"I’ve had careers in teaching, publishing, and corporate banking. I have master’s degrees in writing and business administration and graduated from Washington & Lee and Northwestern universities.

Given the above, I teach what I know: writing, SAT Verbal, college counseling, and career development.

I’ve taught at two colleges, written and edited for large newspapers and magazines for 20 years, and just retired from Truist Financial. I have hypertext links below for SAT writing, SAT reading, personal statements, grammar, interview prep, and essay writing. I recently published my first book of essays.

I’ve helped high school students win acceptance to multiple target and reach schools, including Dartmouth, Berkeley, Duke, Georgetown, Rice, Purdue, Michigan, and Georgia Tech.

Teaching Style:

I like to root-cause problems, then get to solutions. So I ask questions and listen—closely—to what students, parents, and written works reveal about students’ needs, dislikes, and fears.

I think it’s my job to make complex ideas meaningful, to approach them in diverse ways, and to help students create good habits and break bad ones.

Reading, Grammar, SAT Verbal:

I was a poor reader as a child, but with the help of outstanding tutors I became an active, faster reader and ultimately my SAT scores helped me get into good undergraduate and graduate programs.

How can we teach reading without writing?

When editing essays, AP Language assignments, reports, and personal statements, I address strategy, logic, organization, readers’ needs, transitions, grammar, and punctuation. (The SAT writing component tests for all these.)

Business, Career Coaching:

I learned how to network, improve resumes, and prepare for interviews while working for New Directions for Women in Baltimore and Career Prospectors in Richmond, VA. I’ve taught these skills at colleges and to Wyzant students seeking internships and jobs." less...