Meet RTC
A Team That Puts Students First
Russell Tutoring & Consulting (RTC) knows that “it takes a village to raise a child.” Because we care about your child, we will assess them thoroughly so we can customize tutoring to meet their needs.
Throughout your student’s learning experience with us, our team works collaboratively to manage their care and learning. We cultivate the nourishing soil where curiosity can take root, plant the seeds of knowledge, and tend to each student’s growth, knowing that with patience, kindness, and support, every child can flourish.
(she/her/they)
Founder and President, has spent her 30-year career in education teaching, tutoring, designing curricula, and administering programs. Whether working with children or adults, her many and varied teaching experiences have shaped Claire’s educational philosophy: teaching must originate from a student’s needs, and a student who tries cannot fail.
Claire’s first love is teaching. She tells her students that the best part of her day is her time spent with them, and she delights in growing their brains. Claire is excited to help students learn however they learn best, and she believes that if a teacher can unlock the keys to a student’s learning strengths and challenges, they can become an enthusiastic, successful learner! At RTC, she has been thrilled to see this consistently with our students.
Claire was motivated to found RTC after tutoring in the test prep industry for several years and seeing the myriad ways cookie-cutter test prep could go wrong. As a result, Claire customizes RTC test prep for every student. RTC provides personalized learning, and we invest in our students’ futures. RTC’s programs address students’ needs holistically, and Claire is immensely proud of the successes our students have achieved!
At RTC, Claire has created a unique culture with an exceptional team of teachers whom she hired for not just their talent and expertise, but also for their empathy, kindness, and dedication. Claire provides these teaching nerds with a team approach to professional development and a collaborative mentoring environment in which they can foster student success. Most of Claire’s tutors and coaches stay for years, some since the founding of RTC in 2016.
Claire has expanded into teaching the Performance Coaching skills students need in test prep. Since bringing Mindfulness to RTC in 2020, Claire has dedicated herself to learning how mind-body science can best integrate with test prep. Her team of test prep performance coaches specializes in neuroscience-based mind-body skills, so, in 2024, Claire mentored under Dr. Ben Bernstein, a nationally-esteemed performance psychologist and recognized expert on test anxiety. Now, Claire brings both her knowledge of mind-body medicine and performance psychology skills to test prep and test-takers everywhere.
Claire is a proud member of the National Test Prep Association (NTPA), an exceptional organization of test prep professionals who collaborate closely to support student success. At NTPA, she serves as the Chair of the Ethics Committee and also serves on the Scholarship Committee, where she encourages all her seniors to apply for the Jeanne Lucas Memorial Scholarship.
In her spare time, Claire eternally suffers being a passionate fan of the Tottenham Hotspurs. She loves reading & writing, cultivating her garden, hiking & birding, seeing live shows, cooking for loved ones, and creating habitat for her furbabies in her home city of Philadelphia.
Founder
Claire Russell
Our Team
At Russell Tutoring and Consulting (RTC), our national team is made up of exceptional educators who share a deep commitment to student growth and success. Each tutor or performance coach left a lasting impression during the interview process and training, demonstrating not only expertise in their field, but also a unique and impactful approach to teaching.
Our team brings diverse perspectives, innovative strategies, and a talent for connecting with students in a way that fosters both achievement and confidence. Most importantly, our tutors and performance coaches teach with the utmost compassion, ensuring that every student feels seen and supported to reach their fullest potential.
Family Care Coordinator
Erin Gleeson
(she/her)
has over nine years of tutoring experience. She tutored for RTC for three years in both Academics and Test Prep before becoming our Family Care Coordinator. We are thrilled she is serving students in both roles!
As a high school sophomore, Erin took the PSAT without fully understanding what it was and achieved exceptional scores in part because of mindful test-taking: she was relaxed, curious, and happy to have a break from her normal classes. She was highly successful in SAT and ACT and attributes her success to that same approach—relaxation, curiosity, and the confidence that comes from understanding the test well.
Erin encourages students to see standardized tests as games they can learn to master, helping them build their skills and draw on their existing knowledge to become confident, expert test-takers at their personal level of achievement. To that end, she understands RTC’s philosophy that test prep is college readiness, and that students at every level can see significant score achievement on standardized tests with a holistic, thoughtful approach!
Erin holds a Bachelor’s in Geosciences from the University of Arizona and a Master’s in Climate Sciences from the University of Bern in Switzerland. Erin has spent over a decade working at the intersection of science and practice, partnering with Nepali farmers, Peruvian herders, and diverse communities throughout the U.S. to build climate resilience through nature conservation, economic opportunities, and social cohesion. Most recently, she was an Environment Officer with the U.S. Agency for International Development. She brings her rich experience and informed world view to RTC.
As a tutor, Erin enjoys helping students develop their college-readiness skills in areas as diverse as SAT/ACT, Algebra and Geometry, and AP Biology. Having taught Algebra in the classroom, Erin’s approach to teaching is strongly grounded in logic, evidence, and real-world examples. She loves how trivia about the natural world can unlock the secrets of math and science for her students—like how bees use hexagons to make their honeycomb because it’s the strongest and most efficient shape in nature. How cool!
In her role as RTC’s Family Care Coordinator, Erin manages all aspects of family onboarding and continual care. Erin maintains ongoing contact with families as we case-manage students toward their peak performance, ensuring that both parents and students feel fully supported in all our academic and test prep tutoring programs.
In her free time, Erin loves to cycle and hike before dawn in her newly adopted state of Arizona. When sheltering inside from the sun, Erin adores her cats and cooking. She is also a skilled beekeeper.
Tutors
Jacob Ginsberg
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Jacob Ginsberg (he/him) has been tutoring professionally for ten years and has worked with RTC since 2017. A graduate of Brown University with a degree in English and an MFA in Creative Writing from Temple University, Jacob is a remarkably versatile tutor. He has helped students master subjects ranging from middle school math to college-level calculus and history, and he brings the same depth of understanding to test prep, guiding students to success on the SAT and ACT.
As a tutor, Jacob is a natural teacher with a Socratic, intuitive approach, helping students take ownership of their learning while building on their strengths. His ability to simplify even the most complex concepts makes him an invaluable resource for students of all backgrounds, including those with special learning needs. Whether guiding a student through SAT strategies or breaking down an advanced calculus problem, Jacob fosters both confidence and deep understanding.
Jacob is not only an exceptional tutor. As the SAT and ACT have evolved, he has played a large role in revising and updating RTC test prep curricula, ensuring that the materials reflect the latest insights from real tutoring experience rather than a one-size-fits-all approach.
Jacob’s expertise also extends to writing instruction, where he helps students at every level—from grammar and structure to theory and analysis. A math lover who once struggled with English, he believes that with the right guidance, anyone can become a strong reader and writer.
In his free time, Jacob writes fiction, reads for a literary magazine, cheers (and boos) at Flyers games, and takes long walks with his dog, Isabel in his home city of Philadelphia.
Luke MacDonald
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Luke MacDonald (he/him) graduated summa cum laude from William Paterson University with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology. He has long been interested in how people learn most effectively, and he brings that curiosity to bear in his tutoring. In over four years of SAT and ACT prep, Luke has supported his students to exciting accomplishments, and he enjoys encouraging them to their highest potential.
Luke has a talent for breaking down complex concepts into manageable components. Gently guiding students in mastering fundamental strategies that drive effective test-taking, Luke focuses primarily on process—teaching students to think critically, connect their existing knowledge to test questions, and develop effective practice habits that ensure achievement on Test Day.
By paying attention to a student's strengths and drawing upon RTC's holistic performance-based approach, Luke helps students develop testing strategies tailored to their unique learning styles. He knows that successful test preparation extends beyond content mastery to include building study skills and self-confidence. Luke understands that test prep serves students well beyond standardized tests.
Luke has a strong interest in health and wellness and stays active through exercise, especially trail running. He has trained extensively in the Alexander Technique, which has informed his understanding of the mind-body connection and its impact on everything we do (including taking tests!). Luke has a passion for audio engineering and pursues it through mixing and mastering music, editing podcasts, and producing audiobooks. He also enjoys playing guitar and creating music of his own. He has worked as a ferry boat operator and at a wilderness therapy program, and he currently lives in his home state of New Jersey.
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Duaa Ahmed (she/her) is a veterinary student at the University of Pennsylvania. She earned her BA in Cell and Molecular Biology & Genetics from Boston University and has been involved in multiple research projects, from microbiology to the evolutionary mechanisms of social structure. Before joining RTC, Duaa worked at the UPenn Weingarten Learning Center as a peer note-taker, attending lectures and customizing tools to help special-needs students learn at their best capacity. As a gifted teacher, she tailors her tutoring similarly, ensuring that each student receives the support they need to thrive.
Duaa finds it extremely fulfilling to work with students of all ages and backgrounds. She has a broad teaching range, covering subjects such as SAT/ACT prep, chemistry, biology, algebra, geometry, precalculus, critical reading, and writing. Having taken many standardized tests and navigated the college admissions process herself, she understands the stress students experience and is dedicated to helping them succeed. Duaa begins with a structured approach and gradually encourages independence as her students build confidence in both content and test-taking strategies.
In her free time, Duaa enjoys hiking, watching TV, trying new restaurants in her adopted city of Philadelphia, and traveling. Some of her favorite adventures have been in Puerto Rico, Sri Lanka, and Dubai, where she loves to explore the local food and wildlife.
Duaa Ahmed
Casey Burke
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Casey Burke (he/him) is a writer, tutor, and mentor based in Philadelphia who has taught RTC students for three years. Growing up as the oldest of four siblings taught him patience and gave him a foundation for mentorship, which he pursued as a camp counselor and as part of his high school’s mentoring program for disadvantaged middle schoolers.
These experiences cemented his passion for helping children grow and find joy in working toward their goals. Casey knows that every child thinks differently, and as a tutor, he is determined to identify and cater to each student’s individual learning style.
Casey earned a double B.A. in English and Cognitive Science from the University of Virginia, with a concentration in literary prose. After college, he worked as a paid search analyst for a digital marketing agency, where he actively sought opportunities for teaching and mentorship. He was selected to participate in an externship program, and these experiences drew him closer to a transition into education in earnest.
Writing has been one of Casey’s passions since he was old enough to spell. For him, any kind of writing is a form of self-expression, and helping students improve their written work is ultimately a way to help them find a singular voice and build confidence—both on and off the page.
In addition to writing, Casey tutors Spanish, Math, and U.S. History. He relishes the challenge of zeroing in on an appropriate goal for each student and developing a specific, long-term plan to achieve it. His interests span multiple subject areas, and he finds few greater joys than deeply understanding a new concept—whether it’s a Spanish conjugation, a polynomial equation, or the War of 1812. Casey strives to inspire this same love of learning in every student he teaches.
In his free time, Casey enjoys fiction, distance running, cooking, playing the acoustic and bass guitars, listening to his sizable record collection, and reading about philosophy and music. Casey lives in his hometown of Philadelphia.
Bryce Raley
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Bryce Raley (he/him) has been a professional academic coach for the past seven years, helping students of all ages develop the skills, behaviors, and strategies needed to improve their academic and personal confidence. Passionate, patient, and empathetic, Bryce has helped hundreds of students improve their SAT/ACT scores, excel in their academic programs, and reach their full potential.
Bryce graduated one year early from the University of Miami with a double major in Environmental Science and Economics. As a mentor, he teaches classes at UM on the applications of environmental sustainability. His expertise spans standardized test prep (SAT, ACT, GRE, GMAT, etc.), college-level courses and AP subjects, Algebra, Geometry, Biology, analytical writing, and evidence-based reading. Bryce enjoys working with students from elementary to college level, guiding them toward success with a coaching style tailored to their unique learning needs.
Coaching became Bryce’s passion while he was in college, where he realized that students need more than just an expert tutor—they need a teacher, mentor, and coach who understands their challenges and adapts to their individual strengths. His goal is to ignite the strength that every student has within them, helping them unlock their academic talents in the right environment.
In his free time, Bryce enjoys surfing, skateboarding, writing music, and playing guitar in his home in Florida
Kris Gamble
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Kris Gamble (they/he) earned a B.S. in Animal Science with a minor in Equine Science from Penn State and an M.S. in Animal and Veterinary Sciences from Clemson University. During their academic years, Kris conducted and published scientific research, taught courses in scientific writing and animal science, and mentored four pre-veterinary students—all of whom were accepted into veterinary school. This blend of research, teaching, and mentorship laid the foundation for Kris’ student-centered approach to education.
Kris believes that students learn best when they feel understood, supported, and confident. As Kris thoughtfully guides and supports each student in “studying,” they focus on bringing lessons to life with context and nurturing the development of strategies for continued growth after each lesson.
With over six years of tutoring experience, Kris is diversely qualified to work with students across disciplines as varied as AP Chemistry, AP Precalculus, and AP English Language & Composition. Furthermore, having grown up with an auditory processing disorder and dyslexia, Kris brings deep empathy to students facing learning challenges. They’ve had extensive experience in supporting students with a wide variety of unique learning needs.
Kris especially enjoys tutoring test preparation! They teach multiple standardized tests, from SSAT/ISEE and SAT/ACT to GRE, MCAT, and NCLEX. Kris loves teaching students to confidently outmaneuver standardized tests because these high-pressure challenges are as much about confidence, mindset, and strategy as about content—and helping students realize they can succeed is one of the most rewarding parts of the work.
Outside of tutoring, Kris enjoys wildlife photography, reading comic books (Their favorite Marvel character is Jeff the Landshark!), playing science fiction video games, and crocheting amigurumi critters. Kris lives in New Mexico with their spouse and a bright collection of birds.
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Dr. Amy Corbin (she/her) is a Professor of Film Studies and Media & Communication at Muhlenberg College and holds a PhD from UC Berkeley. She has been teaching at the college level for over 20 years and is deeply involved in Muhlenberg’s nationally recognized Writing Program, which spans disciplines and trains peer tutors. Writing has brought Amy joy ever since she can remember, and she loves helping students learn more about themselves as thinkers through their writing, whether academic or personal.
Amy was the first tutor hired at Russell Tutoring & Consulting in 2017, only six months after RTC was founded. As RTC’s Writing Program Coordinator, Amy serves as a resource for Writing tutors, providing mentorship, guidance, and collaboration. Tutors working with students on essays often reach a point where they need a second set of eyes—Amy is that touchstone. She has also recorded writing tutoring sessions to help train and mentor other tutors. A sensitive, intuitive, and responsive educator, Amy is not only a resource for RTC’s tutors but also for RTC’s founder, who learns from her every day.
As a tutor, Amy has a particular gift for meeting students at their starting place and drawing out their authentic voice. She works with a wide range of students, from those who are already confident in their writing and ready to refine their craft, to those who feel completely lost and don’t know where to begin. For students struggling to start, Amy often begins with conversation, taking notes as they talk to show them that they already have ideas—ideas that can be shaped into a compelling piece of writing.
Amy is especially passionate about guiding students through the college application essay process, transforming what can feel like an intimidating, pressure-filled experience into an opportunity for reflection and self-discovery. She reassures students: “You don’t have to have saved the world or overcome a major illness to show college admissions staff what is unique about you. Sometimes amazing essays come from events that might sound minor, but if you can explain how an experience has shaped you into the person you are today, you’ve got a powerful piece of writing that will stand out in a pile of applications.”
One of Amy’s most memorable college application essay students was a young woman with intense social anxiety. In their first session, the student shared experiences choreographing a dance solo and working at a donut shop. On the surface, these experiences seemed unrelated, but Amy helped her see how they both represented milestones in her personal growth. The result was a truly inspiring and reflective essay.
Amy has helped students craft extraordinary essays that have led to admissions at schools ranging from Millersville University to the University of Chicago. One of the greatest testaments to her work is the moment when RTC’s founder reads a final college essay and says, “This kid. I feel like I know this kid, and I would want this kid at my school.” Amy has delivered more of those essays than can be counted, and RTC is proud to have her as an integral part of the team.
In addition to her work at RTC and Muhlenberg, Amy is a mother of two young children, and together they enjoy playgrounds, walks in local parks, and reading. She loves art movie theaters, live music, and yoga. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Amy Corbin
Garima Patel
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Garima Patel (she/her) is currently a veterinary student at the University of Pennsylvania. She completed her Bachelor’s degree in Bioengineering with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh. She has tutored various subjects and grade levels for the last seven years, mostly focusing on mathematics and science. During her time at the University of Pittsburgh, Garima tutored for the Math Assistance Center, served as an undergraduate teaching assistant in the Biology department, and hosted a summer program for high school students interested in Bioengineering.
As a future healthcare worker, Garima is committed to a lifetime of learning and hopes to share this enthusiasm through tutoring. Garima has a huge passion for STEM fields and encourages young minds to pursue their career goals. With the right resources and motivation, students can achieve anything!
Garima believes that tutors are adult mentors as well. Her student-centered teaching style promotes engagement and active learning. Garima knows that students spend most of their time in lectures at school, so her lessons are a Socratic conversation with her students where she works to create an exciting learning environment.
In her free time, Garima enjoys traveling, doing jigsaw puzzles, playing board games, making bracelets, playing videogames, and taking her dog, Tinkerbell, to the park. She is a strong believer in self-care and mindfulness to maintain a sustainable school-work-life balance, and she hopes to model these behaviors for her students.
Mary Heaton
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Mary Heaton (she/her) has been working with children in K-8 education for over eighteen years and has been teaching for thirteen years. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Temple University and a Master’s degree in Multicultural and Bilingual Education from the Universidad de Alcalá.
Mary realized her love for teaching in high school when she worked at a children’s center; her personal interactions with the children motivated her to pursue a career in education. Since then, she has taught in various bilingual classroom settings here in the U.S. and abroad in Madrid, Spain.
Mary’s greatest strength is her ability to understand and motivate students to become excited to learn. She is highly skilled at improvising in challenging situations; in fact, Mary has often found herself drawn to the students that other teachers have found to be “challenging,” because she knows they just need an extra level of attention and care to learn. Mary believes that early childhood is a critical time period to prepare young children to succeed in school and that great parent-teacher communication is key to any student’s success. She looks forward to working with you to help your child reach their potential!
Mary enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and daughter. She loves to travel — whether it’s finding new places to explore nearby or somewhere far away. You can also find her doing Zumba and yoga outside in her small town in Virginia.
Performance Coaches
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Aproteem (“Apro”) Choudhury is the Program Director of Health at the Compassion Institute, which is dedicated to serving individuals and communities through mind-body medicine. Apro received a BS in Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Master’s in Social Work at the University of Houston.
In addition, as a faculty member and supervisor with the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, Apro helps train and mentor new practitioners—including healthcare workers, therapists, and communities impacted by trauma—while promoting evidence-based approaches to healing and resilience.
Apro was pivotal in creating the United With Uvalde Project, a two-year mind-body medicine program supporting frontline healthcare providers and community leaders in the aftermath of the Robb Elementary School tragedy. Apro remains an active collaborator in interdisciplinary projects to address clinician burnout, especially across the Texas Medical Center and Greater Houston area.
With a decade of biomedical and clinical research experience, Apro was instrumental in establishing the first Mind-Body Interventionist role at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, where he provided integrative care to pediatric patients, their families, and hospital staff.
Previously, Apro also served as the Director of the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative (GHHC) at the Institute for Spirituality and Health, leading innovative public health initiatives that supported faith communities, veterans and their caregivers, and the bereaved.
Apro draws on these diverse experiences to support students as a Mindfulness Performance Coach at RTC. By integrating mind-body medicine techniques and compassionate care, he helps foster an environment where learners can flourish academically, emotionally, and socially—strengthening performance and resilience across educational communities.
Outside of his professional roles, Apro nurtures a regenerative micro farm, bikes along Houston’s Bayous, and spends time with his family and dogs.
Aproteem Choudhury
Amy Necci
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Amy Necci (she/her) considers herself a teacher and a student every single day. She has been practicing yoga and mindfulness for many years and loves weaving performance skills into her work as a public school educator in Pennsylvania. For Amy, yoga and mindfulness are practices both on and off the mat and incorporate skills that can be taken out into life to empower each unique individual. In all aspects, these practices have been powerful tools for helping her through anything that life might bring her way.
Amy began her Spanish teaching career in the Pocono Mountains, teaching high school for seven years. She started her yoga and mindfulness journey when a fellow teacher invited her to take Kripalu yoga classes. In 2007, Amy began teaching middle school Spanish and began incorporating elements of mindfulness and yoga into her Spanish classes in a variety of ways. She also found a yoga community that has changed her life and deepened her own practice.
In addition to her Spanish teaching certification from Bloomsburg University with two study abroad experiences, Amy holds a Master’s degree in Education from East Stroudsburg University. She has extensive training and experience in teaching performance skills, mindfulness, and yoga to all ages, from adults to children. Amy has studied with Yogi Beans, Mindful Schools, and Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts. As she continues to learn, Amy also shares with others as a yoga teacher trainer with Pranakriya, leading programs on Gentle Yoga and Making Yoga Philosophy Accessible for Kids.
Amy is especially passionate about serving youth and educators. She is committed to cultivating brave, supportive, and inclusive spaces of acceptance and comfort that offer everyone permission to be themselves, trust themselves, and grow at their own pace.
In her spare time, Amy enjoys reading, cooking, taking yoga classes from others, listening to music and dancing, and spending time with her family and friends. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania.
Jamie Hartman
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Jamie Hartman (she/her) is a performance coach who loves to work with students of all ages. Jamie was born and raised in Colorado, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies at Colorado State University and her Master’s Degree in Education from Regis University. Jamie is licensed to teach K-6 and works with both K-12 and adult students on mindfulness practices.
Jamie discovered mindfulness in 2009 while working as a third-grade teacher. Because Jamie struggled with perfectionism and overthinking, she felt overwhelmed trying to serve her students and keep balance in her own life; she was burning out. Jamie began participating in yoga classes and guided meditation exercises. Through consistent and purposeful practice, Jamie felt the powerful way mindfulness improved her overall well-being and ability to remain calm and present – to perform in the moment. Mind-body skills transformed her life.
Jamie began to share these powerful performance strategies with her students throughout the school day. Introducing her students to mindful moments of breathing, pausing to become present to the five senses, and gentle stretching significantly improved transitions and challenging moments for them, and they became comfortable with these mindfulness tools.
Jamie’s third graders found mind-body strategies essential during state testing to calm and regulate their nervous systems. Her students achieved better focus, working from a place of calm knowing. Jamie enjoys sharing these same transformative skills with her students at RTC!
After moving to California and becoming a parent, Jamie wanted to expand her teaching to focus on social-emotional learning through mindfulness skills. In 2020, Jamie and a collaborator launched Heart and Goal Inc., a trauma-informed program to support local school communities to build resilience, reduce stress and anxiety, and cultivate self-compassion through mindfulness and movement. So far, Heart and Goal has served hundreds of students and staff members in several K-12 school districts throughout Southern California.
Jamie’s approach to teaching is collaborative. Her unique style offers compassionate listening, creativity, and an empathetic approach to working one-to-one with her students. She works to help them feel valued and understood as they try different mind-body tools to meet their individual needs and goals.
Self-awareness and presence are key components to learning how to manage our thoughts and emotions, and these must consider a learner’s individual physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual needs. Taking this into account, Jamie’s collaborative, friendly, and compassionate approach guides her students to find which performance tools will most support them!
Jamie has more than a dozen years’ experience teaching performance skills to people of all ages. She completed her initial skills training at Rice University, and has also completed yoga training with the Pranakriya School of Yoga Healing Arts in Teaching Yoga to Tweens and Teens. As a lifelong learner, Jamie is currently enrolled in a Master’s program in family therapy.
In her free time, Jamie can be found enjoying time in nature, hiking, mountain biking and exploring new places around her home in Southern California. She also enjoys reading, cooking, and spending quality time with friends, family, and pet bunnies.
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Hilary Fox (she/her) is a Yoga, Pilates and Martial Arts practitioner, performance and mindfulness skills instructor, and works in the mushroom industry as a clean area production manager. Based in Avondale, Pennsylvania, Hilary seeks to encourage and guide others to reach their full potential, drawing from her own experiences and knowledge of mindfulness.
Hilary was born in Philadelphia and moved to Glasgow, Scotland in 1978. It was here she attained a B.Sc. in Agricultural Botany at the University of Glasgow. She also holds a Ph.D. in Fungal Genetics from the University of Nottingham, England. Hilary returned to the States in 1991 and has worked for 30 years in the mushroom industry as a mycologist, spawn maker, and clean room manager. She is the mother of two boys on the Autistic spectrum: one has graduated from Pennsylvania State University; the other is currently a senior there.
It was through her experience working with schools, therapists, and doctors with both of her sons that Hilary first began learning about and practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness taught her how to manage her boys’ sensory issues, lessons she initially learned from their therapists and shared with their teachers.
She learned more about life and its lessons through mindfulness, along with the vital importance of being open to receiving experiences and letting go of the need to attach to constant fear and anxiety. This philosophy informs much of Hilary’s practice and teachings, where she brings warmth, wisdom and open-mindedness to her interactions, tailoring her approaches to each individual with her analytical and enquiring mind.
On her journey of mindfulness, Hilary was led down a path of mindful movement, initially with her Pilates practice, followed by Martial Arts and Yoga. Hilary has RYT-500 ERYT 200 certifications and is registered with Yoga Alliance; she is also trained in Power Yoga, Vinyasa, Hatha, Yin, Restorative, Somatic and Chair Yoga. In addition, Hilary has certifications with ChildLight Yoga, and she enjoys working with learners across age ranges. Through performance coaching tools, Hilary helps others to connect with an inner calm and cultivate a positive and healing mindset while forging their own path of enlightenment.
In her free time, Hilary nurtures her passion for fitness, gardening, yard work, never ending home projects, cooking, and reading. She lives in a small town in Pennsylvania.
Hilary Fox
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Kat Denton (she/her) is a Mind-Body Medicine Practitioner who teaches mindfulness in Houston, Texas. Kat came to mindfulness in 2017, after Hurricane Harvey devastated Houston. Kat attended a mind-body skills workshop offered by The Center for Mind-Body Medicine, followed by a training for community members to help each other through the trauma. From the moment Kat tried mindfulness techniques, it was love at first sight: she knew she wanted to learn everything she could about mindfulness, and she knew she wanted to teach it.
Kat has completed Professional and Advanced Training Programs through the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, culminating in full Certification as a Mind-Body Medicine Practitioner and CMBM Supervisor. Through CMBM, she facilitates Mind-Body Skills groups for trauma relief.
Kat is also a part of the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative, the community-wide trauma relief program initiated after Hurricane Harvey (a local manifestation of the CMBM) that continues to provide mind-body skills groups and workshops to meet the many ongoing psychosocial needs of the Houston community. In addition, Kat is an NACYT Certified yoga teacher and a Certified Tai Chi Easy Practice Leader.
In furthering her growth, Kat has trained with Healing Circles Houston to facilitate circles for grief and loss. She was inspired to do this work because of her own grief process after the death of her mother. Kat believes these circles are a wonderful way to be in community, deeply listening to the sharing of the heart, a deep exploration of compassionate togetherness. With HCH, Kat has brought Healing Circles to core teams of nurses who will then continue to offer the circles and train other staff, so they can all help each other.
In her performance coaching work, Kat enjoys teaching with students collaboratively, talking through and trying things on for size. Her lessons have a natural flow, as though she and her student are sitting virtually over tea. Kat’s goals for her students are that they listen and share, give everything a try, and end up with an innate resiliency. Kat most wishes that her students will leave their time together with a toolkit full of options for use in challenging times, and that reaching for those tools feels natural and easy.
Kat loves animals, gardening, and photography. She was previously a sea lion trainer at the Houston Zoo, where she also worked with bears, big cats, giraffes, and koalas. After many years of attending college part-time as a single mom, Kat will be excited to complete her B.S. in Biology soon. She lives in Texas.
Kat Denton
Cyrus Wirls
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Cyrus Wirls (he/him) is a meditation instructor, yoga teacher, and mind-body skills group facilitator. In his full-time work, he serves as Director of Programs for the Institute for Spirituality and Health (ISH) in Houston, Texas, where he collaborates with a wide network of spiritual teachers, healthcare providers, and academicians to organize programs around the intersections of spirituality and mental and physical well-being.
In his seven years with ISH, Cyrus has learned, practiced, and taught a wide array of contemplative practices including yoga, Tai Chi and qigong, mindful self-compassion, and many forms of mindfulness and meditation, and regularly leads mind-body workshops for a wide range of populations including medical students, healthcare professionals, and human services providers.
Cyrus graduated from Rice University in 2013 with a Bachelor’s in Cognitive Sciences and Mathematics. During his sophomore year at Rice, Cyrus took a course which first exposed him to mindfulness, and he began to notice the pleasant calm and clarity that he experienced after meditating. Through his studies of the mind and these experiences with meditation, he came to realize that his deeper pursuits of truth and a moral life both depended on his awareness of himself. Since then, meditation and mindfulness have become increasingly central to his life.
In 2017, Cyrus received training from the Center for Mind-Body Medicine, which prepared him to facilitate mind-body skills groups. In these groups, participants learn about the physiology of stress and practice deep breathing, meditation, imagery, and expressive writing, drawing, and movement exercises. For Cyrus, facilitating these groups has been transformative in developing his capacity to create a safe space for others to authentically express themselves and feel empowered to manage their own health and life.
As part of his role at ISH, he coordinates with a the collaborative of 100 trained facilitators who continue to offer these mind-body groups and workshops across the Greater Houston area. Cyrus is certified as a yoga instructor (NACYT, 200hr), Tai Chi Easy Practice Group Facilitator (IIQTC), and Mind-Body Skills Group Facilitator (CMBM).
Cyrus is sensitive to the challenges that young people face in finding belonging and identity, and the complex ways that those needs intersect with academic engagement and success. He knows from experience that mindfulness practice can help quiet the mental noise of peer pressures and self-doubt and strengthen one’s sense of authentic motivation and confidence.
Knowing that young people learn most effectively when they can relate material to their personal lives and priorities, Cyrus strives to meet students where they are by creating a safe space for them to express themselves. Listening to the students communicate their interests and challenges, he then tailors the teachings and practices to resonate with each unique individual.
Cyrus cares deeply about helping young people to hear and value their own inner voice and to live self-directed lives amidst the constant pressures and comparisons they face. He believes strongly that helping people to become more self-aware and self-accepting is not only the key to their individual well-being and success, but is also the essential ingredient for creating a more compassionate and harmonious society.
Cyrus is an avid traveler and seeker of new experiences. While working remotely during the pandemic, he road-tripped coast to coast across the U.S. and Mexico. He relishes adventure and enjoys talking to strangers and listening to their stories. Most at home in the outdoors, he loves hiking, climbing, scuba diving, and playing sports. A pianist by training, he delights in making music, especially as a way of connecting with others. He has one younger brother, John, with whom he is very close.
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