Leadership
Alexis Avila, Founder/CEO
MA, Cert. in Guidance Pre K-12
alexis@preppedandpolished.com
About Alexis
Frequently quoted by U.S. News & World Report, Alexis founded Prepped and Polished to help elementary, secondary, college-level, and adult students improve their grades and test scores. While tutoring for several small and large commercial test prep companies, Alexis envisioned growing his own independent educational services company run entirely by educators, for the love of education. Alexis and other members of the Prepped and Polished team have collectively traveled one hundred thousand miles to educate students in person, working with well over a thousand families both nationally and internationally. Described by students as supportive, patient, and enthusiastic, Alexis has helped students and adults gain confidence, maximize academic potential, and achieve dramatically improved grades and test scores.
Said by one of his clients
“I have know Alexis personally and professionally for over 25 years. Since we met at the University of Michigan until now with my daughter receiving tutoring from his company, Alexis has always approached life with a great drive for success, empathy and compassion for others as well as enthusiasm to find the joy and humor in whatever he does. With these attributes and outlook coupled with his pride for his Puerto Rican family and traditions, Alexis has always looked for and drawn to him a diverse group of individuals in his life. For example, through the Big Brothers/Big Sister program he has served as a big brother to a young man from Cape Verde for over 15 years and truly treated this individual as family. In college, Alexis tutored students at the local middle school and this passion to help young persons evolved into his successful business which has not only tutored 1000s of kids but also employed many tutors and grown into a global Social media platform that brings together experts to help students and families cope with countless issues that confront families. Alexis is a shining example of how one can have great business and personal success and have a Tremendous impact to the community”.
Alexis is a certified school guidance counselor, grades Pre K-12, and holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (a US News ranked top-five Counseling Psychology program), as well as a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Alexis also spent his junior year living in Seville, Spain through the Cornell, Pennsylvania, University of Michigan study abroad program. Alexis completed a two day seminar in Executive Function disorder, a one day seminar on Advanced Strategies to Improve Executive Function Skills, as well as a 15 hour online course in Study Skills: Strategies to Support Executive Function all through the Landmark School Outreach Program in Beverly, Massachusetts. Alexis regularly speaks nationally about tutoring, test preparation, and students with learning challenges to parents and professionals at schools and conferences across the US, including SEPAC organizations in Dover, Sudbury, and Wayland, MA, the IECA, CollegeWeek Live, the National Test Prep Association (NTPA), and at the BIPOC Business Owner’s Panel presented by Wisconsin Alumni Association.
Alexis writes and produces videos for his educational blog and podcast, which has over 300 videos, and 1 million views/listens. Some notable guests who appeared on the Prepped and Polished podcast include ex NBA player, recovering addict and motivational speaker Chris Herron, and NY Times Best Selling Author and frequent CNN guest Frank Bruni. Alexis leads SAT Math Strategies and SAT Strategy Secrets Workshops at various local high schools, as well as administers the ACT-SAT Test Prep Selector Diagnostic and Evaluation at several college fairs.
Alexis is a member of professional organizations such as the University of Michigan Alumni Association (Alumni Student Recruiter), the Wellesley Chamber of Commerce (Board of Directors), and the Newton Needham Chamber of Commerce (Scholarship Committee), the National Test Prep Association (NTPA), and also non-profit organizations such as Bridge over Troubled Waters, Mass Mentoring, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Community Servings, and Recovery Works. An active member of the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America since 2003, Alexis was nominated in 2010 as one of the final five finalists for Big Brother of the Year. Alexis ran in three Boston Marathons from 2012-2014, collectively raising 15,000 dollars for two youth mentoring programs, Mass Mentoring and Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America.
In 2020, Alexis was honored to be named one of the 50 most influential business people of color by Newton Needham Regional Chamber.
Aaron Cotton, Director, Test Preparation
MA, Boston University
aaron@preppedandpolished.com
About Aaron
As Director of Test Preparation at Prepped and Polished, Aaron brings more than 6 years of dedicated work with students to improve test scores (standardized and classwork) to achieve academic success. He is passionate about building accessible learning through one-on-one counseling and development. In this role, Aaron not only works with students, but also manages Team Prepped and coordinates with students and their families. He trains and develops tutors to maintain the highest levels of excellence in tutoring. Aaron holds a B.A in History from the University of Minnesota Twin-Cities and an M.A. in History of Art and Architecture from Boston University. He also worked in Minneapolis, MN as a high school coach for AmeriCorps’s College Possible. Aaron currently lives on the South Shore with his wife and enjoys exploring New England, learning historical trivia, and watching the latest Marvel/DC movie.
Jacqueline Osterdahl, Director, Executive Function Coaching
MA, Boston College
About Jacqueline
