I've always been passionate about people and learning. I enjoyed being active and exploring new methods. This passion evolved into a wish to impart my skills and enthusiasm to others.

The blend of learning and guiding others is the essence of teaching, which can lead to incredible achievements.
Both in elementary and high school, math was a hurdle for me.

My father, my hero, spent countless hours explaining problems in various ways to fit my learning style. This made a significant difference in my understanding. Those valuable memories inspire my approach to Star Students.

Darren is a math educator, tutor, and entrepreneur with both a bachelor's and a master's degree in mathematics. His path into math education was unexpected, as he disliked math in high school and lacked confidence in his own math skills. He nearly chose a career with little math involved before discovering a passion for teaching and tutoring in college. That experience changed everything.

Darren went on to earn advanced degrees in mathematics and has spent over a decade helping learners overcome math anxiety and build real, lasting confidence. As the founder of TutorMyMath.com, he primarily works with adults preparing for College Algebra. He enjoys supporting students of all ages and skill levels. Darren believes math can be intuitive, creative, and empowering, especially when taught with empathy and real-world relevance. He has partnered with Star Students to provide quality teaching experiences for high school students who may have struggled with the same things he once did.

When he is not teaching, Darren studies Number Theory and enjoys hiking.

In 2001, Andrea began her career as a K-6 teacher in one of the largest Public School Boards in Ontario, with degrees from Western University and OISE, University of Toronto. With her Specialist in Special Education and over two decades of teaching experience, she tailored her teaching focus to early-learning in Kindergarten to Grade 2. She believes a strong foundation in both reading and math skills help empower every child to meet their learning goals in each grade. She has extensive experience in working with students with special needs on IEP's. Her goal with every student is to teach in a variety of ways so every child is able to thrive in their learning!

She resigned from the Thames Valley District School Board in Ontario in 2022 to focus on homeschooling her daughters. She owns a business to help parents transition to home education and partnered with Star Students to provide education beyond government restrictions. She maintains her teaching certification in Ontario, and will be certified to teach in Florida in 2025.

When not working, she enjoys nature, reading, and beach trips with her daughters. Recently, she moved from Ontario, Canada to southwest Florida.

Raihan Karim, born and raised in Alberta, Canada, is a student always looking for new opportunities. He is currently studying at the University of Alberta pursuing his path in Engineering. He is well skilled in math, physics and chemistry. Over the spring and summer of 2024, he spent his time working for TetraTech.

In his free time, Raihan likes to be active and engage in sports like basketball and boxing. He also loves to play chess so if you want to challenge him, feel free to ask!

Lindsay, an Ohio-born educator, dreamed of teaching since childhood. She holds a Bachelor's in Education from Wilmington College, specializing in Math and Language Arts.

She's currently an experienced teacher in Dayton with five years of teaching and three years of tutoring under her belt. Skilled in introducing varied mathematical strategies, connecting real-world concepts via language arts, and enhancing hands-on projects, she encourages students to overcome hurdles, reinforcing the principle that practice yields perfection.

 Her expertise is tutoring elementary and middle school students in Math and Language Arts.

Ahsan, with a Master's from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor's in Finance from Mount Royal University, has always been focused on quantitative subjects.

In high school, he pursued advanced math and sciences to keep his career options open. As a university student, he led the finance club and offered weekly help sessions for peers, emphasizing the importance of a strong foundation in sciences and math.

Outside of academics, Ahsan enjoys playing board games, dodgeball, and competitive card games.

Violet Papanikolaou studied French language and literature at the University of Toronto.  She earned her Bachelor of Education degree at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in 1997.  She also earned her Masters of Education in 2002 where she specialized in Second Language Acquisition.  

She began teaching in 1998 for the Toronto District School Board where she taught Core French, grades 9-12.  She moved to the York Region District School Board in 2001 where she continued to teach Core French and became a department head in 2002.  In 2009, she was responsible for implementing a 4-year French Immersion program by creating all the courses for grades 9-12 over the 4 year period.  She taught French Immersion for 8 years. In 2017, she transferred to a school that was in the process of becoming an IB World School, where she was again responsible for implementing the program.  She created the courses for the grades 9 and 10 IB preparatory classes, as well as the grades 11 and 12 IB Diploma program.  She taught IB French for 5 years.

In her spare time, Violet spends time with her family.  She also enjoys traveling, reading and going for walks in nature.

Carlos Hutchings was born in Venezuela, and graduated in electrical engineering at the UDO (Universidad de Oriente de Venezuela) with basic studies in psychology for learning. He also earned a degree in English at the Metropolitan University. Since he was in college, he has taken an interest in helping others and teaching. He has had the opportunity to be an academic coach in subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, and topics related to his career.

Carlos is passionate about learning, and this has led him to teach in a similar manner. He firmly believes he can learn just as much from his students as they can from him.

Carlos loves reading and philosophy, and enjoys high-intensity activities in his spare time. On his days off, he simply likes to enjoy life as it comes to him.

Hi there! My name is Aleefa! ​ I currently live in Edmonton, and am a Biological Sciences graduate from the University of Alberta, and am now studying to be a Respiratory Therapist.

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I tutor because I love teaching and working with children and young adults. ​ In my free time I am a kickboxer and enjoy skiing and snowboarding. ​ Fun facts about me: I’m a published writer and have lived in 3 provinces within Canada!

I’m Antoine—and for over 15 years, I’ve had the joy of teaching French to homeschooling families, both in-person and online. But my journey with the French language goes much further back—across more than four decades of teaching and writing at the elementary, college, and university levels.

My approach is built around dialogue, correction, and clarity—so your child gets immediate feedback, understands their mistakes, and learns to correct them naturally. Lessons are delivered in both French and English, helping your child develop confidence and fluency from the start.

I don’t just hand over materials and disappear. When you work with me, you also gain access to something rare in the world of language learning: a commitment to long-term support. I’m here for you and your child—to answer questions, offer guidance, and help make French not just another subject, but a living, joyful part of your homeschool journey.

Merci et à bientôt!

Antoine Khoury

Clara holds a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University in Nebraska and a Bachelor's degree in Secondary Mathematics Education from Roberts Wesleyan University.

Over the past seven years, she has taught and tutored math to students in grades 2 through 12 across various educational settings, including summer programs and online platforms. She enjoys helping students make connections between different math concepts and build upon what they have learned at school and at home by offering alternative explanations and new activities. Seeing the excitement in students when everything clicks is one of her favorite aspects of teaching.

Hi everyone! My name is Lou Viola, teacher and tutor extraordinaire.

Originally from Sault. Ste. Marie, ON, I currently live in Kitchener, ON with my wife Sherie, one hurricane we will call Joey, another tsunami we will call Nicky, and a pug named Douglas.

I taught in the elementary division for over 20 years, committing myself to assisting Special Education students and those who have difficulty adjusting to school life. My mission as a teacher and tutor is for students to master Reading, Writing and Math.

 In my free time, I love to go biking, hiking, reading, and swimming. Family and friendship mean everything to me. My motto in life is that "Tomorrow is not guaranteed, so how would you like to be remembered if your time is up?"

Victoria knew she wanted a career in health and medicine from a young age. This led her to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Medical Science with Honours in 2020 from Brock University. During her time as an undergrad, she discovered Naturopathic Medicine. This field immediately clicked with Victoria and she went on to receive a Doctor of Naturopathy from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2024. She is currently studying for her board exams to become a registered Naturopathic Doctor in Ontario, Canada.

She began her tutoring journey in 2019 as a volunteer for a biostatistics class at Brock University, where she discovered her passion for teaching and helping others succeed. This pivotal experience inspired her to pursue a role as an online private tutor in math and science, a path she has passionately followed for the past four years. Victoria's goal is to build confidence in students by providing clear explanations and personalized strategies to ensure they succeed academically and enjoy the learning process. Whether students are solving for x or learning about cellular respiration, she is here to support and guide them every step of the way!