Meet Cory Vessa, Lead Instructor

I have been teaching SAT for a long time. I began back in college in 1999 for a major test preparation provider. I continued working there throughout graduate school. In 2018, when my son entered 8th grade, I began offering classes in my home to prepare him and his friends for the 8/9 PSAT. I continued teaching in my home to prepare him and my daughter (and their friends) for the SAT.

In 2015, I joined the board of a non-profit - The Rohi Foundation. Rohi serves along the border of Mexico in impoverished communities and orphanages. My heart grew large for the children there. And soon, I was using my SAT classes here in Austin to raise money for my work in Mexico.

In 2024, I decided to expand my classes considerably in order to raise more money. The work of Rohi had grown to support many more local ministries in Mexico. The need for funding was great. And my success in helping my chlidren and their friends achieve very competitive SAT scores had given my classes a good reputation.

In 2025, I kicked it up a notch and started offering tutorials virtually. Soon, friends from all over the country asked for help for their teens. Beyond tutorials, I added a virtual option to my classes. I hired my daughter, Holly, to teach both tutorials and an advanced class, a class especially for students reaching for a perfect score. I also hired Venthan Dinesh, a friend of my son, currently studying engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. Both of my new hires, Holly and Venthan, earned a 1500+ on the SAT.

Because of the growth, I decided I needed to start a separate non-profit to make administering everything easier. I asked two friends, Melissa Watts and Sheila Schouten, to serve on the board of Ascend Education Services (AES).

I am excited to be able to help students here in the USA achieve their dreams while also helping students in Mexico. Serving both groups of students is truly a joy and blessing to my life.