When Matt moved from Mississippi to Connecticut in fifth grade, he found himself at a college prep school that pushed him both academically and personally. He thrived in the challenge—even spending senior year diving into a seminar on his favorite author, William Faulkner—while also discovering his love for skateboarding and skiing. Those years shaped both his curiosity as a learner and his passion for adventure.

After high school, Matt headed back to the South for college, where he took a cross-section of pre-med, art history, philosophy, and English classes, and eventually settled on an English major. He never wanted college to end! There is a certain palpable energy that exists on college campuses, one that nourishes and celebrates the idea that anything is possible, and Matt fell in love with this energy.

But then he chased another dream, which was to live in one of the last wild places in the Lower 48—Montana. Matt worked as a backcountry ranger in Glacier National Park, getting paid to explore wild landscapes. Matt then earned a Montana Secondary Teacher’s License and taught high school English. After six years with the public schools, he opened a business for general academic tutoring, standardized test prep, and college admissions.

Over the years, Matt has tutored most every high school subject—from AP Calculus to American History—while also focusing on college admissions.

Matt completed an intensive “College Admissions Consulting” certification program at UC Irvine, earning top honors in his class.

When he’s not guiding students through college admissions and test prep, Matt is the Fiction Editor for the Whitefish Review. He has also helped design and build several skateparks across northwest Montana, and finds peace exploring the state’s wild landscapes. Closer to home, you’ll often spot him on the sidelines, cheering on his kids at the soccer fields.

In the awkward middle and high-school years, Andy lived in close proximity to the vast and mountainous wilderness. The time in the woods perpetuated his desire to learn about and explore his surroundings, all while learning new skills and things about himself. The seemingly infinite wilderness was the perfect outlet for Andy’s physical and mental energy, and his natural curiosity made him go see what’s on the other side of that next ridge or around the next river bend.

This combination of worldly curiosity and a passion for the outdoors came to a confluence at Montana State University. While in Bozeman, Andy studied History, Political science, and Education/Teaching, while skiing and fishing as often as possible. Montana State was rated Top 10 in Powder Magazine and nicknamed “Trout University” by the fly-fishing community. Chasing academics and extracurriculars, Andy left Bozeman with diplomas and a more invigorated desire to learn.

Since then, Andy has been a teacher, tutor, ski coach, outdoor educator, counselor, and a life coach. Working with so many kids, in so many different settings, has led to developing a more comprehensive view of students and intentionally using that to form a mindful approach to working with each individual. 

For the last decade, Andy has been running his own tutoring, homeschooling and private teaching company in Whitefish, Montana.

Depending on the weather and time of year, you will find Andy hiking around the backcountry, searching for fresh snow to ski, or waist deep in a cold river trying to figure out what the trout are eating. Regardless, he’ll be looking for the quiet of the woods, where the animals outnumber the people. When not in the mountains and rivers, he is still driven by adventures, and his many intellectual interests lead him to frequently explore local used bookstores for esoteric books.