Behind our fleet of talented tutors and on the other side of every parent email, phone call, or text message is Annie Sullivan, Intelligentsia’s Program Director. Even though she oversees our student development, not all of our students or clients get to know Annie the way that they know their tutors. For that reason, and because we think she’s amazing, we’re taking a moment to highlight our incredible Program Director.
Annie, hello! Would you let us know where you grew up and what your lower and secondary education looked like?
I was born in Boston and lived on Cape Cod until I was five, when we relocated to NYC for my mom’s job. I then attended Convent of the Sacred Heart 91st street for 11 years, before switching to Professional Children’s School for the last two years of high school, because at the time I was pretty seriously pursuing a career in music. As of this month, I have lived in NYC for 25 years!
Did you stay in the city for college? What did you study?
I did! I have a BA & MA in media studies from the New School (Eugene Lang & New School for Public Engagement). BA in liberal arts, concentrating in music & media studies, and an MA in media studies, focusing in cultural studies (the intersections of technology, philosophy, art and death anxiety & occult beliefs).
What were the challenges you faced in your education journey? How did you navigate them?
Right after I moved to NYC, I was diagnosed with dyslexia and dyscalculia (essentially dyslexia for math). I was very lucky because my father is also dyslexic, so my parents were vigilant in watching for the warning signs, to be sure if my sister or I had it we’d be able to get the support we needed as soon as possible. The biggest challenges for me have been: 1. Learning how I learn and how to advocate for myself in academic environments, and later, work environments; 2. Having the self-confidence in my own intellect and ability despite not fitting into the “normal” mold of how people learn.
This is really where tutoring came in and changed my life because it helped me navigate both the learning and the emotional aspects of my learning differences. There is a lot of shame dyslexics carry around the traumatic environment school can be when you don’t have the right support or remediation, or even a personal understanding of why you are not thriving like your peers in an environment. In my experience, many teachers, for whatever reason, are not equipped to work with multiple learning styles in a classroom setting, and often don’t know how certain behaviors are linked to dyslexia and mischaracterize them, which causes a lot of anxiety. Getting one on one support was always my saving grace because it gave me the tools to thrive academically behind the scenes, and the personal knowledge and power to explain to those who don’t understand what dyslexia is, how it is affecting me, and then ask for the support or accommodation I need. The one on one support of a tutor opens up a door in the wall, giving you access to the joy and power of learning in a way that works for you. This is truly transformative and brings special personal meaning to the work I do now.
When and how did you start working at Intelligentsia?
I began working at Intelligentsia in spring 2016. My oldest friend from Sacred Heart worked with both Matt and Hilda [ Intelligentsia’s founders] in high school, and beyond. She was aware I was unhappy in my job at the time and knew Matt had been looking to hire a new program manager. She thought Matt and I would hit it off, and the rest is history!
Had you worked in education prior to Intelligentsia?
Yes! I tutored in high school, worked as a TA for 3 years during my MA, teaching writing for film (i.e, critical analysis not screenwriting), and also have worked as both a guitar teacher and camp counselor.
My original goal was to become a culture/media studies professor, but I ended up getting a job right after my MA and then never returned to school for my Ph.D., and have been working ever since.
What have you learned about how to hire tutors, or what makes a great tutor?
I learned how to hire great tutors from watching Matt. I have had a LOT of tutoring in my own life, so I am also personally attuned to the good qualities in an educator, but Matt really showed me what to look for, what to ask, and how to properly assess a person's knowledge and most importantly their “bedside manner,” or not only what they know but how they explain it/teach it, and how they relate interpersonally. Matt really understood the importance of connection and communication in the efficacy of tutoring, which is an essential quality I look for when hiring tutors and matching them with students.
As a media studies nerd, I often think about Marshall McLuhan's "the medium is the message,” in the context of almost everything. I really believe that what distinguishes a great tutor from a good tutor (or a bad tutor) is not if they know the material but if they know how to communicate it in the way it needs to be, so that it can be absorbed and learned. You can be a Ph.D. in a subject, a professional who’s worked for many many years in a field, but not be a good teacher, and it wouldn’t matter. A great tutor is able to identify and target how you learn best and teach you the material in a way that allows you to walk out of that tutoring session with not only the knowledge of the material, but a lasting understanding.
How do you feel Intelligentsia’s approach to tutoring reflects lessons from your own education?
Great tutoring gives the student skills that they take with them beyond tutoring. It doesn’t leave them dependent on on-going support, but rather, strengthens their innate ability to learn and know themselves better. As a person who, at a point, really needed tutoring in order to thrive, this emphasis on skill-building and equipping our students with tools they’ll bring with them far beyond the tutoring session is really personally and professionally important to me.
What’s your favorite part of your job?
I love learning about our students and helping come up with comprehensive support plans for them! Everyone is so unique, with their own backgrounds, dreams, and challenges, and every time I get to be brought in to help troubleshoot or problem solve, I genuinely look forward to it. Because I know how transformative the right support can be, it is exciting to think about the positive effects my work will be having in this person's life, far into their future.
Can you share your favorite or most interesting challenge that you’ve had to tackle as Program Director?
I always love when we get a special request for a tutor and I have to find someone with a very special talent or background. As we truly will find the right person for your specific need, I’ve hired all sorts of tutors, from comic book artists to nutritionists to computer programmers and almost everything in between, to help our support our students work on special projects and extracurricular development.
You have a name that education scholars might recognize. Any connection to Anne Sullivan, longtime teacher and companion to Helen Keller?
No! It’s truly just a funny coincidence. Although being named Anne Sullivan is as generically Irish as you can get (there are a LOT of us), you’d be surprised I don’t often get people asking about the connection.
