Our Tutors

CEO and Founder

Mindspire™ was founded by Shahar Link, who has been teaching in high schools and tutoring standardized tests for over 18 years. Shahar earned a Masters degree in History from Stanford University, writing his thesis on the history of IQ testing. Ever since, he has been determined to help students succeed on standardized tests and in high school.

In addition to Mindspire’s elite tutoring team, Shahar is available for SAT/ACT tutoring. Please select the contact us option in the navigation bar and indicate you are interested in working with him. Online only.

SAT: 1600 out of 1600

Director, NC Triangle Area

Raised in Greensboro, North Carolina, David graduated from UNC Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Statistics. During high school, he worked as a private math tutor assisting his peers and others achieve academic success. While in 12th grade, David became the first student at his high school to take college Calculus 3 and Biology where he tutored other college students in his classes. Throughout college, David continued to aid his peers in classes like Statistics, Economics, and Calculus while maintaining Dean’s List. Following graduation, he sought to close the education gap left by COVID and pioneered online SAT/ACT prep classes for rising juniors and seniors. From tutoring the football team in AP Calculus to working 1-on-1 with students with learning and mental disabilities to tutoring groups of students during COVID, David’s love and passion for education radiates through his work. Outside the office, David can be found on the tennis or pickleball court, experimenting in the kitchen, working out in the gym, or traveling the world.

Director of Student Success

Annette is the Director of Student Success for Mindspire Tutoring and Test Prep. As a military spouse Annette, her husband, and six children traveled the world for 25 years. Her experience as a mom and her interest in education led her to the college admissions industry when her oldest child was applying to colleges. After going through the college admissions process as a parent and supporting her kids in applying to 40+ schools, Annette has become an expert in helping families navigate the process, especially with regards to testing.

All five of Annette’s kids who have applied to college have tutored with Mindspire. Three have attended Brown University for their Undergraduate Degrees, two have attended University of Virginia for their Master’s Degrees and one is currently at The College of William & Mary for her undergraduate degree and has already been accepted to the Master’s Program at W&M. Annette’s fifth child is a senior in high school who is navigating the process now, and she has a freshman in high school still to go!

Before becoming Director of Student Success, Annette was Program Manager and Student Success Specialist at Mindspire. She managed Mindspire offices in Libertyville, Illinois (2016 – 2017) and Richmond, Virginia (2018 – 2020). Annette has helped hundreds of students select the right test and program to put their best foot forward on their college applications. She also helps students connect with their best tutor whether for academic tutoring or standardized test tutoring. When not working or cooking for her family, Annette enjoys reading, hiking in the woods, spending time with friends, and traveling to out-of-the-way places.

‍

Theresa is a native New Yorker. She graduated high school valedictorian, went to NYU, and finished her degree in just three years, thanks to AP credit. Now she works as a tutor and an actor/singer/dancer and director/choreographer. When she's not working with students or working on a show, she loves to play the drums, read, and hang out with Chowder (the best tuxedo cat in the world).

Theresa has been preparing students for their standardized tests for 15 years. She has helped over 400 students get the scores they want on their SAT, ACT, ISEE/SSAT, and AP English Literature and Language tests. Her extensive background in the arts helps her connect and communicate with all kinds of learners, including students with LDs, students with test anxiety, students aiming for perfect scores, and students who consider themselves "bad test takers."

Theresa believes that there is no such thing as a "bad test taker," because the skills needed to succeed on standardized tests are learnable. If a student feels like a "bad test taker," it probably just means they haven't learned the skills necessary for this test yet; that's where tutoring comes in. Personalized one-on-one tutoring is the best way to move test scores and grades; Theresa meets students where they are and tailors their program to their individual needs.

Malik is a Columbia University graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in African-American Studies. He has been tutoring one-on-one full-time for the past 18 years with exceptional results. Even as a student in high school and in college, Malik demonstrated his love of teaching by helping classmates, relatives, and family friends prepare for their exams. He currently tutors for the SAT, ACT, SAT II: Math Levels 1 and 2, and PSAT and has instructed students in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany, India, South Africa, Switzerland, and throughout the United States via Skype. As a father of three boys, ages 4 to 15, and a 17 year-old girl, Malik understands that every student is unique. Having taught hundreds of students, he knows the importance of structuring lessons to students’ specific needs. In his leisure time he is an amateur chef who likes to pretend he is a contestant on Chopped. He also enjoys bowling, playing pool, and traveling.

Chrissy started teaching immediately after graduating from Princeton University, and she’s been helping people learn ever since. As a former Montessori teacher in the public school system, she has unique experience in combining student-led discovery with standardized test prep. Chrissy loves radishes and daffodils, Ang Lee and Lu Xun. She can knit a Möbius strip and a pretty good approximation of a Klein bottle. When she’s not tutoring or working on her mini-homestead with her family, Chrissy can most often be found swimming in the Eno, paddling on Jordan Lake, or taking a road trip to visit friends.

‍

Charly Kuecks has been a Test Prep and math tutor and group instructor for the past decade. She holds a degree in French Literature from Brigham Young University (BYU) and did her graduate work at the University of Utah's David Eccles School of Business. For four years, she taught ACT courses at the University of Utah since her first semester of grad school in August 2017 and has loved every minute!  Having been a National Merit Scholar at the Waterford School in Sandy, Utah, and having gone to both undergrad and graduate school on a full merit scholarship, what she likes best about test prep as a field is demystifying a test that can be a huge barrier to students' upward mobility otherwise. With an approachable demeanor and an eye for minor details, she motivates her students to believe anything is possible in their pursuit of higher education. She’s also the lead writer for Mindspire's newsletter and blog. When not working, Charly pursues her interests in yoga, creative writing, snowboarding, and music.

Owen is a Ph.D. candidate in nuclear engineering with a graduate certificate in Nuclear Nonproliferation Science and Policy. He holds degrees in mechanical engineering, economics, and Chinese studies. Owen hopes to encourage his students to harness their intellectual curiosity to find fulfillment in their lives. His approach to tutoring centers around finding ways to make learning as directly relevant to his students' interests as possible. This is informed by his own experience in high school and college; the courses that built his own academic confidence most were those in which teachers went the extra mile to make the material salient to him. Beyond the office, Owen spends his spare time beekeeping, propagating native pollinator plants, playing tabletop miniatures games, and spending time with his cat.

Finola graduated magna cum laude from Yale University with a B.A. in English (creative writing track). She went on to earn a Ph.D. in English from the University at Notre Dame, where she taught first-year composition and wrote a dissertation on moral philosophy in science fiction. After graduate school, she did research for a small nonprofit as well as tutoring academic English and the ACT. When not working, she enjoys training for marathons on the American Tobacco Trail and hanging out with her husband and their obstreperous one-eared rescue dog.

Bruce is a Stanford graduate (Ph.D., EE/Computer Science) and entrepreneur. He started tutoring for the SAT and ACT while raising three children. To say he enjoys it immensely would be an understatement – he lives for that “Oh, now I get it!” reaction from his students as they confidently set and advance towards their goals. Every student thinks differently, and Bruce prides himself in his ability to explain concepts in ways that make sense to the individual. He is caring and sensitive to the realities of today’s students and works with them to navigate the ebb and flow of their insane workload.  Bruce makes studying for the SAT or ACT as fun as possible with stories, occasional humor, and always good cheer.

Lucy grew up in Lebanon, New Hampshire, where she enjoyed spending time outside, reading and playing sports. She graduated as valedictorian of her high school and went on to Williams College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in Environmental Policy in 2016. While at Williams, Lucy tutored students in biology courses and worked as a math teaching assistant. After graduating, Lucy lived in Bolivia for 9 months and worked on farms in New England before moving to Durham in 2017. She has spent the past two years working with middle school students as a substitute teacher and math interventionist at Central Park School for Children and as a summer teacher at Student U, a college-access enrichment program. She is currently attending the Masters of Arts in Teaching program at UNC Chapel Hill, focusing on Special Education and Mathematics. Beyond working with students, Lucy loves to cook, ride her bicycle, and explore the trails along the Eno River.

SAT: 2400 out of 2400

‍

Originally from Auburn, California, Scott graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Psychology and a minor in Linguistics. He has been tutoring and mentoring since high school and continued to do so at Duke, working as a peer advisor and helping fellow students achieve their academic and extracurricular goals. After graduating from Duke, Scott spent nearly 2 years teaching English and SAT courses in Vietnam, and he excels at effectively teaching students from diverse backgrounds. Upon returning to the United States, it didn’t take long for Scott to end up back in North Carolina, and he looks forward to helping local students exceed their standardized testing goals. When he’s not tutoring, Scott can be found lifting weights, running, and listening to music.

Raised in Korea and Washington, Sarah recently graduated from Dartmouth College, where she studied Neuroscience and Government. Since high school, she has been tutoring her classmates and younger students. Sarah currently works as a researcher analyzing public health policies and intends to attend graduate school in the future. In her free time, she can be found reading, cooking, exploring restaurants, hiking, or knitting.

Harris is from Raleigh, NC and graduated from Duke University in 2024, where he majored in Global Health and Biology on the pre-medical track while tutoring college and high school students. This year, in addition to tutoring, he is applying to medical schools, which led to him recently embarking on his own standardized testing journey with the MCAT. He hopes to help others with their testing and studies, and to continue educating as a physician in the future. He has experience working with students from different backgrounds on a variety of subjects including science, math, and reading. Outside of tutoring, he enjoys traveling, hiking, and art museums, and working towards his Spanish fluency.

Sarah first began tutoring in 2013 and quickly realized how much she loves helping students learn and improve their skills. She then spent several years volunteering as a teacher’s aide in various schools in her hometown of Greenville, SC. During her college years at UNC, Sarah tutored other students at UNC while earning a B.S. in Chemistry and a B.A. in Music. She is now happy to be a Mindspire tutor as she starts at UNC School of Law. In her free time, Sarah enjoys playing music with friends, pursuing her new love of espresso making, and taking care of her spirited kitten, Penny Lane.

Trenton is a biologist, an educator, and tutor who wants to play a role in training future academics, researchers, and professionals. He graduated from UC Berkeley with bachelors degrees in biology and economics, and gained a masters in microbiology at NC State. In the meantime, he held research jobs at the USDA and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he worked on projects such as hypoallergenic wheat flour, artificial ecosystems, and bacterial genomics. Trenton is currently teaching biology at Wake Tech Community College and is working to ensure more students in the Raleigh-Durham area are prepared to take advantage of the RTP’s biotech opportunities.

When it comes to teaching, Trenton specializes in exploring material from multiple perspectives and offering students the “big picture” so that learning doesn’t feel like memorization. Students that work with Trenton often remark that old material has finally been explained in a way that makes sense. Due to the collaborative nature of our tutoring sessions, students often gain verbal confidence as well. For Trenton, the joy of this job is watching students grow and helping students achieve their highest academic potential.  

Tyler (they/them) has 20+ years as a high school math teacher, curriculum writer, teacher trainer, and tutor. This year, Tyler’s going back to the classroom as a graduate student in Physics at NCCU, specifically working on a Nuclear Astrophysics project with a professor from the University of North Carolina. Tyler graduated from Duke with a B.A. in History and an M.A.T. in Teaching Mathematics. Tyler also received an advanced degree (ABD) from North Carolina State University in Mathematics & Statistics Education.

In addition to teaching, tutoring, and studying, Tyler serves on the Board of Directors of 1:11 Art & Healing Space, where they host a game night and teach an occasional mixed-media art class. A passionate learner, Tyler is always trying new things. Right now they are enjoying learning to box and exploring their creativity through art. After fostering a plethora of kittens with Independent Animal Rescue, Tyler now has a crew of 5 mostly “unadoptable” cats at home living their best lives.

‍

Drew began tutoring in 2013 while working on a PhD in philosophy at Boston College. He has classroom teaching experience at five colleges and currently teaches ethics courses in the NCSU philosophy department. He especially enjoys connecting with students one-on-one and helping them ask productive questions. After spending almost a decade in Boston, Drew and his family moved to Durham in 2021. In his free time, Drew enjoys woodworking, reading, hiking, and playing with his children.

Jetta is an M.A. student in Educational Technology at UNC Chapel Hill, and has been working with students since high school. She recently graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute with a B.S. in Psychological Science. Her M.A. research focuses on improving K-12 math instruction using AI and 360° videos. In her free time, Jetta loves to go to concerts, do gymnastics, and try new recipes!

Lindsey is an English MA student at North Carolina State University. She discovered her love of tutoring in 2019 while getting her undergraduate degree in Writing and Rhetoric and the University of Central Florida. Since then, she's tutored students from a wide variety of backgrounds, academic disciplines, and education levels. Lindsey believes that an individualized approach to tutoring is important in helping each student to do their best. When she's not working, Lindsey loves to sing, read sci-fi and fantasy novels, and spend time with her dog, Zero!

Nyk was born and raised in upstate New York, where he completed a BS and an MEng in Computer Science at Cornell University. He's spent the last decade or so working as a software engineer, and is now taking a step back from the industry to explore personal passions.

Nyk has always felt an affinity for teaching, tutoring, and mentoring of all kinds, and has coached teens in calculus and skiing with equal enthusiasm!

In his free time, Nyk can be found playing outside mountain biking and rock climbing, or playing board games, reading fantasy novels, and learning the guitar.

Steven is a kind and curious educator and math enthusiast. His teaching philosophy focuses on cultivating the students' problem-solving skills and creativity. He has been a math teacher for over six years, teaching and tutoring students of all levels from grade school to college. Steven earned his Ph.D. from NCSU in 2021, with research in understanding the underlying theoretical properties of real-world models; he also has experience in the software engineering field. Outside of teaching, Steven loves the outdoors and is an avid musician, chef, and gardener.

Casey first discovered a love for helping others achieve their academic goals by tutoring math for grades K-12 while she was getting her Associates in Science in Asheville, NC. She then moved to Chapel Hill to pursue a B.S. in Quantitative Biology at UNC. She currently works at Duke University in preclinical brain cancer research, and is working on a Masters degree in Physiology from NC State. In her free time, Casey enjoys discussing politics and theology with her husband, snuggling up with their 4 dogs, gardening, playing the alto saxophone, and baking.

Ian was born and raised in Raleigh, attending high school at Cardinal Gibbons where he was awarded the National Merit Scholarship for his PSAT and SAT scores. He graduated with a BA in Journalism from Elon University in 2014, and has been helping students with subject tutoring and test prep for almost a decade, beginning with Mindspire in 2016. In 2021, Ian went back to school to become an industrial electrician, but out of a genuine passion for teaching and learning, has continued tutoring students across a range of subjects and admissions tests.

As a tutor, his greatest satisfaction comes from helping struggling students demystify math, breaking it down into the smaller pieces they can understand, and recombining them in a way that hugely simplifies what seemed impossible to grasp. In his free time, Ian enjoys playing piano, reading, working in his garden, and looking forward to the upcoming birth of his daughter.

Working her way through her academic career, Sara earned her bachelors degree from George Washington University in political science, a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary in theology and a Masters of Arts from Jewish Theological Seminary in New York in Hebrew Bible. Sara moved to North Carolina to pursue her PhD in religious studies at UNC Chapel Hill and currently resides in Durham having returned to her political roots. She now works for a data and analytics firm that specializes in hyper targeting for campaigns specializing in AI modeling and forecasting. She tutored throughout her academic career as well teaching courses at university.

Sara would like it specially noted that she is dyslexic and learned and taught effective study and habit building strategies that help reduce text anxiety and bring focus to daily efforts. She has always thought about engaging with work creatively, and tailors work to students believing one size does not fit all.  

‍

Uri graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Philosophy, focusing on formal logic and moral philosophy. By working with a broad range of learning styles in both 1-on-1 and group settings over the last 8 years, Uri has become proficient in deconstructing complex ideas and communicating them effectively. When he’s not working, Uri likes bouldering, reading, playing strategy games, and finding new music.

ACT: 36 out of 36