About the Founder

Tom Hruschka

Education

_     - Ph.D. in BioEngineering. University of California-Berkeley. 2003.
     - B.S. in BioMedical and Electrical Engineering. Duke University. 1998

Background

Tom has 18 years of extensive experience tutoring, mentoring, and developing and leading math and science programs in the extended San Francisco Bay Area.  Tom understands that each student learns differently, so he encourages students to explore their own learning processes to find what works best for them. He strives to help students become independent learners and feel empowered and inspired about their education. After honing his tutoring and mentoring skills as Tutor and Site Director at LifeWorks Learning Center in Mill Valley, CA, Tom founded MindGarden Tutoring in 2010 with the goal of helping students in the Santa Rosa area develop the skills necessary to succeed in school and find balance between their academic, extracurricular, and social lives.

Personal

Tom lives in Santa Rosa with his wife Carolyn, 14-year-old daughter Zoë, 10-year-old son Zef, and loyal puppy Opal. In his free time he enjoys cooking, mountain biking, surfing, swimming, trail running, gardening, hiking, and playing guitar and piano. His extensive travels in Europe, Central and South America, the South Pacific, New Zealand, and Australia have broadened his cultural awareness and he carries these experiences with him into his career as a tutor and mentor. He approaches both his life and his career with a sense of humor, hoping that it is contagious.