A flower will only bloom when it's ready

Michael T. Garcia is the founder of Roses Tutoring. He has had the great fortune of spending the last ten years working as a classroom teacher. In his spare time, he has the privilege to coach high school sports and tutor students of all ages. Michael believes that every child has a unique gift to share with the world and it is the job as parents and educators to help them discover it. Over the years, his personal learning journey has seen many ups and downs. As a child, Michael experienced a great deal of success from Honor Roll to the Principal's Honor List (3.8 GPA and above). Michael also experienced entire school years where he felt lost and out of place. 

"Through all the ups and downs, I can tell you the one positive factor in my life that has made the biggest difference was having an adult who cared. Someone who showed up and said, 'I believe in you and I know you can do it.'"  - Michael Garcia

Over the Pandemic, Michael witnessed the struggle that virtual learning has brought to a majority of our children.  As a result, he decided it was necessary to jump into action. After assembling a team of educators, Roses Tutoring was created. 

At Roses Tutoring, the ultimate goal is to make learning simple and fun. How a student feels about learning, is just as important as what they are taught. Michael has worked hard to create a winning environment for students to become successful learners. 

"We pride ourselves on developing strong relationships with our students and helping them build confidence in their own abilities. An old teacher once told me, "A flower will only bloom when it's ready!" I encourage you to be patient, be kind, trust the process and stop stressing over school! Join us! Let's work together to help our children grow. " - Michael Garcia

2020 - (M.Ed) in Special Education with an option in Mild/Moderate Disabilities, California State University Los Angeles

2019 - Clear California teaching Credential in Special Education with an option in Mild/Moderate Disabilities & Autism Certificate, California State University Los Angeles

2009 - Bachelors of the Arts (B.A.) in Communications with an option in Television, Film and Media Studies

 Hello, my name is David Garcia. I earned my Masters in Special Education from Pacific Oaks College. I also have a Masters degree in Marriage and family therapy. Over the years, I have worked with students who are on the Autism Spectrum, Developmentally Disabled and Emotional Disturbed. Some students find the academic piece to be the most difficult. Other students do great academically and are at times derailed by their emotional and social difficulties. My job is to help them find what makes them successful at school and hope that this success goes back with them into their homes and communities. I am also a musician and love to play and perform music.  

Hello, my name is Elizabeth Neri. I am passionate about working with kids of all ages to help them achieve their goals. I have six years of experience in providing homework help. I have worked with LAUSD and nonprofit organizations to facilitate activities that are academically appropriate for the child's age. I have obtained my Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Development and am currently in the process of receiving my teaching credential. I am fluent in English and Spanish as well as learning ASL. 

Hi, I'm Sean Francis! After I graduated from the University of North Carolina, I moved to Los Angeles, California and worked in entertainment advertising and marketing for eight years. In 2019, I changed career paths to pursue work in education and I started by working with youth after school programs in the San Francisco bay area. In the fall of 2020, I joined the Oakland YMCA as a Group Leader and assisted the Oakland Unified School District as an elementary school tutor and counselor in a distance learning environment. After the 2020-2021 school year ended, I continued with the YMCA and led an outdoor summer camp program as a Site Coordinator & Assistant Director. I’ve had the privilege of working with both elementary and middle school students in both in-person and remote learning settings. I believe in the power of community and the importance of helping students succeed in the classroom in order to become the well-rounded leaders of tomorrow. I grew up near Raleigh, North Carolina and graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem in 2011. When I’m not in the classroom, I often go on camping adventures in my freetime to photograph different parts of California.

Hi everyone, my name is Nicole Kennedy. I went to Pasadena High School and now I am attending California State University of Northridge majoring in Mechanical Engineering. 

Previously, I have worked at USC Viterbi and Northrop Grumman as a STEM Camp Counselor.

I believe patience during tutoring is crucial. Further, making sure that the student is having fun during the process of learning is important so that the student can view education as something to look forward to instead of dread.

I have been a student for 13 years and I love learning. I have always preferred note taking as a way to retain information and I love using flash cards before an exam. 

I enjoy tutoring because I am a people person. I love helping people and especially kids to grasp a concept. Nothing is more fulfilling than helping a kid raise their grades and enjoy learning!

One fun fact is that I love yoga.

My name is Catherine Ibarra and I look forward to working with each of your children. I absolutely love working with kids and have been provided many opportunities to work with them in different capacities. Most of my work has centered around working with individuals with behavior challenges and learning disabilities. I received my bachelor’s degree for Social Work but decided to pursue the entrepreneurship/education route, which is why I was excited to support Michael’s endeavor to open up a tutoring business.

Learning was a challenge growing up and that is why I believe I do so well as a tutor because I do not only relate but I also see the value in using the strengths perspective approach when I work with your student. Through the different challenges that I had growing up when learning, I had to find different methods to learn. When a kid is struggling, you have to be creative and see the whole kid  in order to utilize their strengths to find alternative ways to help them understand a concept. 

Throughout my educational journey, I often experienced shame when it came to learning. My purpose and my vision when working with your child is to help them feel empowered to do anything they put their mind to. When I tutor, I see it as essential to hone into the child's gifts on top of being a cheerleader every step of the way so they can feel empowered to overcome any obstacle that they face.  Seeing the bright smiles on the individuals that I have worked with when they are able to overcome a challenge brings me so much joy. I know how much frustration there can be when facing a stumbling block and feeling like there won’t be a way to understand the concept.  As a tutor that has experienced similar things, I have strong determination to find a way to provide the support that they need to be successful. These are just a few of many reasons why tutoring has such a special place in my heart.

Fun fact: Don’t let my size fool you, I can out eat almost anyone!

Hello everyone! My name is Noemi Aranda and I am the oldest of three girls. I was the first one in my family to to graduate from a university! I earned my Bachelor's in Child Development from California State University of Los Angeles. I am currently working on completing my Teaching Credential in Special Education with an option in Moderate/Severe disabilities. 

I have experience working with students from kindergarten all the way to high school and have loved it. I love to tutor because it has been my passion to work with children of all age groups. My philosophy when tutoring is that, "everyone is learning," and it is important not to judge, but rather to guide and encourage. Tutoring is the best experience because we can work with students and really help create a positive atmosphere for success. Students always make me laugh and my favorite part about tutoring is seeing the results after working with them

In regard to my personal experience with learning, I love to challenge myself to learn anything and everything I can. My strongest subjects are Math and Science. If you need help with any math or science, I have you covered!  

One fun fact about me is that I love to travel.

Hello, my name is Brianna Lee. Currently, I am a student at the University of Southern California and have earned my Associate's Degrees in Psychology, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. As a student in junior high all the way through college, I have been tutoring, whether it be for my friends or more professionally with other academic institutions. Through it all, I've learned that making learning fun, engaging, and meaningful goes a long way to helping each and every student. Helping students see and find the joy in learning is why tutoring is such a fulfilling job for me personally. A fun fact about me is that I enjoy learning languages and reading about World War II.