BrainBoost Education

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Directors

Matt and Jessy are the Directors of BrainBoost Education, and so they are case managers for each student, mentors for each tutor, and business people at the same time! It's not easy being a Director, but Matt and Jessy (brother and sister) love the time they spend at BrainBoost.


Matt Giammarino

Matt Giammarino is the founder of, and a director and case-manager at, BrainBoost. Matt's specialties include Math Education and unpacking how social and emotional situations impact learning outcomes (though he is a sucker for a good idea no matter what the discipline). He has presented his research on how context affects reading performance at a national education conference, and has spoken at local conferences about making Math Education more relevant and engaging. Matt's thesis attempts to clarify the concept of Number Sense - a nerd-word for our intuitive grasp of mathematics - by bridging studies from neuroimaging studies, cognitive science, and learning disabilities research. This research will help educators discover what it means to be "naturally good at math," and will (hopefully) lead to better assessment and treatment of math disabilities. Check out Matt's blog to learn more about his research.


Jessy Giammarino

Jessy Giammarino is a director and case-manager at BrainBoost. With a B.A. in English from the University of British Columbia and 3 years experience of teaching Yoga, Jessy specializes in literacy, and how stress and anxiety affect a student's ability to learn. Jessy believes strongly in the importance of organization and structure to help students gain control of their academic life and mental sanity. She is currently developing a company-wide organizational system, with the help of our tutors, that assists students in implementing a daily system of managing their never-ending things-to-do. As well, Jessy believes strongly in the power of the breath, and tries to teach all her students how to use their breath to access a calm and clear mind. Jessy respects and cherishes her students' differences and strives to be a strong and calming force in their lives, in order to help them achieve their great potential.





Tutors


Morie Ford

As well as being a Language Arts teacher, Morie is a true advocate for children’s literacy. She has over ten years experience working with children with learning challenges in the area of English Language Arts. Morie has a Special Education degree from the University of Alberta. She has a contagious enthusiasm for reading and writing and does what it takes to create engagement with kids. In her spare time Morie actively promotes literacy – most recently for OMID orphanage in Afghanistan and URPI orphanage in Peru. Exciting hockey games, gourmet meals and walks with her family and friends help keep Morie balanced.


Chris Griffith

Chris is a teacher from the UK who tutors Social Studies and English at BrainBoost. His specialties are Political Geography and 20th Century History. When Chris isn't working, he enjoys playing soccer and ultimate frisbee, jamming on the guitar with friends or reading philosophy.


Mark Giammarino

Mark Giammarino is currently studying Philosophy and Psychology in his third year at UBC. At BrainBoost, Mark tutors a variety of subjects, with a focus mainly on Math, and he also leads The Workspace Student's physical activity class on Friday afternoons. One reason Mark enjoys tutoring is that he gets to learn the many ways in which material can be learned, which he feels, allows his mind to be more adaptive. Some of Mark's personal interests are watching and playing a variety of sports, learning about anything, listening to a wide array of music ranging from Radiohead to NaS , and cooking from the many cuisines of the world.


Marina Khenson

Marina is a math tutor at BrainBoost. She grew up in California and only recently moved to Vancouver to pursue her education at UBC. She just finished her Bachelors degree in Psychology, and plans to go back for a Masters in Special Education in a few years. She has been tutoring on and off for over 6 years, but still learns something new about it every day. She loves to teach, and will always have a soft spot for making math enjoyable for kids who think they hate it. She also experiments with cooking, does Latin dancing, and loves to travel.


Mark Roberts

Mark tutors Math and Sciences at Brainboost. Before BrainBoost he worked as a Math tutor in the Mathematics Activity Centre at Langara College. He is currently finishing an undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at UBC. When he's not tutoring or doing schoolwork, he can be found rock climbing in Squamish, cycling in Pacific Spirit National Park, catching a live show downtown, playing chess in a coffee shop or getting a tan at Spanish Banks. He also enjoys reading, gardening, knitting and vegetarian cooking.


Sara Ferguson

Sara Ferguson grew up in Northwestern Ontario, and she is currently completing the practicum portion of her B.Ed in Elementary Education. Previously, she worked towards a degree in Zoology at the University of Guelph and then graduated with a BSc from UBC, focusing on Life and Earth Sciences. She enjoys music, live concerts, cooking, and being outdoors. Over the years she has worked with many different students and believes that they are usually more capable and intelligent than we give them credit for. She strives to give her students the tools and opportunities to let them shine in their own way.


Youlei Weng

Youlei was born in China and grew up in the eastern United States. She studied in New York City, where she obtained her bachelor and master degrees in chemical engineering. Over the next several years, Youlei worked as an engineer and had the opportunity to experience the southern US (from riding rodeo to tasting alligator). She currently works for an engineering consulting firm in Vancouver. Youlei tutored privately in math and sciences throughout her university years. She loves to show kids the logic and the practicality of math and sciences.


Mia Paola Sedlar-Strutinski

Mia Paola is nearing the end of her Bachelor of Arts in Art History, with a minor in Film Studies, at UBC. She has tutored and taught both locally and internationally for several years, including a year spent as a 3rd grade English teacher at an international school in Mexico. She is originally from the former Yugoslavia, which she was forced to flee due to civil war, and as a result, she spent two years living as a refugee. So, her diverse personal and educational experience helps her to be open-minded and humble when it comes to tutoring, a job which she values and adores. Mia Paola considers tutoring English and Humanities a wonderful opportunity to help students, but also knows that often the student has just as much knowledge to impart. Her biggest passions in life are family & friends, travel, dance, languages, photography, art and food.


Carolyn Wong

Carolyn hails from good ol' Calgary, Alberta, and recently graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of British Columbia. She'll be spending the next year at BrainBoost before heading back to Calgary to attend medical school, where she'll spend many, many more years studying. She obviously likes science, and is excited to bring her knowledge and experience to the BrainBoost team. When she's not hitting the books, Carolyn enjoys biking, running, and playing some Ultimate Frisbee on the side.


Katherine Burden

A friendly Nova Scotian, Katherine graduated from Acadia University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics and Biology. She has recently completed her Bachelor of Education from the University of British Columbia. Katherine is passionate about teaching Science, and loves to create excitement and curiosity in her lessons. A lover of nature, Katherine enjoys hiking, camping and running outdoors. When she is not enjoying the beautiful BC weather, you may find Katherine happily hunting for yet another pair of must-have shoes.


Alex Catamo

Alex is BrainBoost's computer tutor and general IT specialist. Eyeing a future in the gaming industry, Alex knows all about 3D animation, game design, graphic design, educational technology and art. More importantly he can teach these software suites to any learner. Alex's interests also include almost all types of media, music and recording, Science Fiction of any kind, and basically anything nerdy.


Lauren Bell

Lauren grew up in Summerland, a tiny town in the Okanagan Valley, before journeying to Vancouver to pursue studies at the University of British Columbia. The size of her town and her love for learning encouraged her to study how to juggle, rolla bolla, spin plates, throw knives, and even stiltwalk. Upon graduating from highschool she turned towards the more academic studies of ancient civilizations, and the stories of the past. Now, with a completed Bachelor’s Degree in History and a minor in English, Lauren is tutoring English and Humanties at BrainBoost Tutoring. Her favourite past times include reading, writing, video-gaming, preparing gourmet meals, and drawing.


Hannah Askew

Hannah is the daughter of a librarian and grew up in a house with lots of books in Toronto. She is an aspiring writer and enjoys sharing her passion for reading and writing with students of all ages. As well as tutoring at Brainboost, she teaches literature and First Nations studies at the Native Education College. She holds two MA degrees in history and anthropology.


Fraser McLaren

Fraser McLaren was born in Regina, Saskatchewan but grew up in Victoria, BC. He is proud of his prairie roots and always enjoys visiting the wheat fields and big sky and of the Canadian prairies. He is entering his third year as an elementary school teacher where he has taught students in grades 4-7. Fraser strongly believes that because each child is different, teaching styles need to adapt to the child not the child to a teaching style. Fraser is excited to begin his M.Ed in math education at UBC in September and looks forward to using what he learns in his teaching. Besides teaching, Fraser’s other interests include travelling, reading and watching good movies.


Zain Burgess

Zain has an Associates degree from Capilano College in Liberal Arts (Sociology) and a B.F.A. from Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Zain believes that everyone is creative and can make art in some shape or form. He is here to help you explore how having a creative output can bring new depth and meaning to your life. With an insatiable interest in all creative forms, most days you can find Zain in his studio making art, putting together mix tapes, experimenting with sound, visuals and sculpture as well as enjoying new forms of media and culture in the city. Oh yea! Bicycles, Zain loves bicycles!


Siddhartha Das

Siddhartha was born in Bangladesh and moved to Vancouver when he was three years old. He is a recent Bachelor of Sciences graduate from UBC. He has previous experience tutoring elementary, high school, and university students in Math, Science, and English. Outside of class he enjoys watching movies, playing soccer, and hiking. Siddhartha has always believed that motivation and hard work can help everyone succeed and hopes to pass this on to his students.

Andrea Wallette

Andrea is a math and sciences tutor who recently moved from a private boarding school in Eastern Ontario to Vancouver to take a teaching job at a school that specializes in learning differences. She completed her Masters' degree in chemistry at The University of Western Ontario and her B.Ed from Trent University. Andrea has been tutoring for over 8 years and loves the challenge of making up new analogies for the maths and sciences so that her students can fully understand the concepts being taught. She also has classroom teaching experience in grades 8-12 mathematics. Andrea loves to read, cook and knit - all things that help calm her ADD

Mark Van Eijk

Mark grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan and moved to Vancouver to pursue an education in science and healthcare. Since then he has obtained a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from UBC and completed his training and licensure as a Primary Care Paramedic. Mark has been involved in teaching a variety of subjects (from science to snowboarding) since high school and now teaches maths and sciences at Brainboost in the hopes of instilling his own enthusiasm for learning in his students. He also has a wide range of experience in working with persons disabilities through the UBC Hospital Foundation, Supported Child Development BC, and as an extra support worker at a local childcare program. When he is not busy teaching and learning, Mark enjoys long-distance running, swimming, and biking, as well as cooking and listening to and playing music.

Conrad Nickels

Conrad tutors Sciences, and Math at BrainBoost. He recently graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Chemistry, then spontaneously decided to go for an adventure, flying to Spain with nothing more than a bicycle and a few changes of clothes. He has a passion for teaching and learning, and loves finding different strategies and approaches to problems (the more original the better!). When he's not shouting 'Eureka!' in the lab, or fixing flat tires overseas, you can find him singing and playing guitar, hiking the interior of BC, or surfing in Tofino.

Administrators and Support Staff

These fine folks keep BrainBoost functioning smoothly on a day-to-day basis; without them, we would be unable to open our doors each morning. They have lots of duties, from scheduling and billing to test administration, motivational support and service coordination. They are the glue that holds us all together, and without them, we'd be lost!


Fiona Norris

Fiona has been working with BrainBoost for 2 years and works at the front desk to ensure your schedule is smooth, your needs are met and that the staff and students at BrainBoost are well taken care of. The rest of her time is spent either training for her next triathlon or preparing a gourmet feast for friends or family. She can speak with you about scheduling, changing or canceling your tutoring session, or any other concerns or questions you may have.


Steph Giammarino

Steph handles all the purchasing, billing and accounting needs of the company, as well as acting as the Space Manager. In addition to that, she's the mother of Matt and Jessy! When she isn’t helping BrainBoost, she is traveling to her favorite spot, Cortes Island, or exploring some new corner of the world. She loves her big family and especially enjoys it when everyone comes over for Sunday night dinners.


Ivey Drugge

Ivey grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and arrived in Vancouver via Sweden where she lived and worked for two years. At BrainBoost, Ivey's main job is as the Head of Student Services. Her job is to do whatever is needed to make each and every person who comes through the HUB feel welcome and have a rewarding BrainBoost experience. She graduated from Indiana University with a degree in History, Classical Studies (Latin) and an Individualized Major in Ethnic Conflict. Her studies and travels have shown her that the world is really a small place but filled with infinitely interesting and unique people. Ivey loves watching the students at BrainBoost become independent and learn new things about themselves and their abilities. When Ivey is not at BrainBoost she can be found training for her first half-marathon, learning to ski, cooking big meals for friends and family, reading about the world and planning her next big trip somewhere.


Kent English

Kent grew up in rural Manitoba and received a B.Sc.H. in Mathematics from Queen's University. He spent four years teaching English in Japan to an eclectic range of students. Experience has taught him that no two people learn in the same way, and so he strives to find the approach that works best for each particular person. He strongly believes that math should not be scary. Some of his interests are Japanese language and literature, Creative Writing, Psychology, Physics, and all kinds of Math (particularly anything with matrices).


Darren Negraeff

Darren is originally from Regina, Saskatchewan, but has called Vancouver home for five years now. He has a BA in History from the University of Saskatchewan and an MBA from the University of British Columbia. He loves to teach and is currently offering the Getting Down to Business POD which you can read more about here, but for the most part he takes care of this and other BrainBoost websites and directs our marketing efforts. His current interests include UX design, neuroeconomics, product design and entrepreneurship, and the rise of microcredit as a means to alleviating poverty. Oh yes, and he also loves to garden, as you can see from the picture.