Instructors
Language Arts
Christine Hsieh
Founder, Counselor, Instructor, & Motorcycle Enthusiast
SAT / ACT / AP
College Counseling
College Applications
Academic Guidance
GPA Management
“Life is like racing: it doesn’t matter how fast you go if you don’t know what you’re doing. Speed is useless without accuracy, and accuracy only comes with practice, so if you want to go fast, you first have to slow down.”
Teaching since 1997
Over 25 years of experience specializing in personalized test prep and college applications.
12 years as senior instructor at Elite Educational Institute and former Director @ Elite Newport Beach.
6 years with Kaplan and Princeton Review.
5 years teaching ESL, TOEFL, and homeschool students.
20 years as a mentor and life coach for teens and adults.
Team members
Miho Kobayashi -
loves donuts, cats, and boba
SAT/ACT/AP
Teaching Since 2015
“Teachers should take time to learn each student’s learning style and personality.”
Miho is a patient listener with a straight forward teaching style delivered with subtle jokes about bad grammar. Her approach is based on clear instruction reinforced by multiple practice samples to ensure retention.
Johnny Estrada -
enjoys running and investing
SAT/ACT/AP
Teaching Since 2016
“I think it’s important to listen to the student. They are human beings, not GPA machines.”
Empathy and compassion come in large doses with every session with Johnny. His teaching style is built upon trust and mentorship and all students receive the highest level of respect throughout every lesson.
Melanie Rao -
passionate about teaching
SAT/ACT & Youth
Teaching Since 1996
“Don’t be afraid to ask questions more than once. Patience is key to success.”
Endless resources and uncanny insight into a student’s needs and thinking style are invaluable skills Melanie brings to the Encompass team. Her guidance is given with a gentle touch for any students needing extra support.
Peer Tutors
Snigdha Saha - CalTech
Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning
Jonathan Chi - Rochester Medical
Computer Science, Chemistry, Biology
Roksana Alizadeh - UPenn