Who is Coach Aimee?

My origin story? 

I'm really out here fighting for justice. 

I've taught high school English long enough to realize that students need solutions outside of the classroom to "shore up" their skills. For 26 school years, I've felt the anxiety that a blinking cursor on a blank screen causes my students. I sense their reluctance to open a book, knowing the labyrinthine pattern of shapes and lines feels like an inescapable maze to them. There's a palpable panic when the pencil eraser smudges that answer on the bubble sheet after feeling like the other answer was better.  The absolute conundrum they find themselves in about how to carve out their identity in a college application essay.  

Students cannot always get what they need in a school setting, be it due to a lack of knowledge about how to navigate their needs, a lack of rapport with the experts available to them, or even the lack of experts available, sadly. When I saw bright kids struggling with these high-stakes tests and essays, I knew I had to take my fight to the streets. Aside from helping my own students, I have decided to branch out by starting my own business. 

Enter Shore Up Academics!I bet you might be wondering: what did Coach Aimee get on her 1991 SAT? Well, I definitely didn't do as well as I could have if I had more knowledge about the test. 

How did I get that knowledge to start my business? In 2015, I was presented with the opportunity of teaching an SAT® English course at my school, and I threw myself back in my 1991 Doc Martens (not literally, even though they're the only thing from high school that still fits) and recalled my strategy. 

What was available back then? No Internet for me! No money either, so those expensive test prep companies were out of reach. Instead, I turned to physical media that did not even circulate in the library. Anything available actually wasn't: it stayed at the reference desk. Big, chunky books were available at the bookstore in the mall (do you know what either of those things is?), but I couldn't afford any with my paltry babysitting cash. I had not set aflame the myriad lists of vocabulary words my English teachers had tortured me with (thankfully). Up in the old brainbox, I had all the grammar I had absorbed from being a reader (and also being tortured by those aforementioned English teachers). 

I set out to get to know my old foe so you can slay your foe. Here I am: poised for action! Whether it is the SAT®, ACT®, or PSAT®, I can guide you through your prep. Once I honed my skills on those, I got a few requests for other tests to help young adults in college enter the teaching profession (Praxis Core®). I also offer general reading and writing enrichment and instruction, summer work guidance, English academic tutoring, AP® Lang and Comp tutoring, and college essay consultation. Let me help you navigate these obstacles to your success or provide you with enrichment. My years of experience and professional development inform my practice. 

Have any requests? I'm open to expanding even further. If you need it, and I can learn it, I can help! Need math or science help? I have connections!! 

If you think I can help, please reach out via email or social media. Click for rates.