Meet the Team
We believe that students will realize their potential through a personalized and holistic approach to tutoring. We teach subject matter; cultivate life-long skills; impart passion for learning; and support all our students’ branches as they grow.
Read more about each of us below.
Amy Ruff
Tutoring, Test Prep, & Homeschool Classes in
Literature & Writing · Spanish · History · Psychology
Our fearless leader! Fabulously fun and brilliantly clever, so caring and quick she already made you a cup of tea. Settle in and enjoy the growth that's inevitable in her sunny presence!
More about Amy
Amy Ruff lives next to her beloved alma mater, Duke University, & enjoys teaching, tutoring, & test prepping students in person as well as online in her areas of specialty: literary analysis; writing & composition; Spanish; psychology; philosophy & religion; SAT, ACT, AP, & SAT Subject Tests; & study skills.
Having completed her BA from Duke University with double majors in English & religion, Amy also earned a Certificate in Duke’s rigorous interdisciplinary Women’s Studies Program. While an undergraduate & after graduation, Amy worked in editing for the Duke University Press & continues to freelance edit.
Intuitive and seasoned at identifying & developing the potential in her students, Amy's energetic & engaging style enables students to grow in their knowledge of subject matter while also honing their critical-thinking skills & elevating their character. Having homeschooled her own children through highschool, Amy continues to support the homeschooling community by offering group-class tutorials.
Counseling students to align self-understanding with their envisioned future, Amy has aided many to make wise choices for their post-high-school paths. She has assisted students to succeed on test prep & applications for acceptance into a range of schools—from Harvard, Duke, & Stanford to UNC & NCSU to community colleges across NC. Amy's students thrive on diverse academic, artistic, athletic, trade, & professional paths.
Of Argentine-Italian descent & hailing from Italian roots in Pittsburgh, PA, Amy attended boarding school on a full scholarship & received a scholarship from the Spanish National Honor Society. Amy continued her Spanish studies at Duke & served on short-term missions as a Spanish interpreter. From the rudiments of grammar & vocabulary to encounters with cooking & dancing, Sra. Amy’s students learn to love Latina language & culture!
Always eager to serve & support the local & global community, Amy is a member of Durham’s Centro Hispano, a volunteer with the YMCA, a graduate of REI training (Racial Equity Institute), a promoter of ROAR (Raleigh Organizing against Racism), & a supporter of several overseas NGOs.
Miriam Kome
Tutoring & Test Prep in
Mathematics · Physics · Sciences · Engineering
A calm and encouraging STEAM enthusiast who takes an adaptive, balanced, and collaborative approach to tutoring. She celebrates curiosity and knows she's doing well when students ask her lots of questions!
More about Miriam
Miriam Kome has taught and tutored diverse ages in a variety of contexts and subjects as follows: cohorts ranging from one-on-one to 30+ students; ages from preschool to school teachers; settings that include classrooms, galleries, libraries, and outdoors; and curriculum that covers every letter of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).
Miriam graduated from Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts with a Bachelors of Science in Engineering with Human-Centered Design. Curiosity, listening, and creativity—the tools of human-centered design—permeate Miriam’s work as a tutor and as an artist-engineer.
As a tutor, Miriam seeks to balance the requirements of today’s assignments with a cultivation of the students’ skills, engendering confidence for successful approaches to STEAM and passion for lifelong learning in all subjects. Miriam employs a collaborative and flexible approach to tutoring. She intentionally and intuitively matches the student’s pace and supports them as they discover strategies for understanding and enjoying the subject at hand. Miriam personalizes the tutoring experience to engage students’ curiosity and celebrate their learning.
Ryan Allen
Tutoring and Test Prep in Mathematics
Ryan Allen has been a private tutor since 2018. During the school year, Ryan is employed as a calculus 3 tutor through the University of Maine. In the summer, Ryan tutors with Amy Ruff’s team.
As a math major, Ryan is all about numbers, but he pairs this academic focus with his artistic passion as a music minor. Ryan has been playing viola for nine years and also enjoys the arduous artistry of composing/arranging music in his free time.
Teaching and tutoring really suit Ryan because he relishes working with different types of students. Those who study with Ryan praise his ability to turn complex material into simple, systematic steps. Besides people, Ryan enjoys spending time with his dog—especially on walks to explore the great outdoors.