PrepNow Tutor - TieuAnh P.
TieuAnh is an adventurous, curious, and self-motivated individual who enjoys combining outdoor exploration with problem-solving and learning. She balances an active lifestyle—through beach volleyball, biking, camping, and kayaking—with a strong analytical side rooted in puzzles, mechanical tinkering, and tutoring. TieuAnh has always been academically driven. As a high school student, she received a scholarship from the governor’s office for her academic achievements. In college, she was chosen to participate in the honors program—a seat reserved for academically gifted students. TieuAnh attended the University of Georgia where she earned a bachelor’s in chemistry. Upon graduation, she worked as a pharmacy technician. She then transitioned to the Emergency Response Branch of the Centers for Disease Control.
TieuAnh has been a tutor since 2009. She has provided both group and one-on-one tutoring. As a tutor her primary topics are English and mathematics in addition to SAT, ACT, and ASVAB test prep. She has also taught AP calculus and chemistry. Recently, she began working with underserved elementary and middle school students, teaching reading and math.
“My tutoring style is student-centered, structured, and adaptable,” TieuAnh says. She focuses on meeting students where they are academically, “first identifying gaps in understanding and then building concepts step by step.” She avoids passive memorization and instead emphasizes “clarity, practical examples, and active engagement.” Once she understands who her student is and how they learn, she uses that to guide her. “I adjust my approach based on how each student learns best—whether that’s through visuals, discussion, practice problems, or real-world applications.”
Often, students can feel overwhelmed or discouraged by the material. As such, she’s “found that students learn best when they feel supported, understood, and confident enough to ask questions.” “By breaking down complex topics and reinforcing foundational concepts, students gain both comprehension and confidence.” Most importantly, TieuAnh has found that no two students learn in exactly the same way, so effective tutoring requires adaptability and flexibility.
“Learning is most effective when students understand the ‘why’ behind a concept, not just the steps to reach an answer. I also believe that mistakes are a critical part of learning, and creating a low-pressure environment encourages curiosity and growth,” TieuAnh explains. “Ultimately, my goal is not just to help students succeed in the moment, but to help them develop problem-solving skills and confidence they can apply independently in the future.”
Outside the classroom, TieuAnh likes to be, well, outside. She backpacked through Mexico for three months, camping near Mayan pyramids, in rainforests, and on the beaches of Oaxaca. She enjoys wilderness camping and in summer will sometimes set up a mobile hotspot so she can continue tutoring while staying in a remote location. She loves to explore the north Georgia mountains, spending time in streams and creeks. She recently added kayaking to her outdoor toolkit and she has subsequently planned additional kayak-based camping trips.
In high school, TieuAnh competed in the regional and state tennis finals. She also played soccer and was a member of the art club. In college, she joined the women’s ping pong team and Army ROTC. In the ROTC program, she got to rappel from the journalism building! She also exercises her mind with various puzzles and problem-solving challenges. Even her truck and moped are puzzles to be tinkered with. Her primary passion both in college and now is beach volleyball.
