Austin's ability to clearly and effectively teach and his many years of experience teaching students in test prep (SSAT, HSPT, ISEE, SAT, ACT), math, English, study skills, and writing make him a highly sought after tutor. 

Austin graduated from Georgetown University with a degree in Psychology and minors in Philosophy and Theology. His favorite courses at Georgetown introduced him to the rich history of Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, and his interest only increased when he set out to learn about Madhyamaka philosophy and practice on his own. Himself a former sufferer of test anxiety, Austin incorporates the basic tenants of mindfulness into his tutorials, and he always seeks to put into perspective for his students the value of learning for learning's sake.

After college, Austin moved back home to Houston and spent the next two years working as a mentor and tutor to ninth graders in Houston ISD’s Apollo 20 program; he has been tutoring K-12 ever since, with a specialization in math, English, social sciences, and test preparation. One of his most rewarding experiences has been coaching SAT/ACT students who have ADHD and learning differences.

Austin believes in the transformative power of one-on-one, student-centered learning, and is always trying to engineer new and better ways to deliver difficult-to-learn math and English concepts. He seeks to nurture the innate abilities of each of his students and thinks the best way to inspire learning is to discover, explore, and draw out their unique strengths.

“Austin now works with our two very different children. He is an excellent resource to each and readily identifies how they learn and meets them there. He is a wealth of knowledge and knows tomes of material plus strategy. He easily engages and connects helping teens feel comfortable. Learning is a vulnerable business and he masterfully navigates fostering growth and instilling confidence. He is astute in identifying when they need to be shored up and communicates directly. He is vested in his students’ success and cares deeply about them, their process, and their outcome. He is a true partner. Austin always goes the extra mile for his students and his wit and humor are great tools for working alongside our family. He is amazing and we appreciate his style and expertise. We are grateful for the opportunity to collaborate together. He is connected with all 4 of us. Our children look forward to working with him every session." - Parent

“Austin has been so wonderful for our son! He is incredibly smart and kind, but also very diligent and hard-working. His follow-up homework emails were priceless as they always contained loads of helpful test prep information, math problems, tips, and some review of the session. Our son actually looked forward to his weekly sessions with Austin and repeatedly referred to those emails before taking the SSAT. We are so grateful to you Austin!” - Parent

“Miraculous results after working with 2 of my children. The proof is in the pudding!” - Parent

“Austin helped my daughter with both high-level test strategy and specific types of math questions. They worked through problems and he provided her with a shortlist of tips for solving problems correctly and efficiently. Thanks!” - Parent

“Austin was truly wonderful. He was conscientious and professional. As a parent, I appreciated that he seemed to sincerely care about our son's results. Our son enjoyed working with him and thought he was an excellent tutor. We worked with him for SSAT prep and hope we will be fortunate enough to work with him for SAT preparation.” - Parent

"Austin really connected well with my son on SSAT preparation. Austin is thoughtful and kind, and at the same time can push appropriately to get the work done. We had an excellent experience working with Austin." - Parent

"My son said that Austin taught him a totally different way to approach the test that made all the difference. He even got a 36 on one of the sections! So - thank you thank you thank you - it was just what we were hoping for.  He is DONE." -Parent

"Absolutely professional. Absolutely on time; if caught in traffic, Austin would unfailingly call to update his ETA. Austin is not a chatterbox; rather he is a quiet, steady intellect who patiently guided both my children (& they are quite different) through very challenging academic coursework. I credit him with helping to build  their confident work ethic; 'yes, this is hard, and it feels overwhelming sometimes, but we can break it down and understand it.'"  
-Parent

"A huge thank you from our family to the Mindful Tutor family!  With the help of wonderful Mindful Tutors for two of my kids, they are well on their way to getting into the schools of their dreams!  

My senior wanted that one extra point to ensure that his ACT score didn't rule out any of the top schools - and after just four hours with Austin, he did it!   Austin's approach was super-targeted:  he looked at my son's previous scores and knew precisely what needed improvement - there was not a wasted moment, and it was worth every penny!

Thank you for changing my children's lives - you've gone above and beyond with your personal attention and concern.  We are looking forward to using Mindful Tutors proactively for our high school junior as we approach testing this time!  I've recommended you to everyone I know!" - Parent

"My daughter REALLY enjoys working with Austin. She said the other day, 'Austin is the BEST tutor I ever had!'  Thank you so much for making this stressful process so wonderful, Austin & Megan!" - Parent

"Austin is a fantastic teacher- his liberal arts background helps him articulate really tough math concepts, and he can help simplify complex math to help explain the process, the theory and the reason the math is important. My daughter made all 'A's' during her two years with Austin and, more importantly, she no longer 'hated' math." -Parent

"Austin!! He helped [my daughter] to raise her SSAT score where she wanted it.  Austin analyzed her strengths and weaknesses very quickly and clearly and developed the plan in the given time to fill up the holes to become a better math student. He was amazing!  Also, he was very professional, patient and caring by knowing when to push and when to wait. [My daughter]  loved working with him and he was very kind to make her gain her confidence in math, mentally too... such a great Math tutor actually the BEST that I can not wait until my [my daughter's] siblings will work with him in the future." - Parent

“Austin was an excellent tutor. He was diligent, thorough, prompt, and courteous. He responded to my emails and texts quickly and helpfully. From what I could tell, he squeezed an incredible volume of material into each session. Since [my son] goes to a school with large classes, much of the teaching ends up being done through workbooks, etc. It was really great for [my son] to have one-on-one time with a patient, dedicated tutor like Austin. I highly recommend Austin as a tutor.” - Parent