Really Good Tutors.
Faris Education
Mary Powers
Mary Powers has over 30 years of experience working with children, teens, and their families, first as a clinical therapist, and more recently as a high school English teacher. She has an A.B. from Harvard in English and Psychology, an M.S.S.W. from Columbia University, and an M.Ed. from the Bank Street College of Education. Mary enjoys working with students of all ages and in (almost) all subjects, from Kindergarten math through college essay writing. She is passionate about helping students find the organizational and study strategies that are right for them, and believes that all students can experience success in school. Mary lives in Summit Park and spends her free time reading anything she can get her hands on, experimenting with vegan recipes, and chasing her two exuberant Labradors through the mountains.
Kathy Gunderson
Kathy has loved education, books and reading since the first time she stepped into a library as a very young girl. She also loves the outdoors and athletics. She grew up in New England, earned her B.A. in Economics, minoring in American Studies, from Brown University. She was a competitive gymnast and lacrosse player. Somehow, the mountains of Vermont called to her and she began her teaching life at Burke Mountain Academy. Over 16 years she taught history, humanities and English. Kathy completed graduate work in American history and architecture at the University of Vermont. She eventually became the Director of Studies & College Counseling and later Director of Curriculum at BMA. Along the way, she and her husband had two adventurous sons who kept her on the run. She took up alpine and nordic skiing, snowshoeing, hiking & mountain biking. She traveled extensively with her husband, skiing in the west and Europe. At the turn of the century (!) Kathy moved to Utah with her family and was fortunate to become part of the Rowland Hall community as the Director Admission for the Beginning and Lower Schools. A decade later, she managed admission for the entire school. She thoroughly enjoyed building an inclusive and diverse community in which all students were welcomed and nurtured. Meeting students and their families was the highlight of her job. Kathy retired from Rowland Hall after 20 years. She now has more time to travel, hike with her dog and her husband and read as many books as she wants.
Aditi Krishnan
Aditi was born and raised in Salt Lake, and graduated from Rowland Hall in 2019. She went on to receive a Bachelor's degree in Medical Anthropology and Global Health as well as in French. Over the years she has spent a lot of time tutoring kids, primarily in ESL and afterschool programs for refugees. She loves working with kids of all ages in a variety of subjects and generally helping students with organization and building confidence in their academic pursuits. After graduation she moved to Spain to teach English in a small town to elementary schoolers of all ages. Aditi welcomes and encourages different kinds of thinking and perspectives and really believes in finding what works for each individual student. Aditi enjoys reading, writing, swimming, anything adventurous, and meeting as many kinds of people as possible.
Chrissy Nichols
Chrissy Nichols serves as a tutor, college advisor, and executive function coach for learners of all ages. She specializes in language arts, history, biology, French, and organizational strategies. After more than 24 years in the classroom and and as a college advisor in public and private schools, including Waterford, The American School in London, and Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, Chrissy's brain hacks help clients see that there is absolutely nothing wrong with them--they just need to learn how to rewire their brain. Chrissy's work is aimed to empower her students to empower themselves. Chrissy holds a BA in English and French from the University of Colorado and an MA in French from Middlebury College in Vermont and the Sorbonne in Paris. When she’s not helping students, Chrissy likes to ski tour, play with her Labrador Winston, and eat chocolate.
Mindy Leo
Mindy is a Utah native, originally graduating from the University of Utah (go Utes!) with a BS in sociology and emphasis in criminology, with the goal of working with at-risk youth. Fast-forward a few years, she received her master of arts in teaching while raising three amazing children—Parker, Beth, and Charlie—and working part-time in public and private school settings, as well as tutoring. She is beyond thrilled to be working with her favorite age group as the academic support teacher at Rowland Hall Middle School. As a lifelong learner, she is passionate about instilling that same spark in her students. Her favorite part of teaching is building relationships with the students and developing their confidence to be successful both in and out of the classroom. Mindy’s love of running, along with her desire to positively influence youth, led to her being a coach and leader in the Girls on the Run Utah program for the past 15 years. She also enjoys travel, gardening, yoga, reading, and engaging with community and family.
Sarah LeBlanc
Sarah moved to Salt Lake City in 2020 from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She has 13 years of teaching experience in both middle and high school, where she enjoyed teaching English, literature, pre-algebra, Algebra I, study skills and career readiness courses. She graduated from Louisiana Tech University in 2007 with a degree in humanities, concentrating in English, literature and history and minoring in Spanish. She later received her Master of Arts In Teaching degree from Louisiana College in 2012. Sarah is passionate about helping students develop organizational and study skills to fit their individual learning style and help them become more confident and independent learners. She has worked extensively as a teacher for students with learning differences and is equipped to support students with dyslexia, dysgraphia and many other learning challenges. She has also developed and written curriculums for high school level courses in study skills and career readiness for the Livingston School District in Louisiana. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, especially to Europe and Latin America, and exploring all of the outdoor activities Utah has to offer with her husband and their much loved and loyal Scottish Terrier.
Meg Grimshaw
Meg grew up in Philadelphia but has called Salt Lake City home since she began her undergraduate studies at the University of Utah in 2019. She earned her HBS in Health, Society, and Policy with a minor in Sociology in 2022 and spent the last two years as a research coordinator at Primary Children's Hospital before starting medical school. Since January 2024, Meg has been tutoring high school and college-level science courses at Faris, where she takes pride in empowering her students to believe in themselves and delighting in their growing confidence and understanding of scientific concepts. With her recent transition to medical school, Meg is especially eager to mentor students interested in health sciences. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, and cheering for her favorite Philly sports teams.
Eric Cox
I am a Hoosier—although I still don’t know what that means—and I received a double Bachelor’s degree in Latin and Classical Art and Archaeology from Indiana University. I continued my studies in Classics, receiving a Master’s degree from the Florida State University and a PhD from the University of Madison-Wisconsin. During graduate school, I attended the summer and yearlong programs at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, where I studied art, history, culture and the archaeological monuments from nearly every corner of Greece, from ancient to modern. I have taught students at every educational level, including the Madeleine Choir School, Waterford, Our Lady of Lourdes, Judge Memorial Catholic High School, and Brigham Young University and the University of Utah. While my primary area of interest is in Ancient Greek and Latin, I have also taught several courses in literature, history, culture and mythology. Along the way I've also learned several modern languages, including German, Italian, French, and modern Greek. Finally, I am a math enthusiast. I have taught Algebra 1 in the classroom, and I study mathematics at my leisure. I have recently completed a review of Algebra 2 and am embarking upon the study of Geometry. My ultimate goal is to conquer Calculus and appreciate the beauty of mathematics in its fullest. I have lived in Salt Lake City for 13 years now, and in my free time I enjoy hiking, camping, and anything related to the outdoors.
Tasha Radman
Tasha has been a committed educator for 20 years as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, and reading interventionist. In addition to a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a master’s degree in Elementary Curriculum and Instruction, Tasha has earned Endorsements in Gifted and Talented, K-8 Mathematics, English as a Second Language, and Reading and Literacy. Her relentless commitment to student growth and development makes her a highly sought-after teacher and has earned her numerous awards for excellence in teaching and positive contributions to the school community. Tasha has extensive training and expertise in early reading instruction and intervention with a focus on the key pillars of literacy: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary acquisition, comprehension, and writing. She excels at building positive relationships and has a soft spot for struggling learners. She appreciates the opportunity tutoring provides to accelerate and personalize learning. She will build a collaborative partnership with you to set specific goals and outcomes that address your child’s unique academic and intrapersonal needs. In her free time, Tasha is happiest when she is outdoors hiking, camping, or exploring in nature with her 3 young children. She also finds joy in reading, baking, traveling, tennis, puzzles, playing board games and Diet Coke on ice.
Ray Barton
Ray is a long-time teacher in the Salt Lake area. He taught at the Waterford School for 5 years and previously taught at Olympus High School for 38 years. His classes ranged from 6th grade PreAlgebra to AP Calculus and Statistics. He received a BA in Mathematics Education from the University of Utah and an M.Ed from Utah State University. Teaching runs in Ray’s family. His father taught mathematics at Olympus for 27 years before Ray taught there. Ray was an Associate Instructor at the University of Utah for over 30 years. He is a national instructor for Teachers Teaching With Technology and conducts workshops for teachers across the country. He is the recipient of several awards including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching and the Utah PTA Outstanding Educator Award. Ray says he has the best job in the world because of amazing students, congenial colleagues, and fascinating topics. Outside of the classroom he enjoys running, biking, astronomy, and spending time with grandchildren.
Kallie Wolfer
Although born and raised in Salt Lake City, Kallie went to school at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, where she majored in biology and minored in Spanish. After graduation she was accepted into the Teach for America program and taught high school science in Houston, Texas for three years before moving back to Utah, where she taught middle school science for four years at Granite Park Jr. High in South Salt Lake. Her current position is at the Granite School District Safe School program where she teaches every core subject to her students, who range from 7th grade to 10th grade. She loves that tutoring gives kids a safe place to not only make mistakes, but also figure out how to learn from them. Her hobbies include playing soccer, hiking, riding her bike, and reading.
Casey Rommel
Casey was born and raised in Utah, received a B.A. in Mathematics from The Colorado College in 2010, an M.P.H. in 2012, and a M.S. in Biomedical Informatics in 2018 both from the University of Utah. He is currently working for the University of Utah Hospital in Information Technology Services. He enjoys tutoring because it provides an opportunity to share his passion for education and hopefully show students that success in the classroom is more valuable than the grade that is received. He tutors a variety of subjects, including math, biology, and physics. Outside of school, he enjoys golfing, skiing and pretty much anything in the outdoors due to his love of Utah.
Chris Davison
Chris was born in Eugene, Oregon and grew up in Albuquerque and Salt Lake City. He received a B.A. and M.A. in Spanish Language and Literature from the University of Utah. He has taught Spanish at the University of Utah and Westminster College for more than 20 years. Throughout his life, Chris has had experience teaching Spanish in many different formats that include: teaching for the Berlitz Language School, tutoring high school and middle school students, teaching classes for nurses in local hospitals, working with business groups, training volunteers and leaders of humanitarian missions, and even organizing weekly “wine, cheese, and Spanish” nights. He is available to tutor at any level including beginning/intermediate Spanish, advanced grammar, literature, conversation, and test prep for IB/AP. Having traveled to over 65 countries, Chris loves to explore and learn about other cultures and peoples. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family and pets, camping, photography, computers, and tennis.
McKay Pond
McKay was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. After spending his last few years of high school pursuing hockey in Colorado, he moved back to Utah to attend the University of Utah. McKay is currently in his fourth year of the U’s Mechanical Engineering program. Because of his years of experience taking difficult math classes, McKay specializes in math tutoring. He can also teach most STEM subjects. McKay has spent several years balancing an intense class load with the University of Utah’s rigorous hockey schedule, making him a great option to help your child with time management and organization. Though he no longer plays hockey for the U, McKay still loves to participate in adult hockey leagues. He also enjoys camping, water and snow skiing, golfing, and spending time with his friends.
Nick Yonkee
Nick is an Ogden native who moved to SLC to attend the University of Utah and receive his B.S. in Mathematics and a Masters in Data Science and Business Analytics. He has 6 years experience as an instructor at an after school math tutoring center and currently teaches math at a local middle/high school. He believes that students learn best when they are taking an active role in their education, creating and accomplishing personal goals, and consistently doing their best. Nick has worked with students of all ages, and has tutored topics ranging from counting to calculus. In his free time, Nick is an avid gamer with an impressive collection of board games, collectable cards, and a personal computer he constructed by hand. He loves cooking, pickleball, and supporting the SLC electronic music scene.
Teddy Anderson
After finishing high school in Oregon, Teddy set out for a life or adventure. For the next 20 years, she traveled across every continent, wile spending summers at home working as a river guide in the Grand Canyon. Various off-season jobs included construction work at the South Pole, training Bhutan's first river guides, and working as a base camp manager on Mt. Everest. As Utah gradually became her home, Teddy enrolled at the University of Utah and earned a degree in physics, with minors in math and chemistry. Astronomy has been a lifelong passion of hers, and this led to work on a research project that used WISE telescope data to look for a theoretical "Planet Nine" in the infrared spectrum. After graduating, Teddy taught junior and senior math in Moab, while earning teaching endorsements in secondary math, physics, Earth science and chemistry. Teddy's favorite part about teaching is getting to know young people with interesting lives, and sharing the elegance and efficiency of communicating ideas through math. When not teaching, Teddy can be found on desert adventures, or spoiling her nieces and nephews.
Mary Jo Marker
Mary Jo Marker, also known as MJ, was born and raised in Salt Lake City and worked as a middle and upper school history teacher at Rowland Hall for the last 27 years. Her students and colleagues alike appreciate her leadership, wisdom, kindness, and sense of humor. Mary Jo believes that kids need to make real life connections with the material they are studying in order to absorb knowledge. Her goal is to help students determine how what they are studying relates to their own lived experience. In her free time, MJ loves to knit, golf, and hike in the foothills. She also enjoys cooking delicious meals, traveling, and spending time with her husband, Joel and two adult children, Alex, who also lives in Salt Lake, and Ellie, who is based in Oslo, Norway.
Tasha Woolley
Tasha holds a Master’s degree in Education with a specialty in Reading and Literacy from the University of Utah. She loves supporting students grades K-6 in all subject areas. She began her career in the classroom, teaching second grade at The McGillis School. Her path then took her into educational technology and brand strategy. Most recently, Tasha spent two years living in a small mountain town in Switzerland, where she and her husband embraced life in the Alps—skiing, trail running, climbing, and biking. Now back home in Utah with a new baby boy named Townes, she brings her experience to teaching once again. Tasha believes the most meaningful learning happens when students are empowered to explore their interests. She designs each session around student-driven curiosity, using it as a bridge to academic growth and confidence. Her favorite moments are the ones where she and her students learn alongside each other.
Jovial Milich
Jovial was born in Salt Lake City, but raised in Bozeman, Montana. A life in the mountains has taught him a great appreciation for the outdoors and nature. Raised by athletic parents, Jovial was always involved in organized sports growing up which he balanced with a rigorous, AP-intensive class load at Bozeman High School. In 2019 he graduated from BHS with valedictorian status, and returned to Salt Lake to continue his athletic and academic career on scholarship at the University of Utah, where he played hockey and studied Psychology, Criminology, and Economics. It was also here that Jovial began tutoring for Faris Education in the height of the pandemic in 2020. Now 22 years old with a B.S. in the aforementioned areas, he has multiple years of tutoring experience under his belt. He specializes in middle and high school Math and English, as well as helping students with staying on top of their all-around classwork. As one of the younger tutors on our team, Jovial can relate to the balancing act of school, sports, and friends, as he is not far removed from it himself. He knows this challenge, and can guide your child in the successful navigation of it.
Eliza Kitchens
Eliza Kitchens tutors math at all levels and general studies for elementary and middle school students. She holds a BFA in Modern Dance from the University of Utah and is currently pursuing a second Bachelor of Science in Computer Science. In her teaching, Eliza prioritizes equipping students with essential study skills while guiding them to discover their unique learning styles and techniques. She believes in instilling the belief that every student is intelligent and capable, fostering an environment where diverse perspectives are explored and students feel valued and empowered to embrace their individuality.
Wyatt Dean
Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, Wyatt loves to spend his free time hiking and playing volleyball or soccer. Wyatt graduated from East High School in 2019 and continued his education at the University of Utah, where he received both a Bachelor of Science in Applied Mathematics and a Bachelor of Arts in Japanese. With a genuine enthusiasm for education and a diverse skill set, Wyatt is well-equipped to guide students through mathematics and physics. In addition, Wyatt brings a modern touch with proficiency in Python and Java. His combination of passion, expertise, and a love for teaching allows him to guide students through the intricacies of education.
Kerrie Baughman
Kerrie Baughman retired from teaching Language Arts at Highland High School in 2023 after 30 years of service. A National Board Certified Teacher, she believes in teaching children not subjects. Kerrie taught AP Language and Composition and continues as an AP Reader. She also specializes in teaching reading, which was the focus of her Master's Degree at the University of Utah. She loves getting to know the whole child, meeting their needs by helping them get organized, then learning how to prioritize and manage their time. Kerrie is married with two children and four grandchildren. She loves summering at Bear Lake, reading, watching sports, knitting, walking, and dogs.
Rebecca Tobin
Rebecca has over 20 years of experience working as an early childhood classroom teacher, tutor, and STEM / art instructor. Prior to her move to Utah in 2020, she created reading and math programs to be implemented in the classroom. Rebecca earned her B.S. and M.A. in early childhood education from Syracuse University. She subsequently received her AMS Montessori certification from Montgomery Montessori Institute in Maryland. Her goal as a tutor is to make her students feel confident and excited about learning. She is adept at giving her young students a solid foundation for math and reading skills. Rebecca lives in Park City with her 10 year old daughter. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, exploring museums, spending time with friends, and swimming in the Jordanelle.
Aksel Anderson
Aksel has lived in Salt Lake City his whole life and graduated from Rowland Hall High School in 2020. He recently graduated from the University of Utah in 2024 with a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering with goals to attend medical school and become a physician. Aksel has tutored with Faris Education since 2021 where he has gained valuable years of tutoring experience working with middle school, high school, and even some college-level students. Although Aksel mostly tutors in math and science, he also has experience helping students with English, History, and SAT/ACT prep. Aksel is a fascinated learner, not far removed from school himself, and hopes to share this excitement with his students in order to promote learning inside and outside of the classroom. In his free time, Aksel loves spending time outside through running, biking, skiing, and golfing.
Elliott Tan
Elliott Tan is from Issaquah, WA and moved to Salt Lake City to pursue a doctorate of physical therapy at University of Utah. He graduated from Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA and studied biology, anthropology, kinesiology and chemistry. Teaching has always been a calling for Elliott and is one of the big reasons he is pursuing a career in physical therapy. Elliott likes to take a ground-up approach to learning and believes with the right tools in the toolbox, any problem can be solved! In his free time, Elliott enjoys many of the fun outdoor sports Utah has to offer such as rock climbing, white water boating, and trail running. He also enjoys pottery, especially sharing his work with his friends!
Paul Christensen
Born and raised in Salt Lake, Paul attended East High and the University of Utah, graduating in '82 with a degree in French and a minor in math. Paul taught for 30 years as a lower division math instructor for the University of Utah through their extension program in Bountiful, and taught math full time for 37 years at Rowland Hall, from whence he retired in June of 2021. He is pleased to continue being an educator and a mentor by tutoring with Faris, tutoring Algebra through Calculus. Paul enjoys biking, hiking, tennis, skiing, and has four grandchildren.
Bob Capener
Bob Capener has recently joined Faris after thirty plus years of classroom teaching. Bob spent most of that time at The Waterford School, where he taught physics and math. He also spent many years as Waterford’s Upper School Dean. Decades ago, Bob was a collegiate athlete at Cornell University where he played both soccer and lacrosse. That experience led him to start both the soccer and lacrosse programs at Waterford, and he continued to coach the boys soccer team for over 20 years. Bob continues his interest in sports, spending time in the Wasatch, mountain biking and backcountry skiing with his wife Peggy, dog Joey, and any of his five grown children who don’t mind waiting for their dad.
Eliza Hill
Eliza is driven by the desire to help people find themselves again, wherever they are in life, understanding that confidence and self trust starts from inside each human. For the past 10 years, she has been working with students both in and outside of the classroom, and earned her life coaching certification in 2020. As both an energetic life coach and an academic tutor, Eliza uses a variety of tools to help her students and clients build confidence, find their voice, and come to a place of self acceptance and love. In each session, Eliza looks forward to supporting and providing the space for students to do their own personal best work, both personally and academically, and encourages students in all grades to be respectful, thinking, creative, and authentic individuals in all areas of their lives and loves seeing them become independent learners and gain confidence in themselves as humans.
Anna Caruso
Anna grew up in Minnesota, where she earned her degree in Physics from Gustavus Adolphus College before moving to Salt Lake City to complete her graduate degree in Electrical Engineering. She started her career as a Data Scientist at BioFire Diagnostics in 2017 and has since moved into the role of Senior Manager of Data Science, where she leads a team of Software and Data Engineers. Anna has been tutoring with Faris since 2014. While tutoring isn't her full-time focus, she finds great fulfillment in working with a select group of students each year. Her areas of focus span mathematics at all levels, statistics, and physics. Beyond her professional work, Anna volunteers as a tutor at Primary Children's Hospital, enjoys spending time with her family, and stays active through running, biking, and travel.
Elena Suslov
Elena is a lover of literature and languages, so it is no surprise she studied English at the University of Utah, earning a BA degree. While already a bit intrepid by nature, opening herself to travel in high school and college planted a lifelong seed if not obsession with traveling. After college, Elena began her teaching career a bit inadvertently, getting a job teaching ESL in Taiwan, a decision largely motivated by her desire to see the world. She went on to teach ESL in Spain as well, and to travel of course! Being immersed in other cultures led Elena to study sociocultural anthropology at graduate level at Columbia University in New York. Elena began teaching in earnest in the US in 2014 in New York City, before relocating back to Salt Lake to be closer to family and continuing teaching in Utah, first as a fifth grade classroom teacher, and now going into her fourth year of teaching middle school and high school ELA, where she also has the immense pleasure of designing her own curriculum.
Sarah Lenhart
Sarah graduated from the University of Portland with a B.S. in Chemistry and a M.A in Teaching with Reading Endorsement. She taught high school Chemistry, AP Chemistry, Biology, and Physical Science for 13 years. With extensive experience incorporating the use of different teaching styles to effectively education all styles of learners, she loves helping students master topics, experience success, and find connections to their everyday lives. When not working with students, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, watching movies, and playing music.
Anne Wolfer
Anne joins Faris Education as the inaugural art instructor, coming from a diverse background including educational publishing, corporate graphic design, and contemporary painting. She attended the University of Vermont, studying Art and Politics, spent a year living in Vienna with a German artist, and worked as a private tutor in Munich. After working in educational publishing and as a studio artist in San Francisco, she moved to Utah to study under one of Utah’s most respected painters, Paul Davis, at the University of Utah. She has exhibited her work a number of shows and is currently represented at the 15th Street Gallery in Salt Lake City. Anne is passionate about all aspects of art and loves teaching others how to tap into their creative nature.
Luke Hooton
Luke was born in Oregon then spent his childhood in Washington DC and Northern California. Currently, he is a junior at the University of Utah where he studies mathematical chemistry and minors in physics. He has made the dean's list consecutively during his time attending the school and is very passionate about the subjects he is studying. As a kid he spent most of his time having fun with friends and really disliked science. It wasn't until he was older that he discovered his love for math and chemistry. Now he sees tutoring as an opportunity to motivate and teach those who are in a similar position to him when he was younger. Outside of school he spends his time wakesurfing, golfing, and skiing.
Joelle Robinson
Joelle graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a degree in Architecture. Her background as a practicing architect has contributed to her creative and problem-solving approach to education. Joelle specializes in tutoring middle school students across subjects, and with executive functioning skills. She is effective in working with students with dyslexia and dysgraphia, and aims to help middle school students work towards being confident and independent learners. In addition, she works with students in upper level math courses. Joelle has a son and daughter currently attending college.