Stephanie Ochoa

Stephanie has officially been a tutor since she was 14, as a sophomore in high school. Informally though, you could probably date it further back: to middle school, where she was always explaining things to the kids in class sitting nearby.

Every tip, trick, and strategy she shares is field-tested: they’re exactly the ones she used to memorize, visualize, and understand what she was first learning decades ago, which also means that empathy about the exultant highs and the frustrating lows of the learning process comes baked in.

She then acts as a crucial translator to parents who want frank insight into their child’s strengths and weaknesses as well as clear updates on progress and roadblocks.

While skills like diagnosing stubborn knowledge gaps and offering multiple explanations until finding one that “clicks” are part of every tutor’s toolbox, Stephanie prides herself on pointing out common student pitfalls before they show up; demonstrating that “silly mistakes” can be eliminated, ruthlessly; explaining optimal habits and frameworks with an eye to grasping later, advanced concepts; and systematizing the problem-solving process to overcome overwhelm, build confidence, and reach mastery!

By building rapport as someone approachable and reliable, her students come to see her as a mentor with trustworthy feedback, whether as an expert confidant about their disappointing quiz grade or as a loyal cheerleader when their class discussion answer gets highlighted by the teacher!

In her free time, Stephanie enjoys reading non-fiction about history, politics, psychology, and sociology; teaching herself new subjects; traveling (42/50 and 15/193!); exploring the national parks; watching stand-up comedy; and beating her records on the New York Times crossword puzzle.