Our Story
Even the most driven students can find today's educational demands overwhelming and stressful. That's where Joyful Mind Tutors steps in. Our goal is to inspire lifelong learning by not just helping students with what they learn, but how they learn. We're all about building habits that stick, guiding students through middle school to college and beyond.
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We started out tutoring individually, covering subjects like Math, Science, English, and test prep. After teaming up at a tutoring company and a college admissions counseling startup, we realized our approach stood out. With backgrounds in biomedical science and mental health, we noticed that the little things—like test anxiety, social media distractions, self-image, and sleep struggles—can make a big difference.
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Driven by a desire to tackle these issues head-on and set students up for lasting success, we founded Joyful Mind Tutors. Our approach isn't just about boosting grades or finishing assignments; it's about understanding how each student learns best and helping them overcome their specific challenges. It's personal, it's attentive, and it makes a real difference in how students grow and thrive.
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A joyful, healthy mind knows no bounds.
Get to Know Me
Ever since I can remember, I’ve been an avid reader and lover of both literature and writing. I valued how they opened infinite doors to understanding people and myself. I went to Yale University where I earned my B.A. in English. While there, I conducted literature research and was an editorial intern at Yale University Press. After graduating, I worked in content marketing at a tech startup in SF during the day and was a student of mental health at night. In my pursuit of understanding the mind, I assisted filmmakers in their family documentaries, served as a bilingual counselor at an Asian community mental health center, and trained to become a certified 200-hour yoga teacher and Tibetan yoga practitioner. All of my experiences have led me to understand how a healthy mind can learn and overcome anything. My journey has been made possible because of a quality education enriched by mentors full of knowledge and, most importantly, genuine care about my well-being.
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As I continued onto higher education, I realize how difficult and confusing the path can be. I grew up in the South Bay Area and attended a competitive private high school. I’m well-acquainted with the stress of our fast, competitive environment. But it doesn't have to be that way. I provide students the confidence and clarity they need to succeed and reach their potential--all while having fun.
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My interest in tutoring and teaching started in high school. I tutored middle school students in math and English and supported my peers in AP English as a TA for my teacher. At Yale, I volunteered in a teaching program for middle school and high school students where I created a class to introduce them to war literature. More recently, I've mentored a group of high school students at a national college admissions counseling startup (alongside other graduates from competitive colleges) while tutoring K-12 students in math, history, and English at a local tutoring company. Pretty soon, I realized that Niko and I had a special attitude towards tutoring that truly helped students and parents: we become experts in not just the subjects we teach, but experts in the students' minds themselves. We built Joyful Mind Tutors to be creative in how we connect with students to help them overcome their obstacles and develop a healthier relationship to learning. We do this alongside parents/guardians and value real collaboration.
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I bring a mindful, warm, and joyful approach to supporting students excel in their academic coursework, standardized testing, or college applications without the unnecessary anxiety often present in our culture. I love learning the different ways each student experiences their education, so I can adapt my teaching approach to bring out the best in them. I help students turn pressure into fuel for growth; I provide both reassurance and challenges for them to go beyond what they think they can achieve. Most importantly, I help students not only realize their academic potential but also experience the bigger picture of learning with healthy habits: it brings a plethora of freedoms in life.
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When I’m in the mood to relax, I enjoy spending time with my husband and our two cats. I also practice meditation and yoga. And when I want to take a break from the charming allure of T.V., I like to take long, lazy walks in nature.
Alice Lieu
Get to Know Me
I was born and raised in the East Bay, where I attended Dorris-Eaton and College Preparatory school in Oakland. I developed a deep love for mathematics and science that propelled me to major in biomedical engineering and minor in math at Johns Hopkins University. While there, I studied a wide range of coursework: science, film, philosophy, literature, mathematics, computer science, and engineering. I became involved in research as an undergraduate and pursued graduate school at UCSF, where I studied neuroscience and epigenomics. After graduating with an M.S., I worked at a start-up in the biotech space as a computational biologist for 3 years and focused on developing new drug treatments for inflammatory disorders. Throughout my journey, I have benefited from brilliant teachers and mentors that planted seeds of wisdom and helped me grow in ways I couldn't have imagined possible.
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I began teaching in college. I was a student leader in a peer-led team learning program. I facilitated weekly meetings of a team of 6-10 students to develop their understanding of vector calculus. Later, I had the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant for a core biomedical engineering class in models and simulations. Many of my students were stressed about their grades and performing well, and I learned to encourage them to believe in their abilities to learn. More recently, I tutored high school students in all maths and sciences at a local tutoring company before founding Joyful Mind Tutors with Alice.
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I love math because of its infinite applicability and natural beauty. I developed a passion for math at an early age because it was fun--and it opened new ways of understanding beautiful concepts that I still love to ponder today, such as 0, infinity, and the nature of change. While working with students, I prioritize helping students connect personally to topics that can seem pedantic, which often results in a noticeable shift in their perspective and greater appreciation for what they are learning.
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I utilize a non-judgmental holistic tutoring approach: I like to get a full picture of the interests and personality of my students. My philosophy is to utilize “bad habits” as “secret talents” and transform these qualities to make them work for the student instead of hindering them.
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Beyond teaching, I enjoy hiking; practicing meditation and yoga; spending time with friends, family, and my cats; and learning Sowa Rigpa and Chinese medicine and acupuncture.
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Awards at Johns Hopkins:
Dean's List All Semesters
General Academic Honors
Biomedical Engineering Departmental Honors
Whiting School of Engineering Richard J. Johns Award
David T. Yue Memorial Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching
Our Approach
Assessing Strengths, Filling Gaps, and Emphasizing Process
We are experts in teaching and assessing our students' strengths and challenges. We help students fill gaps in their understanding and provide a clear academic plan to keep them on track outside of our sessions. We aren't just satisfied with getting the right answer; we emphasize the "how" and focus on the learning process.
Adaptive Holistic Tutoring for All Learning Styles
We understand how our students learn best and tailor our teaching accordingly, whether it’s creating graphs to visualize word problems, writing detailed notes, or talking through homework step-by-step. Recognizing the diversity of learning styles, we prioritize each student's strengths. With extensive experience supporting students facing learning challenges, we adapt our approach to provide effective assistance.
Fostering Healthy Habits for Independent Academic Success
In today's educational landscape, academic success is a marathon, not a sprint. We prioritize long-term achievement by promoting healthy study habits, fostering growth mindsets, and emphasizing the importance of proper sleep and effective time management. Our goal is to help students achieve a balance between challenging themselves academically and nurturing their overall well-being.
Parent Partnership for Student Success
Our students thrive when their efforts with us are positively reinforced at home. Collaborating closely with parents is essential to integrate our session work into the home environment. We prioritize open communication and transparency with parents to foster continuous learning beyond our sessions.