Certified Coach Profiles

 

Allison DeMarco

• Junior at Iona College
• Speech Pathology and Audiology Major
• "I work at Gemm Learning because I want to have an impact on children's lives and provide Westchester reading help to make them successful. I use sticker charts and Progress Tracker to show my students their progress.  I have seen now over and over again how much this program can help my kids do better in school."
• "As an alternative to New York and Connecticut tutoring, I am proud of the opportunity we are providing for struggling readers around here."

Joseph Feichtl

• Sophomore at Manhattanville College
• Psychology Major
• "I am a Gemm coach interested in Westchester tutoring because I like working with young kids. It is fun to work with children and watch how much they truly learn from participating in this program. When (one of my student's parents) explained her son's tremendous grade increase in school and her attribution to my help and motivation as a coach, it made my effort worthwhile."
• "Gemm Learning really helps students and changes their learning experience."

Angelika Wilk

• Sophomore at Iona College
• Psychology Major
• "I am a Gemm Learning coach because I love helping students and working with children. It is so exciting to see how happy my students get when they see results and attain high scores in their exercises."
• "I love building a relationship with the students. I feel like they really look up to me and as a Gemm Learning coach, I have the power to create a positive experience that will turn the child on to school."

Joan Paciello

• Junior at Iona College
• Secondary Education Major/English Minor
• "I work for Gemm Learning because the program they offer related to what I am studying in school."
• "I love being a coach because it is fun to motivate the kids. As I coach, I see first hand how the program makes improvements over time. It is nice to make a difference in their lives, especially in the fun, unique way that Gemm Learning provides."
• "One of the students I work with recently got VERY excited about learning how to spell Westchester -- that's what we used to called. He ran down the stairs and excitedly told his mother he knew how to spell a 'very big word'.  I loved it!"

Rosemarie Feichtl

• Senior at Fordham University
• Clinical Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience Major
• "I love cognitive neuroscience and the concept of neuroplasticity fascinates me. Working at Gemm Learning I get to witness this phenomena everyday with the greatest people anyone could work with- my kids!!!"
• "The kids are great! I could be having a really stressful day and the kids I coach just make me smile. From the really shy to the really talkative, being there with the kids while they are doing the program is as rewarding for me to witness as it is for them to accomplish."
• "Watching a particular student's learning skills sky rocket from developmentally delayed to significantly above average is my favorite experience. She has become much more confident in herself and socially outgoing. She has a much brighter outlook on her life today and exceptional goals she wishes to attain in her future."

Natasha King

• Sophomore at Iona College
• Social Work Major
• "What I like most about being a Gemm Learning coach is seeing the impact that this program has had on the children that have taken it. They walk into the center feeling as though they have a learning disability they will never be able to overcome, but by the time they finish the program, they have gained the confidence necessary to achieve in school."
• "I have a lot of inspirational stories about children at Gemm Learning, but one sticks out in particular. I used to have a little boy that would come in to the center. He was very quiet, he wouldn't smile, and would often get frustrated when he did not catch on to something as fast as he would like to. As the first month went on, I noticed that he began to smile, joke around and even talk to me about his school work and how he was doing better on his tests. It was a complete transformation. He was a happier, more productive, confident child because of the program. Before he completed his program, the mother thanked me and explained how grateful she was for all we had done. She told me how he became a better student, how his grades were remarkable, and even how he became more social and felt comfortable talking to other children his age. Watching him go through the program and hearing his mother's gratitude made me feel like I really made a difference in his life."
• "I was thrilled to also discover that watching children doing Fast ForWord every day has actually helped me be a better student! I notice I can follow lectures without drifting off. And I am able to sit down and blow through my study work without a break. I never could have done that before working at Gemm Learning.

Amanda Nigro

• Junior at Iona College
• Education Major, English Minor
• "I have always enjoyed working with children, especially when I am given the opportunity to have a positive impact on their educational experiences. My goal to become a teacher led me to Gemm Learning. Rather than working on learning problems through traditional tutoring which only seems to be a temporary fix, the program we provide works on correcting those problems so that the child does not come across these difficulties again. It is truly inspiring to watch a child go through the process and evolve into a completely different student. Westchester Learning is providing me with the experience I need to become a great teacher!"
• "What I love most about being a coach for Gemm Learning is the relationships I develop with the kids! I play a huge role in motivating the kids to push through the program. They feel so encouraged when I celebrate their success with them!"