Team Spotlight Meet Martha, Director of Client Management

Tell us about where you grew up, and what your world looked like. This week we're spotlighting Martha, a Rutgersgraduate who came aboard the Cambridge Coaching team back in April. After getting her Masters in Education, Martha worked for Success Academy in Harlem. She then moved on to a nonprofit in New Brunswick teaching adult re-entry populations basic literacy, math, and life skills. She is now thrilled to be a member of Cambridge Coaching, overseeing client and tutor relationships while helping to shape the future of the company. Tell us about where you grew up, and what your world looked like. I grew up in the small town of Fair Haven, nestled just off of the Sandy Hook of NJ. My cul-de-sac brimmed with trees and children my age, and we would often play dodgeball and manhunt and SPUD until our parents called for dinner. This time was shared with trips to the bay, where I collected shells in my pockets and filled glass jars by the dozens in my room. I left a trail of sand wherever I walked, so you could always find where I was hiding. What did you decide to study, and why? I studied English at Rutgers, then went on to get my Masters in Education. My reasoning has always been that I love reading and writing, and I think you should too. What are you up to now? How did you decide to pursue this? As you know, I'm now the Director of Client Management at Cambridge Coaching, and have been thrilled to join the team. I wanted to be a part of a small Education startup making real change in the lives of struggling students. I continue to be awestruck at the investment of our tutors in the success of their students and families, but also--from a pedagogical perspective--am amazed with how inventive our administrative and teaching team is when it comes to tackling the many things that can get in the way of learning. What do you imagine your life will look like in 5-10 years? My chief desire it to contribute to closing the achievement gap in a real way. The hope is to develop the nonprofit arm of Cambridge Coaching through creating and nurturing community partnerships with local nonprofits working in closing the achievement gap. Marcella, who is the co-founder of the company and my Managing Director, has always seen mentorship at the core of Cambridge Coaching. We've just started to discuss how to extend this into beginning a program of our own. What’s a lesson you’ve learned from teaching? That pure, unadulterated belief in oneself is the most potent ingredient to success. The application of this, as a teacher, is the responsibility to nurture this belief in a student above all else. Given the choice of anyone in the world, living or dead, which 3 people would you invite to your dinner party? What do you imagine you'd talk about? The temptation would be to say all of my favorite authors, but then who would cook the meal? So I would have to say Mossimo Bottura, and Anthony Doerr, and my dear friend Amy. The conversation would be wholly centered on the ending to "All the Light we Cannot See." We would, of course, discuss the good food and wine as well, wine which I would pour generously for Mossimo, ineivatably forcing him to sleep on my couch and to fix me breakfast the following morning. What daily routines or habits are most important for you to do your work? I run as fast as I can, for as long as I can, every day. What are 3 non-generic things that you’re grateful for? Avocados, TDF, and my dear old ASICS What does your daily information consumption diet look like? I am a podcast fiend. I tend towards BBC and NPR for my news, but I also write in enough time to indulge in the world outside the latest current event. I adore This American Life and Fresh Air, in particular. My head is always bent over some recently purchased collection of poetry, the latest being Charles Wright. I love to read a good novel too, though this so often falls off of the list. Want to learn moreabout ways Martha can connect you to a tutor? Contactus to set up a free consultation! ; Curious about out team? Check out other tutor spotlights below to get to know the Cambridge Coaching team! Tutor Spotlight: Meet Liz, Economics and Finance Tutor Tutor Spotlight: Meet Yilma, Physics Tutor Tutor Spotlight: Meet Troy, Test Preparation Tutor