Sam grew up in Santa Cruz, CA, where he first worked as a math tutor at the age of 16. (The student was a referral from his father, a math tutor). After graduating from UCLA, Sam served as a political fundraiser, a private English teacher in Spain, and a leader of enrichment learning programs in New York. In 2013, Sam completed his graduate studies in out-of-school learning and adolescent development at Lesley University, and returned home to California.

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Sam comes to ESM with nearly a decade of experience supporting Bay Area students in all aspects of their education. Sam loves working one-on-one with young people to help them achieve their goals, whether the task at hand involves academic concepts, test-taking strategies, or organization and self-advocacy. To Sam, the most important–and rewarding–part of being an effective mentor is being curious about your students and getting to know them as unique individuals.

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Aside from education, soccer has been a major part of Sam’s life longer than any other endeavor. Highlights of Sam’s 30-year career as a player and fan have included being coached by all-time great Johann Cruyff, attending the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and teaching a class on the geography of soccer. Sam’s other interests include reading comic books in Spanish, disc golf, sending his brother funny memes, and spending time with his wife and son.