Alta Tutoring
Meet the Team
Director
Melissa Woodvine
Tutor of SAT, ACT, ISEE, SSAT, and HSPT and our head college counselor. A Boettcher Foundation Scholar and GWIB graduate, Melissa graduated from CU Boulder with majors in biology, biochemistry and English before attending CU Law. Understanding that no two minds think alike, Melissa constantly strives to develop concepts and approaches that make challenging material accessible and enjoyable for each student. She enjoys traveling and really bad reality television.
Director
Chris Tanaka
Tutor of SAT, ACT, LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, GRE, AP Calculus, AP Physics, AP Chemistry, AP Economics. Chris was in fifth grade when he first worked as a tutor, helping his babysitter with her algebra homework. A GWIB alum, Chris studied biology at CU before getting his MBA from DU and then studying at CU Law. Other than learning and teaching, Chris's favorite activities include eating fancy meals, visiting museums, and practicing yoga.
Office Manager
Michelle Phillips
Michelle Phillips is our gifted and dedicated office manager. She is a Denver native who graduated from CU-Denver with a Master's Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. She taught middle school English Language Arts in Denver Public Schools for 14 years. She enjoys spending time with her family and her cat Loki, reading fiction, going to movies, watching sports and traveling. Her retirement goal is to foster cats and dogs.
Senior Associate and Head of Outreach
Lena Fox
Tutor of ACT, SAT, ISEE, HSPT, SSAT, and AP Human Geography. Lena Fox graduated with a B.A. in Sociology from Pomona College. She has worked in experiential outdoor education, leading backpacking trips in the most beautiful parts of the continent. In her spare time, she loves to find herself in remote wilderness, do jigsaw puzzles, play volleyball and regularly embarks on a quest to find the best nachos in the city.
Associate Tutor
Sam Reichman
Tutor of SAT, ACT, AP English Literature, and AP Art History. Sam received his B.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from Columbia University and completed his M.F.A. in Poetry at Hunter College. In addition to tutoring with Alta, Sam teaches drawing and painting with Denver Parks and Recreation’s Arts and Culture Department and writing at Red Rocks Community College. He is also the Associate Poetry Editor at Consequence. Sam enjoys bouldering, snowboarding, and kayaking.
Associate Tutor
Jess Finn
Tutor of ACT, SAT, and AP US and European History. Jess Finn received her B.A. in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics from Pomona College and her Master of Arts in International Affairs from Johns Hopkins University. In addition to tutoring with Alta, Jess works for the Food and Nutrition Service within the United States Department of Agriculture. In her free time, she enjoys the Denver trail running scene, learning how to rock climb, and searching for new coffee shops.
Associate Tutor
Paul Vaikutis
Tutor of ACT, SAT, SSAT, and AP Biology. Paul graduated from Saint Louis University with a BS in Biostatistics and a double minor in Computer Science and Business Technology Management. In his spare time, Paul enjoys hiking with his three-legged dog in the mountains, riding the multitude of single-track bike paths that Colorado has to offer, tending to his various succulents and bonsai, and browsing local nurseries in search of new plants to add to his collection.