Cass Garison

Cass is an educator, poet, and artist. His approach helps students become more confident, curious, and independent learners, in and out of the classroom. He encourages students to develop meaningful relationships with education by building on their strengths, understanding how they learn best, and discovering what excites them.

Cass has supported students through academic and personal transitions, helping them grow their capacity to recognize and meet academic expectations beyond sessions. He especially loves working with students with learning disabilities, neurodivergent students, and students whose needs aren’t fully met in traditional classroom settings. He has worked with students with ADHD, autism, and executive functioning challenges, and develops approaches that reflect each student’s individual strengths, needs, and learning style.

Cass also brings eight years of experience guiding students through all stages of the college admissions process, from the initial search to essay writing, application development, and preparing for the academic expectations of college. He helps students articulate their experiences, interests, and aspirations through thoughtful, precise, and authentic writing. His students have gained admission to institutions including Yale, Cornell, Brown, and the University of Washington, Seattle.

Cass believes that creativity, cross-disciplinary connections, and strong relationships are essential to meaningful learning. He sees reading and writing as “critical ways to communicate, express ourselves, and understand our place in the world.” Above all, he wants students “to feel capable, supported, and empowered in their education.” 

Qualifications

• Eight years of tutoring and individualized instruction experience in reading, essay writing, creative writing, academic writing, language arts, and literature
• Eight years of experience supporting students through college admissions, college essays, and applications
• Three years of university teaching experience at the University of Washington, Seattle, and Seattle University
• M.F.A. in Poetry, University of Washington, Seattle
• B.A. with Honors in Creative Writing and Classical Languages and Literature, Franklin & Marshall College
• Published writer, 2023–2024 Hugo House Fellow, and literary editor