I grew up in Chicago's Rogers Park and, later, Morton Grove, IL where I attended Niles West High School. After graduating, I enrolled in the Chemical Engineering program at the Illinois Institute of Technology. While an undergraduate, I was a peer tutor in General Chemistry. My favorite subjects in college always involved using computational models of chemical processes; pursuit of this niche sub-discipline afforded me an opportunity of a semester at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. Upon obtaining my Bachelor of Science Degree, I continued my education to obtain a Master's degree in Chemistry. Subsequently, employed by various companies in the industry, I worked in the fields of Semiconductors, Natural Gas and Energy, and provided technical consultancy to instrument companies and universities. Perhaps as a tribute to experience with tutoring as an undergraduate, and lecturing Chemistry as a graduate student, I had been especially adept at taking a complex scientific or mathematical concept and breaking it down to the level of comprehension by a lay person or a professional of varying discipline -- a precursor to my present occupation. After transitioning from the industry to education, I was fortunate to discover passion and fulfillment in helping students achieve their personal goals, be it basic education, performance in math and science, standardized testing, high school equivalency attainment or self-improvement through further education and more lucrative career options. In addition to being a tutor, I volunteer at the Howard Area Community center as an Adult Basic Education Tutor and at Horizons for Youth, working with at-risk urban youth.