ALL ABOARD

My name is Shahzad and I'm thrilled that you are considering working with us here at Wordsmith Express. Joanne and I have three awesome kids of our own and often found that the opportunities available to us outside of school didn't keep them challenged in what they were good at and didn't offer enough support in areas where they needed help. We spent millions of dollars and put together a world-class team to figure out the best way to work with kids. We founded Wordsmith Express as an Academic Accelerator with the hope of helping kids everywhere, unleash the greatness that we know is within every one of them. As parents ourselves, we are committed to providing your kids with everything we would want as parents: The best teachers, cutting-edge teaching techniques and fully customized experiential learning.

Before founding Wordsmith Express, I used to be a an investment professional, consultant and entrepreneur where I got to work on over $40 billion worth of deals. I also taught at Harvard Law School and graduated from Harvard Law School (JD), Harvard's JFK School of Government (MPA) and Columbia University (Bachelor's degrees in Political Science-Economics and Biochemistry). I was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (I was mostly thrilled to still be considered Young!) and have been interviewed by the BBC, Bloomberg, the Financial Times and the Washington Post, among others. When I'm not working with families at Wordsmith Express, I love spending time with my family, reading and sometimes taking my (rapidly declining) vertical jump to the nearest basketball court.

Greetings! I'm Joanne, and I'm so excited to welcome you to Wordsmith Express! I have had a life-long love of learning and, since founding Wordsmith Express, Shahzad and I have strived to make it a place where we would want our own kids to be: A place where every student who walks in feels understood, empowered, inspired and effective.

Prior to Wordsmith Express, I trained as a physician in Virginia and got my Master's in Public Health from Harvard with a strong focus on humanitarian relief. As a physician, I had the joy of co-founding Doctors Worldwide, a medical relief organization which still has operations in over 13 countries. When I haven't been at Wordsmith Express or with my three energizing boys, I have had the opportunity to teach chemistry at the base of Mount Kenya, do health education in the middle schools of Washington, DC, health care reconstruction in Sarajevo, entrepreneurship in Cambridge, algebra in Kuala Lumpur and salsa dancing in Richmond. I can't wait to continue my journey with you and your family!

Hey y'all! My name is Stephenie Lee and I grew up in New Orleans (geaux SAINTS) before matriculating to Dartmouth College where I earned a B.A. in Economics and Art History. I have tutored people of all ages in multiple capacities – from Chinese and math to test prep and reading comprehension. Education is incredibly important but the learning process can be frustrating at times when teaching and learning styles don't match. At Wordsmith Express, my focus has always been to ensure my teaching style is flexible enough for all types of learners and I am excited to help make education more accessible and understandable for everyone! In my downtime, I like to travel, read, sing, do yoga, cook, and watch notoriously bad TV shows. I can't wait to meet you and your children and become an integral part of their learning process!

Hi, I'm Sofia Tancredi! I love to learn and teach just about anything, from knot tying to neuroscience. I was lucky to get to indulge this love at Harvard University, earning highest honors in the Literature department and a secondary field in Mind, Brain, Behavior, and spending my summers mentoring Boston area teens and sharing my love of exploring as a travel writer for a guidebook on Northern Italy. During my family's 10+ moves as a child that spanned 3 countries and 3 languages, I developed flexibility and exposure to the innumerable ways people think and approach the world. At Wordsmith Express, I get to apply this understanding every day in helping students harness the way they learn best and get engaged with the subject they are learning. From reading and writing to math to test prep, meeting my students’ unique strengths, goals, and interests makes any subject endlessly new and exciting. When not at the center, you can find me rock climbing, writing short stories, or practicing something new on the piano. I can't wait to support your student in surpassing their expectations!

Hey everyone, I’m Rebecca Meiller! I grew up near Chicago, IL before heading out to California to attain my degree in Psychology and Communication from UC Davis. From being an instructor at a children’s fitness center, working as a director at a day camp in Germany, to being a teacher’s aide at an elementary school, my love of teaching has been a life-long journey that has spanned many different fields. As an instructor, I believe that each student is unique and deserves to experience a learning environment that best suits their goals and abilities. Further, my love of psychology and understanding how the brain works, motivates my deep interest in education and helping others succeed. When I’m not teaching at Wordsmith Express, I enjoy travelling, exploring new places, being outdoors, and spending time with family and friends. I can’t wait to meet and work with you and your child!

Hi world! My name is Shawn Aminirad, and I am ecstatic to be a part of the Bay Area’s Wordsmith Express Team! I was born and raised in the Bay Area and stuck around for college graduating from UC Berkeley with a double major in Social Welfare and English, where I studied educational inequality, socio-legal studies, and, outside the classroom, how students strategize and prioritize their study schedules differently. Before joining the Wordsmith team, I spent a year working for CollegeSpring, a nonprofit that provides SAT prep to underserved student populations. This was a formative experience for me, as it helped solidify my ideas about learning—that it is a social endeavor and an ongoing process, not something that is simply limited to a classroom. I speak Farsi and Spanish, and love helping my students practice or learn new languages! Outside of my educational endeavors I like to research Batman, China’s Three Kingdoms era, and how to teach my dog to walk himself.

Hey there! My name is Anthony Ho and I'm a graduate of UC Davis, where I earned a B.S. in Biotechnology. I've been drawn to the sciences since high school, where my particularly zealous biology teacher showed me the immense satisfaction that comes from answering a complex question by going into the field, and getting my hands (and feet) wet. I possess a naturally social disposition which drew me, first, into helping my friends and bench-mates with understanding concepts and procedures, then into working as a lab assistant for my professors, and helping other students. I learned the importance of clear and effective writing, as well as that of collaboration and kinship, when dealing with the intricate web of communication and peer-review involved in the increasingly global scientific community. At Wordsmith Express, my focus is in helping students to understand their environment and uncover their goals by thinking and communicating effectively. I've worked with students of all ages, from helping young children learn their ABC's, and persist through frustration, to helping high school students disassemble the seemingly insurmountable and arbitrary ACT, into concrete and predictable rules. I look forward to working with you and sharing my love of learning with your child!

Howdy all! My name is Nate Zieg and I am stoked to lend my energy to the Bay Area's Wordsmith Express team! I've lived all over the United States and even Europe, but most immediately I called San Diego my home. The beaches were warm, the sun shined bright, and the waves were pristine, but now I've thrown on my thickest wetsuit to come surf the beaches of Northern California! I graduated from UC Davis with a major in International Relations with a focus in Environmental Studies, People, and Nationalities. Before I found my awesome new home with Wordsmith Express, I was a Tour Guide and Public Advisor at UC Davis. The respect I witnessed within the classroom from my educators was what really helped me excel moving forward and I want to give that same positive attitude, patient understanding, and creative twist that helped me grasp concepts back to my students! My favorite subjects to teach are Spanish, Literature, Sciences, and History, but I don't shy away from Math nor Test / College Prep either! Outside of work and all things learning, I love anything I can do in the water such as surfing, swimming, and diving, but I also love to cook as well as read, learn, and get lost in the fantastic worlds of books like Lord of the Rings and Don Quixote!

Hi! I’m Adam Rubin, the tall one with Harry Potter glasses. I graduated from UC Santa Barbara with degrees in English and Anthropology – drawn to the question of how we remember our own stories, I put myself in a broad range of situations to better understand all kinds of people. This gave me fantastic insight on how to learn well and feel confident doing it, and I’ve explored this goal with everything from my tutoring career to teaching a college level course as an undergraduate.  My past experience includes providing instruction in reading and writing, math, and test preparations. From my experience in high school taking 12 AP classes and swimming varsity, I understand how laborious a school life can be in the bay area. I wouldn’t have managed without a fantastic support network, and I strive to support my students with the same energy that I received growing up. My secret hobbies are origami and practicing singing during my commute; my not-so-secret hobbies include ukulele and climbing on just about anything safe to climb on.

Hey y’all! My name is Jasmine Tekiyeh, and I am thrilled to be a part of Wordsmith Express’ amazing team! I was born and raised in the Bay Area—right across the street from Axiom Learning^TM’s Los Altos Center. I graduated from UCLA with an Anthropology Bachelor of Science degree with a focus on pre-medicine. The interdisciplinary field of anthropology, encompassing sociocultural, linguistic, archaeological and biological components, deepened my understanding of the extreme diversity among humans in how they synthesize information, react to environments and form connections. This understanding translates in my teaching style through my desire to customize my approach to the individualized needs of a student. My study of medicine and extensive work in hospital care and research has equipped me with an ability to relate to and empathize with my students and a desire to build a trusting relationship with them to help maximize their educational and/or social needs. I have always maintained a strong passion for education and a love for working with children. Upon graduating from UCLA, I continued privately tutoring students and as an instructor. I worked with students at every grade level in all subjects. I care sincerely about my all students and will always do everything in my power to ensure their academic and personal growth! In my free time, I absolutely love baking and often like to create my own recipes! My goal is to one day go through an entire baking cookbook (inspired by Julie and Julia!). I am genuinely so excited to begin working with and supporting your child!

Hi! My name is Hannah Broido and I’m a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley. I majored in Peace & Conflict Studies, with a minor in Education. During my time at Berkeley, I also worked as a research assistant in a cognitive development laboratory and am excited to continue building on this knowledge at Wordsmith Express. My interest in education stems primarily from my international background and experiences. I was born in France, but raised and schooled in Japan and England, before moving here for college! I have taught in 4 countries on 3 continents, including India and Japan! For the past 4 years, I have worked as a literacy tutor for Reading Partners, providing one-on-one tutoring for students in 1st – 5th grades. Seeing first-hand the impact that one-on-one instruction had for these students has made me super excited to work with Wordsmith Express.  In my downtime, I love to explore new places, play lacrosse, run, knit, and do all craft-related activities in general! I can’t wait to meet you and your children and to help them achieve their potential!

Hello, my name is Marcelo Souza and I am a Ph.D. candidate in Philosophy (ABD) at Claremont Graduate University. I grew up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and I came to the U.S. to pursue education. I received a B.A. in Philosophy from Biola University, and a M.Div. from Westminster Seminary California. Throughout my academic and professional career, teaching has been at the center of my life. I have taught in very diverse settings – graduate school, high schoolers, academic contexts, etc. – and I have worked with adults, teenagers and children, both in the U.S. and abroad. Learning and teaching are my passion. Also, I am a father of two wonderful children who are now 9 and 11, and my experience teaching them has been one that enriched me more than anything. I am very excited to be a part of Wordsmith Express and I look forward to working with your children!