James Jarrell - NJ Tutor

Mr. James Jarrell, B.S., M.A.

Expertise: All levels of Mathematics and Physics

Mr. Jarrell earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Pure and Applied Mathematics from Montclair State University and a Master of Arts in Teaching. Mr. Jarrell is a  distinguished Calculus and Physics teacher who is sought out by students of every level. He taught at Sparta High School for over 15 years, where he revolutionized the science curriculum. Mr. Jarrell introduced a new program at Sparta, that allowed the top 25 students in eighth grade to be placed in an honors physics class their freshman year, where several achieved a perfect score on the AP Physics exam. Mr. Jarrell also started a bio-diesel project that converts vegetable oil into usable energy that can fuel a variety of things from cars to the heating system in the high school. Mr. Jarrell has taught at Mountain Lakes High School, where he continued to push the best and brightest students in AP Calculus and Physics, to achieve their goals. Mr. Jarrell opened an educational business in 2015, where he created SAT, ACT, and AP Prep courses, Test Simulations, and the Young Engineers program. Mr. Jarrell is a constant learner. He constantly works on perfecting his craft and is currently creating a series of videos and online math programs for Jarrell Education. As the owner of Jarrell Education, Mr. Jarrell continues to run the highest quality tutoring/educational business in the area.

Dr. John Hier- NJ Tutor

Dr. John Hier, B.A., M.A., D.Litt.

Expertise: All levels of English including AP, college essays, ACT & SAT Prep

  • B.A. in English Literature from William Paterson University
  • M.A. in English Literature from William Paterson University
  • D.Litt. in Literature and Psychology from Drew University

Dr. Hier is a tutor at Jarrell Education, where he is charged with the teaching of all aspects of standardized English.  Dr. Hier has served in this capacity many times over.  He has been tutoring privately for 15 years and, in addition, has worked for multiple learning centers over the course of those same 15 years.  In that time, he has provided tutoring primarily for standardized test-taking, specifically for the SAT, ACT, and the GRE.  Dr. Hier has also provided tutoring for English basic skills and the College Essay.  Such an array of experience was made possible only by way of his 25 plus years of teaching at both the secondary and university levels, where he continues to sedulously hone his skills and knowledge.

Although he has served as adjunct professor at both Passaic County Community College and Centenary College, Dr. Hier has spent the better part of his teaching career at the secondary level, teaching high school English to an extremely varied student body by way of an extremely varied curriculum.  His first full-time assignment was in 1993 at Clifton High School, which at the time boasted a student body of upwards of 4,000 students.  While there, Dr. Hier managed to instruct and interact with many of these students, teaching every grade at every competency level, thus providing him with a welcomed and well-rounded education of the teaching profession.  From there, he moved to Sparta High School, where he has been employed since 2003.  At SHS, Dr. Hier has had the good fortune to be given the freedom to craft curriculum for specialized courses designed to replicate the college experience.  Most of these courses are of an interdisciplinary nature, as revealed in such titles as Foreign Film Studies, Psychology in Literature, and English Origins & Accents.  Such pedagogical endeavors have afforded him the opportunity not only to teach new and exciting course material but also to allow him to continue the scholarly learning he so covets.

Dr. Hier has been a student longer than he has been a teacher.  His academic odyssey in higher education began at William Paterson University back in 1985, where within the first year he declared English as his desired major.  As a result of a particularly dynamic professor teaching a particularly dynamic course, he became mesmerized by the psychological dimensions of literature, which has stuck with him ever since.  Not only did he create a whole class premised upon it, but his doctoral dissertation centers on the psychological treatment of American literature of the nineteenth century.  He is currently at work revising it with the hope of seeing it soon published.

Joanna Alemany

Mrs. Alana Van Der Sluys, B.A., M.A.

Expertise: College Essays, Reading Comprehension, and SAT/ACT preparation

Mrs. Van Der Sluys is a high school English and journalism teacher in New Jersey. She has been teaching since 2012 and has experience tutoring college essays, SAT, and general reading comprehension and writing. Mrs. Van Der Sluys has a master’s degree in English education, grades 7-12,  and a bachelor’s degree in journalism, both from Iona College. She is a speaker and writer for a variety of organizations, including the National Council of Teachers of English Conference on English Leadership (NCTE CEL), Columbia Scholastic Press Association (CSPA), and the Garden State Scholastic Press Association (GSSPA). Alana is the current vice president of the GSSPA, was the 2018 recipient of their Golden Quill Award, and is the third person in the State of New Jersey to become a Master Journalism Educator (MJE) from the Journalism Education Association.
Eric Lin

Mr. Eric Lin, B.S., M.A., MBA, PhD

Expertise: Economics, math, and statistics

Eric Lin is currently a professor, and he teaches courses in business including introduction to management, human resource management, accounting, and applied innovation within defense (Hacking for Defense).  His research focuses on human capital and careers.  Dr. Lin earned his doctoral degree from Harvard Business School. He also holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, and a BS and Masters in Accountancy from Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Corinne S. Abate, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.

Expertise: College Essays/Advising, AP Literature, AP Language and Composition

For over 20 years Dr. Corey Abate has taught all levels of English in private and independent high schools in NJ. During that time she has assisted countless students with their college essays, from helping them to arrive at an essay topic, to following through with the crucial final polishing and editing stages, all while providing support and humor throughout the process. Her experience as a professor at Long Island University, Iona College, and Montclair State University has given her invaluable knowledge on what makes a college essay stand out among the rest. In addition to her expertise in the educational field, Dr. Abate is a published author. She holds a Ph.D. in British Literature from New York University with a concentration in Shakespearean Drama and is certified to teach AP Lit and AP Lang. She looks forward to bringing her expertise to Jarrell Education.

Mr. Jeff Giordano, B.A., M.A.

Expertise: College Advising, Special Education, and General Math, History, and English levels

Mr. Giordano has been a Special Education teacher at Wallkill Valley Regional High School for over a decade and is considered one of the top teachers, due to his ability to connect with students who need extra attention and support. During his career at Wallkill Valley, he has taught all levels of History and English to both general education and special education students and has tutored students in most high school subject areas since 2010.  Mr. Giordano holds two Masters degrees, one in the Arts of Teaching from William Paterson University and another in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education. Prior to entering the field of education, he received a B.A. in History and Criminal Justice from Rutgers University in 2007. During Mr. Giordano’s time in the high school, he has been fortunate to coach football and golf for many years and is currently running an after-school self-defense kickboxing club for adolescents.  He resides in Wayne with his beautiful daughter Anna.

Ms. Heather DeBel, B.A., M.F.A

Expertise: College Essays, SAT/ACT, Creative Writing

Ms. DeBel earned her B.A. in Literature and Creative Writing from Ramapo College and her M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Maryland. At UMD, Ms. DeBel taught creative and academic writing courses. Heather currently teaches classes on literature, rhetoric, creative writing, and academic writing at William Paterson University, Ramapo College, and Rutgers University. Rutgers and the University of Maryland are known internationally for their rigorous first-year writing programs and yet, Ms. DeBel‘s students continue to give her positive feedback in her course evaluations. Ms. DeBel also has experience preparing international and ELL students for difficult college writing classes. She is a published writer whose fiction has won UMD’s Jack Salamanca Thesis award, honorable mention in AWP’s Intro Journals project, first prize in New South’s 2019 fiction contest, second prize in Salamander’s 2018 fiction contest and has been published in ContraryThe Masters Review: Emerging Voices, among others. Ms. DeBel has been teaching students to improve their writing, both creative and academic, since her tutoring days as an undergraduate at Ramapo College. She continues to work with students inside and outside of the classroom so that they might become more prepared for their college careers and beyond.

Angela Trizcinski - NJ Tutor

Mr. Jason Ellrott, B.A., M.F.A

Expertise: College Essays, SAT/ACT Prep, AP Literature, AP Language and Composition

Mr. Ellrott holds a B.A. in English from SUNY Albany, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Bard College, and has completed all of his course work in the Drew University, Doctor of Letters program.  He has been teaching high school English for 20 years and as a teacher of upperclassmen at Madison High School, he spends a good portion of each fall and winter working with students on their college essays. Getting to hear each student’s story and being able to help him/her hone it into a fine piece of writing is always a rewarding experience for Mr. Ellrott.  He has also helped students successfully prepare for the SATs, ACTs, and GREs for over 15 years now and has an intimate knowledge of the content and structure of each test. Because Mr. Ellrott has taught students of every skill level, he knows the best strategies and approaches for every student, and enjoys helping students achieve their score goals. Outside of teaching, Mr. Ellrott enjoys spending time with his wife, two daughters, and his dogs.  

Andrew Bayliss

Mr. Andrew Bayliss, B.A., M.A.

Expertise: All levels of mathematics

Mr. Bayliss is a graduate of Rutgers University, where he obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and a Master’s degree in Education.  After graduation, he spent two years as an assistant English Teacher in Japan. Upon returning from Japan, he was fortunate to get a job at Sparta High School where he has been teaching mathematics for the last 16 years. Mr. Jarrell and Mr. Bayliss spent years teaching and collaborating together at Sparta High School. He is one of Jarrell Education’s go to math tutors for the high-level math courses. Mr. Bayliss has taught everything from Algebra 1 through BC Calculus.  For the last three years, he has also been teaching Micro and Macro Economics.

Rosie Bayliss

Mrs. Rosie Bayliss, B.A., M.A. 

Expertise: Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra 2, Pre-Algebra

Mrs. Bayliss is a graduate of both Berea College and Christopher Newport University.  She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Teaching Mathematics at Berea College and a Master of Arts in Teaching at Christopher Newport University.  Mrs. Bayliss also holds a New Jersey Mathematics Supervisor Certificate and conducts Mathematics Education Professional Development for AMTNJ and NJEA Associations.  Mrs. Bayliss has been teaching Mathematics for over 20 years and her specialty is in Geometry.  She has worked for Sparta Township Schools since 2004 where she has collaborated with both Mr. Bayliss (her husband) and Mr. Jarrell.  Mrs. Bayliss currently teaches Honors Geometry, Honors Algebra 2, and Pre-Algebra in Sparta

Mrs. Molly Scholl

Mrs. Molly Scholl, B.S., M.A.

Expertise: Chemistry (all levels), Physics (college preparatory)  

Mrs. Scholl is a passionate chemistry teacher and an experienced tutor. She started her teaching career at New Providence High School where she taught all levels of chemistry (including AP) as well as college preparatory physics. After seven years she moved back to Sussex County where she was born and raised and got a job at Sparta High School. She is a teacher who loves science and is ready to share her passion with others. Developing creative analogies and easy processes to approach difficult problems are a few of her specialties. She is ready to share her love of learning and her helpful tips and tricks.
Mrs. Scholl was enrolled in the New Jersey Center for Science Technology and Mathematics at Kean University. Through this 5 year program, she earned her B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in physics and a M.A in Instruction and Curriculum.
Mr. Peter Scholl

Mr. Peter Scholl, B.S., M.S.

Expertise: Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Calculus (all levels)

Mr. Scholl is a very well rounded and experienced mathematics teacher and tutor. He started his career teaching 8th-grade mathematics, Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry at Deerfield School in Mountainside NJ. After four years he moved back to Sussex County where he was born and raised and got a job at Lenape Valley Regional High School. At Lenape, Mr. Scholl’s repertoire grew to include AP Calculus AB as well as AP Calculus BC. With a deep understanding of the scope and sequence of mathematics courses, he is ready to share his knowledge and help others succeed.
Mr. Scholl was enrolled in the New Jersey Center for Science Technology and Mathematics at Kean University. Through this 5 year program, he earned her B.S. in Mathematics and a M.A in Instruction and Curriculum.  He has also recently received his Mathematics Supervisors License through Centenary University.
Mrs. Christiane Wessels

Mrs. Danielle Kay, B.A., M.A.

Expertise: SAT/ACT Prep, College Essays

Mrs. Kay has been an English teacher at Mt. Olive High School for fifteen years. Prior to that, she taught at West Milford High School, NJ and Northampton County High School East in North Carolina. She has a certification in reading instruction and is working on her ESL certification. Mrs. Kay currently teaches English IV College Prep, English IV Honors, and a memoir writing class. She also has ten years of experience in SAT prep tutoring and college admissions coaching. One of her favorite things is helping students perfect their college admissions essays. In addition to teaching English at MOHS, Mrs. Kay is also the co-advisor for the class of 2019 and the adviser for the school’s Gay-Straight Alliance.  She’s a dedicated and enthusiastic educator who hopes to help all students achieve their personal best.

Mrs. Christiane Wessels

Mrs. Christiane Wessels, M.A. Ed

Expertise: German All levels, including Honors and AP, and French, Levels 1, 2, 3

Mrs. Wessels, a native speaker of German, with near-native fluency in French, was born and raised in Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany. She studied Intercultural Education, German and Romance Languages at the University of Wuppertal, Germany where she received her M.A.Ed.

Mrs. Wessels holds teaching certifications for both, German and French, and inspires and pushes her students to succeed in language learning. She is a long time colleague of Mr. Jarrell’s and has been successfully teaching all levels of German, including Honors and AP at Sparta HS since 2001. She has also spent many summers in France with her French husband’s family and friends, perfecting her French language skills and appreciation of francophone culture.

Mrs. Wessels previously taught German and French at County College of Morris. She offers a wealth of experience in regards to learning and teaching languages as well as to exploring and adapting to life in another country.

Mr. Serge Wessels,  M.A. BUGHS Wuppertal (Germany)

Expertise: All levels of French from beginners to AP

Mr. Wessels is a French native speaker who was born and grew up 10 miles south of Paris. In High School, he focused his studies on languages, English, German, Spanish, basic Chinese and a lot of French. Mr. Wessels later moved to Germany where he worked and studied. This is where he obtained an M.A. in French and German linguistics from the University of Wuppertal in Germany. This is also where he met his wife and where his first son was born. Mr. Wessels and Mr. Jarrell worked together for many years at Sparta High School. He is currently teaching French at Sparta High School and is experienced with all levels, including many years of teaching the AP French.

Previously Mr. Wessels taught French in Europe in private school settings for students of all ages as well as in the US at the County College of Morris (CCM) and for the Parsippany Troy Hills Schools District (PHS and PHHS). Before teaching, he worked for a translation software company in the US, which makes him particularly knowledgeable in the advantages and shortcomings of translation systems.

Mr. Wessels strives to get the best out of his students in a challenging and nurturing environment, where students should feel welcomed and comfortable to learn and to improve. His longtime experience at teaching all levels of French in various settings enables him to recognize and understand the challenges his students face and to help them improve their skills and enhance their knowledge of the language.

Mr. Wessels teaching philosophy is based on the premise that learning another language is opening new doors and accessing different cultures. He practiced his philosophy while traveling to and living in various countries, before settling down in the US.

In the rare moments, when Mr. Wessels is not busy with schoolwork, he enjoys spending time with his family, his two big dogs, woodworking, gardening, working on various projects and spending time on the computer a.o. to learn new programming languages.

Howard McKenzie

Mr. Howard McKenzie, B.A., M.A. 

Expertise: Algebra, Geometry, Pre-Calculus, SAT/ACT, SSAT, ISEE

Mr. Mckenzie has been a teacher of mathematics on various levels of the educational spectrum for over 30 years. For the past 12 years, he has been with Hoboken School District. Mr. McKenzie is a supervisor, math coach, member of the Response To Invention Team, and an integral part of the curriculum writing team in the school district. Mr. McKenzie has been an Adjunct Professor for the Math Department at County College of Morris since 2006. He has taught a myriad of college courses from remedial Algebra to Pre-calculus. For the past fifteen years, Mr. McKenzie has also worked as an online reader/leader for a number of programs associated with Pearson and Educational Testing Services. From state exams in Texas to California, Mr. McKenzie has worked on scoring a number of mathematics exams that has deepened his understanding of math pedagogy.

Mr. McKenzie is a proud graduate of Iona College in New Rochelle, where he received his bachelor’s degree in Mathematics Education. He also received his master’s degree in Mathematics Education from Villanova University, along with a masters degree from NYU in School Administration.

Mr. William Indek, B.A., M.A.

Expertise: College Advisor

Mr. Indek received a B.A. and M.A. from Syracuse University in Social Studies and Guidance. He has 36 years of experience as a high school guidance counselor and Department Chairperson at Glen Ridge High School. While visiting over 560 colleges and universities, he has met with admissions personnel as well as students and faculty, making him well prepared to help high school juniors and seniors navigate the college selection and admission process. Mr. Indek is a member of the College Board as well as H.E.S.A.A. His expertise has been used for various articles printed in the New York Times. He has coordinated College Fairs and served as a Student Advisor at the Mid-Atlantic College Fair in Edison, NJ, where over 300 colleges and universities were present. Mr. Indek is an active member of the NJ Association of College Admissions Counselor Association as well as the Essex County Guidance Association. He is also Past President and College Trip Advisor for the Essex County Guidance Association and Supervisors Association. Mr. Indek also presents workshops for parent and student groups on the College Admissions process- including writing the essay, interview techniques, procedures, uses of standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT, and financial aid. Mr. Indek provides researched reports on 20 colleges that match the student in terms of interests, major, size of the school, cost, etc. He also helps with strategies to improve chances at acceptance, as well as critiques application materials for the student and gives guidance on how to maximize the benefits of the college visit. One of Mr. Indek’s many achievements includes being named teacher of the Year and being elected to the Athletic Hall of Fame as a track Coach at  Glen Ridge H.S.

Kyle Antonowich - NJ Tutor

Mr. Kyle Fitzsimmons, B.S., M.S.

Expertise: All levels of math

Mr. Fitzsimmons graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a bachelor’s in mathematics and engineering mechanics.  he went on to earn a master’s degree in pure and applied mathematics from Montclair State University. While working on his master’s, Mr. Fitzsimmons spent a few years working in the software development industry, before returning to academics, teaching math to high school and college students.  In addition to his teaching experience, Mr. Fitzsimmons has prior tutoring experience that mostly focused on the early high school level. He enjoys how math is almost like a game, where you can choose an initial set of rules, and you have the power and freedom to explore what happens as a result.

Kyle Antonowich - NJ Tutor

Mr. Kyle Antonowich, A.S., B.S.

Expertise: STEM and Engineering

Mr. Antonowich graduated from Rutgers School of Engineering with a degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and is currently working as a Mechanical Engineer at Catbridge Machinery in Montville NJ. On top of his Engineering background, Mr. Antonowich is also the head coach of the Pope John XXIII High School Varsity Robotics Team. He has been tutoring math and science since 2012 and currently specializes in SAT and ACT test prep. Outside of work, Mr. Antonowich has numerous hobbies to keep him busy; from building and flying FPV racing drones, competing in time trials with his track car and photography, to playing guitar and producing animation and video game scores for college students in digital arts programs.

As a content creator for Jarrell Education’s M.E.C. Academy, Mr. Antonowich’s goal is to never lose his sense of wonder for the world we live in. He is sympathetic towards those who say they are bored or complain that there is nothing to do. The world is an amazing place and we are lucky enough to live in a day and age where there is almost limitless knowledge at our fingertips. M.E.C. Academy is a program designed for the digital age, where age no longer correlates intelligence, and knowledge is no longer bound by the ivory walls of old.

Charles Dobbs

Mr. Charles Dobbs, B.A., M.B.A., M.S.

Expertise: SAT, ACT, Statistics, All levels of Mathematics

Mr. Dobbs is a lifelong learner, with a passion for math, music, and science. After graduating with a bachelors in Music from the University of Arizona, Mr. Dobbs continued his secondary education by pursuing a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Finance at Indiana University. Upon graduating with two masters degrees from Indiana University, Mr. Dobbs worked for several years in finance for companies such as Toys R Us and Raytheon Missile Systems.  During this time, he also worked with students as a private tutor and teaching SAT and ACT courses.  He now works as a manager of business intelligence for Verizon Wireless and brings that passion for analytics and math to Jarrell Education as a tutor.  Mr. Dobbs has practical expertise in all levels of high school math, and many areas of advanced math (including calculus, linear algebra, and statistics), and can usually answer the question “where will I ever use this” with a solid real-world example.  Mr. Dobbs is currently pursuing his fourth degree in Computer Science at Thomas Edison State University. In his spare time, Mr. Dobbs also enjoys spending time with his wife and son, playing games, and playing rugby.