Our Tutors
Adira Levine
Adira levine
Adira is a tutor with Ascension Academics with multiple years of experience. In her time as a tutor, Adira specialized in developing the minds of children in elementary school. This experience has taught her the importance of patience and constant positive reinforcement, as the brains of her younger students are still in the primary stages of development.
Adira holds a double major at Queens College- CUNY, which includes Psychology and English, and maintained a 4.0 GPA at the school. Adira’s passion for human psychology has enhanced her instruction skillset, as she understands the science of behavior patterns and behavior modification. This allows her to incentivize her students to enjoy learning the content of the subjects that they are struggling with. Adira also believes that work outside of the individual sessions is necessary and is willing to help her students in any way that she can.
In her free time, Adira enjoys indulging in music by playing the guitar and singing, while also practicing her favorite sport- Volleyball.
Alexander Kestenbaum
Alexander Kestenbaum
Alexander is a tutor with Ascension Academics with over five years of tutoring experience. In these five years, Alexander has instructed high school students and helped them understand the tricks to effectively succeed on standardized tests, specifically the ACT and SAT. Alexander also volunteers his tutoring services for his community by teaching Judaic studies to children.
Alexander attends the Honors in the Social Sciences School at Queens College- CUNY, after switching from his original Business and Liberal Arts Honors School. He double majored in Political Science and Jewish Studies, while double minoring in History and Russian. Alexander kept a 4.0 GPA throughout the entirety of his schooling and further challenged his interest in politics by working for the New York City government, through the Campaign Finance Board. Alexander has assumed extreme workloads in the past. However, he has demonstrated the cognitive capacity that he is capable of manifesting.
Alexander’s “claim to fame” is that he once appeared on Nickelodeon, a popular television channel for kids. In his free time, he loves to play the ukulele and the piano, or buy toys for his feline friends.
Andrew Johnson
Andrew Johnson
Andrew is a tutor with Ascension Academics with numerous tutoring experiences. He has a passion for statistics and numbers in general, and believes that using the most statistically backed study plans are the most viable options for his students. Incorporating his love for numbers has shown Andrew success in his life, as he has seen many of his students go on to achieve innumerable accolades.
Andrew majored in Mathematics at Baruch College-CUNY and has tentative plans to earn his Doctorate of Philosophy in Mathematics. While still in High School, Andrew began tutoring Linear Algebra to students at the Berkeley Carroll School of Brooklyn, for students in grade levels above his own. After High School, Andrew began to intensify his involvement in Mathematics and went on to receive the third highest score in a national competition. He then published a research paper for the University of California, Los Angeles, which is ranked top 10 in Mathematics for all schools across the nation. Andrew finds that one of his greatest achievements lies in his record of being honored on the Dean’s List at Baruch College, in every semester, throughout his collegiate career. He believes that it displays his consistency in his effort, rather than having untapped potential.
Andrew has made it clear that Chess is, by far, his favorite free-time hobby, but also loves reading, playing basketball, and occasionally playing video games, when he has friends over.
Jillian Abizadeh
Jillian Abizadeh
Jillian is a tutor with Ascension Academics with over four years of experience. In these four years, she has helped students prepare for their SATs and ACTs, along with developing personalized instructions for her students that need assistance with understanding the Spanish language.
As a tutor with Ascension Academics, Jillian collaborates with students and their parents in creating study sessions that go beyond the initial meeting. She uncovers the student’s style of learning, then constructs the perfect plan for the student, to maximize the student’s prosperity. Jillian’s proficiency in connecting with the student has made her a valuable member of the Ascension Academics team and has helped many students reach their academic goals.
Jillian holds a Business Administration degree with a minor in Linguistics from Binghamton University. Her tutoring ability for the Spanish language was first recognized when she earned a bronze medal on the National Spanish Exam in her sophomore year of High School, while holding the Vice President’s position in the World Languages Honor Society. Jillian’s tutoring potential for SAT and ACT preparation was discovered when she received a perfect score on the Writing and Language section and the Reading section of the SAT, then earned another perfect score on the Reading and English sections of the ACT.
Jillian enjoys working out and playing basketball in her free time.
Jonathan Friedman
Jonathan Friedman
Jonathan is a tutor with Ascension Academics with multiple years of tutoring experience. Jonathan found that his love for Science stems from engagement and believes that once the student is exposed to Science from a proper perspective, they too can enjoy learning more of it.
Jonathan, who sometimes goes by “Yoni”, is one of our longest-tenured tutors and believes that he could one day help other people in an alternative manner, by becoming a Dentist sometime in the future. He intends on joining the Rutgers Dental School class this upcoming Fall, while simultaneously helping students reach their academic goals. Jonathan graduated from Baruch College- CUNY with a degree in Health Sciences. He managed to secure a 4.0 GPA during his collegiate tenure and received a DAT (Dental Admissions Test) score in the 99% percentile amongst all test-takers in the nation, with perfect scores in all Science sections.
In his free time, Jonathan loves involving himself in colder climate physical activities, such as playing ice hockey, going skiing, and hiking his favorite mountains.
Karen Gross
Karen Gross
Karen is a tutor with Ascension Academics with over 20 years of experience as a New York State certified educator and private tutor. In her term as a teacher and tutor, Karen supplements her student’s abilities in ELA test preparation, homework completion, and much more.
Karen takes a particular interest in working with students that display a lack of motivation or organizational insufficiency. Her experience as an instructor allows her to refine her skills to a position where she can empathize with her students, while simultaneously uplifting them. Karen also has substantial experience with educating parents on how to direct their children outside of the private sessions. Her background and maturity in the field make her an invaluable asset to the Ascension Academics team.
Karen holds a Master’s degree in Education from Long Island University- Brookville and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Information Systems from Queens College- CUNY. She is currently an English Language Arts teacher and serves as a private tutor for Ascension Academics in her spare time. When Karen is not instructing or tutoring, she works as a member of the New York State Middle School Math and ELA grading board, while concurrently serving as a facilitator for the Book and Finance Club at her school.
When Karen is not fulfilling her passion of helping students grow, she loves to stay active by swimming and hiking. She also enjoys reading, to keep herself sharp for her students.
Kayla Weinstein
Kayla Weinstein
Kayla is a tutor with Ascension Academics with many years of experience. She prepares her students in general English, all levels of Psychology, including advanced collegiate level courses, and research paper refinement.
Kayla holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Queens College- CUNY and preserved a perfect 4.0 GPA in her four years as a student. Kayla has since moved on and is now earning her PhD in Clinical Psychology, where she works in Applied Behavior Analysis with autistic children. Part of Kayla’s work consists of assisting the children with their homework, schoolwork, and other educational needs.
Kayla’s interest in exploring the mind, from a behavioral perspective, has allowed her to learn how to beneficially alter her students’ mindsets into building thought and behavior patterns that correlate to improvements in their academic achievements.
When Kayla is not studying in the library, she can often be found enjoying nature with her dog. She also has a fascination with fine art and photography.
Keith Rosenstock
Keith Rosenstock
Keith is a tutor with Ascension Academics with multiple years of experience. As a tutor, Keith has evolved his skills to individually supplement the needs of each of his students. From SAT and ACT testing preparation, to complex Economics theories, Keith has equipped himself with the expertise to properly and effectively assist students in their academic necessities.
Keith holds a degree in English from Queens College- CUNY, with a minor in Economics. He began his tutoring career while still in college and continues growing that career to this day. At Queens College, Keith maintained a 3.9 GPA and was considering many different career paths that would reflect his superior academic resume, before deciding on becoming a full-time tutor with Ascension Academics.
Outside of assisting his students in reaching their academic goals, Keith enjoys a balanced life of health and fun. He loves to play baseball and exercise, but he also loves to snack on candy while playing his guitar.
Lauren Snow
Lauren Snow
Lauren is a tutor with Ascension Academics with over two years of experience. In her time as a tutor, Lauren has assisted students in all Science subjects, at all grade levels, including Organic Chemistry. She has also taught elementary level Hebrew, as it is one of her multiple languages that she speaks fluently.
Lauren double majored in Neuroscience and Biology from Queens College- CUNY and sustained a 4.0 GPA throughout her undergraduate years. She was also a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, which is nationally recognized as the most prestigious and most highly selective academic society in the United States. From tutoring her students, while concomitantly preserving her perfect GPA, Lauren has displayed a noticeable strength in time management, which she makes an effort to share with her students.
Lauren holds an adoration for animals and the outdoors. She loves traveling and exploring new terrains, where she can meet new fluffy friends to spend time with.
Rachel Cohen
Rachel Cohen
Rachel is a tutor with Ascension Academics with many years of experience. In her tenure as a tutor, Rachel has helped students excel in their Science classes, specifically Biology and Chemistry, along with inculcating her language-interested students with her native language- Hebrew.
Ascension Academics is exceptionally selective when hiring tutors and Rachel exceeds those standards. As an aspiring medical student, Rachel has formulated a superior understanding of the complex world that is Science. Being a graduate of Touro College- the Lander College for Women’s Division, Rachel has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Honors Biology. During her collegiate tenure, Rachel led a team of high school students in colorectal cancer research at the National Institute of Health, where she found her passion for research. Through her transcendent results and leadership skills, Rachel attained the SCRTA (Summer Cancer Research Training Award).
Rachel values proactive health measures and believes that staying fit through exercise is of paramount importance. She became the President of the Running Club at Touro College and maintains her active lifestyle to this day.
William Bauman