Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Tara Williams.
Hi Dr. Tara, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I have always been a lover of books, lectures, and reading, and at the same time struggled conforming to the classroom strategies of my teachers in the 1980’s and 1990’s. I did well in school growing up, but it was no easy task for me. I studied for hours and days at a time, and didn’t always receive grades that I wanted. In the K-12 process, however, I learned a lot about myself, my particular needs in learning, and the needs of my peers. At FSU, I worked with my professors after class, did extra assignments, utilized tutors and office hours, and studied with groups of my friends. Though it took me a while to figure out my learning style and the best way to use it, I was able to do so while working on my undergraduate degree. Fast forward to 2010, I had recently finished my Ph.D. in Chemistry and moved back to the United States from the United Kingdom. At this point, I had been teaching students from all over the world for five years. I wasn’t exactly sure of my career at this point, but I knew that working with students was the path for me. I began part-time teaching at Rollins College in Florida, and working for a tutoring company recruiting and working with students with learning difficulties. I loved this work as I have always felt that not every student learns in one way – some are auditory, some are visual, some are kinetic, and some may be a bit of all three. I also learned a lot about resources both on-campus and in the classroom at colleges during this time period. There are some amazing resources for students in the K-12 system. I found that when the students were left to navigate their 504 plan at college as an adult, a lot of students never signed up for their accommodations after high school, or struggled too much with their executive functioning skills to even get started. After having amazing success with students in Florida, I moved to Los Angeles in 2015 to start my own college consulting business. For the last fifteen years, I have been assisting students, both with and without learning difficulties, including autism, dyslexia, ADHD, anxiety, and others in all areas of the academic process. I have also been a tenured full-time faculty member in chemistry since 2017.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Like all things worth having in life, there are always bumps in the road. I have found that these bumps are our greatest teachers. In my opinion, we learn more from our failures than we do our successes, as we have to pick ourselves up and try again. The day-to-day operations of running a small business was difficult at the beginning as it is such a learning curve. I had always been drawn to California’s opportunities and physical beauty so opening up shop here was a no-brainer. Finding the correct support in lawyers, accountants, and marketing specialists with such a large pool to choose from was difficult. For the most part, I had the best luck and am still working with most of the amazing locals that helped me get started. Some other struggles would of course be competition in a huge city, but we differentiate ourselves from other companies by making our services personalized to each client. Like most educators, and the world in general, Covid-19 turned my business upside down – myself and all of my tutors had the learning curve of teaching and tutoring students online, when they had mostly done these jobs in-person. The students were also not used to being online for classes and tutoring, so there was a large learning curve for them, which often required more support. These challenges paired with the fear and uncertainty of a global pandemic changed the face of the business forever. I believe that our tutors and students supported each other with grace, patience, and friendship. Covid-19 also gave the business a chance to broaden our horizons and we are now able to service students in every state, and even internationally.
As you know, we’re big fans of Innovative Collegiate Consultants, Inc.. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
At Innovative Collegiate Consultants, Inc. or ICC, we focus on providing services for students through the entire academic process. We assist students in registering for their accommodations on-campus, including setting up initial meetings, and helping them manage these accommodations throughout the semester. These services include assisting them to email their professors with their paperwork, booking exam rooms in advance, organizing their notetaker notes, and fine-tuning their weekly schedule using planning and organization. We also offer weekly executive functioning tutoring, class registration assistance, transfer credit assistance for the summer and winter at different colleges, urgent tutoring assistance for those students on academic probation, housing applications, change of a major or minor, study abroad applications, undergraduate and graduate school applications and essays, and moving-in services to assist students. We also have subject tutoring for STEM, business courses, foreign language, and any other subject where your student needs support!
Our services are set apart from others due to our expertise in the academic process, and our years of supporting students with learning difficulties, and those without, who may need a great subject tutor or help with planning and organizing their daily life. We also hire tutors who hold or are working on graduate degrees in their subject of expertise, and have experience working with students who have learning difficulties. I personally hire all of our tutors, as empathy and kindness are just as important to me and our clients as academic qualifications. I also have a free consultation with parents, and then a consultation with the student, in order to create the most personalized and comprehensive plan.
I am most proud of the daily wins that we witness with our students, while watching them gain confidence and pride in their work. We have worked with students on academic probation struggling to get through the semester, who are now in law school and pursuing other graduate degrees and jobs. These wins can also include doing well on an exam, advocating for themselves with their professors and the school, or even navigating the social aspects of the campus and the transition to college.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Clients can set up a free consultation on our website, www.innovativecollegiateconsultants.com, and interested academic consultants can do the same. We are always looking to add more amazing tutors to the company. In terms of support, I found that word of mouth, or a recommendation from another client, parent, or just someone who sees this article and thinks that it might be useful for someone is the truest form of flattery. You could also just add us to social media if you find our content helpful! In terms of collaboration, we are always looking to partner or work with other support systems for our clients. I am always looking to collaborate with other advocates, K-12 schools, colleges and their Offices of Accessibility, treatment centers, therapists and mental health professionals, and even other tutoring companies to offer webinars, personal referrals, and professional development for employees in the education system and beyond on working with adults with learning difficulties.
Pricing:
- Available on Request
- Discounts for Packaging
- Sliding Scale When Possible
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.innovativecollegiateconsultants.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/your_innovative_consultants
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iccedservices/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovative-collegiate-consultants-inc/
- Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/innovative-collegiate-consultants-valencia
- Other: https://g.co/kgs/14QKgeb
Image Credits
Tayler Carlisle Photography, Zoosk Media
