Our Team
Ms. Gretchen Gales
Ms. Gales taught for 4 years before becoming a full-time professional writer. But now, she has more than 5 years of teaching experience thanks to doing one-on-one and group tutoring with our students!
Ms. Gales graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (Yay, Rams!) with a Bachelor's in English and History and a Master's in Teaching, English.
She's obsessed with many types of writing, but her favorites are nonfiction and poetry. Ms. Gales has been published in Next Avenue, The Huffington Post, Bustle, and other publications.
Why does Ms. Gales love tutoring?
“I've always loved mentoring students, which is why I LOVE being part of Smart Solutions! There's something about the little things students say and the lightbulb moments that are irreplaceable.”
Mr. Chris Hughes
Mr. Hughes has been teaching for over five years in Rockingham County, VA. In fact, his first year of teaching was with the Hanover County Online School.
Mr. Hughes received his Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master's of Education in Secondary Education from James Madison University (Go Dukes!) #JMU
He's taught both in-person and online and loves writing narratives.
Why does Mr. Hughes love tutoring?
“It gives me a chance to help support my students and be a part of the learning process. I enjoy getting to know my students and help provide personalized feedback to help strengthen their abilities!”
Ms. Holly Barr
Ms. Barr has a Bachelor's in Elementary Education (K-5) and a Master's Degree in Reading (K-12)...BOTH from Radford University. She's also endorsed in Middle School Language Arts (6-8).
(Psst…she's been an educator for 21 years!)
Her favorite kind of writing is persuasive and expository writing, but has been known to write poetry or narratives with the right mentor text as her guide.
Why does Ms. Barr love tutoring?
“I enjoy tutoring because I love helping students. Being able to work with students in small groups or one on one allows me to differentiate instruction to meet the specific needs of my students. I also LOVE when students feel confident about their writing. Knowing that I've given them the tools and strategies to do so brings me JOY!”
Fun fact…she LOVES Christmas and has 6 trees.
Ms. Michelle Yordy
Ms. Yordy has been teaching for 16 years. Her experience includes one-on-one tutoring (face to face and virtual), the writing center (face to face), Small Learning Communities, and two-to-one tutoring (face to face and virtual).
She has her Bachelor's degree from SUNY New Paltz and her Education License from The University of Richmond .
“Run” fact: She loves exercise!
What does Ms. Yordy love about tutoring?
“I get to share in the youth’s path to academic success.”
Ms. Grace
Pecar-Yannotta
Grace Pecar-Yannotta is a writer and writing coach who has been publishing her work for the better part of a decade. She graduated summa cum laude from UNC Chapel Hill in 2023, where she studied English and History and was part of the Writing for the Screen and Stage program.
She works as a Content Manager and Essay Coach, and writes across a mix of editorial, marketing, and independent projects (girlboss by day, tortured artist after business hours, etc.). She also runs a weekly writers’ workshop, which she founded in 2023. Before that, she worked across agencies, nonprofits, and consulting firms.
Grace is especially interested in refining voice! Her approach encourages writers to lean into what’s already there and then hone it, as opposed to sanding it down into textbook-uniform rhetoric.
Ms. Kristen Collins
Kristen Collins has been teaching in various formats for seventeen years. She taught English in both the middle and high school levels for ten years and has since tutored both face-to-face and virtually. She especially loves to help students develop confidence in themselves as writers and develop their own unique voice.
Ms. Collins received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Christopher Newport University and has a minor in Leadership Studies.
In her free time she loves to read and home educates her two children.
Why does Ms. Collins love tutoring?
I enjoy tutoring, because I love the smaller group setting. It permits a more personalized approach and allows the flexibility to adapt to individual needs.
PHILOSOPHY
All students have a story.
VISION
We seek to build our students' confidence on and off the page by identifying voice. Writing is personal, and when students learn techniques of the craft, confidence soars. We have helped kids work successfully through online learning and school closures.
UNIQUENESS
We create goals for each student based on his or her individual wants and needs. Students meet for six sessions per contract. Most clients renew and stay with us throughout the school year and summer. Classes meet once per week.
EXPERIENCE
With over sixty years of combined experience in the public and private sectors, we bring new ideas and innovative practices to our classes. Our teachers are all certified and highly qualified educators.
