Meagan Sousa | Owner of Parker River Tutoring

Tell us about YOU!!  (Who are you & What do you do?) My name is Meagan Sousa. I am a native New Englander.  In 2010, I started my own business, Parker River Tutoring, for which I am the Principal Tutor. During my years obtaining my degree in Mechanical Engineering from Columbia University, I discovered that, not only do I enjoy the art of problem solving, but I also delight in working with students to help them manage and solve their own academic challenges. It has become a passion of mine to help learners uncover their true potential. We tutor mostly High School and Middle School students in specific subjects, test preparations, and Academic Coaching in one-on-one sessions. My insights and training go beyond the content of the subject, as I am a mother of three boys, ages 9, 12, and 13, as well as the wife of a business owner. I enjoy volunteering at the Topsfield Fair, for Cub Scout Pack #109 and as a 4H Group Leader.

What makes you different/stand out in your industry? Because my background degree is in engineering, I have honed my ability as a problem solver. When I work with students I can easily zero in on the trouble spots, find the most immediate area of need, and work with them on a route to a solution. Quite often, I find that, while each student is unique and comes with a different make up of schedule, background academics, family obligations, and more, I can detangle their frustrations and build them up with content specific knowledge, in addition to universal skills that promote independent learning. My ultimate goal with each student is to have them be able to apply the academic skills they learn with us to every class they take going forward through high school, college, and beyond. In essence, I am building a skilled learner for whatever life brings them.

What do your clients love about you? My clients love that I have seen just about everything when it comes to middle schoolers and high schoolers. My experience working in a variety of environments from Girls Inc. of Lynn, to a private at home tutoring service, to a peer tutoring program, which I created and implemented, has armed me with strategies to work successfully with every kind of student. In short, I have been tutoring for many years and nothing surprises me.  Subsequently, I am equipped to help my students not only stay the course, but thrive and excel in every academic situation. I also have a vast network of past parents, private college placement advisors, youth groups, clubs, and volunteer opportunities to draw upon. With these invaluable resources at my fingertips, I have helped connect families to everything from advice from seasoned parents previously in the same situation, to a list of outlets of creativity for their children.

What is the best advice you can share with others? Most families aren’t sure when to call in a tutor for their student. The best advice I can share in that regard would be to support your student the best you can and seek help when the material is either beyond your scope of expertise or your own relationship begins to suffer. Our guiding principle – “Creating peace and harmony between you and your student” – really speaks to that.

How has Women’s Business League helped you? As someone who has started a small business from the ground up, I have found the Women’s Business League to be a fantastic resource for expertise and inspiration. As my business has grown substantially over the past few years, there have been questions about how to run and manage the business which I have encountered. In the WBL, I have a place to meet others who are either going through what I am or who have been there. Questions that could take away hours of valuable work time can be answered in minutes by a trusted business woman in a supportive environment. I value the relationships I am building each week and I can see in my business how my time has been well spent in the Women’s Business League.