Our Team
Dana
Dana, owner and CEO of Mo Prep, is a graduate of Harvey Mudd College with a B.S. in Mathematics (with a concentration in Literature). After a brief stint in the corporate world, she turned her full attention to tutoring and understanding all aspects of education, including student motivation, goals, and the science of learning. She began taking official tests in order to really understand the mentality of student test-takers, and has earned multiple perfect scores in both the SAT and the ACT.
With over a decade of experience in both academic and test prep tutoring, Dana brings her deep understanding of learning to all she creates for Mo Prep. She meets regularly with her team and is responsible for the majority of content development at Mo Prep.
Favorite Book: East of Eden
Ideal vacation spot: Tahiti
My pet’s names are…. Buffalo and Rizzo.
Jonathan
Jonathan holds his Master’s degree in Biology from the University of Colorado, Denver and his B.S. in Biology and B.A. in Chemistry from Metropolitan State University. Jonathan has served as a Chemistry and Biology Instructor across a variety of levels at both of his alma maters, supporting students in both class and lab. At Mo Prep, he works with students in high levels of Math and Science, in addition to his work with the SAT and ACT. He has also successfully tutored a number of our SAT and ACT students to large gains and perfect (or near-perfect) scores. His primary goal with students is to foster a deep level of understanding of the material, while keeping students engaged and interested in their own learning.
Favorite book: Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Pet’s names: Ralph and Nubie
Best advice I grew up with: Take a new way home, so you learn more about where you live.
Jisun
Jisun is a UC San Diego graduate with a Master's degree in Biology and an undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology. He is currently on the premedical track and is planning to apply to medical school. During his time with Mo Prep, he has tutored middle school and high school students of varying levels in academic subjects, including Science, Math, and English, and has also successfully tutored a number of our SAT and ACT students to large gains and perfect (or near-perfect) scores. He was a competitive swimmer in high school, so he also understands the importance of time management for his students. His primary goal with students is to help them acquire a solid understanding of subject matter and develop effective study habits for their future academic endeavors.
Favorite Movie: August Rush
I’m happiest when… I’m traveling with friends and family.
Best advice I grew up with: Strive for perfection but welcome failures; if you've lived a perfect life than what was the point of living.
Emily
Emily is a graduate of San Diego State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology. During college, Emily was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, which promotes academic excellence in the sciences. She is also a research volunteer at UCSD Medical Center, and is currently applying to medical school. Emily has tutored middle and high school students across a variety of ability levels in Algebra, Calculus, and English, and is one of our most requested ACT/SAT tutors. She has a passion for learning and enjoys fine-tuning her teaching style to each student.
Favorite Subject: Immunology or anything Science
With a Million Dollars I’d… clone my dog so I could have another Mr. Bubsy!
One word to describe me is… empathetic.
Minjoo
Minjoo is a UC San Diego fourth-year majoring in Human Biology. She has several years of experience tutoring students of all ages, including K-12 and up through college. She has successfully tutored students in a variety of academic subjects from middle-school mathematics to American Literature, in addition to the SAT, as well as students with a range of abilities and goals. Minjoo is passionate about engaging students and meeting them where they are, while also challenging them to reach their true potential. In her spare time, Minjoo is an avid reader and a novice cook.
Favorite Show: Selling Sunset
Bucket List Activity: Bungee Jumping
Pet’s Name: Toto
Derek
Derek is a UC San Diego graduate in Mathematics. He is interested in the teaching profession and enjoys working with students of all ranges in both the SAT and ACT in addition to high levels of mathematics. He has also scored a perfect 36 on the ACT. Derek has an upbeat personality and enjoys finding different approaches to interesting questions. His primary goal with students is to find joy in learning. During his free time, he enjoys making music.
One TV Show I can’t miss: Stranger Things
My hero is…. My mom.
Pet’s Name: Zack
Lukas
Lukas is a UC San Diego graduate with a Master's degree in Biology and an undergraduate degree in Physiology and Neuroscience. He has three years experience in education, serving as a Physics tutor and instructional assistant at UCSD and as a Writing and Language tutor for international students. He has also worked in several labs as a research assistant. Lukas really enjoys watching his students learn and master material and is known to keep his sessions high-energy and engaging.
Favorite Restaurant: Hodad’s
Ideal vacation spot: Anything with a waterfront
Before I die I want to... backpack the Pacific Coast Trail.
Ivy
Ivy is a UC San Diego graduate in Mathematics with a Masters in Education (also from UC San Diego) with several years' experience as a middle school and high school teacher in addition to many years of private tutoring. Ivy has had great success with a number of students in the SAT, ACT, SAT Math Level 2 Subject Test, and high levels of mathematics. She is able to tutor math classes up through the undergraduate college level, including Linear Algebra, Multivariable Calculus, Vector Calculus, Differential Equations, Abstract Algebra, Number Theory, Complex Analysis, Geometry, and Cryptography.
Favorite Food: Noodles (any kind!)
Most people don’t know this about me but…I had a Beta fish named Mathy in college that lived for 4+ years.
Before I die I want to… go on a backpacking trip.
Gavin
Gavin is a UC San Diego graduate with a Bachelor's in Biochemistry and Cell Biology and a Masters in Quantitative Biology. He has been developing personalized curricula and tutoring at various grade levels for over 3 years. His primary subjects include the ACT and SAT, in addition to math and science. Though flexible, his tutoring style tends to emphasize understanding the core concepts first.
Favorite Subject: Molecular Biology
Favorite Book: Official SAT Study Guide 2020 Edition
My pet’s name is… Purple Basil.