Testimonials

“Katrina always checks in with me about how I am feeling,

which I have not seen a tutor do before. They have been there to comfort me when I am down, and left me even more uplifted when I am happy. Starting a session like this makes me mentally prepared for what we are working on. I would recommend Katrina to anyone.”

— Harmonee, student​

“Katrina has helped me tremendously

with my test preparation skills and all around skill with essays.”

— Eli, student​

“When we hired Katrina to tutor our daughter,

it felt like a real-life Mary Poppins had come into our lives. It was one of the best decisions we have ever made for our daughter, who has regained her confidence and a sense of fun. Katrina has a caring and positive nature, as well as extensive experience, and these qualities have been hugely beneficial for our daughter.”

— Joanne Yoshimura, parent​

“Our daughter enjoyed learning math because of you!

That's huge! You are obviously good at what you do – the fact that her 'nerves' are gone says a lot.”​

— Janet Zgombic, parent

“I highly recommend Katrina.

At the beginning of the 4th grade school year it was apparent that my daughter needed some extra help with reading and writing. She was tested for a learning difference and no adverse effect was found, even though she was in the bottom of her class for reading and struggling with phonemes and digraphs.

Despite not having a Special Ed diagnosis, we decided to employ a tutor. Katrina started working with my daughter about two months ago. In this time we have seen a dramatic change in her self-efficacy around reading. The struggles we used to face with completing assignments has decreased. She remarks that her sessions with Katrina are fun and often the best part of her school day. She feels that her understanding of decoding has improved – for a 10-year-old to say that really speaks to how much work they've accomplished in a short time."

— Madigan Rollins, parent

“My daughter is so stoked after her tutoring/coaching sessions with you.

She's animated, talkative, and generally happier than I've seen her in a while. Thank you for all you do!”​

— Terri Rey, parent

“I highly recommend Katrina for any student that is struggling in school mentally or academically.

I have changed my patterns, gained confidence, and become a stronger student since working with her. They teach you how to break through procrastination and limiting beliefs you thought couldn't be broken. I regained a positive attitude about school and get my work done with ease.”​

— Alex Newell, student

“Katrina’s patient, calm approach helped my highly anxious,

reactive child find a calm place within her that allowed her to focus and attend to homework. What a successful year she had with Katrina as her tutor!”

— Crossley Dellis, parent​

"Katrina began working with our son during his sophomore in high school, and has proven to be an invaluable asset to our son and our family.

Their calm and quiet demeanor has helped keep all of us at ease during what have been some difficult transitions and course subjects.

Katrina has worked with our son in several areas: Orton Gillingham for literacy and writing, organizational training to help him prioritize and improve his executive function skills, and general homework and preparing for exams. Katrina has taken the time to get to know our son, his likes, dislikes and has really discovered what makes him tick. Their ability to connect on a personal level allows them to work with the whole child not just the student. Through their many conversations during tutoring sessions, they were able to tease out of him a passion he has not shared with us. Now that we know, we will be able to help him create a post high school college/career path.

What I most appreciate about Katrina is the investment they have made in our son. School has always been difficult for him; Katrina knows this and adjusts their sessions to meet his needs as a teenager and a student. Katrina has joined us in school meetings with teachers and has communicated with teachers via email. This contact helps to ensure our son is hearing a similar message in school, at home and with Katrina.  

Additionally, by taking the time to read my many circuitous emails Katrina has helped ease my stress as a parent. Their quiet calm and empathy has talked me off many a ledge during these last few school years. I cannot thank them enough for all she has done for our son and our family. Katrina is a wonderful tutor and an amazing person and we are fortunate to have them in our son’s corner. 

— Ann & Wayne Pastore, parents

“What I most appreciate about Katrina is their patience.

Katrina has provided literacy tutoring for our daughter since the middle of second grade. At that time, our daughter had been recently diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder that, although mild, had impacted her learning in early elementary grades. Our daughter has always excelled in gross motor skills, but her fine motor skills were delayed and therefore writing and drawing have always been a struggle. Although a book-lover and strong verbally and auditorily, her ability to grasp the symbolic relationships between written words and sounds make reading a challenge. After two years of twice-weekly sessions with Katrina, she has made significant progress in phonics, spelling, handwriting, communicating ideas in writing, and reading more confidently.

As a parent, what I most appreciate about Katrina is their patience. Our daughter is a reluctant learner and needs many motivators to stay on task and work through challenging material. What I have witnessed is Katrina’s ability to coax and encourage in a gentle manner while being clear about expectations. They have worked hard to build a relationship and has made significant efforts to understand our daughter’s aspirations and interests and Katrina supports her even outside of tutoring time. They are well prepared for each lesson and provides a solid mix of consistent tasks with the flexibility to adjust to our daughter’s needs in the moment. As a family that travels extensively, we were very grateful that Katrina was willing to work both in-person and virtually. Despite the challenges of multiple formats, Katrina has been adaptable and maintains a sense of humor, a strong understanding of developmental stages, and knows how to keep learning fun.

Katrina is a very effective communicator and is prompt in responding to questions and scheduling plans. They invited me to collaborate as we mapped our daughter’s learning plan and has asked excellent questions about how we have navigated her needs both academically and as her social/emotional skills have matured. It has been enlightening for both of us to see progress when we have successfully implemented a new strategy that works both at home and during tutoring sessions.

Katrina is a professional and clearly has worked hard to keep pace with a growing body of knowledge and skills to effectively address learning challenges for kids of all ages. Their attainment of the necessary qualifications to deliver the Orton-Gillingham approach to teaching youth with learning challenges has been a huge asset to our daughter’s growth. I would strongly recommend Katrina as a tutor for children and teens who are working hard to increase their competence and confidence as effective learners. They have made a lasting positive impact on our daughter which we expect will continue as our daughter grows and takes control of her learning.”​

— Tracy Truzansky, parent

“Thank you so much for working with Griffin and being so patient with him. You really are a 'Dream.',

I heard him laughing and howling today while working with you. He thanks you for making it fun. I thank you for the huge progress.”

— Amanda Gerlack, parent​