Tutoring & Apprenticeship
I've been working with middle and high school students for the better part of two decades as a tutor, mentor, coach, and advisor. I've seen first-hand the incredible potential that young people have to grow, learn, and make meaningful contributions to their communities — and how often that talent ends up untapped for want of individual attention.
So I offer private instruction and informal apprenticeship for middle & high school students, including homeschoolers — one-on-one or in very small groups, shaped around the student rather than a fixed curriculum or package.
What I Do
If you just need an hour or two to talk through a specific challenge or opportunity, we can do that. If you want something ongoing — weekly, bi-weekly, or a semester-long arc — we can set up a recurring schedule that works for you. Parents/guardians are part of the conversation from the start, and we'll figure out together what shape makes sense.
Some students come with a clear goal. Others just know they want more: more challenge, more direction, more time with tools and ideas they don't get at school. Either starting point is fine. We'll clarify what matters, pick something worth working on, and adjust as we go.
What This Could Look Like
These are starting points, not pre-set packages. The goal is to tailor the experience to the student's needs and interests.
Semi-Structured Classes
Want me to spend a semester doing a semi-structured programming class with your homeschooled kid? Sure. We'll pick a real project, meet regularly, and build actual software — learning to write code, leverage technology to help people, and do good, careful work along the way.
After-School Informal Apprenticeship
Got a tech enthusiast kid who wants to come hang out at my office after school and fiddle with stuff on a semi-regular basis? Absolutely. This is the informal apprenticeship version: time and space to tinker, break things, ask questions, and absorb how real technical work gets done — without grades or a rigid lesson plan. You'll be hanging out where I run my software agency, Sledgehammer Infosystems, so there's always real client work, side projects, and shop tinkering going on to dig into.
College, Career & Figuring Out Who You Are
Staring down big decisions — courses, applications, essays, what comes after graduation — and not sure which direction is actually yours? I can help with that. This is inward-looking work: getting honest about your strengths, values, and interests, and turning that self-knowledge into decisions you can stand behind. We'll cut through the noise of what you "should" want and figure out what a good next step looks like for the person you're becoming.
Leadership Training & Coaching
Already know where you're headed and want help bringing other people along? That's a different muscle. This is outward-looking work: running a project, stepping up on a team, coordinating people who don't report to you and may not even agree with you. We'll build it through real responsibility — planning work, communicating clearly, following through, and learning to be the person others can count on.
This isn't about chasing credentials or prestige. It's about intentional development tied to real work — technical and programming skills, study habits, planning, communication, leadership, and initiative, always connected to something concrete the student is actually doing.
If something here resonates with you, reach out and we'll figure out what works best for you.