Our Staff
TestTakers is not a massive bureaucracy filled with middle managers; our Site Directors are each principals within the company and are all energetic, passionate SAT masters with the experience to answer any conceivable SAT question. We strive to get to know each student and what he or she needs to do to reach the next scoring level. We honestly care—just give us a call and you can talk to one of us personally! We’ll take the time to answer any questions you have before, during, and after the course.
Below you’ll find an introduction to each of our Site Directors and a very small sampling of our teachers. Although this list is nowhere near exhaustive, it should begin to illustrate the personality and quality present at every TestTakers course.
Brian Corridan
Brian Corridan graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University with a degree in psychology, focusing primarily on adolescents. While at Columbia, Brian spent four years as one of TestTakers’ highest-rated teachers and two years as a Resident Advisor for freshmen. Upon graduation, Brian was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and since then has become famous not only as Director of the Long Island Academy and Bronx Science courses, but also as a contestant on CBS’s Survivor: Guatemala. Brian balances his encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture with an encyclopedic knowledge of the SAT, having never missed a math question on a standardized test, including the SAT.
Stephen Minakyan
A native of Manhasset, NY, Stephen Minakyan graduated from the College of William & Mary with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a minor in Accounting. A teacher at TestTakers since 2012 and Assistant Site Director since 2014, Stephen helps students increase their scores with his inventive methods and clear explanations. Stephen’s main interests outside of class are baseball and his pets, a cat and a Miniature Australian Shepherd, who periodically appear in our students’ practice questions.
Alan Reed
Alan Reed grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ, and was in the top 10% of his class at Cherry Hill East High School. He graduated from the Stern School of Business at New York University in 2006 with degrees in Finance and International Business. After college, Alan worked in the finance industry as a hedge fund investment analyst, with global funds located in Singapore, Hong Kong, India, and Russia. An avid sports fan, he can and will talk your ear off about all things sports, especially anything Philadelphia related. In addition to the SAT, his interests include, cooking (but mostly eating), playing sports, and watching movies and TV.
Frank Pomilla
Frank Pomilla is the president and founder of TestTakers. After graduating as valedictorian of Elmont Memorial High School, he received his bachelor’s degree in economics from Princeton in 1983. Immediately upon graduation, Frank founded TestTakers. He has personally instructed nearly one thousand students and has served as Site Director for three thousand more. Along the way, Frank has achieved perfect scores on the SAT over 30 times. Frank has been honored by the STAR (Success Through Academic Readiness) program and “Let’s Get Ready!” for his contributions to underprivileged students in the field of SAT preparation. He remains steadfastly committed to his students, even well after they complete the TestTakers program—and, as testament, he has attended the weddings of almost twenty former students.
Pat Hennes
Having grown up in a house in which both parents were public school administrators, Pat learned from an early age the importance of education and the value of distinguished instruction. These values continued with him to U.C. Davis, where he earned a B.A. in History and Political Science and developed a passion for curriculum and test preparation. Soon after graduating, he began working as a public school teacher, a job that, despite its rewards, made him yearn for the more personal connection he could have as a test prep expert. He’s been supporting students with their test prep needs for over 20 years. As Chief Operation Officer, Pat oversees all aspects of TestTakers. He and his team continue to focus on helping students reach their testing and academic goals while creating a supportive and comfortable environment for students to thrive in. Native to Northern California, Pat’s passionate about golfing, spending time with his wife, Mollie, and their Boston Terrier, Lola and all things San Francisco sports.
Stephanie Sa
Stephanie graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in psychology and education, and received her master’s degree in teaching from the Sposato Graduate School of Education. She has taught various levels of math and psychology to middle and high schoolers across the northeast, led professional development for educators, and served as an experiential education program manager. At TestTakers, Stephanie leads our internal operations, site directs, and teaches. Outside of work, Stephanie loves to hike, read, play sports, and talk about how cute her dog is.