Our Instructors

F4Ed instructors are selected based on their energy, enthusiasm, teaching talent, aptitude for working with children, mathematical and verbal fortitude, and fit as a role model. Successful applicants must complete a comprehensive and rigorous training course. Despite a talented applicant pool, fewer than one in ten applicants ultimately succeed in becoming instructors.

As you will see when you meet them, our instructors are amazing with children. They are avid musicians, former camp counselors, singers, and whitewater rafters. Academically, they graduated with a 3.99 high school GPA and obtained an SAT math score of 766 on average. More than half of our instructors were National Merit Scholars, and most were high school Valedictorians. All have experience working with children and many have worked as university teaching assistants. All are undergraduates from universities such as Stanford.

Read about your child's instructor:


Jessica Daniel  graduated from high school as an AP Scholar with a top score on nine different Advanced Placement exams.  She has enjoyed teaching math, chemistry, geography, and English to elementary and high school students for the last five years. Her other passions include traveling, reading, photography, spending time with her family, and volunteering with a free arts program for underprivileged children. Jessica is currently pursuing a degree in English Literature with minors in Economics and Spanish at Stanford University.


Christina Holsberry  began performing college-level work in seventh grade and soon thereafter entered the College of Marin which she completed with a GPA of 3.9 in lieu of high school. Christina tutored math at the College of Marin, worked as a teaching assistant at Redwood High School, and was selected as a National Hispanic Scholar. When not working with children or pursuing her love for math, Christina can be found jamming to the tunes of Tchaikovsky and Brahms. An avid violinist, she has been playing since she was 3 years old and has won numerous music scholarships. Christina is pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering and Product Design with a minor in Spanish at Stanford University.


Jenny Jin  graduated as Valedictorian of her high school, where she was also a National Merit Finalist and an AP Scholar with Distinction. Jenny discovered her love for teaching as a mentor in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Mentorship Volunteer Program. Subsequently she taught reading and math, prepared students for the SAT's and elementary school exit-exams, and worked as a teacher's assistant for Sylvan Learning Center. Jenny speaks English and Mandarin fluently and is also conversant in Spanish. In her spare time she loves fencing, watching classic movies, reading, and stargazing. Jenny is currently pursuing a degree in International Relations with a minor in Philosophy at Stanford University.


Eugene Kim  has taught math, physics, and chemistry to elementary and high school students in Korea. He graduated from the Lawrenceville School with the Phi Beta Kappa Award for the best academic record and received perfect scores on numerous advanced placement exams and standardized tests. He was selected as a National Merit Semi-Finalist, and also served as the school’s newspaper editor and math club president. Besides teaching, Eugene loves singing with an a cappella group, playing soccer, and traveling. He speaks Korean fluently and worked as a translator in the 2002 World Cup. Eugene is majoring in Economics and Computer Science at Stanford University.


Chelsea Nicholls  was Valedictorian of her high school. She hopes to follow her undergraduate education with an MBA degree. She has worked as a volunteer teacher at a parish in East Palo Alto and also taught swimming in her hometown of Roseburg, Oregon. Chelsea is pursuing a degree in International Relations with a minor in Spanish at Stanford University.


Emily Roberts  completed an International Baccalaureate program in high school where she demonstrated exceptional ability in six subjects including German. In addition to being a National Merit Finalist, Emily received the Harvard Book Award and was one of 5 students in the nation to achieve a perfect score on the ACT. Outside of school Emily volunteers as a tutor and coordinator for a program helping children in East Palo Alto. Emily enjoys reading, tennis, hiking, and river rafting. Emily is a President’s Scholar at Stanford University.


Lyuba Wolf  immigrated to the United States from the former Soviet Union when she was five years old. She graduated from high school with a perfect GPA and was one of 100 students nationwide recognized by the White House as a Presidential Scholar for academic achievement. She has years of experience working with children as a youth group leader, camp counselor, and math tutor.  In her free time Lyuba enjoys traveling and practicing Yoga.  She speaks fluent English, Russian and Hebrew, and is presently pursuing a degree in Political Science at Stanford University.


Emma Yuen  was born in the Big Island of Hawai`i, where she lived until moving to Palo Alto. She graduated as the valedictorian of her high school where her many activities included being a member of a top-ranking math team and editor of the school Literary Magazine. Emma was recognized as a National Merit Scholar, an AP Scholar, and a Coca-Cola Scholar National Finalist. As president of her school's environmental club, she received many local and national awards for her efforts to save endangered habitats by planting trees, eradicating invasive species and removing and recycling many tons of paper and aluminum that were damaging the environment. Emma is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree at Stanford University.


Michael Zhang  moved to the United States Beijing when he was five years old. His love of math led him to a state math championship his junior year in high school. Michael was among 250 students nationwide to qualify for the USA Math Olympiad. He plans to attend medical school and hopes to eventually pursue a career in epidemic control. Michael has performed economics research at Stanford and has also worked with a student-run group called Innovative Student Information Services. A Native Mandarin speaker, he enjoys watching indie movies,attending musical performances, and making time for sleep. Michael is pursuing a degree in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University.

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