Learn from Experts with Extensive Career Experience
Our LTP instructors not only have mastered a wide range of subjects, they also bring substantial career credentials. This blend of expertise and experience creates insight that allows them to customize their teaching to suit individual and group needs. LTP’s educators are committed to providing a professional and friendly learning environment that fosters respect for the pursuit of knowledge and appreciation for the process of profound thinking. With a mission to make Math and English enjoyable and understandable for all students, they strive to uphold their reputation in the education community as honorable, dedicated and quality master tutors.
Vinay Bhawnani
Founder & CEO, Director of Mathematics
vinay@loudountestprep.com
A lifelong mathematician with strong communications skills, Vinay Bhawnani has tutored since 2007 and has worked with more than 5,000 students in middle school, high school, college and beyond. His all-inclusive expertise ranges from Algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry to Pre-calculus, Calculus and SAT prep. Vinay presents math in an innovative and engaging fashion that most students simply are not exposed to in a traditional classroom setting. Rather than distributing handouts or lecturing from a textbook, he strives to make his lessons both interesting and applicable to the real world. Indeed, for many of his students, math becomes “fun” for the first time.
A 1999 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Vinay majored in Bioengineering and minored in chemistry and mathematics. He also took classes at the prestigious Wharton School of Business. In high school, he scored a “perfect” score (800) on the math sections of the PSAT and SAT, as well as the Math Level II Subject Test.
His career has included technical consulting work in New York City and an eight-year position with AOL where he managed billing systems. Locally, he worked as the Technical Director for a startup company and until early 2015, was Director of Product Management and the Research and Development head for a local software development company. Since then, Vinay has dedicated his time at Loudoun Test Prep to helping students and families succeed. In his “spare” time, he teaches math and is the STEM Director at Loudoun School for the Gifted.
Jessica Muse
Director of SAT/ACT Reading and Writing
Jessica is Third Culture Kid with parents in the Foreign Service and lived in places like Ivory Coast, India, Germany and Costa Rica. She graduated from an International Baccalaureate school in Lima, Peru with an IB Diploma. Jessica has over 10 years of experience working with students of all ages in classroom settings in the Maryland and DC area, and loves the working with students on improving their self confidence and helping them discover their own potential success. At LTP, Jessica heads up SAT/ACT Reading and Writing programs. With her unique educational background and experience, she continues to innovate our approach and course offerings.
She holds an A.A. Degree in in Mathematics and Psychology, and is completing a combined BS and MEd program in Mathematics Education and Industrial Organizational Psychology. Jessica lives in Germantown with her husband, their two daughters and their faithful rescue dogs, Marley and Dr. Frank-N-Furter.
Gio Basso
SAT/ACT Math Instructor
Math Tutor (Geometry – Calculus)
Gio is a recent graduate of the University of Alabama where he majored in mathematics. He was a National Merit Scholar, and in high school, earned perfect scores on the math sections of the SAT and the ACT, earned a 5 on eleven AP exams, and has had extensive experience with many types of standardized testing. Gio also competed for his high school at the Illinois state finals math competition at the University of Illinois in 2014 and 2015.
He has been tutoring high school students in math for five years and loves to share his own enthusiasm for the subject. Gio also intends to pursue post-graduate education in the future, and enjoys traveling, hiking, track and field, and exploring new genres of music.
Nathan Kastner
SAT/ACT Reading and Writing Instructor
AP Literature/AP Language/AP Government Tutor & Essay Writing
College Essay Writing
Born and raised in Maryland, Nathan has had a passion for words since he was a child. First, as a fifth grader, he began working on a series of novels, only to abandon them in favor of playwriting. Finally, at the age of eleven, he settled on songwriting—a passion that would define him from then until now. Throughout high school he wrote hundreds of songs, performed with a band, recorded albums, and ultimately gained admission to New York University’s prestigious Tisch School of the Arts to be a part of the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music. During his time in New York, he continued to write, record, and perform. In addition to his studies in music, he enjoyed courses in political science, economics, philosophy, and literature. In May, 2016, Nathan graduated with a BFA in recorded music and political science.
Nathan has been tutoring for nearly a decade in subjects as diverse as English, government, philosophy, test prep, and, of course, music. He enjoys few things more than conveying to students a passion for words and a love of learning. Nathan scored perfect 800s on both the reading and writing sections of the SATs and is looking forward to helping students of all skill levels reach their full test-taking potential.
Kate LeFort
SAT/ACT Reading and Writing Instructor
Kate has always had a passion for English. In high school, she competed in extemporaneous essay writing competitions and began college level grammar and composition classes two years early. In college, Kate pursued a degree in Professional Writing to further her passion. During this time, she discovered her love for not only technical writing, but also poetry. She has been published in a book of local compilations titled “The Fountain”. Kate began tutoring elementary school students in 2012, eventually tutoring high school students and college students in later years. She has hosted essay writing sessions for college students throughout her college career that continued through graduation.
Apart from tutoring English, Kate enjoys singing for her church, playing soccer, and developing her skills in marketing and advertising. She is working towards a career in copy writing/editing. In the meantime, she values every opportunity to engage students in perfecting their reading and writing skills.
Mary Masi
SAT/ACT Reading and Writing Instructor
Dual Enrollment/English 9-12 & College Essay Writing
Mary teaches Dual Enrollment, English 12 Academic, and English 10 Honors classes at Stone Bridge High School in Ashburn. She holds a Virginia Postgraduate Professional teaching license with an endorsement in English, and she is an adjunct instructor of English at Northern Virginia Community College. She earned a perfect GPA of 4.0 throughout her entire graduate education while teaching Freshman Composition at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, graduating with a Master of Arts degree in English.
Before her teaching career, Mary worked in the editorial divisions of John Wiley & Sons and LearningExpress publishing companies in New York City as both an editor and writer. She has written and published four books, including The Culinary Arts Career Starter and How to Pass the U.S. Citizenship Exam.
Mary’s educational philosophy centers around the importance of discovering and nurturing each student’s path to learning success, so each student may then reach his or her full potential. She enjoys getting to know the students she teaches and helping them achieve and surpass their educational goals.
Michael Kirk
Student Tutor
Math (SAT/ACT, Geometry – Calculus BC)
Michael is a Computer Science student attending the Academy of Engineering and Technology (AET). He has always had a passion for STEM subjects and enjoys working with students to help them excel in courses such as Chemistry, Math, and AP Calculus. He scored a composite score in the 99th national percentile as recently as the August 2019 SAT.
Mike spent this past summer working for a government contracting company as a developer. He now spends the majority of his free time at the gym or working on projects in various segments of computer science such as artificial intelligence. He is Vice President of the ACL Computer Science Honors Society and is a board member of the Hackathon Committee at AET. Mike also enjoys serving his community as a summer camp counselor and homeless pet foster-parent.
