting initial requirements, our tutors must train for between 30 and 100 hours for each test they will teach. During this time, our tutors are taught proprietary teaching methods and strategies; they observe tutoring sessions; and analyze and annotate all relevant texts, tests and other publications. Finally, our tutors must complete a certification interview with a senior staffer. This process ensures that each and every Biltmore tutor meets our strict standards of educational excellence.
EXPERIENCE: Just as important as our hiring and training policies are our tutor retention efforts. Biltmore Tutoring provides our tutors with an environment in which they can continue to pursue their own pursuit of personal excellence, without many of the headaches associated with traditional teaching or those associated with in-home tutoring (travel, etc.) As a result, we are able to attract and retain the best tutors in the area.
All of Biltmore Tutoring’s specialists possess a minimum of a Master’s Degree along with teaching experience, and are experts in their subject areas. Call us today for a free academic consultation, and a guaranteed tutor match with your child.
OUR TUTORS
Dr. MARJORIE TIMMS, PhD
Dr. Marjorie Timms brings a rich history of training, research and direct classroom experience to the creation of individualized programs in Writing, Reading, and Communication Arts. With a broad range of teaching experiences in both remediation and enrichment of communication skill development, Dr. Timms combines thorough assessment with innovative, research-based strategies to provide a personalized approach to developmental communication. At Biltmore Tutoring, Dr. Timms serves as a mentor, guide, and tutor in helping students to develop effective creative, scholarly, or technical writing. Sessions may involve the infusion of creative and expressive arts or focus on identified communication needs. In addition, Marjorie offers preparation for standardized tests, such as the PSAT/SAT/ACT/SSAT, college entrance essays, study and learning skills, or skills in public speaking and group presentation. Aspects of interpersonal communication may be woven into sessions, with opportunities for practicing skills in conflict resolution, strengthening confidence in communication or refining skills in personal and social communication.
A graduate of Northwestern University’s renowned School of Communication, with a Bachelor’s degree in Speech and English Education, including combined studies in the Interpretation of Literature, Theatre, and Public Speaking, Marjorie has retained a focus on creative arts infusion and dynamic, interactive learning experiences. Graduate studies have included two Magna Cum Laude Masters degrees – a Master of Arts in Drama: Acting and Directing from West Virginia University’s Creative Arts Center and a Master of Science in Speech/Language Pathology and Audiology from Ithaca College in New York. In addition to completing a 5-year research grant in language and reading from the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Timms was awarded a Doctorate in Special Education, with a focus on curriculum design and instruction. Marjorie also studied conflict resolution and mediation with Dr. Marshall Rosenberg, resulting in a nine-year project incorporating Rosenberg’s nonviolent communication model (NVC) in work with young people, family communication, and resolving interpersonal communication issues.
Dr. Timms holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech/Language Pathology, (CCC-Sp/L) along with Professional Teaching Certification in Language Arts, English, Speech Communication, Drama/Theatre and Special Education. She has also been honored with Master Teacher status, Who’s Who in American Women, the Woodbury Reports ‘Excellence in Education’ award and over 250 grants for her innovative work in expressive arts and communication for both gifted students and students with learning challenges, as well as ‘twice-exceptional’ gifted learning disabled students.
Marjorie’s particular area of expertise involves her belief in discovering or rediscovering each student’s special gifts and abilities as a springboard to overcoming barriers to achievement. Please note that Marjorie is only available to students via Skype at this time.
Subjects: AP English Language and Composition; AP English Literature; College Essay Writing; SAT Reading; SAT Writing; ACT English; ACT Reading; Reading and Study Skills; GRE; SSAT
Dr. MARY MAC OGDEN, PhD
Dr. Mary Mac Ogden has over twenty years of teaching experience at the secondary and college levels. She is a published author and conducts research on southern politics, civil rights and American nationalism. Her book, The Politics of Progress in South Carolina, is currently in publication at the University of South Carolina Press.
Dr. Ogden received her B.S. in History from Presbyterian College, an M.A. in History from UNC Wilmington, an M.Ed. in Secondary Social Studies, a graduate certificate in Women’s and Gender Studies and a PhD in American History with special fields of US South and American Women from the University of South Carolina. She is a Guardian Ad Litem and a freelance writer, and holds teaching licenses in North and South Carolina. Her special interests are traveling, conducting research, renovations and resale of estate jewelry.
Subjects: AP US History
Dr. IOAN MUNTEAN, PhD
Ioan has a PhD in the Philosophy of Physics from the University of California, San Diego as well as a PhD in Philosophy – with a specialization in Metaphysics – from the University of Bucharest in Romania. Ioan achieved a BA and MA in Theoretical Philosophy and Philosophy from the University of Bucharest, as well as a BS in applied physics from the Polytechnic Institute of Bucharest (also in Romania). Ioan currently teaches at UNC-Asheville, and has worked as an instructor and lecturer at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana University-Purdue, the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom. He was a graduate student instructor at UC-San Diego, and was an associate professor at the University of Bucharest and at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest.
He has a wealth of experience in teaching physics, logic, computational science at the college level. He worked in three countries and he is passionate about improving the STEM education of young people. He has experience with mathematics, physics, computer science, logic, and critical thinking. He’s main pedagogical tool is critical thinking and learning through questions, seeking the “Big Picture.”
Ioan (pronounced Yan) is a member of the Philosophy of Science Association, the American Philosophical Association, the European Philosophy of Science Association, the British Society for the Philosophy of Science; and the Romanian Society for Analytic Philosophy (he is a founding member). He has published or co-authored many papers throughout his career; his most recent was titled Artificial moral cognition: from functionalism to autonomous moral agents, and was published in the journal Philosophy and Computing.
Ioan says that, “Any learning process is a transformative experience, a process that makes us more virtuous and our life worth living. Mathematics is like music, physics is like dance. There is no process of learning without unearthing the inner potential in the student.”
Subjects: Algebra I – II; Math I-III; Geometry; Pre-Calculus; SAT Math; ACT Math; ACT Science; SSAT Math; SAT Math I Subject Test; SAT Math II Subject Test; College Algebra; AP Calculus; Calculus I-III; AP Physics, College Physics; AP Statistics
Dr. NED GUTTMAN, PhD
Ned Guttman has a PhD in Marine Science and a MS in statistics from North Carolina State University. He also holds a BA in meteorology and oceanography from New York University. Retired from NOAA, he is a statistical climatologist specializing in applying statistics to climatic data to solve practical problems in areas such as agriculture, transportation, energy usage, military operations, spaceflight and water resources. He is a veteran of the Air National Guard and served as a weather officer. He is currently a consultant and has worked extensively with the United Nations World Meteorological Organization.
As an adjunct professor, Ned taught meteorology, oceanography, math, logic, ecology and climatology at our local universities. He had a one-year assignment as a professor at the US Naval Academy and also taught at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville. He co-founded the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of North Carolina – Asheville. Ned has over 10 years of experience tutoring high school and college students and graduates in math and physical sciences and teaching test prep classes for the SAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT and GMAT.
Ned serves the community by volunteering at Habitat for Humanity and as a Guardian ad litem. Crafts have played a big part in his life. He taught basket making and chair caning for Asheville Buncombe Technical College and worked as a potter for over 15 years. He and his wife, a fiber artist who volunteers for the Western North Carolina Regional Archives and the Southern Highland Craft Guild, have for decades raised, trained and loved pugs. They are avid gardeners and love basketball!
Subjects: Algebra I – II; Math I-III; Geometry; Pre-Calculus; SAT Math; SAT Reading; SAT Reading/Writing; ACT Math; ACT Science; ACT English; ACT Reading; SSAT Math; SAT Math I Subject Test; SAT Math II Subject Test; College Algebra; AP Calculus; Calculus I-III; AP Physics, AP Statistics; US History; US Government; Civics: Environmental Science; Meteorology
LEA McLELLAN, MFA
Lea McLellan completed her graduate degree in nonfiction writing at Emerson College in Boston where she received a full tuition fellowship and studied under acclaimed writers and poets. Her undergraduate degree was in Religion with a minor in Chinese language at the University of Vermont.
In addition to her work at Biltmore Tutoring, Lea currently writes professionally for magazines, newspapers and blogs.
Lea possesses a wealth of tutoring and teaching experience. She has aided students in areas ranging from book reports to college essays to thesis papers to test prep. With a patient and supportive presence, her goal is to take the anxiety out of reading and writing. She believes that building a student’s confidence is just as important as building a student’s skill set! When both areas are nurtured, students find that writing a paper is hardly the headache it once was, and significantly improved test scores are easily within reach.
Subjects: AP English Language and Composition; AP English Literature; SAT Reading; SAT Writing; ACT Reading; ACT English; College Essay; SSAT; GRE; Reading & Study Skills; SAT Subject Tests
MANDI BOYD, MA, NBCT
Mandi Boyd holds a Master of Arts in Education with Instruction Technology concentration from Appalachian State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Math Education from ASU. Mandi was a North Carolina Teaching Fellow. She completed her Bachelor’s degree as the Honor Student Teacher for the western region and her Master’s degree with high honors, earning a 4.0 GPA. Since completing her Bachelor’s, she has been teaching in North Carolina high schools for seven years. In 2015 Mandi became a National Board Certified Teacher.
Before becoming a classroom teacher, Mandi worked for the Duke TIP program teaching Geometry and Algebra II. This program allowed for several years of specialized training in working with academically driven and gifted students. Mandi’s training with TIP has allowed her to teach honors level math each year of her career.
Mandi specializes in high school math, including: Math I, Math II, Math III, Pre-Cal, Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. She is also an expert at working with students on ACT, SAT, and SSAT test prep.
In her free time, Mandi enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter. She loves the outdoors, college football, and good books.
Subjects: Algebra I – II; Math I-III; Geometry; Pre-Calculus; SAT Math; ACT Math; ACT Science; SSAT Math; SAT Math I Subject Test
CINDY HALLMAN-MORRIS, MA, NBCT
Cindy received both her Bachelors of Arts in Mathematics Education and Masters in Mathematics Education degrees from the University of Georgia. She is a rabid UGA fan – she tells anyone who will listen that her blood bleeds red and black. Cindy has been National Board Certified for the last 10 years. In 1997, she moved with her family to Asheville and she started teaching at TC Roberson High School. She is currently the chair of the mathematics department at TC Roberson.
This is Cindy’s 25th year as a high school math teacher. She has taught math classes ranging from Remedial Math to AP Calculus. She believes deeply in both a traditional mathematics curriculum and an integrated mathematics curriculum, and has taught in both environments. She excels in modifying her instruction for many different learning challenges, including for students on the autism spectrum. One of Cindy’s most rewarding experiences was teaching Pre-calculus to a blind student (before the aid of advanced technology).
Cindy’s graduate classes focused not just on mathematics, but specifically how the brain learns mathematics. She is a strong believer in students understanding why and how a mathematics topic works and how each topic weaves into the fabric of the bigger mathematics picture. Her recent passion revolves around Carol Dweck’s brain research, entitled ‘Growth Mindset,‘ out of Stanford University.
Cindy has two children – a daughter at TCR and a son at Vanderbilt University. Her family is rounded out with Boudreaux the dog and Harry the cat. She enjoys cooking and even had a food blog for about 4 years! When she is not tutoring and helping students to increase their test scores, grades, and confidence, Cindy spends her free time reading fiction, listening to podcasts such as RadioLab and This American Life, listening to 80’s music, hiking, working in her yard, and enjoying time with friends and family.
Subjects: Algebra I – II; Math I-III; Geometry; Pre-Calculus; SAT Math; ACT Math; ACT Science; SSAT Math; SAT Math I Subject Test; SAT Math II Subject Test; Calculus
KATIE DAVIS, MA
Katie earned a MA in Special Education from Vanderbilt University with a focus on behavioral disorders. While pursuing her Master’s Degree, Katie tutored for the Vanderbilt Reading Clinic as well as Nashville Metro Schools, researching and applying evidence based reading interventions. Prior to attending Vanderbilt, Katie received a BA in Psychology with a Minor in Educational Studies from Haverford College. While attending Haverford, she was a four year starter and two year captain of the school’s NCAA women’s fencing team.
In addition to tutoring, Katie is a full time special education teacher. She values tutoring because of the opportunity to focus on an individual’s strengths and weaknesses in a supportive environment. Katie particularly enjoys helping students discover what reading strategies and executive functioning skills work best for their individual learning style.
In her spare time, Katie enjoys cooking, swing dancing, and caring for her rescue dog, Gatsby.
Subjects: AP English Language and Composition; AP English Literature; SAT Reading; SAT Writing; ACT Reading; ACT English; College Essay; Biology, SSAT; GRE; Reading & Study Skills; SAT Subject Tests; Algebra; Pre-Algebra; History
STEPHANIE KRUCHER, MA
Stephanie earned both her Master’s degree in English and her Graduate Certificate in Teaching Writing from Minnesota State University where she received a full-tuition assistantship for both programs. While her primary subject of study was composition, she also studied second language acquisition, cross-cultural teaching, and linguistics. She completed her bachelor’s degree at Nyack College in Nyack, New York.
Stephanie brings a wealth of teaching and tutoring experience to Biltmore Tutoring. She has aided students in areas ranging from brainstorming a topic to writing a master’s thesis. Her goal is to simplify every writing assignment into small manageable tasks to encourage students that writing is possible!
She is committed to continued service to the field of education. She has devoted time to serving as a peer reviewer for Commission of English Language Accreditation, presenting to colleagues on educational technology, and raising awareness of cultural issues through advocacy and education.
Community involvement continues to be a large part of Stephanie’s life. When pursuing an undergraduate degree, Stephanie led a student-run ESL program serving Thai immigrants and volunteered with a homeless ministry. These experiences ignited a desire for her to continue serving others. She committed to many other volunteer roles including counseling women in difficult relationships, assisting in the management of ECHO Food Shelf in Minnesota, and teaching English to teenagers in Krakow, Poland.
Stephanie and her husband founded Babies Need Bottoms, a nonprofit diaper bank working to provide diapers to babies and toddlers in the Asheville area. In this role, they devote extensive time for partner collaboration, diaper collection and distribution, and event planning. As parents and world-explorers, first-hand learning about other cultures is a vital part of self-discovery. They recently traveled to Ecuador for three months to learn about the culture and live like locals. Planning the next international adventure is always on their minds!
In her free time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her husband and kids, reviewing home décor ideas on Pinterest, networking for Babies Need Bottoms, and testing new dinner recipes.
Subjects: AP English Language and Composition; AP English Literature; SAT Reading; SAT Writing; ACT Reading; ACT English; ACT Essay; College Essay Writing; SSAT; GRE; Reading & Study Skills; SAT Subject Tests; Public Speaking
KRISTIN KELLY, MA
Kristin graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and a minor in Social Work from NC State University. After graduation, Kristin accepted a recruitment scholarship offer from Kansas State University and took a job as a Graduate Teaching Assistantship there. While completing her Graduate Teaching Assistantship she was recruited for a position as the STEM outreach coordinator in a National Science Foundation grant office—the K-State Office for the Advancement of Women in Science and Engineering. In that particular role she was able to work with junior women faculty on the tenure track as well as help coordinate and provide support for STEM summer camps for young girls and women in the Manhattan, KS area. In 2014, Kristin graduated from Kansas State University in 2014 with a Master of Arts degree in Sociology by successfully defending and depositing her thesis on political sociology and social movements. After graduation, Kristin was published in a competitive peer-reviewed journal, Contemporary Justice Review. Kristin was also accepted as an AmeriCorps volunteer here in Asheville, NC for two years, where she continued her work as a STEM Education Coordinator and Educator for two local nonprofits in the area.
Kristin is currently an adjunct instructor at AB Tech Community College where she teaches courses in Sociology and Academic Success. In her sociology courses, Kristin highlights the importance of the Arts in STEM by designing hands-on, engaging activities for her students that emphasize the engineering design process, science and mathematical sociology. Kristin also teaches Academic Success courses to college transfer students and shows her students study strategies that and techniques for college.
In her downtime, you can find Kristin on the French Broad River in the summer months on a paddle board or on a tube, floating down the river. Kristin also enjoys playing community softball and kickball when she is able. On occasion, she can also be found mentoring elementary and middle school children in LEGO robotics. Overall, Kristin is a well-rounded individual, gifted writer and mathematics lover who is looking forward to helping your child succeed!
Subjects: AP English Language and Composition; AP English Literature; SAT Reading; SAT Writing; ACT Reading; ACT English; ACT Math; ACT Science; College Essay Writing; SSAT; Reading & Study Skills; Pre-Algebra; Algebra I; Algebra II; Geometry; Statistics; Integrated Math I; Science
CHRIS BUTSAVAGE, MA
Chris was born and raised in Bethesda, MD, right outside of Washington D.C. He graduated from Bethesda Chevy Chase High School in 2003 and St. Mary’s College of Maryland in 2007 with a B.A. in History. Following graduation, Chris worked as a union organizer for the United Food and Commercial Workers Union in Washington D.C. and worked with author Patrick K. O’Donnell. He helped write, edit, and research two books, “They Dared Return” and “Give Me Tomorrow”, with O’Donnell concerning WWII and the Korean War respectively. He also started working with students as an ACT/SAT test prep tutor.
Chris began pursuing a Master’s Degree in European History from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2009. He subsequently began working as a librarian at the National Archives specializing in assisting clients with declassified CIA documents and genealogy. Chris received his M.A. in European History in 2012 and graduated with honors. His thesis, “German Radio Propaganda in the Soviet Union: A War of Words”, was published by the University of Maryland, College Park.
Upon receiving his M.A., Chris took a position as an AmeriCorps VISTA in the Allegheny highlands of West Virginia, serving as both a community organizer and a Child and Youth Advocate in Pocahontas County. He led operations for the Marlinton, West Virginia office of the Child and Youth Advocacy Center and advocated for child victims and their families, interviewing victims and presenting their cases to law enforcement and county authorities.
Chris returned to the Washington D.C. area in 2014 after completing his AmeriCorps VISTA service and began his M.A. in Education at the University of Maryland, University College. He also started his own tutoring business where he worked with college students to organize their study plans at finals time, edited papers, and assisted students with conceptualization of ideas such as ideology and intentions for essay writing. Chris completed his student teaching at his alma mater Bethesda Chevy Chase High School. He was the lead teacher for four AP Government classes and one ESOL class and was responsible for lesson planning and instruction, grading, discipline, attendance, and testing.
Chris graduated with an M.A. in Secondary Education in 2016 and taught Political Science to high school students at New Hope Academy in inner city Baltimore during the 2016-2017 school year. He taught three sections of American Government and worked with students from the most socioeconomically depressed area of Baltimore City, MD. In his spare time, Chris plays music (guitar, harmonica), writes poetry and non-fiction, plays basketball, snowboards and loves to fish!
Subjects:AP English Language and Composition; AP English Literature; SAT Reading; SAT Writing; ACT Reading; ACT English; College Essay Writing; SSAT; GRE; Reading & Study Skills; SAT Subject Tests; AP European History; AP US History; AP World History
THOMAS KOZAK, MA
Thomas Kozak earned his MA in Secondary Education from Wake Forest Graduate School and his BA in English from Wake Forest University. While the primary focus of his studies was English, he has also spent years honing his skills as a teacher and tutor of Mathematics (having always loved what he deems the poetry of numbers).
Thomas prefers the personal focus of tutoring to that of classroom teaching, having found greater reward in the enduring academic growth that comes from one-on-one instruction. He is devoted to helping students develop into life-long learners, knowing that can be achieved through encouraging academic responsibility and inspiring intellectual curiosity.
A song-writer, film-maker, and poet, Thomas keeps a keen eye on the role of creativity in academic success. He has seen, first-hand, the leaps in achievement that students can make when they realize how some of the most stubborn conceptual blocks can be loosened by creativity in perspective or approach.
Having balanced a heavy load of extracurricular activities in high school and college, Thomas knows that time is a precious commodity in any student’s life. He is adept at creating individualized strategies that allow students to maximize success without overloading on work. He believes that academic achievement is always possible without being at the cost of a student’s passions.
Subjects: AP English Language and Composition; AP English Literature; SAT Reading; SAT Writing; ACT Reading; ACT English; College Essay; SSAT; GRE; Reading & Study Skills; SAT Subject Tests; Algebra I – II; Geometry; Trigonometry; Pre-Calculus; Integrated Math I & II; SAT Math; ACT Math; ACT Science
ELISE FOLLEY, MST
Elise earned her B.A. in English from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois and her M.S.T. in Secondary English Education from Plattsburgh State University of New York. She holds a professional teaching license in Colorado and has over five years of teaching experience at the secondary level. Her command of the English language places her in high demand.
Some of Elise’s favorite student moments occurred during tutoring. In one case, a seventh grade boy arrived from Ethiopia with a deficit in phonemic awareness and an inability to recognize many sight words. At the close of the same year, the boy was reading The Lord of the Rings with fluency and comprehension.
Two students who prepared with Elise for a districtwide academic competition placed in their respective content areas. One of the students was the youngest age permitted to participate, and the other took first place, earning scholarship money.
Another student, for whom Elise crafted a spelling enrichment course, won the district spelling bee for two consecutive years.
As the eldest of nine, Elise cultivated a love for children early in life. For a number of years, she provided full time care to her youngest siblings. Such a familial role naturally led Elise into teaching. As an educator, Elise exudes respect for students, establishes high expectations, plans meaningful activities, impresses on students her desire for their well being, and enables students to accrue a sense of success!
When she is not with her students, Elise enjoys reading, hiking, camping, acting, cooking, and scuba diving. In addition, she is a published author of fiction for both adults and children. Song is another one of her great delights. The highlights of her vocal career include providing music for a myriad of weddings and performing a solo at Carnegie Hall in NYC.
Elise is world-traveled. She’s experienced Mexico, Canada, England, Australia, Italy, Greece, Montenegro, Croatia, Ireland, Wales, and France. It is her wish to explore many more cultures in the future. However, she also knows her own culture has much to offer. Following an epic road trip with her younger brother last summer, there are only four US states Elise has yet to visit: North Dakota, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Alaska. Now that she’s arrived in Asheville, Elise is ready for her next adventure.
Subjects: AP English Language and Composition; AP English Literature; SAT Reading; SAT Writing; ACT Reading; ACT English; College Essay; SSAT; Reading & Study Skills; SAT Subject Tests; Algebra; Pre-Algebra; History
MATT JORDAN, MS
Matthew Jordan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics from Dartmouth College and a Master of Science degree in biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He worked as a Research Statistician for nine years at the Research Triangle Institute in North Carolina. There, he served as a statistician on observational studies, multi-center clinical trials, and surveys.
One such study involved the particular type of mechanical ventilation used in the treatment of very premature infants. He was a co-author of several articles published in medical journals. For one year he served as an analyst at the Duke University Medical Center, where he provided statistical support for genetic studies which attempted to map and identify genes involved in inherited disorders, such as glaucoma and muscular dystrophy.
Matt has always loved math and has extensive experience tutoring at the high school and middle school levels. He tutored for three years at a tutoring center in Davidson, North Carolina, and for nine years at Statesville Montessori School in Statesville, North Carolina. He really enjoys it when a student finally gets some concept! He believes that all students can achieve in math. He feels that his most important goal in working with a student is not necessarily the technical math skills learned, but helping the student believe in themselves and that they can accomplish what the want, if they are willing to put in the work. Matt thinks that this confidence will help the student in all aspects of their life.
In 2000, Matt and his late wife adopted two little girls, ages two and one at the time, from Russia. His daughters are now eighteen and seventeen. He is always interested in meeting other families who have adopted internationally or who are considering doing so. He also has experience homeschooling his daughters. Matt enjoys mountain biking, playing with his dogs, astronomy, reading, listening to music, watching movies, and spending time at the beach. Matt grew up in Connecticut and has siblings living in New England and Utah. He loves to visit both places.
Subjects:Algebra I – II; Math I-III; Geometry; Pre-Calculus; SAT Math; ACT Math; ACT Science; SSAT Math; SAT Math I Subject Test; SAT Math II Subject Test; Calculus; Statistics
JOHN HAWN, MA
John Hawn has 16 years of teaching experience at the high school and college level. He excels working with students who have a fear of mathematics, and especially those with test anxiety.
John received his B.A. Mathematics and M.A. in Applied Mathematics at East Carolina University in 2000. His study of applied mathematics makes him well versed in chemistry, physics, biology, and business applications. He taught and helped create the mathematics curriculum for the degrees conferred at ECPI University. He has taught online for the University of Phoenix for five years. He currently teaches for Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College.
John is also a trained vocalist and sings tenor with the Asheville Choral Society. His first degree was a B.F.A. in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Musical Theatre. He believes that mathematics and music go together. John has a passion for learning and is currently working on a paper about the Reimann Hypothesis and its implications in the modern world.
“Mathematics is not a spectator sport” is a mantra that John lives by. He believes that mathematics is a language, science and art form – and once a student sees the beauty of mathematics, then their minds are open to explore many new academic adventures.
Subjects: Algebra I – II; Math I-III; Geometry; Pre-Calculus; SAT Math; ACT Math; ACT Science; SSAT Math; SAT Math I Subject Test; SAT Math II Subject Test; Calculus; Statistics; AP Chemistry; French; Physics; Linear Algebra; Differential Equations; Biology; AP Environmental Science
DALTON BUCHANAN, MS
Dalton graduated from Appalachian State University Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. in Geology and Secondary Education. He earned a teaching license in Science that he utilized at Avery County High School as both a tutor and instructor. After teaching he received my M.S. in Soil Science with a minor in Geographic Information Systems from North Carolina State University. While at NC State, Dalton’s graduate research on Bald Mountain Formations received an honorable mention in the Alltech Young Scientist Graduate Competition. After graduation, he was offered a post graduate research positon with Smart Trees Pacific in Hawaii.
Dalton spends his days working with the North Carolina Department of Agriculture’s Division of Soil and Water Conservation as a Substrate Engineer, serving the western counties of the state.
Dalton spends a good portion of his free time at CrossFit classes. He enjoys the high intensity interval training, Olympic lifting, and gymnastics that CrossFit offers. He also competes at some of the local CrossFit competitions to support the growing CrossFit community in Western North Carolina. At the end the day Dalton enjoys watching subtitled anime, reading fantasy novels, or doing basic yoga exercises. He finds a mix of Yoga and CrossFit helps to balance out the body’s strength and flexibility, which decreases the chance for injuries.
Subjects: Algebra I – II; Geometry; SSAT; AP Chemistry; Honors Chemistry; College Chemistry; Earth Science; AP Environmental Science
MERRY HENN, MA, MS
Merry’s fascination with foreign cultures began when she was twelve and her older sister got a scholarship to study in France. When Merry got to high school she was highly motivated to study French because her grade school had not offered it. Her family hosted an exchange student from Peru, so she became interested in Spanish, as well.
At Warren Wilson College she majored in Intercultural Studies, French and Spanish, and did her junior year abroad in Angers (pronounced Ahnzhay) in Normandy, France, where she studied literature, art- and music-history and learned to cook. Over the years since then, Merry has gone back to France many times and Mexico a couple times, too. Merry has dual citizenship, as a matter of fact (American and French). After working in international cultural exchange in DC for a few years and studying tae kwon do, Merry did an internship at a women’s health organization in Istanbul, Turkey. Merry was inspired to do more to promote women’s education after living in Istanbul and seeing for herself how a lack of education caused lack of opportunity for girls and minorities. During her stay in Istanbul, Merry taught English as a Foreign Language to students and business people. She lived with a local family and became quite good at conversational Turkish!
Back in the US, Merry did a Master’s in Education at University of Maryland. For her Master’s project she taught self-defense to schoolgirls in Malawi (southeastern Africa). She went on to become a French teacher at the high school level, teaching AP French Literature and French I and II.
Later she became the librarian at the Alliance Française of Washington, DC, a cultural organization that offered French classes, arts events and a lending library with Francophone movies and music in addition to books. To celebrate earning a Master’s in Library Science, Merry spent one month in Peru and four months in Argentina volunteering and taking language and dance classes. In Buenos Aires she loved going to peñas to dance to live folkloric music. At that time she also became interested in healing bodywork and subsequently earned certification in Eden Energy Medicine. She now works with clients, teaches wellness classes and also works with International Cultural Exchange Services placing students with American host families.
Subjects: French I-IV, AP French, French Language SAT Subject Test, College Essay Writing; AP English Language and Composition; AP English Literature; SAT Reading; SAT Writing; ACT Reading; ACT English; SSAT; Reading & Study Skills
BRIAN CASKEY, MA
Brian Caskey
holds a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from UNC-Wilmington, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida. Brian completed his Master’s program with great distinction, finishing with a 4.0 GPA. In addition, his thesis, “Autobiography, Southern Themes, and False Nostalgia in the Poetry of Cathy Smith Bowers” won an award as the best master’s thesis in the program. Brian’s work has been published in both scientific and literary journals, including Bios and Palaver Journal.
Before opening Biltmore Tutoring with his wife, Stacey, Brian worked for many years as a systems administrator and senior manager of digital projects for Barnes and Noble. Since returning to the field of education, Brian has helped many of the area’s top students with biology, literature and history topics. A versatile tutor, he specializes in AP US History, AP World History, and AP European History, but he also tutors in Biology, Environmental Science, and Literature topics. Brian takes great pleasure in showing students how to score highly on their ACT, SAT, and AP essays.
Despite his technical background, Brian is a firm believer that narrative is the most important element that leads to understanding. Knowing the story that ties facts and details together is the only way to understand what’s happening and why.
In his spare time, Brian enjoys kayaking, fishing, golfing, and restoring old cars (his current project is a 1971 Datsun 240Z sports car). He is also a member of the Town Council in Mills River, and a voting member of both the Henderson County Transportation Advisory Committee and the French Broad River Metropolitan Planning Organization.
Subjects: AP US History; AP European History; AP World History; Biology; Environmental Science; AP English Language and Composition; AP English Literature; College Essay Writing
STACEY CASKEY, MS, NBCT
Stacey Caskey completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Brooklyn College and Queens College. A National Board-certified educator, she taught in the NYC school system for eleven years before moving to Asheville in 2001. Stacey taught at Claxton Elementary from 2001-2010 and is now the educational director and co-owner of Biltmore Tutoring. With 25+ years in the education system, Stacey is one of the most knowledgeable resources of curriculum, school administration, and testing programs.
Stacey received her College Counseling Certificate from the University of California – San Diego in 2012. She makes frequent visits to colleges and universities around the US, so that she can stay abreast of admissions criteria and requirements, as well as obtain an understanding of college-specific programs and opportunities. Once gaining college admittance, Stacey works with families to obtain scholarship money to fund these dreams.
Stacey says, “College admissions are much more competitive now. In 2010, Harvard accepted only 6% of their applicants, Stanford 7%, Duke 14%, and UNC 29%. What does that mean for your student? Excellent ACT and SAT scores are needed before students will even be considered by a college admissions committee. Grades, extracurriculars, and class ranking are also important. After the application process begins, we take great pride in helping parents and students navigate the confusing application process, and to help students decide between various programs and scholarship offers.”
Subjects: College Counseling; Academic Advising; College Essay Writing