Meet Our Student Staff
Aria, Sociology Tutor
Aria is an undergraduate student in Sociology. She received her Associate in Arts from Oakton College. In her time at NEIU, she has received two SHARC grants to conduct qualitative research and cowrite a pending publication on framing theory and the pro-Palestinian student movement of 2024. She presented her preliminary research at the Midwest Sociological Society and American Sociological Association conferences in 2024 and 2025, respectively. Aria hopes to continue studying social movements and organizing after graduating, either in a master’s program or a community-oriented research position.
Fun Facts: Aria spent the last five years managing a record store and loves discovering new music. Off campus, you might run into her digging through a used bookstore or seeing local bands at the Empty Bottle
Ayesha, Writing Tutor
Ayesha is an MA student studying Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She graduated from the University of Illinois Chicago with a B.S. in Psychology and Economics. Ayesha enjoys teaching and previously worked as a teaching aide while an undergraduate and as an after-school program teacher to elementary and middle school students. Ayesha’s experience working in education, healthcare administration, and insurance ultimately reignited her passion for learning and mental health. After completing the graduate program, Ayesha plans to work as a licensed professional counselor and remain involved in academia, with hopes to teach the next generation of counseling students.
Fun Facts: Ayesha loves to spend her time baking, reading, watching k-dramas, and learning new languages. When she is not debating which hobby to partake in, she spends her downtime relaxing with her four cats.
Brandy, History & Political Science Tutor
Brandy earned her masters degree in Political Science and Government in 2024 at NEIU. After receiving her first masters, she is currently working on her second masters degree in History at NEIU, as she envisions combining these different disciplines to pursue a Ph.D. Her primary ambition is to be professor and dedicate her career to imparting knowledge of political science and history to students.
Fun Facts: Brandy loves to write dialogue stories straight from her mind. Cooking is her stress releaser. She loves listening to old music from artists like Abba Gold, the late Dolly Parton, Kenny Rogers, and Don Williams.
Brian, Math Tutor
Brian is an undergraduate math major. His goal is to help others learn the subject by teaching high school students. Some of his hobbies include playing chess and pickleball.
Fun Facts: You may see Brian out and about on a run in the neighborhood.
Caleb, Economics Tutor
Caleb is pursuing a double-major in Economics and Philosophy. He is planning to attend graduate school to earn a master’s degree in Economics after completing his studies at NEIU. In his free time, Caleb enjoys taking walks around Chicago and listening to music.
Fun Facts: Caleb likes to rock climb. He’s also a White Sox fan. Go Sox!
Chelsea, Front Desk
Chelsea is a transfer student majoring in Studio Art with a minor in Graphic Design. She has always had a strong appreciation for art and enjoys exploring different forms of creative expression. In the future, she hopes to pursue a master’s degree in Higher Education and eventually work as a museum curator.
Fun Facts: Chelsea was recently part of an opera called Don Carlos by Verdi. She also has two cats named after Princess Diana and King George III. In her free time, she enjoys creating art, especially printmaking, and exploring different museums and exhibitions.
Connor, Psychology Tutor
Connor is working on his B.A. in Psychology. He plans to attend the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs to earn an M.A. in clinical mental health counseling. Further, he hopes someday to become a Jungian analyst. His hobbies include writing poetry, playing multiple musical instruments, reading, weightlifting, traveling, and practicing yoga.
Fun Facts: Connor keeps his own “Word of the Day” dictionary. It is handwritten and contains up to 120 pages and counting. He has also enjoyed upwards of 1,100 films and currently has only one streaming service subscription to the Criterion Channel.
Crystal, Korean Tutor
Crystal is about to graduate with a degree in Marketing. This is her third semester tutoring, and she loves the work because she gets to watch students grow and improve session by session. Outside of tutoring, Crystal is Korean-English bilingual, which she loves bringing into her sessions when it helps a student see something from a new angle.
Fun Facts: Crystal is a dedicated pianist and gym-goer, and she is already counting down the days until Chicago winter — ice skating is her favorite season activity, and yes, she really means "favorite" and "winter" in the same sentence.
Dhruv, Math Tutor
Dhruv is a math tutor pursuing a master’s degree in Computer Science. Beyond academics, he enjoys learning about space and exploring the universe through books. He also loves playing and watching soccer, as well as playing chess.
Fun Facts: Dhruv has 900 Elo on Chess.com (not a grandmaster yet !!)
Emily, Front Desk
Emily is originally from Metro Detroit and has lived in Chicago since 2013. She is pursuing her master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and is currently in her internship. She received an MFA in Fine Arts from Northern Illinois University and a BA in Fine Art and English.
Fun Facts: Emily loves reading, gardening, making art, spending time with friends, bike riding, and travel. She strongly dislikes olives.
Erin, Front Desk
Erin is currently pursuing a Masters of Social Work degree with aspirations to become a school social worker. She has been working in education since 2021 and graduated from NEIU with a B.A. in Communications/Media/Theatre in 2018. She is currently finishing up her graduate program and second-year internship.
Fun Facts: Erin studied abroad in South Korea in Spring 2017 and moved back there for 18 months after graduating in 2018. Erin’s favorite things to talk about are food, horror movies, and her cats!
Fareeha, Biology Tutor
Fareeha is an undergraduate student majoring in Biology and is an international student from India. After graduating, she wants to work in the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry. Eventually, her plan is to pursue a master's degree. As an international student, she hopes to gain as much experience as she can and participate in research and internships before graduation.
Fun Facts: Fareeha loves trying out different coffees and playing badminton. She spends most of her time watching k-dramas and anime. She recently discovered an interest in press-on nails and hopes to create her own press-on nail designs.
Gabe, Writing Tutor
Gabe earned his B.A. in Justice Studies with a minor in Creative Writing from NEIU in Fall 2021. He is currently pursuing his M.A. in English Composition and hopes to continue writing and researching after he graduates in May 2027. He is also the Managing Editor of NEIU’s newspaper, The Independent.
Fun Facts: Gabe works for his family-owned fencing company. He is a die-hard and lifelong Cubs fan who enjoys long walks, cooking, traveling, and spending time with his friends and family.
Grace, Writing Tutor
Grace Amberg is pursuing a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She received a dual bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communication and Film Studies from Ohio State. She has previous professional experience in public relations, sports journalism, and proposal writing. After she earns her M.A., she hopes to become a licensed professional counselor (LPC). When she is not working or studying, she enjoys spending time outside with her dog, trying new restaurants, and watching YouTube videos/podcasts.
Fun Facts: Grace has watched Bob’s Burgers more times than she can count. She sometimes works as a freelance talent statistician for college sports broadcasts. She knows how to ice skate, tap dance, and play French horn. She has visited Scotland three times and would love to live there one day.
Habib, Math Tutor
Habib is an undergraduate student majoring in Cybersecurity. In the future, Habib hopes to become a security engineer and eventually pursue a master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence. Apart from computer science, Habib also loves to go on long drives and listen to music.
Fun Facts: Habib is enthusiastic about photography and movies, especially old vintage movies.
Hamna, Front Desk
Hamna is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Management with a minor in Marketing. She is passionate about expanding her professional network, exploring career opportunities, and developing skills that will support her future success in the business world. Outside of her academic and professional interests, Hamna enjoys maintaining an active lifestyle through hot yoga, strength training, and Pilates.
Fun Facts: Hamna has a strong passion for fashion and loves modeling and capturing countless memorable moments through photography. She also has a love for cats and enjoys exploring new places and experiencing new adventures.
Jaxson, Art History Tutor
Jaxson is an undergraduate majoring in Art History. In the next few years, she intends to obtain a Ph.D. in some form of art history and feminist studies. Jaxson is a learner at heart, and this extends to her love of reading, listening to video essays, and then finding the nearest person to relay her findings to as if she is delivering a research report. She adores exploring Chicago with her friends and having a spontaneous night out in the city.
Fun Facts: Jaxson is a professional organizer…as in she has a minor addiction to reorganizing her bookshelf, goodreads, and spotify playlists, and anything that can be sorted into categories…but it has come in handy for adulting! Also, she needs Lou Malnati’s pizza to survive.
Jaz, Front Desk
Jaz is an undergraduate student working towards a BA majoring in Latin American Studies and with a minor in creative writing. She intends on spending most of her time post-degree raising her child, working in/for/around her community, and publishing as much work as she’s able to comfortably put out.
Fun Facts: Jaz loves puzzles, riddles, and board games. They’ve spent an obscene amount of time playing Dnd and love to nerd about it.
Klarissa, English Lit. Tutor
Klarissa is an English major. She is currently working on her bachelor’s degree and is in the early stages of the accelerated M.A. program for English with a concentration in Literature. A primary interest of hers is critical theory, as she vehemently rejects the idea that “it's not that deep” and writes analyses on her favorite games, shows, and books for fun. She prefers British literature over American literature and has been making her way through Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot novels. She has been called a bard because of her penchant for explaining literature to anyone who will listen, which she hopes will help her be an engaging professor in the future.
Fun Facts: She initially wanted to name her black cat Jiji after the character from Kiki’s Delivery Service, but found the humane society’s temporary name of Mashed Potatoes to be so hilariously ironic–as the cat is neither white nor fluffy–she felt she had to keep it. Recently, her favorite saying is this proverb: “The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago. The second best time is now.”
Mary, WIP ART 344 / 395 Tutor
Mary is about to complete her B.A. in K-12 Art Education with a concentration in Printmaking. Upon graduation, she hopes to become an elementary school art teacher so she can spend her career sharing her passion for art with the next generation.
Fun Facts: In her free time, Mary enjoys knitting sweaters and exploring the city by trying new restaurants.
Nnennaya, Writing Tutor
Nnennaya is a graduate student majoring in Public Health with a concentration in Health Promotion. She holds a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree from Imo State University, Owerri, Nigeria. She is currently a student researcher and hopes to work with the World Health Organization as a Public Health Expert upon graduation. She loves helping students piece together their ideas and make them feel confident in their writing!
Fun Facts: Nnennaya is an ardent medical volunteer in eyecare, giving back to the community through outreaches. In her spare time, she enjoys exploring new cuisines, bowling, and seeing movies.
Noel, Biology Tutor
Noel is an undergraduate majoring in Biology. They are hoping to pursue a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolution after graduation. Their current research is about painted turtles (why are they painted?) and they’ve spent the last two summers wading into different swamps in order to collect data. In their free time, they enjoy birding, reading fiction and gaming.
Fun Facts: Noel loves to try new hobbies to be terrible at. Currently, they’re really bad at throwing pottery and programming.
Piper, Front Desk
Piper is an undergraduate student studying Biology. They developed an interest in research after spending a summer working in a lab studying fruit flies. After graduation, they want to go to medical school and enter a field in academic medicine. Outside of school, they enjoy reading, riding their bike around the city, and going to the beach (when it’s warm enough!).
Fun Fact: Piper has an incredibly cute cat named Rocket who is very photogenic!
Praz, Philosophy Tutor
Praz is an undergraduate who grew up in Barrington, Illinois. He is a philosophy major and is also working on a creative writing minor. Praz hopes to pursue a master’s degree in Social Work after his graduation from NEIU, and he hopes to use these opportunities to find work in the future that enables him to help others.
Fun Facts: Praz has been playing guitar for ten years and has also played cello, bass, and piano.
Remiyah, GES Tutor
Remiyah is an undergraduate Geography and GIS student who has a deep love for cities and city life. After graduation, she plans to get a master’s degree in Urban Planning and do research supporting advocacy in the city. She is also very passionate about geoscience education. In her free time, she likes to read, cook, play the saxophone, and collect fossils.
Fun Facts: Remiyah is a lifelong Pokemon fan and her favorite pokemon is Dhelmise, the Sea Creeper Pokemon.
Rhoda, Chemistry Tutor
Rhoda is pursuing a master’s degree in computer science. With a background in biochemistry and chemistry, she hopes to work at the integration of tech and health after graduating.
Fun Facts: She loves crafting and trying out new recipes. Her hometown, Tema, Ghana, is literally at the very center of the world.
Rotan, Arabic & Biology Tutor
Rotan graduated from NEIU with a bachelor’s degree in Biology and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education. She is passionate about science and values helping students work through challenging concepts, strengthen their understanding, and become more confident in their abilities. She also loves working with students as they develop their Arabic language skills and discover meaningful connections between language and culture.
Fun Facts: Rotan enjoys going on long walks, cooking, and baking. She loves experimenting with new recipes and spending time with family and friends
Sam, TESOL & Writing Tutor
Sam is a graduate student studying TESOL. He earned a B.A. in Film from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After earning his B.A., Sam gained experience both tutoring and teaching English as a substitute teacher and is excited to apply those skills to ASC.
Fun Facts: Sam is an avid dart player and participates in a dart league regularly.
Samantha, Spanish Tutor
Samantha received her high school diploma from Intrinsic Charter Schools. Her play, El Concierto (The Concert), tells a story of two Mexican-American sisters. The two girls can be seen supporting each other as they’re raised by immigrant parents, whom they consider strict at times. Through code switching, they learn to appreciate each other and their parents’ efforts. This play is currently being produced by the Stage Center Theatre of NEIU. Samantha received the Seal of Biliteracy in 2022.
Fun Facts: To date, Sam has attended a total of 13 concerts! Her favorite shows have been BTS, 5 Seconds of Summer, and Stray Kids.
Sarah, Linguistics & Writing Tutor
Sarah is a Master's student in Linguistics with a particular focus on historical linguistics and the study of linguistic signs (semiology). A first-generation college student herself, Sarah wants to make academic support approachable – she encourages all students navigating higher education for the first time to try it at least once.
Fun Facts: Outside of tutoring, Sarah is a lifelong reader, a semi-successful caretaker of ornamental plants, and an appreciator of Lake Michigan. She aspires to be a linguist one day.
Tom, Social Work Tutor
Tom is an undergraduate student in the Social Work program. He plans to pursue a Masters in Social Work (MSW) through NEIU’s Advanced Standing Program in the hope of becoming a recovery counselor. In addition to tutoring with ASC, Tom is completing an internship with a public housing agency that focuses on providing affordable housing options and case management for its tenants.
Fun Facts: Tom’s favorite comfort show is Mom, starring Anna Faris and Allison Janney. He can watch it for hours with his pitbull Portokali and cats Rocky and Leroy. Also, in his free time, Tom builds Lego projects with his partner Peter and remains an avid baker who specializes in breads, scones, and cinnamon rolls!
Tommy, Music & WIP SCED 311 Tutor
Tommy is a transfer student majoring in Music Education as a vocalist. He will earn his Bachelor’s in Music in the Spring of 2027. He has always had a deep passion for the performing arts, which is why he loves to participate in shows and live performances whenever possible. You may just be able to hear him or some of his friends perform at an upcoming recital!
Fun Facts: Tommy also loves old video games. He still has his old Wii and DS and they’re both fully functional!
Unseba, Community Health Tutor
Unseba is a graduate student pursuing a Master of Public Health. She has a background in dentistry and is passionate about connecting oral health with public health and community well-being. After completing her MPH, she hopes to continue her professional journey in dentistry in the United States while using her public health education to provide compassionate, patient-centered care. As a tutor, Unseba enjoys supporting students and helping them feel more confident in their academic work.
Fun Facts: Unseba enjoys exploring new places, trying different coffee shops, and spending time with family and friends. She also loves learning about dentistry and is always looking for opportunities to grow both personally and professionally.
Will, Anthropology Tutor
Will is an undergraduate student in Anthropology. Will earned his Associate of Arts degree from Oakton College before transferring to NEIU. Will hopes to work on a Master’s degree in Anthropology with a focus on Biological Anthropology after he graduates. He hopes to work in a museum after his studies.
Fun Facts: Will is a massive fan of fantasy shows and movies such as Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. He also is a devout supporter of the soccer team Tottenham Hotspur.
Willa, Front Desk
Willa is an undergraduate student majoring in Physical Education. She is passionate about physical activity and education and is excited to continue developing her skills and knowledge in the field. Through her coursework and experiences, she hopes to gain the skills needed to become an effective physical education teacher and help students develop healthy, active lifestyles.
Fun Facts: Willa’s favorite book series are Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire. She loves trying new sports and activities. Her favorite season is Fall.