

DYNAMIC TUTORING SOLUTIONS
LEARNING STRATEGIES & DEVELOPING CONFIDENCE
Team Members

Wick
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Executive Functioning, Reading, Spelling, & Writing
Wick brings 15+ years’ experience supporting students with learning challenges. He holds his Master's Degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Special Education and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership. Wick taught at the Charles Armstrong School, a K-8 school in San Francisco specializing in teaching students with language-based learning differences and attentional challenges. In 2010, Wick founded Dynamic Tutoring Solutions. Growing up with learning differences has shaped Wick's ability to connect with his students. He has also worked as a director of learning services, supporting middle school students and has extensive experience supporting high school and college students with executive functioning challenges. In his private practice, Wick works closely with parents to help them understand ways they can support their children at home. He strives for complete transparency in his work with students and families and looks to keep everyone on the same page with weekly email communication. From his experience at Charles Armstrong, Wick has expertise in helping students with learning differences transition to, and be successful, in traditional public and private schools. Wick and his wife live in Lake Bluff with their two sons. In his spare time, Wick can often be found on the paddle court or golf course, usually sporting attire from his alma mater, University of Oregon.

Meredith
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Executive Functioning & All Core Subjects
Meredith brings nearly 15 years’ experience specializing in students with unique learning profiles. She is a Learning Resource Specialist at Lake Forest Academy assisting students with individualized academic support. Meredith earned a bachelor’s degree in English Secondary Education and a Master’s in Education with a focus in School Counseling from Providence College. Previously, Meredith spent ten years in Florida as a high school and middle school counselor, where she developed her love for working with students with unique learning styles. Outside of work, Meredith is a field hockey coach with Lake Forest Academy and Windy City Field Hockey. She and her husband have two elementary school aged children, love sailing, and are raising their family in Lake Forest.

Melissa
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Algebra based Physics
Melissa has 10 years of classroom experience as a junior high and high school physics teacher. She earned her Master’s in Science Education from DePaul University. At Loyola Academy she taught both regular and honors physics and has experience helping students who struggle bringing mathematical literacy into the science classroom.
Melissa fills her weekends with activities with her children and enjoys running along the lake.

Marny
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Middle School Math
Marny earned her Bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University and has been teaching middle school in Wheeling for the past 25 years. She has experience teaching all subject areas, but her preference is mathematics. Marny's passion for teaching math inspired her to earn a Master’s degree in mathematics for elementary education teachers from Northeastern University. She also has a minor in psychology with endorsements in middle school education, science, and social studies. Marny enjoys working with children year-round. Her summers are spent running a pool at a day camp, where she oversees lifeguards and swim instructors. She has been teaching children how to swim for the past 30 years. When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her husband, three sons and two dogs.

Lynn
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Middle & High School Math
Lynn earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics with a focus on Secondary Education and Psychology from Illinois State University in 2012, as well as a Master of Science in Educational Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Lynn worked at Lake Forest Academy for eight years, where she taught Algebra, Pre-Calculus, Geometry, Adolescent Psychology and AP Psychology to high school students. Before teaching at Lake Forest Academy, Lynn taught 6th - 8th grade mathematics and humanities at a middle school in Schiller Park, Illinois. Lynn has experience tutoring middle-school through college-level students across all aspects of mathematics. She especially likes supporting students with learning challenges as it allows her to work through concepts in various ways and approach problems from different perspectives. In her free time, she likes to stay active by running with her dog, biking, rollerblading, and playing sports such as soccer, field hockey and ice hockey.

Joseph
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Executive Functioning & All Core Subjects
Joseph has his California Multiple Subject Teacher Credential and earned his Master’s in Education from the Bay Area Teacher Training Institute in conjunction with University of the Pacific. Joseph teaches writing, math, social studies, and science. He also has significant experience tutoring, specifically implementing Wilson’s multi-sensory Fundations program for teaching reading and spelling and supporting students with executive functioning challenges. He has worked with children who learn differently and with English language learners. Joseph differentiates instruction and provide learning supports and recommend accommodations where necessary to meet the child’s learning needs where they are. The joy of learning is a key piece of Joseph’s teaching philosophy. He is familiar with the challenges of learning; he struggled as an elementary student himself and had to overcome those obstacles. This story of perseverance and eventual success and accomplishment inspires Joseph to help students overcome their own learning obstacles.

Jorge
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Executive Functioning, Multi-sensory Reading, Spelling & Writing
Dr. Jorge holds a Master’s Degree in Education and a PhD in Special Education. He spent 13 years as an elementary school teacher in Chula Vista, California and eight years in Eugene, Oregon as a student and research associate at the University of Oregon. He presently serves as an associate professor of education and chair of Special Education at Seattle Pacific University. Jorge specializes in both teaching and researching how to improve literacy outcomes for students struggling in literacy, including students with English as a second language. Additionally, Jorge has a deep expertise using proactive approaches and positive behaviors to improve outcomes for students with learning challenges. Jorge believes “Education opens the doors to many possibilities and dreams.” Coincidently, Jorge was Wick’s professor and mentor in college.

John W
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Executive Functioning, English, History
John is a natural educator and has an engaging presence with students one-on-one. John holds two Masters: a Master’s of Arts in Special Education from Northern Illinois University and a Master's of Education in Teaching and Learning from DePaul University. John has taught world history and U.S. history for the past ten years. He currently teaches high school English.
John brings value in real-world learning, exchange of best practices and a lifelong love of enriching the lives of young people. Along with being honest, conscientious, and kind, John has a great sense of humor that resonates with students. John and his wife have three children.

Ed
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Executive Functioning & All Core Subjects
Ed brings over 30 years of teaching experience in special education with experience in learning, emotional/behavioral, mental disabilities and is also certified as Registered Behavior Technician for students with autism. He is currently a special needs instructor for Madison Area Technical College. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Political Science, and Special Education Certification from the University of Virginia. He is currently enrolled in the American Military University and is pursuing a Master’s degree in Homeland Security. Ed is a graduate of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Officer’s Basic and Advance Course, and Combined Armed Staff School in the Army. He is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve. He believes that the desire to learn is intricate to the human spirit. He strives to meet these goals by establishing high expectations with students. The value of education is an important vehicle to achieving career goals. Ed enjoys running, weightlifting, hiking, camping, and fishing.

Christy
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Executive Functioning & Math
Christy brings 20+ years of teaching experience. She graduated from Lake Forest College with a double major in Elementary Education and Sociology and Anthropology. She later went on to receive a Master’s in Special Education and an endorsement in English as a second language from National Louis University. Christy has taught at Holmes Middle School for the past 20 years, currently teaching 7th and 8th grade. She is well versed in helping students who need executive functioning support. When Christy isn't teaching, she is very active in her community. She has led mission trips in Mexico, youth groups, and countless fundraisers.

Carina
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
ACT, SAT, SSAT Testing
Carina earned her college counseling certificate from UCLA Extension in 2020 and has an MBA in Finance from the Anderson school at UCLA. She gained her BA in Economics & Mathematics and a MA in Economics from University College Dublin. She has extensive experience with tutoring all sections of the ACT and SAT, having helped high school students with test preparation since 2012. She started as a math tutor for Academic Tutoring Centers in Highland Park and then worked as a test prep specialist for Nurturing Wisdom before tutoring privately. Her goal is to demystify the ACT or SAT for students, reducing the test anxiety of taking these exams. When not tutoring, Carina is an avid racquet sports enthusiast, playing tennis, platform tennis, beach tennis and pickleball whenever she can. Carina raised her family in Winnetka.

Bruce
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Middle & High School Math
Bruce graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics and received a Special Education endorsement from the University of St. Francis. While at Iowa, he was a student athlete, managing classes and running cross country and track. Bruce has been in education for nine years, working with students in grades 5-12 in a variety of math courses as well as ACT/SAT preparation classes. Bruce currently teaches high school math classes but is comfortable teaching concepts introduced in middle school as well as in higher education. It brings Bruce great joy to see students grasping concepts and improving their confidence. When he's not teaching, you might find Bruce playing with his dog, cooking, or reading comics.

Ben
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Reading & Writing
Ben is endlessly curious about literacy and how it is changing because of technology. He has amassed quite a few degrees in his changing pursuit of this curious subject; he has a BA and MA in English from John Carroll University, achieved ABD status in English at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee, an MA in Literacy Education from Olivet Nazarene University, an Ed.S. in English as a Second Language and Literacy, and is currently pursuing his principal's license at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has middle school endorsements in Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Reading, and he has taught various combinations of these subjects for fifteen years. Ben has worked as an adjunct English instructor at John Carroll, UWM, Robert Morris College, and currently works as a part-time adjunct at SAE Institute in Chicago. He is active with the Illinois Writing Project as a member of their leadership team, and he has taught five separate professional development workshops for teachers on effective writing instruction. Ben strongly believes that literacy - both reading and writing - should be taught as useful life skills, not just as academic skills. Ben enjoys both reading and writing fiction and nonfiction, and he has two teenage children and a rescue dog.

Barb
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Reading & Writing
Barb has been an educator for over 30 years. As an undergrad, she attended Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, IL. At the time, they had the best teacher education program in the state. From Northern Illinois University, she earned a B.A.Ed. Upon completion from NIU, she received certification in both elementary education and special education. She later received an MA. Ed in School Guidance and Counseling from Roosevelt University, Chicago and completed an M.A.Ed. in Education Leadership from National-Louis University, Chicago, IL.
Barb initially taught first and second grade and ran a gifted program. From there, she became an associate professor at National Louis University (NLU) in the Special Education Department. Barb represented NLU at conferences in Australia, Europe and Asia; before leaving NLU, Barb earned another Master’s degree in school administration. Most recently, Barb taught at the Aryln School in Highland Park, IL as the Transition Program Manager working with youth between 18-22 years old.
On a personal note, Barb has two adult daughters and a 7 year old granddaughter. Her younger daughter has ADHD and anxiety, and she watched her journey through the education system. She watched her struggles and has seen how her daughter has learned to understand how her brain works and be able to advocate for what she needs, as she has just completed her law degree at WashU in St. Louis.

Adil
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
Executive Functioning, Math, Chemistry, Biology, & introductory Physics
Adil holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s in Biotechnology, aspiring to grow as an engineer. He has four years of experience working with kids through his local mosque, serving as a leader in the community. Since high school, Adil has led initiatives such as, a basketball league, after school tutoring, field trips, and a mentorship program for kids to help them reach their true potential. Adil uses skills he learned throughout his academic career to teach numerous levels of Math and Science. He can also support students who need executive functioning support.
Furthermore, he understands kids have different styles of learning and makes sure to tailor his teaching methods towards the student. Adil loves to work with kids and believes that helping one student creates a domino effect in impacting multiple people’s lives.
In his free time, you can find Adil working out, playing basketball and football, or hanging with family and friends. Adil is very excited to share his experiences with kids and develop an everlasting connection!