Sara graduated cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in just three years, earning a double major and a minor, and recently completed her Master of Science degree, graduating summa cum laude. Her strong academic background began early: she graduated high school as salutatorian, earned a 4.0 unweighted GPA, completed more than 10 AP courses, scored 4s and 5s on every AP exam, and earned a 1500 on the SAT.

With over five years of private tutoring experience, Sara works with students from early elementary through the undergraduate level. She specializes in mathematics, from foundational numeracy through Algebra, Geometry, and beyond, as well as SAT/ACT preparation, writing, Spanish, and a range of humanities and social science subjects.

Sara is especially passionate about math instruction and believes it should feel logical, creative, and empowering rather than intimidating. Her teaching philosophy centers on meeting students where they are, helping them understand the “why” behind their work, and building both conceptual mastery and independent problem-solving skills.

Barrett holds a Master’s degree in Biostatistics from the University of Toronto, where he gained valuable experience as a teaching assistant for upper-level statistics courses. He also earned a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to his academic background, Barrett scored a 34 on the ACT, giving him firsthand insight into high-level test performance.

With over two years of tutoring experience, Barrett specializes in SAT and ACT Math, Calculus, and Statistics. He has helped students raise their SAT scores from around 1000 to 1400 in just a few months, as well as guided high-performing students from the 1400s into the mid-1500s.

His teaching philosophy centers on creating a space where students are not afraid to say “I don’t know.” He believes that confusion in math often stems from fear of being wrong, so in his sessions, he works slowly and intentionally through problems until each concept fully clicks. Barrett tailors his lessons to each student’s learning style, focusing on strong fundamentals, clear problem-solving strategies, and building lasting confidence.

Mikyla is an award-winning English educator with an exceptional blend of classroom experience, academic achievement, and advanced communication training. A graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with a degree in Media and Journalism and a minor in American Studies, she is now pursuing her master’s degree at Johns Hopkins University.

Since 2022, Mikyla has taught 7th, 8th, and 9th grade English, building a reputation for strong instruction, thoughtful mentorship, and meaningful student growth. Her excellence in the classroom was recognized when she was named Teacher of the Year for the 2025 to 2026 school year.

In addition to teaching, Mikyla also works part time writing secondary English Language Arts curriculum for Fort Worth ISD, giving her deep expertise in both instruction and curriculum design. She is an outstanding choice for students seeking high-level support in writing, reading comprehension, literary analysis, and overall academic communication.

Shawn studied Biology at Davidson College, where he served in multiple peer mentorship and leadership roles. After graduating, he worked as a full-time high school Earth and Environmental Science teacher in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools before later pursuing a career at Atrium Health.

Shawn is especially strong in the natural sciences, including biology, environmental science, and chemistry, and he also works with students preparing for standardized tests such as the SAT and ACT. He completed advanced Spanish coursework at Universidad de Cádiz, which further developed his fluency and cultural understanding and helps him serve as a highly capable Spanish tutor in addition to his science and test prep work.

Shawn excels at breaking down complex material and explaining it in a way that feels clear and manageable for students. His goal is not only to help students raise their grades, but also to give them the confidence to participate more in class and approach challenging material with curiosity instead of anxiety.

John is an exceptionally strong Mandarin Chinese and Russian languages tutor with rare depth in both language instruction and real-world translation. A fluent Russian speaker, he combines advanced fluency, formal translation training, and cross-cultural communication experience to help students build both accuracy and confidence.

He has taught and tutored Russian and Mandarin Chinese in multiple settings, including serving as a Chinese Language and Culture Teaching Assistant and as a Chinese and Russian tutor at UNC Charlotte. In addition to his teaching experience, he has completed intensive Chinese study at UNC-Chapel Hill and earned a certificate in Translating Russian to English from UNC Charlotte, giving him an unusually well-rounded foundation in both language learning and language teaching.

John’s background includes translation, proofreading, interpretation support, and work with advanced Russian grammar and conversation, which allows him to support students with both practical communication and high-level language mastery. He is an outstanding choice for students seeking serious support in Russian or Mandarin Chinese from a tutor with linguistic expertise and a proven ability to teach.

Thomas trained as a writing tutor at the Sweetland Writing Center at his alma mater, the University of Michigan. Since then, he has tutored student athletes in writing and economics and worked as a literacy tutor for children ages 5 to 7. By day, he runs a software engineering consultancy. Outside of work he writes and delivers speeches and blogs about technology, software, and culture. He believes that good writing is good thinking, and he loves helping students find their voice on the page.

At the heart of his approach is a simple belief: every student has something worth saying. Thomas is passionate about helping students express themselves fully on the page, connect with their own voice, and bring the great ideas they already have inside them to the surface in a way that feels authentic, thoughtful, and compelling.

Purpose Tutoring was founded by JD Hopper, a mathematics instructor who, in addition to his tutoring practice, has taught classrooms at Charlotte Latin School, often regarded as Charlotte’s best private school.

JD graduated high school with a 4.0 unweighted GPA after completing 15 AP and dual enrollment courses and earning a 5 on every AP exam he took. That academic head start helped him graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill’s rigorous economics program in two years.

JD specializes in math tutoring from early elementary through advanced calculus. His approach is centered on meeting students where they are and helping them understand the “why” behind what they’re doing, so math feels logical and empowering, not like a random set of rules to memorize.

JD works with a large roster of students, but he continues to take on new clients as his schedule allows because his passion and mission is to help students thrive in school and in life.