Free AP^® Writing Workshops

John Moscatiello is the founder of Marco Learning. He has been a teacher, tutor, and author since 2002. His career began at the Princeton Review, where he taught the SAT^®, ACT^®, SAT^® Subject Tests, AP^® Exams, ISEE^®, SSAT^®, SHSAT^®, GRE^®, GMAT^®, LSAT^®, MCAT^® Verbal, and TOEFL^®.  John has trained hundreds of teachers, written content for 13 test preparation books, and worked as a college admissions consultant. He starred in more than 200 educational videos for the Princeton Review’s SAT^®, ACT^®, and GRE^® self-paced courses. John’s academic career began as a Spanish major at NYU, where he used AP^® credits to graduate a full year early. He then pursued graduate degrees in history from Fordham and Notre Dame, where he taught undergraduate students. He was a Fulbright scholar to Spain in 2012. John’s academic work has been published in both English and Spanish.

Since 2004, Alayna Vernon has passionately educated and mentored students. Working at the Princeton Review, Alayna honed her expertise in standardized testing—from the SAT® to the GMAT®. At Marco Learning, Alayna has worn many hats: instructor for subjects like AP® Psychology and AP® Calculus AB, mentor, content and curriculum developer, writer, actor, and now Director of Teacher and Student Programs. With both parents as teachers, Alayna deeply values educators’ dedication and champions them daily.

Katie Upton has been teaching for 15 years, helping students become college and career ready. She has taught English courses ranging from 7th grade English Language Arts to Composition I at the college level. In the past three years, she has quickly become an expert in AP^® Language and Composition and a leader of the AP^® Capstone program. Katie has a plethora of experience in educational professional development. She has led professional development at the building, district, area, and even global level, focusing on helping teachers blend 21st century learning with educational practices that have stood the test of time. Beginning her career in Oklahoma, Katie has also taught in Kansas and now calls Texas her home. A former basketball coach herself, Katie spends her free time cheering on her two boys in all that they do and supporting her husband, a head girls’ basketball coach.

Heather Garcia has been teaching since 2004, and has taught English courses ranging from 9th grade remedial to AP^® English Language and AP^® English Literature. She has taught public speaking, Dual Enrollment Skills for College Success, and has also taught English Composition at Florida Gulf Coast University. She is a professional development leader in her district, running annual new-teacher trainings and is now the Curriculum and Instructional Specialist for her district for grades 6-12. She has been an AP^® Reader and was a presenter for AP^® English Literature at the 2019 AP^® National Conference in Orlando, and her specialty is helping students build their skills in analytical reading, critical thinking, and insightful writing. Heather has a BA in English, and an MA in English, and an MA in Writing. She lives in Florida with her husband and two young children, and spends her spare time (LOL) writing young-adult fiction.

Emily Glankler has taught almost every Social Studies course over the past nine years from 6th grade World Cultures through AP^® U.S. History but her favorite course to teach is AP® World History. She has taught AP^® History courses at both private and public high schools in Austin, Texas and she was the team lead responsible for bringing AP^® World (and building the curriculum from scratch) to the last two high schools where she has taught. Emily has also led professional development within Austin ISD as an Instructional Coach as well as presenting to an audience at SXSW EDU about incorporating current events into the core curriculum. She has a B.A. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.A. in History from Texas State University. In addition to teaching full time, Emily also writes and produces a history podcast called Anti-Social Studies that is used by teachers and students in history classrooms around the country. She lives in Austin with her husband and son and somehow finds time to also perform Improv comedy.

Danny Sanchez has been a teacher and tutor for the past 18 years. He has taught a variety of courses including: US History, World History, Holocaust Studies, and the History of the Vietnam War. For the last 12 years his academic focus has been AP^® Human Geography. He has helped his students at Jensen Beach High School exceed the global and state pass rates every single year he has taught the course. His Instagram account, @thehumangeoguy, is the most followed account that focuses on AP® Human Geography content. Danny is a graduate of Florida International University where he majored in Social Studies Education.

Jacob Clark has been involved with high school social studies since 2007, teaching History, Economics, Government, and Geography classes during that time. His teaching passion and academic interest is AP^® Human Geography, a course he has taught the past 12 years, during which his students’ pass rate far exceeded the state and national averages. He has served as an AP^® Reader for the past seven years. Jacob also leads a campus-based tutoring program designed to produce National Merit Scholars. Since 2010, he has had a hand in helping over 100 students earn National Merit recognition from Clear Springs High School. An avid golfer and coach, Jacob can frequently be found on the links when away from work. Jacob attended Ball State University and Bowling Green State University, where he studied History and Education. He currently resides in Houston, Texas.

Michelle Lindsey has been teaching high school for over 10 years. She has taught or currently teaches a variety of courses including Debate, Speech, Intensive Reading, 9th- 11th English- both Honors and Remedial, AICE Literature, AP^® Seminar, AP^® Research, and now AP^® Literature. She has been a presenter at the FCTE conference for Florida English teachers and is now the head of the English department for her high school. She has a BA in English and an MA in Writing. She spends her free time hiding from the Florida heat reading books or writing fiction while enjoying the company of her two fur-babies.

Kara Brittain has been teaching for over 8 years after leaving a successful career in human resources and recruitment. With a background in English and Communication, she has taught courses across secondary English Language Arts, college-level Communication courses, and electives such as Debate and Independent Study & Mentorship. For the past five years, Kara has been focusing on AP English Literature and Composition, quickly becoming a campus expert. She has a passion for helping students prepare for college and the workforce through a blend of traditional English Language Arts skills and new technology. She lives in Louisiana with her husband and two children.