Meet Thais Menendez: Senior SAT & ACT Tutor.
I have been tutoring professionally since 2014, much of it remote, and a decade later I find myself still nervous and excited to start each new program. While the ACT & SAT are static tests with predictable patterns, my students are anything but static and predictable. My undergrad experiences at Boston College leading the AHANA Collective Theatre, certifications earned teaching English in Spain, and professional acting background have gifted me a deep working understanding of emotional intelligence. For any tutor, the test content is easy – working with students to improve their understanding is, of course, the key, and I utilize tactics from my work as a certified yoga instructor to create a calm and focused mental space that enhances retention and precludes overthinking and anxiety-driven mistakes.
In addition to developing my teaching skills through theater and yoga, I am a native Spanish speaker (Miami-born and raised) and fluent French speaker. Understanding the intricacies of language is vital to teaching reading comprehension and grammar rules, and my work teaching pronouns and verb tense in AP Spanish Language supports my work on the ACT English section, and vice versa. My teaching style with students creates an encouraging learning environment rooted in compassion and trust, which helps enable students to take risks and ask questions in a supportive space. I maintain an animated and energetic teaching style to build a positive and engaging rapport with each of my students, who sometimes need some external cheerleading after a long week of school courses and activities.
Middle School Services: Spanish • English
High School Services: ACT • SAT • PSAT • Spanish • English
College Services: English • Literature • Theater • Spanish
Comprehensive Test Prep Program: $4,920
Non-Test Prep Hourly Rate: $150
Boston College
Class of 2014
Cuban-American Students Association (CASA)
President of AHANA Collective Theatre (ACT)
Sr. Thea Bowman Scholar Award
Recipient of an Advanced Study Grant in the Arts
Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart
Class of 2010
IB Diploma
President/Founder of Improv Club
Editor in Chief of the school newspaper
Captain of the basketball team
Recipient of the Audrey Hepburn Senior Award for the Performing Arts
Experience
- Worked in the education departments for Shakespeare Theatre Company and Studio Theatre in Washington, DC
- Teaching artist for ages 3-18
- Taught English in Spain
Human Heart
- Professional SAG-AFTRA actress
- Certified yoga instructor
- Love to surf, rollerblade, and hike
- Cuban cooking fanatic