ABOUT THE TEAM

Elevate Helps Students Reach Higher!

Meet the Founder

Laura DeOtte

B.S. in Biomedical Engineering, summa cum laude from LeTourneau University

Laura is the founder of Elevate STEM Tutoring. Her favorite hobby is learning new things and she loves sharing that enjoyment with students. She always felt learning was best in a fun environment, which is now backed by neuroscience.

Her passion is that her students know they are cared about and accepted no matter what and helping them reframe mistakes as part of the learning process.

Laura loves hiking, gardening, and drawing.

Meet Our Incredible Colorado Springs Tutors

Amy Upchurch

B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering from Colorado State University

Amy fell in love with chemistry in high school, and further enjoyed developing her understanding of the natural world in college. She grew up in Colorado Springs and loves hiking, music, and blues dancing.

She loves tutoring because it allows education to be tailored to the individual student, instead of the other way around.

She has always enjoyed teaching herself new things and loves helping her students find the same joy of learning.

Yasmeen Hack

B.S. in Mathematics from CSU
M.S. in Interdisciplinary Mathematics (Computational Methods in Biomedical Imaging) from Hamburg University of Technology, Germany and University of L’Aquila, Italy

I developed a passion for tutoring mathematics while attending Colorado State University, and I recently moved back to Colorado Springs from Europe, after pursuing my Master’s degree. Math has always brought me joy, and I want to inspire that joy in others.

It’s important to me to create a safe and inclusive environment and to understand your students’ individual needs. Confidence is key, and I want students to be able to believe in themselves and their abilities.

Beyond tutoring, I love to travel and explore new places, cook, read, and ski in the Colorado winters.

Joseph Yu

B.S. in Biochemistry from Colorado State University

Joseph’s passion for mathematics and science began in high school thanks to teachers who made learning feel fun. Many students have negative experiences in math and science classes that cause them to distrust their abilities, and Joseph hopes to help each of his students reduce or eliminate those anxieties and doubts.

Math and science don’t need to be boring exercises with numbers, there are interesting patterns and countless new things to discover, and few things feel better than finally writing down the answer to a difficult problem. Joseph always strives to bring the same passion to tutoring that he saw in his teachers and professors that helped him succeed in his current path.

Joseph enjoys playing video games in his spare time and has also recently developed a love for baking anything and everything from sweet pastries to hearty breads.

Trenner Nolan

B.S. in Discrete Mathematics with a minor in Computer Science from University of Nevada, Reno

Trenner has always had a love for math—so much so that he studied it in college. He’s passionate about helping students discover what makes math so enjoyable: that it isn’t just a set of rules to memorize, but a space for curiosity, self-exploration, and creative problem-solving.

A lifelong learner with wide-ranging interests, he loves helping students tap into that same sense of wonder. For him, teaching is about helping students find their own “aha” moments, connect ideas, build confidence, and maybe even start to love math the way he always has.

River V.

M.A. in Mathematics from UCCS, BS in Computer Science from WCU

I truly love math and I love sharing it with others. I understand math isn’t everyone’s favorite subject so I enjoy showing students how to make it less intimidating. I love how ubiquitous math is which allows me to connect any interest to math.

As a tutor, I break up large problems into easy, manageable steps. I want every student to walk away from tutoring with a greater appreciation for math. Everyone struggles with math, it’s part of the learning process, I want to help make the struggle process easier and hopefully more enjoyable.

Outside of math, I enjoy lots of arts and crafts, especially crochet.

Hadi Alhamdani

B.S. in Data Analytics & Systems Engineering with a minor in Computer Science from UCCS
Fluent in Arabic

Hadi began tutoring math in middle school and continued throughout high school and college because he loved helping other students understand and enjoy the subject like he did.

He believes teaching math is a blend of clarity, patience, and confidence-building. His goal is to help students feel supported, capable, and unafraid of making mistakes.

Beyond academics, Hadi loves math, music, puzzles, and technology. He plays piano, guitar and violin and composes his own music. He also enjoys Arabic calligraphy, advanced Rubik’s cubes, and repairing computers. To him, there is harmony between these skills —problem-solving, creativity, and pattern recognition all working together like a piece of music.

Meet Our Administrative Team

Kristy Imschweiler

Degree in Human Development and Family Studies from University of Nevada Experienced Homeschool Parent

Kristy is our amazing administrative assistant. She helps make sure all our scheduling runs smoothly and if you call us on the phone you’ll probably be talking to Kristy!

Kristy is a first generation homeschooling mom and champion of families/children following their passions, gifts, and talents as well as finding victory overcoming obstacles in life. Originally from Northern Nevada she grew up in the Sierra Nevada mountains hunting, fishing, camping and hiking. Her professional background is in developing training programs for outdoor focused organizations as well as running her own small businesses teaching outdoor recreation skills.

Let's Find the Best Tutor for You or Your Child!

Contact Elevate STEM Tutoring to start working with one of our tutors. We pair students with tutors primarily based on subject but also on personality, learning style, and interest.