Meet Ali
Certified Early Childhood Educator
I earned my BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and later obtained my K-12 multiple-subject teaching credential from Loyola Marymount University. With a decade of experience teaching elementary school, I took a break to focus on raising my twins. Once my kids were in Fourth grade, I returned to substituting and tutoring kids and launched a children’s healthy cooking business from my home. During the pandemic, I wanted to support as many families and students as possible, shifting my focus entirely to tutoring. It was during this time that I launched my concierge tutoring service.
For years, I dedicated myself to fostering young minds, inspiring curiosity, and building the foundational skills that would help my students thrive. As an elementary school teacher, I discovered the unique power of connecting with each child, understanding their individual needs, and adapting my teaching to bring out the best in them. Whether it was guiding them through their first book or helping them solve that challenging math problem, each small victory felt like a shared achievement.
Teaching brought me profound joy, but I began to realize that the traditional classroom setting, with its many demands and large class sizes, sometimes limited the one-on-one time I could spend with each student. I started to imagine how impactful it could be to focus my skills in a more personalized way, helping students reach their full potential in an environment tailored specifically to their needs.
This led me to a new chapter: private tutoring. Now, I have the privilege of offering specialized, individualized support, allowing me to dive deeper into each student's unique learning style and pace. Private tutoring has granted me the flexibility to be more innovative, designing customized learning plans that truly resonate with each student and address their specific challenges.
In my tutoring sessions, I aim to create a warm, encouraging atmosphere where students feel safe to express their ideas, ask questions, and make mistakes without fear. I believe that building confidence is just as important as academic skills, and I strive to empower each student to see themselves as capable and resilient learners.
Transitioning to private tutoring has been a rewarding step that allows me to continue doing what I love - helping young learners succeed - but in a way that lets me work more closely with each child. Through this journey, I've come to see education not just as a career but as a calling, and I'm grateful every day for the chance to make a positive impact in students' lives.
I want to create a strong foundation for young children by showing them that learning can be fun. To engage my students, I use educational games that seamlessly integrate reading, writing and math skills. I specialize in preparing kids for assessment testing to get into a wide range of schools (private, magnet, STEM, etc.)
Meet The Team
Karina Zelaya
Karina Zelaya has been a teacher for over twenty-five years. She earned a B.A. in English with an emphasis in Cultural Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She taught as a high school substitute teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School District. In 2005, she graduated from the University of California, Davis where she completed a M.A. in Spanish (Literature) and PhD in Spanish. Currently, she teaches academic writing and literature courses at the California State University, Northridge. Karina specializes in tutoring middle and high school students in all subjects including Spanish.
Dawn Sandorf
Dawn, a third generation Los Angeleno, earned her Bachelor's degree from UCLA. After spending a decade in Palm Desert tutoring elementary-age students, Dawn, her husband and daughter moved back to her hometown, continuing her passion for educating and encouraging developing minds. She believes in making learning fun by incorporating educational games that build reading, writing, math and cognitive skills. Her goal is to create a strong foundation for young learners, helping them gain confidence and enjoy the learning process.
