Our Tutors

Aizezi Abudurezake

Languages: English, Turkish, Mandarin, Uzbek

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/aizezi

My major is Application Security & Infrastructure Security and I have already graduated from the application security program at Merritt College. This is my last semester in the Infrastructure Security program. I am also a student of CSU East Bay, majoring in computer science. My career interest is discovering new tech skills. The country where I am from is East Turkestan and my ethnicity is Uyghur. My personal and professional goals are to build my own company one day. I like sports a lot, therefore, I play soccer as a hobby.

Alina Miller

Languages: English, Some Spanish, “extremely” basic Japanese

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/alina

I am a Health Sciences Major, looking to become an OBGYN Sonographer. I dream of working at Highland Hospital to give back to the community that I was born and raised! I love working at the tutoring center, especially as someone who struggled throughout primary schooling; coming back to college many years later was scary. Through the help of tutors and support, I am happy to be back in school and look forward to assisting learning.

Alma Valdivia

Languages: English, Spanish

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/alma

I was born in Toluca, Mexico, and raised in Oakland, California. I am majoring in Sociology. I am currently tutoring English and ESOL. My goal is to be the first member of my immediate family to graduate from college and to set an example

for my children. I have two sons and another one on the way. My family is my motivation to keep moving forward and to provide a better future for them, just as my parents did for me. With my sociology degree, I would like to work as a counselor in a school

and to be able to provide guidance for young people. I feel that educating our children and young people is the answer to make our world a better place. Whenever I feel overwhelmed and discouraged, I think of this quote by Martin Luther King Jr.: “If

you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

Atefeh Eftekhari, AKA Ati

Languages: English, Farsi

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/ati

I am from Iran and have been living in the United States since 2012. Right now I’m taking my prerequisites for the nursing program. I think nursing is a wonderful field with many diverse opportunities. My personal goal is to keep doing whatever I have to do to help me be my best self. My professional goal is first to get into nursing school. I’m an outdoor person, loves hiking, camping, rafting, and anything related to nature. Another thing I enjoy a lot is skydiving. I think skydiving is one of the most thrilling feelings ever.

Austin Cahill

Languages: English

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/austin

I was born and raised in the Bay Area. After spending 4 years working as an EMT, I decided to pursue a college degree at Merritt College with hopes of eventually attending medical school. During my time at Merritt, I developed a passion for biology and chemistry, as well as an interest in helping others succeed in these courses. After 6 years at Merritt College, I transferred to U.C. Berkeley, where I graduated with a B.S. degree in Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology: Physiology and Metabolism in May of 2020. In my free time, I enjoy practicing Taekwondo, cooking, playing Terraria, and going on hikes with my partner and our two dogs. I’ll be starting medical school in August of 2021 and in addition to helping others with their courses, I’m always happy to talk about the journey towards transferring to a four-year university and towards getting into medical school.

Brenda Del Toro

Languages: English

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/brenda

This is my first year at Merritt and I am actually new to the team at the Learning Center. I am currently taking prerequisite classes to major in Nursing. I want a career that involves giving back to the community and helping those who need it. With everything going on in the world, my career path might change. My current hobbies include painting and eating, my two favorite things in life. I was born in Oakland and have lived in California my whole life. My only goal as of right now is to be happy and stay motivated. I don’t like planning my life out because things can easily change. In the end, I just want to be able to support my parents the way they supported me my whole life. Make sure to keep on smiling!

Briana Wing

Languages: English

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/briana

I swam competitively for 14 years. I was born in San Francisco but grew up in Alameda. I earned a Bachelor of Arts from UC Irvine but wanted to make a career change and am now pursuing a career in radiology. I have taken Intro to Stats, Radiology Survey, Medical Terminology, and Biology 20A: Anatomy and Physiology at Merritt College. I spent six months teaching ESL at Qingdao Chungwoon Korean school and from that experience learned about the subtle nuances that make me appreciate being an American. I am grateful that we are a progressive country that is making steps towards racial and gender equality. My goal is to blossom in a career in radiology and improve my fitness levels to return back to competing in triathlons. Also, I plan to volunteer and learn more about the field of radiology. I enjoy cooking, baking and am an active officer of the Island City Toastmasters club. I cherish moments where I can help others.

Dana Rhodes, AKA Ms. Dana

Languages: English

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/dana

I am a proud African American woman born and raised in the SF/Bay Area. I am a daughter (the last of 3), a sister (the last of 4) a friend, an aunt, a cousin, a caregiver, and last but definitely not least, a writing tutor. I am a 2018 graduate from Merritt College with an Associate’s degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences. As many challenges that I have had in my lifetime, I am a survivor and grateful to say that I am a 12-year breast cancer survivor. My passions/hobbies include solving puzzles, billiards, event planning, helping others that require need, and being true to myself. The COVID-19 pandemic has altered my goals in becoming an Occupational Therapist; however, I plan to continue to help those who may have physical, emotional, and/or mental disabilities. It is my goal as a writing tutor to help students, especially ESL students, become more familiar and comfortable writing the English language.

Ezinne Prudence Ndubuisi

Languages: English, Igbo, Pidgen

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/prudence

I am Christian. I am an Ibo Nigerian from Imo state, born and raised in Lagos state, so I am both an Imolite and Lagosian. I write, read, and understand my native language: Ibo, but I do not speak it as fluent. Alongside Ibo, I speak pidgin and English. I’d also like to learn Spanish and/or French, so I can better connect with people. I am a first-generation college student at Merritt College, and a Nursing major, looking to specialize in the neonatal field to work with those little champs we call Babies. Spring 2021 marks the end of my sophomore year in college as I await admission into one of the four-year universities to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing, including San Francisco, Sacramento, and Chico State Universities. Naturally, I enjoy being with babies, and I am pretty good at working with them. My hobbies, among others, include cooking, music, stretching, walking, and understanding. As a tutor, I look to give back as I was given: to aid students through their coursework for a stronger understanding and better recollection, as well as to build good relationships eventually.

Hyungyu Ryu AKA Anthony

Languages: English, Korean

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/anthony

I am studying computer science at Peralta Community College.

After high school, I have worked in the fitness and IT industry in South Korea for 12 years. My goal is to transfer to a 4-year college with a strong base in computer science, math, and physics. I also love to workout and sing!

Jennifer Ozuna, AKA Jenny

Languages: English, Spanish

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/jennifer

I am working on my AA to transfer to a four-year university, hopefully soon. I am an Oakland native from Mexico. Oakland is where I grew up and I consider it home even though I currently reside In San Leandro. I am bilingual, speaking English and Spanish and I am an Embedded tutor with an ESOL class here at Merritt. In my free time, I enjoy walking my dog through the neighborhood and taking him on long car rides. I also enjoy reading, cooking, and exercising at home. I am currently majoring in communications and I am looking into the field of education. I enjoy helping my community and lending a helping hand when possible. I am also a mentor at my old middle school where I support students and teachers during class through Zoom. I bring support and translation for students when needed and facilitate break-out rooms. Between my roles in education, I have grown as a student and looking forward to growing some more.

Jonathan Cortez Salcido

Languages: English, Spanish

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/jonathan

I am majoring in Economics, Accounting, and Cybersecurity. That being said my current focus is Econ. My current home is the Bay Area, where I was raised. My personal and professional goal is to be at a point where I am free of many capitalistic restrictions. My personal hobbies Include reading.

Joselyn Garcia (pronouns are she/her)

Languages: English, Spanish

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/joselyn

I am a bilingual first-generation student majoring in Child Development. I speak English and Spanish. I want to work with immigrant and refugee families in the future so Child Development is the best path for me. Can you guess what subjects I tutor? Yup, you guessed it! Child Development and Writing. I enjoy writing poetry and reading YA books. I also love learning about different cultures and listening to all genres of music. If you have a song recommendation, don’t be afraid to share it with me when we meet! 🙂

Kiara-Michelle Simpson

Languages: English

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/kiara

I am a writing tutor. I plan on transferring to UC Davis and majoring in animal science for the fall semester. After graduating, I want to go to vet school. Currently, I live in East Oakland near international. I spend most of my time either doing assignments or at work. During my free time, I like to make things. I mainly make clothes and food. Pajamas and hoodies are my favorite things to make because the fabric for them is easy to find. I mainly use blankets to make those things. Cooking is also something I enjoy because eating makes me happy. Essentially I like doing things that reward me for my effort.

Lowell Bennett

Languages: English

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring

Retired Managing Director and Global Investment Strategist with a Master’s degree in Business Administration and a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering, both from Stanford University. He also is a CFA (chartered financial analyst) charter holder. He is currently working at Merritt College as an Instructor, tutor, and mentor. He is the Tutor Training Instructor at Merritt and works with the English and Math Faculty in support of students. Lowell is also studying African American Studies and Administration of Justice as a Merritt College Student.

Naod Kelete (He/Him/His)

Languages: English, Tigrinya

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/naod

My major is cell Biology planning on pursuing a career in medicine. I am from Eritrea Asmara and I like to play soccer.

Ricky Townsend

Languages: English

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/ricky

I plan to pursue a career in aeronautics. I hope to become a commercial airline pilot. I was born and raised in the Bay Area all my life. The goal I always strive for is to become a better me than I was yesterday or the day before. One professional goal I want to work on in the field is to make the people who I am working with feel less anxious and confused and instead leave confident knowing they learned something new. For hobbies, I like to run, explore new places, and draw in my notebook.

Tobias K. Cochran

Languages: English, (learning Swedish!)

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/tobias

I am a tutor for Psychology, Astronomy, Communications, Anthropology, and more! If I take a class I’ll tutor it. I was born and raised in Alameda. I am currently 20 years old, soon to be 21!

My goal in life is to get a Master’s in Psychology if not Doctorate, I have always wanted to be a psychologist since I first learned about the job in high school and have been doing all I can to push this dream forward into the future. I have a few hobbies that I have picked up rather recently, the first of which is acrylic pouring. If I am ever tutoring you, feel free to ask about them. I’m always happy to share! Besides that, I also am a creator of business card structures.

Xueyou Yang, AKA Yoyo

Languages: English, Cantonese, Mandarin

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring

My major is Child Development. I love to play with children, especially reading stories with them. Young children always have incredible questions. And I also love to prepare and make crafts with children because they are so creative. I come from southern China and speak English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. In my free time, I love cooking and baking. During the pandemic, I tried to make different dishes. Some are good, whereas some taste weird. It was fun. And I also love to watch Japanese Anime, such as Natsume’s Book of Friends, Castle in the Sky, One Piece. It helps me release stress and calms me down. I would like to become a caring and inclusive preschool teacher in the future.

Anikka Wright

Languages: English

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/anikka

My name is Anikka Wright and I’m not only a psychology major, but also hope to pursue a minor in nutrition. To say that I’ve always been fascinated with human behavior is an understatement, as I literally can’t get enough of my major! In terms of my career goals, It’s my intention to become a therapist and a certified dietitian.

Jiamin (Meily) Sun

Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese

Appointlet: https://appt.link/merritt-college-tutoring/jiamin

My name is Jiamin but you can call me Meily. I am currently studying Child Development at Merritt College. I speak Mandarin and Cantonese as well. and I’m planning to transfer to San Francisco State University in the 2022 Spring semester because the deadline to transfer for 2021 fall has passed. Hopefully, I can open my own preschool one day.