Learning is fun!

Benji is the executive director and founder of Joy Tutoring and has been enthusiastically tutoring since 2006. He grew up in Albany, CA, and attended Marin Elementary School, Albany Middle School, and Albany High School. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 2013 with honors with a degree in Biology. After college he taught at Tilden Pre

Benji is the executive director and founder of Joy Tutoring and has been enthusiastically tutoring since 2006. He grew up in Albany, CA, and attended Marin Elementary School, Albany Middle School, and Albany High School. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 2013 with honors with a degree in Biology. After college he taught at Tilden Preparatory School in Albany until he started his PhD in UC Berkeley's department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. Benji received his PhD in 2020 and wrote his dissertation on the behavioral ecology of spiders. 

Benji uses innovative and adaptive teaching methods to help his students thrive and excel far past their expectations. He specializes in tutoring high school math, and has tutored many other subjects including biology, environmental science, chemistry, physics (all including AP), computer programming, and Spanish. Benji has ADHD and Tourette's Syndrome, and he loves to work with students with learning disabilities. He believes that these conditions form an important part of who he is, and that - in addition to the difficulties they pose - have ultimately made his life better.

Trinity is a 5th-year PhD Candidate at UC Berkeley studying how arachnids’ prior experiences influence their mating choices and communication. She grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended Washington University in St. Louis Missouri before heading to the University of Cincinnati Ohio for her master’s. She taught undergraduate biolog

Trinity is a 5th-year PhD Candidate at UC Berkeley studying how arachnids’ prior experiences influence their mating choices and communication. She grew up in Raleigh, North Carolina and attended Washington University in St. Louis Missouri before heading to the University of Cincinnati Ohio for her master’s. She taught undergraduate biology labs while in Ohio and Insect Behavior here at Berkeley. Trinity is particularly passionate about spiders and has been studying them all throughout her life. When she is not out searching for her eight-legged friends, she can be found dancing to latin music, hiking or singing.

Tara recently completed her PhD at UC Berkeley researching the water cycle in the forests of California, Hawai’i, and French Polynesia. She earned a B.A. in Earth and Planetary Science from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.S. in Hydrologic Sciences from UC Davis. Tara also spent several years on Hawai’i Island working to restor

Tara recently completed her PhD at UC Berkeley researching the water cycle in the forests of California, Hawai’i, and French Polynesia. She earned a B.A. in Earth and Planetary Science from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.S. in Hydrologic Sciences from UC Davis. Tara also spent several years on Hawai’i Island working to restore the endangered tropical dry forest. Her teaching and mentoring experience includes place-based environmental education and designing curriculum for students to conduct their own science experiments. Tara tutors English, math, and science, and loves finding creative ways to engage her students. In her spare time, Tara enjoys hiking outdoors, reading, and spending time with friends. Her favorite recent backpacking adventure was hiking the John Muir Trail!

Yesenia is a California credentialed single-subject teacher in English. She completed her MA in English Literature and her MA in Secondary Education at San Francisco State University. She began her teaching career at The Berkeley School after earning her B.A. in English Literature. She spent three years as a Spanish and ExDay teacher at T

Yesenia is a California credentialed single-subject teacher in English. She completed her MA in English Literature and her MA in Secondary Education at San Francisco State University. She began her teaching career at The Berkeley School after earning her B.A. in English Literature. She spent three years as a Spanish and ExDay teacher at The Berkeley School, working closely with K-5 students, creating Spanish curriculum and fun after school activities. Currently, she is a lead English teacher in the Universal 9th Grade program at Berkeley High School. 

Yesenia was born and raised amidst the vibrant culture of the Bay Area. She graduated from Albany High School, followed by many years in community college, taking time to discover a solid path for her career. While in school, she worked as a legal admin at an immigration law firm for five years, created and operated her own event planning business for two years, and was the director of operations for a local restaurant for five years, before settling into teaching at Berkeley High in 2021. 

It was within the pages of books that Yesenia discovered her true passion. Believing fervently that reading saves lives, Yesenia delved into worlds both real and imagined, finding refuge, wisdom, and endless possibilities within the boundless realms of literature. Driven by this belief, Yesenia aspires to kindle the same flame of passion for reading and writing in others, especially children. She envisions a world where every child has access to the transformative magic of books, where words become tools for self-expression and growth.

Alongside her literary pursuits, Yesenia also finds joy and inspiration in music, cooking, and event planning. 

Isaac graduated with a master of public policy from USC. He focused on examining environmental and carceral policies using econometric analysis. He also received his bachelors in economics and environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz (go slugs!) During his tenure at USC, Isaac was a course assistant for multivariate statistics and tutored

Isaac graduated with a master of public policy from USC. He focused on examining environmental and carceral policies using econometric analysis. He also received his bachelors in economics and environmental studies from UC Santa Cruz (go slugs!) During his tenure at USC, Isaac was a course assistant for multivariate statistics and tutored other students in microeconomics as well as entry level and higher level statistics. He loves to help people learn in their style whether it's more mechanical or conceptual. Isaac also loves to go down Wikipedia rabbit holes about particle physics, plant compounds, and learn as much as possible from folks around him. In his free time he plays basketball and piano, bikes as much as possible, and experiments with cooking.

Erik is a physicist who recently graduated from UC Berkeley, with a passion for solving challenging puzzles. He has a doctorate in physics and bachelor's degrees in mathematics and physics. Erik's teaching experience includes both undergraduate and graduate level physics courses, as well as tutoring students of all levels. His teaching wa

Erik is a physicist who recently graduated from UC Berkeley, with a passion for solving challenging puzzles. He has a doctorate in physics and bachelor's degrees in mathematics and physics. Erik's teaching experience includes both undergraduate and graduate level physics courses, as well as tutoring students of all levels. His teaching was recently recognized with UC Berkeley's Outstanding Graduate Student Award. Besides teaching, Erik is deeply immersed in theoretical condensed matter physics research, and is always eager to engage in physics or math discussions. Let's work together to achieve your educational goals!

When Erik isn't teaching or doing research he enjoys spending time in nature or tinkering with hobby electronics (especially those related to retro video games).

Shira is a California credentialed multiple subject teacher who completed her credential through the BATTI (Bay Area Teacher Training Institute) program. During her credential program, she spent two years as an assistant teacher in a second-grade classroom at Head Royce School in Oakland. After completing her credential, she taught a kind

Shira is a California credentialed multiple subject teacher who completed her credential through the BATTI (Bay Area Teacher Training Institute) program. During her credential program, she spent two years as an assistant teacher in a second-grade classroom at Head Royce School in Oakland. After completing her credential, she taught a kindergarten and firsYest-grade class at Head Royce School. Most recently, she has been working as a reading support instructor at a public school in Oakland, where she helps support the reading needs of students from kindergarten to fifth grade in small group formats.

Shira grew up in the Bay Area and attended both private and public schools in Berkeley. She received her B.A from Willamette University in 2018, where she studied history. Passionate about education, Shira is committed to helping students reach their full potential and fostering a growth mindset, encouraging them to believe in their ability to succeed even amidst challenges in school. She is particularly excited about reading and writing instruction and has spent significant time to working with early elementary students on phonemic awareness and phonics skills.

In her free time, Shira enjoys spending time outdoors with her three-year-old Tibetan Terrier dog, cooking, and spending time with her family and friends.

Melanie grew up in New York City. Her interdisciplinary background, combining a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Bachelor of Art in Political Science from the University of Rochester, reflects her diverse interests and intellectual curiosity. Melanie recently moved to the Bay Area to pursue a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engine

Melanie grew up in New York City. Her interdisciplinary background, combining a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering with a Bachelor of Art in Political Science from the University of Rochester, reflects her diverse interests and intellectual curiosity. Melanie recently moved to the Bay Area to pursue a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley.  Melanie aims to create an environment where curiosity thrives, empowering students to inquire, explore, and engage deeply with the material. By inspiring her students to ask questions, explore new ideas, and engage deeply with the material, she creates an environment where learning becomes not just a task but a rewarding and transformative experience. In her free time, Melanie enjoys Muay Thai, photography, and a good cup of coffee.

Cassandra loves serving as a mentor and strongly believes in the power of education as a tool for empowerment as well as a crucial pathway to making change in and for our communities. Her commitment to lifelong learning fosters a deep passion for travel, learning from people around the world, and interrogating the systems that cause harm 

Cassandra loves serving as a mentor and strongly believes in the power of education as a tool for empowerment as well as a crucial pathway to making change in and for our communities. Her commitment to lifelong learning fosters a deep passion for travel, learning from people around the world, and interrogating the systems that cause harm to our communities. She is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer who served in Botswana. She has a master’s degree in public affairs from Indiana University, with a concentration in international development. For undergrad she went to Virginia Tech, majoring in environmental policy and planning, and minoring in Women’s and Gender Studies and Political Science.

Cassandra is a feminist, womanist activist working in sexual and reproductive health education. In her current role, she focuses on destigmatizing abortion and developing justice-informed curricula. She is passionate about supporting women and girls, emphasizing the need to prioritize queer and trans women and girls of color.