About Write Up Your Alley

Our Team

Certified teachers and experienced tutors who care deeply about confident, capable communication.

Our team combines curriculum expertise, patient instruction, and a genuine love of language.

Maria Gurevich

Founder and curriculum director

Raised and educated in Toronto, Maria is a University of Toronto alumna with 20 years of expertise developing English-language curricula, methodology, and educational tools. Her clients have ranged from young learners developing reading skills to high school and university students strengthening their writing, as well as corporations seeking business-writing and public-speaking training.

Maria developed an original teaching method that appeals to logical and creative thinkers alike. Her classes help students express and defend their ideas with confidence while developing a lifelong passion for language. She continues to study with Toronto writers and journalists and follows current education and cognitive-science research.

Sonia Patrick

Teacher

Sonia joined Write Up Your Alley in 2017 and has taught across the school’s programs. She studied French Studies and Education at York University’s Glendon College. Her French Immersion experience gives her particular insight into the English-writing challenges often faced by French Immersion students.

A former Write Up Your Alley student herself, Sonia is passionate about using the school’s method to help students reach their goals. She also teaches with the Toronto District School Board.

Maria Charilaou

English tutor

Maria is an English tutor with more than six years of experience supporting students from elementary school through university. She specializes in writing, reading comprehension, critical thinking, research, and analysis through a structured, personalized approach.

She graduated from the University of Toronto with High Distinction in 2025 and is certified through U of T’s UT3 Tutoring Program. She has extensive experience supporting students with diverse learning needs, including ADHD, autism, and other intellectual disabilities.

Anastasia Ovtchinnikova

Tutor

Anastasia has tutored students ages 6–17 for five years, with a particular focus on online instruction for Grades 7 and 8. She completed her BA at McGill University and first joined Write Up Your Alley as a Grade 8 student before returning as a tutor in 2021.