TestTakers’ Teachers and Tutors
Afifa Areya
Afifa Areya graduated from Cooper Union with a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. As a former TestTakers student, she applied her test-taking techniques to achieve outstanding results on the SAT. Since then, she has developed a passion for sharing her education with others. In high school, Afifa tutored students in various academic subjects. In college, she taught high school students engineering principles as an assistant teacher at Cooper Union’s summer STEM program. Equipped with teaching experience and an engineering background, Afifa applies her logical reasoning and strong problem-solving skills as a teacher at TestTakers. Her hobbies include praising her two cats, cooking savory food (and occasionally baking cake in a rice cooker), crafting, and drawing.
Subjects:
- SAT Test Prep
- ACT Test Prep
Contact Info:
afifaa@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
Austin Lee
Austin graduated from New York University with a degree in neuroscience and plans to start medical school in the summer of 2026. During university, he taught the SAT to high school students in Brooklyn and served as a teaching assistant in his science classes. While preparing for the MCAT, Austin was inspired by the encouragement and expertise of his own tutor, which motivated him to share that same support with his own students. Outside of work, Austin enjoys traveling, cooking and baking, and spending time with his five dogs.
Subjects:
- SAT Test Prep
- Academic Tutoring
Contact Info:
austinl@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
Ben Yacht
Ben Yacht graduated in the top of his class from Plainview Old-Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School. He then graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience, receiving distinction in research, with minors in biology and chemistry. In college, Ben was an avid Duke basketball fan, tenting out to get tickets for the UNC game three separate times. He also loves to go to the beach, work out, and hike with his mini golden doodle, Oliver. An alumni of TestTakers, Ben looks forward to helping the next group of students achieve their SAT goals!
Subjects:
- SAT Test Prep
- ACT Test Prep
- Academic Tutoring
Contact Info:
Benjaminy@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
Jade Pan
Jade attended high school in Great Neck and moved across the country to University of California – Berkeley to pursue a double major in psychology and economics. At UC Berkeley, she was a data science student instructor and campus ambassador. After college, Jade worked as a consultant in San Francisco and specialized in intellectual property litigation. Outside of the classroom, Jade loves to hike and play with her mischievous dog.
Subjects:
- SAT Test Prep
- ACT Test Prep
- Academic Tutoring
Contact Info:
jadep@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
James Scofield
James received a Presidential Scholarship to attend Ohio Northern University and graduated summa cum laude with dual degrees in creative writing and communication arts. After teaching middle school math for three years, he is excited to return to test prep. A Houston-area native, James began teaching SAT prep shortly after graduating from college. He has since worked in practically every aspect of the industry–from teaching and tutoring to developing practice questions and web-based lessons–and prepared students for a variety of admissions exams–from the ISEE to the GRE and GMAT. If money were no object, James would travel the world, open a boutique hotel, and run a ranch for rescue dogs.
Subjects:
- SAT Test Prep
- ACT Test Prep
Contact Info:
Jamess@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
John Mehr
John Mehr is a Long Island native and graduated as valedictorian from SUNY Plattsburgh’s School of Business. With over 25 years of experience at TestTakers, John has expertly guided students through every iteration of the SAT, adapting his methods to match the evolving landscape of standardized testing. In addition to working directly with students, John has mentored and trained dozens of educators—many of whom were once his own TestTakers students. Outside the classroom, John has completed the Long Island Marathon and can often be found cycling to the South Shore beaches during the summer months.
Subjects:
- SAT Test Prep
- Academic Tutoring
Contact Info:
johnm@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
Kennedy Hilario
Kennedy graduated from Amherst College with a degree in Pure Mathematics. His strong test-taking skills and passion for education led him to tutoring early on, eventually guiding him to a successful teaching career at a charter school. He especially enjoys identifying and clarifying gaps in student understanding—a talent inspired by his parents, both of whom work in education. Born and raised in California, Kennedy has a deep appreciation for sunny days, ocean breezes, and being near the water. In his free time, he enjoys skating, playing basketball, and making music.
Subjects:
- SAT Test Prep
- Academic Tutoring
Contact Info:
kennedyh@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
Krisha Advani
Krisha graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from New York University, where she discovered her passion for understanding the inner workings of the mind. During her undergraduate years, she worked at several learning centers supporting students from kindergarten through high school, an experience that deepened her interest in child and adolescent development and made her realize how much she enjoy helping students grow academically and personally. She is pursuing a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling at Columbia University. Krisha hopes to use this degree to focus on child and adolescent mental health. As a tutor, Krisha loves working 1-on-1 with students in both math and reading to create individualized study plans that fit their learning styles. She believes that every student learns differently, so she strives to make lessons engaging, supportive, and tailored to their needs, helping them build confidence step by step. Her favorite part of tutoring is seeing a student building their problem solving skills and gaining confidence in their work. Outside of tutoring and academics, Krisha enjoys spending time with family and friends, baking various sweet treats, and working on creative projects such as drawing and painting!
Subjects:
- Academic Tutoring
Contact Info:
Krishaa@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
Max Rizzuto
Max Rizzuto grew up in Binghamton, NY, and graduated as valedictorian from Binghamton High School. They went on to receive their bachelor’s degree in Data Science and Philosophy from Northeastern University. Max was a teaching assistant in their second semester at Northeastern and instantly fell in love with teaching. They were a TA in every subsequent semester, helping students across a wide variety of courses including Python programming, logic, social and political philosophy, and epistemology. Max is eager to bring their attentive, personal teaching style to TestTakers. Outside of work, Max loves to cook, watch soccer, read, and play games with friends.
Subjects:
- SAT Test Prep
- Academic Tutoring
Contact Info:
maxr@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
Michael Rodriguez
Michael Rodriguez graduated magna cum laude from the City College of New York with a B.S. in Physics. During his time there, he privately tutored many lower classmen in introductory Physics and Math courses as well as conducted cosmological research at an REU at the University of New Mexico. After graduating, Michael went on to pursue more research opportunities at Columbia University where he was a scholar at the Bridge to the PhD program. There, he pursued his interest in cosmology, studying the kinematic Sunyaev-Zeldovich (kSZ) effect and attending graduate level courses. He has recently submitted a research paper outlining his results. Michael wishes to share his passion for Math and Physics by helping students succeed in their academic goals. He hopes to patiently and intuitively teach how interesting and thought provoking these subjects can be. Michael also has a love for music. He enjoys playing the piano and his favorite composer is Claude Debussy.
Subjects:
- Academic Tutoring
Contact Info:
michaelr@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
Noah Goldstein
Noah was born and raised in Philadelphia (go birds) and attended college at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating cum laude with a degree in psychology. For most of the past decade, Noah worked in tech and consulting, first on the Legal Operations team at Google and subsequently in operations consulting at Deloitte. Noah is excited to join TestTakers to help students gain the knowledge, strategies, and confidence to succeed on the SAT. Now, Noah runs a BBQ catering business called Bui’s BBQ in addition to tutoring. When not cooking or tutoring, Noah is likely watching something funny on TV or being disappointed by the Philadelphia Flyers.
Subjects:
- SAT Test Prep
Contact Info:
noahg@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
Srinesh Ramesh
Srinesh graduated from Stony Brook University with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. During college, he tutored high school students in AP Calculus and the SAT Math section. He also worked as a software engineer during university and attended hackathons. He is an avid Manchester City supporter and plays soccer regularly.
Subjects:
- SAT Test Prep
Contact Info:
srineshr@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
Summa Thomas
Summa grew up in Queens, NY and graduated from Stony Brook University with a degree in Linguistics. Growing up in an inclusive neighborhood showed her how important it was to be a well-rounded individual and sparked an interest in interpersonal communication and the field of health care. Summa is passionate about fostering a strong educational foundation in her students. She enjoys helping students understand how to break down challenging topics and believes this is the root to success. Outside of tutoring, Summa enjoys watching American and foreign films and television programs, listening to different genres of music, volunteering at her local fire department, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Subjects:
- Academic Tutoring
Contact Info:
summat@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
Thomas Shuman
Thomas Shuman graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in Political Science, Theater, and Arabic. He later attended a 3-Year Conservatory Program at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. He has tutored the SAT and ACT in Washington, DC and New York for 10 years in classroom and 1:1 settings and uses his performance training to keep his classes upbeat, engaging, and productive. Outside of class, Thomas enjoys cooking for himself and friends, screenwriting, playing country music, and keeping his very clingy cat Jiji from knocking his computer over during Zoom classes.
Subjects:
- SAT Test Prep
- ACT Test Prep
Contact Info:
thomass@ttprep.com
(516) 626-6100
