Beach Cities Staff

Alex is a recently retired public school teacher with 24+ years as a top-notch classroom teacher and instructional leader. Alex is described as young at heart and wise in spirit by her teacher colleagues who’ve hired her to work with their own children. A South Bay native, Alex is highly qualified to meet the specialized and complex needs of elementary school aged children. Alex is widely regarded by parents, students and other teachers as an exceptionally dedicated and caring educator earning not only the highest performance reviews possible in the school district but also the Rotary Club’s Teacher of the Year award. Her expertise in reading comprehension, writing (and language development for English language learners) has catipulted thousands of kids toward language proficiency and advanced placement. Specializing in GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) as well as performing arts and mindfulness for kids (and families, too!) Alex uses novelty, graphic organizers, music, movement and more to motivate reluctant learners and over-achievers alike. She has led workshops in test prep and growth mindset strategies that give kids the tools they need to feel confident in their own thinking, take ownership of their own learning and ultimately master the critical thinking steps involved in problem solving in math, science and even conflict resolution.

Angie has been peer assisting and tutoring for her entire educational career. She has a Single Subject Math teaching credential.   Angie’s educational experiences include Marlborough School for Girls in Hancock Park, Loyola University, New Orleans ( B.S. Mathematics), Cal State Bakersfield (B.S. Sociology/Math Minor), and currently Mount St. Mary’s University (in progress, M.S. Education). Angie’s philosophy is “just because you do not like it, does not mean you do not need to know or understand it”. She makes every effort to help student/tutee understand what they feel is impossible. Angie also specializes in SAT/ACT prep and has done test prep for 10 years. She looks forward to helping students shift their mindsets from “can’t and frustration” to “can and encouraged”.

Christine has over twenty years of experience teaching second, third, and fourth grades for the Redondo Beach Unified School District. She has a Multiple Subject teaching credential from the state of California, as well as a certificate in Specialized Design Academic Instruction in English. In addition to being a classroom teacher, she has served as a trainer of teachers during the implementation of Common Core Standards at RBUSD. Currently, she is a teacher trainer for Project GLAD. Christine is passionate about teaching reading and writing.  She is trained in both Readers and Writers Workshop.  She also uses Eureka Math daily in her third grade classroom.  Her goal is to help students realize their potential to be scholars and life long learners.

Cindy received her BA degree at Northern Illinois University with a minor in sociology and her multiple-subject teaching credential at Cal-State Dominguez Hills.  She has worked as a substitute teacher in the Torrance, Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach school districts teaching elementary level students.  In that capacity, she has completed numerous long-term teaching assignments at the second and third grade levels.  In addition, she has worked as a tutor for Tutor Doctor and Apple One Learning tutoring elementary level students on a one-on-one basis.  Cindy has also taught Sunday school to pre-school students. Cindy has a great passion for teaching and is always striving to encourage her students to do their best academically.  It is also important to her that students feel comfortable with her, especially in a case where they need emotional/social support.  She also makes the effort to check-in with her students to make sure they are staying organized for school.

Cynthia was born and raised in Hermosa Beach where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from CSU Long Beach. While working her way through school she taught Pre-K and musical theater. She earned her teaching credential while teaching elementary school in CUSD. There she taught Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. After becoming a military spouse she had the wonderful opportunity to travel from coast to coast earning teaching credentials in Texas, North Carolina, and Utah. During that time she was able to teach Kindergarten through 3rd grade, middle school multiple subjects/ special education and substitute teach grades Pre-K through 6th grade. Cynthia loves teaching and engaging children to learn and challenge themselves in all areas of education. In her free time she loves spending time with family, crafting, and playing with her beloved pets.

Dee is a California native who has taught Prek – Grade 8 in New York, Florida, and California. Raised in the South Bay, Dee received her BS degree in Biology from Cal State University, at Dominguez Hills and her Masters of Education in reading from NOVA Southeastern in Florida. She specializes in the primary grades K-5, in reading, language arts and writing. With over 20 years of classroom teaching experience and one on one tutoring support, Dee is a nurturer at heart. She has a strong belief that all students will learn and achieve with educational content that is purposefully and goal oriented. She feels that it is important to meet the student’s needs where they are, to further enrich their background knowledge towards mastery. Teaching common core and the new generation standards with the “I do, We do, You do” model has presented great success. When asked about her style of delivery, parental feedback has always been, “It’s evident that my teacher cares about my child. Her patience and commitment to supporting my child has meant the world to our family.” 

Garrett was born and raised in Santa Rosa, CA. He earned his BA in History from Biola University in 2014. Garrett believes that successful education requires active participation by both teacher and student. He has taught and tutored for English Language Arts at the Middle School level, social studies for high schoolers including AP US and European/World History students, as well as mathematics for elementary and junior high students including: Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II. Currently, is in school and working on his second BA in Computer Science and his goal is to become a computer programmer someday soon.

Geanie has been a resident of Torrance for over 30 years. She has a Bachelors degree in Mathematics and a Teaching Credential from CSULB. She has taught as a credentialed Math Teacher in Torrance for 20 years. Geanie has experience teaching and tutoring high school and middle school students from the South Bay. She has taught PreAlgebra, Algebra, Geometry, Algebra 2, Trigonometry, and Precalculus. Geanie is very patient with her students. Geanie is very knowledgeable and can explain difficult math topics in many ways to her students.

Gerri has over thirty years experience teaching kindergarten through third grades for Los Angeles City Schools in South Los Angeles and in South Gate. She has a lifetime teaching credential from the state of California, as well as a Bilingual Academic Certificate in Spanish. She has served at various times as a mentor teacher, a bilingual coordinator and a gifted coordinator for the schools in which she taught. She loves working with young children and has spent her teaching career preparing them for academic success by developing their written and oral language, reading and math skills. She has tutored many children privately and currently is a volunteer tutoring emerging readers through the Reading Partners program at William Green Elementary School in Los Angeles. She also works with children as a volunteer docent at Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in San Pedro.

Hugo is currently working towards completing his Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering at California State University, Long Beach and has been studying Applied Mathematics for 4 years at California State University, Dominguez Hills. Hugo has tutored small study groups and held the position of Math Supplemental Instruction Leader at CSUDH for 2 years, mentoring over 120 college students. He has a deep passion for helping students and will dedicate as much time needed to help a child learn new material, concepts, and study habits. Everyone learns at their own pace and Hugo is there to guide them in the right direction. With over 3 years of experience tutoring/mentoring students in various subject, Hugo tells his students, “You’re not alone, we’re in this together.”

Illeanna graduated from South Torrance High School in 2014 and then went to the University of California, Irvine to further her education. She graduated in 2018 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health Sciences. Illeanna excels at math and has multiple years of experience tutoring math at the middle and high school grade levels. Illeanna always had a passion for tutoring and helping students succeed. She loves helping students realize their potential and seeing them reach their academic goals. Illeanna believes that academic success is possible for every student and she loves sharing her study and organization tips for success. She is currently a mentor with the organization Girls Inc. where she visits different schools in the Los Angeles School District and provides her students with academic confidence exercises, study tools, and mindset hacks to help them succeed. Illeanna loves working with students and her goal is to be a school psychologist to help students realize that their dreams are possible! 

Janice holds a BA in History from the University Of California, Los Angeles and has over 9 years experience tutoring elementary and middle school students in all subjects and high school students in literature, writing, and history. She specializes in the development of strong language arts skills, ranging from phonemic awareness and fluency to comprehension and writing expression. Additionally, she assists with elementary common core math and test prep for the ISEE, SSAT, and OLSAT. For the past seven years, along with tutoring, she has worked for the Hermosa Beach City School District with students with special needs. Her years of exposure to differentiated instruction equip her with the tools necessary to customize lessons to the individual needs of each student. Possessing a lively personality and a playful sense of humor, she delivers engaging lesson plans within a warm and encouraging learning environment.

Janssen earned his B.A. from U.C.L.A with a double major in International Development Studies and Latin American Studies. He has been teaching in the Long Beach Unified School District for the past 8 years. He has taught in different classroom settings from K to 12 and has experience teaching students with special needs. He also coaches the Basketball, Soccer, and Track and Field teams at his middle school. Janssen is able to motivate his students to achieve their academic goals. He also has provided tutoring in Algebra, History, Spanish, and English.

Kip received her Bachelor’s degree in Science from Penn State University. She has a CA credential in high school Biology, taught in the South Bay for 6 years and has private tutored for 10 years. Her specialities are Math and Science: specifically Algebra, and Geometry, all levels of Biology, Basic and Honors Chemistry, Environmental Science, Earth Science. She loves teaching one-on-one to clarify areas of difficulty into useful, understandable concepts and her specialty is creating unique lesson plans. Kip has lived in Hermosa and Redondo for 35 years and is originally a Phillie girl. She is also a amateur watercolorist.

Laura is a writer from New Jersey. She graduated first in her class from Stuart Country Day School in Princeton, NJ, and from Georgetown University with a degree in English in 2009. Since then, she has worked in the publishing, theater, and entertainment industries. She is the author of two nonfiction books for Globe Pequot Press, as well as a playwright and magazine contributor. She has worked with children of all ages, from elementary to high school, specializing in English, verbal test prep, and essay writing. Laura’s work in the creative arts makes her especially adept at helping students harness their own creativity to write college application essays that stand out in the crowd. In addition to helping middle and high school students with language arts, she tutors elementary age students in all subject areas.

Liliana is finishing her degree in math at University of Southern California. She works for El Camino College as a Supplemental Instruction Coach for the Mathematics Department and has been doing so since Fall 2014. She is also fluent in Spanish and took 4 years of French in High School and has passed the AP placement test. Liliana tutors in all levels of Math through Calculus as well as all levels of Spanish. Liliana enjoys helping students unlock their potential not only in the classroom but also in their daily lives. She is able to break down difficult concepts and connect math concepts to real life. She hopes to inspire her students in the future by becoming a math teacher.

Nicole is a graduate of Northern Kentucky University, where she earned her undergraduate and Master’s degree in elementary education, with a focus on reading and writing. She has had 6 years of teaching experience with 2nd-4th grades, and has been tutoring for the past 3 years, in grades ranging from 1st through 8th grade in language arts and math. She’s been hired by the Redondo Beach Unified school district as a substitute teacher. She has lived in the South Bay for three and a half years, and now calls California home. She is passionate about helping students succeed and inspiring in them a love for life-long learning.

Rachel grew up in the South Bay and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology as well as her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Pepperdine University in Malibu. Furthermore, she studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business for General Management. Rachel has significant teaching experience in Manhattan Beach and Santa Monica Unified School Districts. She teaches Kindergarten through 8^th Grade and specializes in math, reading, writing, and social studies. Rachel’s teaching philosophy is to create bright minds while building exceptional character growth. Being an avid traveler, she speaks 4 different languages: Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and English. Rachel also plays the violin, performing for well-known music halls including New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

Sarah is a Multiple Subject Credentialed Teacher. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and teaching credential from California State University, Long Beach. She has been in education for 11 years. She started her career working as a tutor for the Boys & Girls Club. She has taught everything from Preschool to 8th grade. Sarah has spent the last few years teaching 2nd grade with Torrance Unified as well as a daily teacher to her own children ages 2 and 4 years old. She is committed to the well being of all her student’s and values social-emotional education as well as academics. Sarah’s training includes Guided Reading, Cognitively Guided Instruction in Math, Next Generation Science Standards as well as all Common Core State Standards. She is a committed and dedicated educator who truly loves what she teaches and understands that all children learn differently.