Meet our Team of Instructors & Tutors
Elizabeth Sotiropoulos
I'm the owner and one of the full-time instructors of Empowered Learning.
I have been tutoring since I was in high school. After I graduated from Centennial High School, I studied Molecular & Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois, and I graduated with distinction due to my original research and high GPA. As a college student, I took many courses in biology, chemistry, physics, math, and more, along with completing senior research in the Gillette Clockworks Lab, where I studied the effect of light on the protein cascade that controls the internal clock of mice (in other words, how do mice regulate their eating and sleeping patterns when they live in darkness?) I was in both the Centennial marching band as a clarinetist and a drum major, and then the Marching Illini where I again played clarinet. I have a teaching certification in EFL. Education is my passion. In the Spring of 2017, I was the lead organizer for the March for Science: Champaign-Urbana. I don't just want to teach math and science - I want to be a leader in the movement for making math and science accessible to everyone.
I am a community advocate for equity in education - in addition to my volunteer work, I serve as a board member for a local public school district. My passion is for racial and education justice in our public schools - I believe our current education system is deeply flawed and it doesn't serve most students well. I am working hard to fight for schools that provide all of our students, regardless of race, gender, or neighborhood, with a free, high-quality public education.
I have 16 years of tutoring experience, 11 of which have been full-time tutoring. I've worked with several thousand students of all different ages, backgrounds, and academic abilities. In high school, I wasn't the student who knew all the answers right away. Math was never easy for me and I had to work pretty hard to do well in nearly every math course. I understand why so many students struggle in math, as well as science, and because of my own experience, I can relate to the frustration and anxiety many students feel when it comes to homework and tests.
I have always loved learning, and though I did pretty well in high school and college, I'll be the first to confess that learning in a classroom was very difficult for me. I always wanted to go at my own pace, which often meant finding subjects I was interested in and teaching myself. One of the ways I continuously strive to make Empowered Learning better is to work with tutors myself -- I both manage our tutors and help them learn how to work with students even better, and I also continue learning new subjects on my own and work with tutors from different cities. This way, I never lose touch with what it's like to be a student.
I have been tutoring since I was in high school. After I graduated from Centennial High School, I studied Molecular & Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois, and I graduated with distinction due to my original research and high GPA. As a college student, I took many courses in biology, chemistry, physics, math, and more, along with completing senior research in the Gillette Clockworks Lab, where I studied the effect of light on the protein cascade that controls the internal clock of mice (in other words, how do mice regulate their eating and sleeping patterns when they live in darkness?) I was in both the Centennial marching band as a clarinetist and a drum major, and then the Marching Illini where I again played clarinet. I have a teaching certification in EFL. Education is my passion. In the Spring of 2017, I was the lead organizer for the March for Science: Champaign-Urbana. I don't just want to teach math and science - I want to be a leader in the movement for making math and science accessible to everyone.
I am a community advocate for equity in education - in addition to my volunteer work, I serve as a board member for a local public school district. My passion is for racial and education justice in our public schools - I believe our current education system is deeply flawed and it doesn't serve most students well. I am working hard to fight for schools that provide all of our students, regardless of race, gender, or neighborhood, with a free, high-quality public education.
I have 16 years of tutoring experience, 11 of which have been full-time tutoring. I've worked with several thousand students of all different ages, backgrounds, and academic abilities. In high school, I wasn't the student who knew all the answers right away. Math was never easy for me and I had to work pretty hard to do well in nearly every math course. I understand why so many students struggle in math, as well as science, and because of my own experience, I can relate to the frustration and anxiety many students feel when it comes to homework and tests.
I have always loved learning, and though I did pretty well in high school and college, I'll be the first to confess that learning in a classroom was very difficult for me. I always wanted to go at my own pace, which often meant finding subjects I was interested in and teaching myself. One of the ways I continuously strive to make Empowered Learning better is to work with tutors myself -- I both manage our tutors and help them learn how to work with students even better, and I also continue learning new subjects on my own and work with tutors from different cities. This way, I never lose touch with what it's like to be a student.
Elizabeth specializes in middle school math all the way through calculus II, high school and advanced college biology, high school physics, high school chemistry, and essay writing. She created Empowered Learning in August 2010.
Taso Sotiropoulos
I am the co-owner and a full-time tutor of Empowered Learning. I am also the Test Prep director. I have been teaching privately for 10 years. I studied Chemistry and Music Composition at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. I am also a certified EFL teacher.
I work primarily with students who are preparing for the ACT, SAT, and SSAT, and I also work with students who need help in their math classes. I really enjoy tutoring students for the ACT, SAT, and SSAT because these tests are a huge deal. How well a student does will determine where they'll go to college, what they'll major in, and ultimately, what career they'll have some day. Helping students with these high stakes tests is challenging and extremely rewarding. I love helping students find strategies that will work for them - my job is to help them reach their full potential.
I like running, watching and playing soccer, basketball, and a lot of other sports. I also play piano. I speak English, Greek and a little Spanish. My wife, Elizabeth, and I have two young children.
I think I have the best job in the world because I work with some of the best kids and young adults in the world. I always look forward to meeting new students.
I work primarily with students who are preparing for the ACT, SAT, and SSAT, and I also work with students who need help in their math classes. I really enjoy tutoring students for the ACT, SAT, and SSAT because these tests are a huge deal. How well a student does will determine where they'll go to college, what they'll major in, and ultimately, what career they'll have some day. Helping students with these high stakes tests is challenging and extremely rewarding. I love helping students find strategies that will work for them - my job is to help them reach their full potential.
I like running, watching and playing soccer, basketball, and a lot of other sports. I also play piano. I speak English, Greek and a little Spanish. My wife, Elizabeth, and I have two young children.
I think I have the best job in the world because I work with some of the best kids and young adults in the world. I always look forward to meeting new students.
Taso is our Test Prep Director. He primarily helps students prepare for the ACT and SAT. He has been with Empowered Learning since August 2011.
Sam Shaw
My passion for teaching and educating others goes as far back as I can remember. Throughout my years at school, I was always a student that others would approach if they did not understand a topic or wanted to know more about it. This was due to my patience and genuine desire to help them do better and improve themselves. This is how my relationship with many of my closest friends began.
While I knew that I wanted to be involved in helping others and making the future better, I entered the University of Illinois unsure of how to best do this. After a variety of experiences in both engineering and education, I decided that receiving my teaching certification would be the best way to allow me to help others in the future. My certification endorses me in all of the high school sciences: chemistry, physics, biology, earth science, and environmental science. I also have several years of experience working as a professional math tutor on material ranging from basic addition to calculus ll.
In my spare time, I enjoy playing soccer. I enjoy working as a team to accomplish our goals and watching the team grow over time as we improve both our individual skills and our ability to work with each other. I coach soccer in my free time as another way for me to help students live a balanced life and hopefully find something they can be passionate about.
I want to use my time here at Empowered Learning to help students improve themselves in both the classroom and beyond. I believe that learning is a lifelong endeavor that rewards us as we turn every corner. I am excited to be able to work one on one with students in order to best address their needs and help them begin to see how awesome learning can be.
While I knew that I wanted to be involved in helping others and making the future better, I entered the University of Illinois unsure of how to best do this. After a variety of experiences in both engineering and education, I decided that receiving my teaching certification would be the best way to allow me to help others in the future. My certification endorses me in all of the high school sciences: chemistry, physics, biology, earth science, and environmental science. I also have several years of experience working as a professional math tutor on material ranging from basic addition to calculus ll.
In my spare time, I enjoy playing soccer. I enjoy working as a team to accomplish our goals and watching the team grow over time as we improve both our individual skills and our ability to work with each other. I coach soccer in my free time as another way for me to help students live a balanced life and hopefully find something they can be passionate about.
I want to use my time here at Empowered Learning to help students improve themselves in both the classroom and beyond. I believe that learning is a lifelong endeavor that rewards us as we turn every corner. I am excited to be able to work one on one with students in order to best address their needs and help them begin to see how awesome learning can be.
Sam is a certified science teacher and he specializes in all levels of math through calculus II, physics, and high school chemistry. He has been with Empowered Learning since May 2018.
Charlotte G
Charlotte G is a part-time instructor tutor of math, biology, and introductory physics at Empowered Learning. She has studied integrative biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Charlotte has always wanted to become a classroom biology teacher because she loves learning and teaching: she finds it personally rewarding when she can help students finally understand a difficult concept.
Charlotte was previously a camp instructor at the Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab, where she instructed students ages 8-13 in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics through the use of hands-on activities and digital fabrication. These methods help students explore complex subjects in new and creative ways.
In addition to teaching, Charlotte she has worked in the community doing LGBTQ+ activism through Makerspace Urbana as well as the UP Center of Champaign County, specifically focusing on the rights of transgender peoples and youth. Using the fun of makerspace- style activities, she has helped bring LGBTQ+ awareness to the greater CU community in style.
When not teaching or doing community work, Charlotte can often be found admiring the flora and fauna of Champaign County, along with the many wonderful insect pollinators that do their finest work outside of her home. Her favorite local insect is Sphex pensylvanicus, the Great Black Wasp. Outside of pursuing her love of entomology, she can be found playing D&D with her friends, and occasionally gaming on her custom-built PC.
Charlotte teaches on Monday, Wednesday and Sundays late afternoons and evenings.
Charlotte was previously a camp instructor at the Champaign-Urbana Community Fab Lab, where she instructed students ages 8-13 in science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics through the use of hands-on activities and digital fabrication. These methods help students explore complex subjects in new and creative ways.
In addition to teaching, Charlotte she has worked in the community doing LGBTQ+ activism through Makerspace Urbana as well as the UP Center of Champaign County, specifically focusing on the rights of transgender peoples and youth. Using the fun of makerspace- style activities, she has helped bring LGBTQ+ awareness to the greater CU community in style.
When not teaching or doing community work, Charlotte can often be found admiring the flora and fauna of Champaign County, along with the many wonderful insect pollinators that do their finest work outside of her home. Her favorite local insect is Sphex pensylvanicus, the Great Black Wasp. Outside of pursuing her love of entomology, she can be found playing D&D with her friends, and occasionally gaming on her custom-built PC.
Charlotte teaches on Monday, Wednesday and Sundays late afternoons and evenings.
Charlotte specializes in all levels of math through calculus I, intro physics, and all levels of biology. She has been with Empowered Learning since August 2019.
Aneri Patel
I went to Centennial High School and am currently attending UIC as a Neuroscience and Philosophy double major. I am enrolled in the Honors college and also plan to pursue the Pre-Med track. I've always had the curious nature of wanting to relate sciences to the humanities, so the way I think and learn has allowed me to appreciate the significance of both sides. Plus, who doesn't love to do some philosophical thinking from time to time?
As a student, while studying on my own has been a non-stop endeavor, teaching other students the material I have already learned has been a crucial part to my understanding of the newer concepts I'm learning. On top of that, teaching as a student allows me to convey information to the other student in a way that may be more understandable for the both of us.
Philosophy has been an important addition to my life. While I love the sciences - biology, chemistry, physics - you name it, I always felt a little unfulfilled with just memorizing material, or just "knowing" how to do a problem. Philosophy has given me the chance to take my curiosity of many subjects and be able to mindfully relate these subjects to the real world. It helps me understand the problems, ethics, and moral considerations that are an inseparable part of science as APPLIED to the real world. This, to me, is an important part of our every day lives.
When I'm not using my mind to contemplate the ethics of one science experiment or another, I turn to my beloved journal and pen to write out poems and stories, letting my mind and heart do the writing. Other times, I turn to my game console - because, well, Smash and the Pokemon Games while face-timing my friends is a great bonding experience for me (while we are confined to our homes, of course)
I look forward to helping middle and high school students develop their love of learning and thinking this summer!
As a student, while studying on my own has been a non-stop endeavor, teaching other students the material I have already learned has been a crucial part to my understanding of the newer concepts I'm learning. On top of that, teaching as a student allows me to convey information to the other student in a way that may be more understandable for the both of us.
Philosophy has been an important addition to my life. While I love the sciences - biology, chemistry, physics - you name it, I always felt a little unfulfilled with just memorizing material, or just "knowing" how to do a problem. Philosophy has given me the chance to take my curiosity of many subjects and be able to mindfully relate these subjects to the real world. It helps me understand the problems, ethics, and moral considerations that are an inseparable part of science as APPLIED to the real world. This, to me, is an important part of our every day lives.
When I'm not using my mind to contemplate the ethics of one science experiment or another, I turn to my beloved journal and pen to write out poems and stories, letting my mind and heart do the writing. Other times, I turn to my game console - because, well, Smash and the Pokemon Games while face-timing my friends is a great bonding experience for me (while we are confined to our homes, of course)
I look forward to helping middle and high school students develop their love of learning and thinking this summer!
Aneri is a former student of Empowered Learning (she worked with Taso, Elizabeth, and Sam; she's one of our most accomplished former students!) and she joined our team in Summer 2020. She specializes in pre-algebra, algebra, calculus, intro physics, and all levels of biology.
Want to see your face on this page?
If you have the gift of teaching math and science, apply to join our team!
