ACT Test Prep Tutoring

Alex Whittlesey

Alex graduated from McGill University with a B.Com. in Finance, and later earned an M.B.A. from the University of Connecticut. A Director of Finance & Accounting with Serendipity Labs, he began working for Summit in 2012 because he found it rewarding to help students succeed in achieving their college admissions goals. Fun, easy to relate to, and methodical, he likes to break concepts down for students so that they can get to the root of each question. Alex is a dad and is proficient in Portuguese.

Leslie Greene

Leslie Greene earned her BA in English from Williams College, her JD from the University of Chicago Law School, and a Masters in Secondary Education (English) from Fairfield University.   She began her career as an attorney in Chicago, moved to CT and raised her family, and then turned to teaching and tutoring.  At Summit since 2016, Leslie tutors the SAT, ACT, SSAT and ISEE tests.  She is a good-natured teacher who builds confidence in her students as they master the skills and strategies for the test.  Leslie enjoys cooking, reading with her two book groups (one contemporary fiction and the other early American history non fiction), going to the theater and to art museums and concerts, and spending time with her three grown daughters who live in NYC. College, degree obtained: Williams College, BA, English University of Chicago Law School, JD Fairfield University, MA Education, English

Don Birmingham

In his teaching career, Don has been fortunate enough to have taught at almost every level from AP English courses to Special Education courses in Middle School. Don has also worked with students from a wide variety of backgrounds – from 12th graders preparing for college, to 6th graders who are learning English. Through all these experiences, he has learned a few pretty simple rules for success: develop a respectful and supportive relationship, make sure the students know you’re on their side, figure out what works best for the student, challenge them, and give positive reinforcement when they have success.
College, degree obtained: Amherst College, BA English UMass Amherst, MS Sports Management St. John’s University, MA, Special Education

Aubrey Elson

Aubrey Elson just finished her MFA in Theatre from Florida Atlantic University. With a BA in Theatre and a minor in International Relations from the University of Southern California, Aubrey has balanced her passion for teaching, kids, and academia with her love and interest in the arts. Because of her artistic background, Aubrey’s teaching style  is empathetic, fun, patient, supportive, and enthusiastic, and relies on tailoring her communication of ideas to fit each individual students’ needs and learning style. With virtually perfect GPAs in high school, college, and graduate school, Aubrey understands and helps guide her students through learning and study techniques that ensure success. Outside of tutoring, she teaches speech, acting and voice at the collegiate level. Aubrey is a professional AEA actress who has performed in two national tours, over twenty-five regional shows, and even at Madison Square Garden. She is also finishing her Yoga Teaching Certification, her Restorative Yoga Teaching Certification, and is certified in Unarmed Stage Combat! College, degrees obtained: USC, BA, Theatre Florida Atlantic University, MFA

Lauren Doolan

Lauren is from Peabody, Massachusetts, and she earned her BA in Writing, Literature, and Publishing form Emerson College, as well as an MFA in Writing from Sarah Lawrence College. She has worked for Summit since 2012 as a tutor, a Program Director, a trainer, and she has helped write and edit content for our coursebooks. Over her career as a Summit tutor, Lauren has worked with students on both the math and verbal portions of test prep, and has experience as an academic English tutor as well. Outside of Summit, Lauren has spent the last decade in after school programs and conducting adult education classes, doing everything from teaching grammar and punctuation to ESL students to showing seventh graders how to make tacos. Lauren’s style is patient, encouraging, and positive. In her free time, she enjoys reading, cooking, and traveling. College, degree obtained: Emerson, BA, Writing, Literature, and Publishing Sarah Lawrence, MFA, Fiction writing

Alex Fronduto

Dr. Alex Fronduto earned his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, his Master of Education in Higher Education Administration from Northeastern University, and his Doctor of Health

Sciences (specializing in health professions education) from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He has taught a variety of high school and college courses as well as has privately tutored students in a variety of subjects. He is currently a faculty member at Northeastern University. He takes an individualized approach with all of his tutees to help them best engage with the material and build their confidence. He most enjoys seeing his students reach their full potential and accomplishing their intended goals. When he is not tutoring, Alex enjoys traveling around the country, working in real estate, and participating in musical theater.

Dave Pyrch

Dave is a high school math teacher in Shelton, CT.  He has taught a wide range of classes including algebra, geometry, precalc, calculus and statistics.  In his free time, Dave volunteers with the Connecticut Hurricanes Drum and Bugle Corps and is an avid runner.  He has run 5 marathons and is actively training for more.  He is a 2013 graduate from UConn with a BS in Mathematics, BS in Math Education and MA in Curriculum and Instruction. College, degree obtained: UConn, BS Math, BS Math Ed., MA curriculum and instruction

Benjamin Park

Ben Park graduated from MIT with dual degrees in physics and music. Since then he has focused on music composition and has completed his doctorate at the New England Conservatory. In addition to the eight plus years Ben has been tutoring for Summit, he also enjoys hiking and baking and teaching music theory at Boston College (though usually not all at the same time). College, degree obtained: MIT, BS, Physics MIT, BS, Music Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, Master of Music Composition New England Conservatory, Doctorate, Composition

Natalie Harrington

Natalie Harrington received her BA in Cognitive and Linguistic Sciences from Wellesley College. She loves to keep busy: she currently works as a Manager at Johnson String Instrument in addition to her part-time role as a one-on-one tutor at Summit. In her spare time Natalie enjoys writing, riding her motorcycle, and traveling to car shows around the country.