Thais Menendez is an educator and creative based in Santa Monica who possesses a decade of experience working with young people. A graduate of Boston College, Thais specializes in SAT/ACT/AP, Spanish, subject tutoring, and college essay coaching. Thais is personally familiar with the demands of a rigorous college preparatory environment, having completed the IB program at Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in Miami. She credits her own well-rounded education with her personal teaching philosophy: to educate the whole person and to foster authentic relationships with her students and their families.

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A first-generation daughter of Cuban immigrants, Thais is a native Spanish speaker with a deep appreciation for culture and language. She is also conversational in French, having studied abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris. While teaching English in the south of Spain after college, Thais received certifications in TESOL and CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning). She also has extensive experience teaching Shakespeare workshops and camps to all ages and borrows from her background in theatre to create her engaging, lively teaching style. 

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In addition to her work as a mentor, Thais is an accomplished actress and yoga teacher. Drawing on her yoga experience, Thais offers mindfulness practices to her students, such as simple breath work to calm nerves before a big exam. Thais enjoys reading on the beach, baking intricate desserts, and surfing in warm waters. 

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