PrepNow Tutor - Jimmy D.
Jimmy loves learning and finds something to wonder daily. His curiosity and his drive for knowledge mean he is always learning a new language or taking up a new subject to study or traveling to a new corner of the Earth. During his junior year of high school, Jimmy was the first foreign exchange student; he went to South Africa where he lived and studied in the Apartheid province of Transvaal. For his undergraduate studies, Jimmy majored in physics and minored in math and German at Purdue University. In his third year, Jimmy utilized his German to study physics and mathematics abroad at Hamburg Universität. While in Hamburg, he supported himself by teaching English at Colón Sprachinstitut—the largest language school in the city. He also tutored English and math privately.
After graduation, Jimmy moved to Denmark for a graduate fellowship at Århus Universitetet where he studied atomic physics at the Niels Bohr Institute. Upon returning to the States, Jimmy enrolled at the University of Colorado Boulder where he earned a master’s in astrophysics and math. While earning his graduate degree, Jimmy again turned to tutoring. He worked as a physics tutor for undergrads at CU Boulder and taught at a physics lab at CU Denver.
Fresh out of school, Jimmy started developing early CAD/CAM software—the predecessor to current 3-D graphics. He then moved back to Germany to start his own tech business. The company did everything from helping large corporations integrate CAD into their workflow to building unique chips to developing groundbreaking GSM software. Jimmy eventually sold his company and moved to Santa Fe where he started seven foundations focused on various aspects of education—tutoring, mentoring, and financially supporting high school and college students.
While Jimmy initially began tutoring for the money, he quickly realized how fulfilling it was. Above all, he values “getting a personal rapport with the student. Every student is a unique human being.” Books and curricula may be standardized, but he believes “by recognizing and honoring the unique qualities of a student it facilitates better learning.” Moreover, Jimmy is well-versed in mathematical subjects. The material on SAT and ACT are the basics of the high math he has used throughout his own schooling and employment. Not only can Jimmy teach algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and statistics, he is well acquainted with their real-world applications.
Jimmy’s early love of music—he played clarinet and oboe as a high school student—has translated to an adulthood spent supporting the arts. He has served on both opera and music boards. He was also an athletic teen, playing football, basketball, and baseball. He even pitched a couple of no-hitters and never lost a game! In college, he played soccer until an injury derailed him. He is still athletic as an avid skier, tennis player, and golfer. That said, his greatest passion is hiking and being in nature.
