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.

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.

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.

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.