Xander Nonaka

Biography

Originally from San Francisco, I attended Pomona College in Claremont, CA, where I earned a degree in public policy with a focus on environmental analysis. I took advantage of the opportunity to take classes in a variety of subjects, both within and beyond my areas of study. In any subject area, I’ve always been drawn to the problem-solving side of learning. Deepening an understanding through collaboration, perseverance, and curiosity is incredibly rewarding, and I hope to foster that with students.

My experience as an instructor comes from coaching baseball and working with families at a non-profit, where I had my first tutoring experience helping kids practice ESL. I’m excited to apply my learning and teaching background to AJ’s SAT program. Doing well on the SAT played an important role in opening opportunities for my college experience. I built confidence going into test day through thoughtful repetition over many hours of at-home studying and taking practice tests. I hope to help my students develop that same sense of comfort and confidence by approaching each question with the right amount of focus and efficiency.

In addition to tutoring, I teach Algebra and Japanese for AJ at Cypress College Prep. Outside of teaching, I love reading mystery novels, watching the Giants and 49ers, and learning about geography.