Our Team
Founders
Joshua Heller
Educator | Curriculum | Operations
I graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brandeis University with a B.S. in Physics and minors in Mathematics and Philosophy. During this time, I worked in the high-energy physics lab performing research for the CERN particle collider and LZ dark matter detector. After college, I spent several years in Pittsburgh, PA as a private tutor and as Director of Operations at a test prep and college counseling company.
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Course-specific tutoring, standardized test prep, and general academic support all fall under my umbrella of competency. I work with students from elementary school through college at all levels of achievement. I am experienced with teaching to a diverse array of learning differences, including ADHD, OCD, anxiety, sensory disorders, and autism. I achieved perfect scores on the ACT (36) and SAT (1600).​ The wellbeing of our students is my constant priority, and I am committed to supporting each student and family with tenacity and optimism.
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In my free time, I am an artisan bread baker, aspiring woodworker, and enthusiastic rock climber. Like my students today, I am well-acquainted with the challenges of balancing academic responsibilities with social and personal ambitions. Tension between the momentum towards a brainy physics career and a desire for meaningful interpersonal service was a steady theme throughout my student years. During this time, my concerted hope was to find a role that unified the intellectual and relational sides of life. When I graduated college, I turned down offers for jobs in research and engineering in favor of tutoring. Since then, the moments I have shared with many wonderful students have resolved any uncertainty about my vocation as a teacher.
Zoe Heller
Educator | Onboarding | Outreach
I graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Brandeis University with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Anthropology, and a minor in Education Studies. For almost a decade I have worked as a teacher and researcher at all levels of the education system, from daycare to college. My experience has taught me that the role of an educator is to help a student weave together what they already know, what they see on their own, and what they’re taught to create a workable image of how the world runs and functions. The competence and knowledge a student gains in our time together can transcend the classroom, particularly when we focus on necessary skills, such as language learning and personal storytelling.
I also serve as a Lead Educator and Hebrew Teacher at Camp Tawonga’s Bay Area B* Mitzvah program.
Living in Israel, Philadelphia, Boston, Copenhagen, Pittsburgh (PA), and now the California Bay Area exposed me to various pedagogical values and methods. These observations have led me to become uniquely passionate about education’s power to scaffold a child’s life into one full of curiosity, love of learning, and tangible abilities. A student’s interest in learning is piqued when they understand the significance and practicality of what they are taught in the classroom.
When not working, I am cooking soups and stews, writing novels, and traveling. Creating and partaking in community gatherings bring me joy and meaning.
Jessica Kuzy
Marketing Coordinator
I graduated from Penn State University Smeal College of Business with a Bachelor of Science in Marketing and a minor in Sociology. With a passion for storytelling and creativity, I bring an engaging and strategic approach to marketing projects. My favorite thing about marketing is the ability to bring a brand’s story to life and influence how consumers perceive it.
With experience in social media marketing in various roles that involve content creation and brand communication, I understand that effective marketing revolves around the consumer. At Spokes on a Wheel we prioritize making personalized solutions that work best for students and their families. Our services and tutoring approach has been crafted to fit the needs of our students.
I have learned through my academic and professional experiences that creating personalized solutions that are tailored to fit the needs of the individual resonate the most with the target audience.
In my free time, I enjoy going for walks outside, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.