Dr. Amy M. Racanello, MSEd., PhD.

Dr. Racanello is a clinical neuropsychologist, who specializes in pediatrics. She completed her bachelor of science at Cornell University, where she started tutoring and founded Pearl Learning Group (PLG). Dr. Racanello went on to earn her first master’s degree and advance certificate in school psychology from Brooklyn College, The City University of New York (CUNY). She earned her second master’s degree and doctoral degree from the  Educational Psychology Department at The Graduate Center, CUNY. Dr. Racanello completed her post-doctoral fellowship in neuropsychology at Columbia University Medical Center, and she was the DeHirsch-Robinson Fellow at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian (CHONY)/Columbia University Medical Center. In addition to her work at PLG, Dr. Racanello is a senior/lead clinical neuropsychologist at the Healthy Brain Network, and she is an adjunct professor at the School Psychologist Graduate Program at Brooklyn College, CUNY, where she teaches the Neuropsychology of Learning course. Above and beyond tutoring, Dr. Racanello has extensive training and experience conducting comprehensive neuropsychological assessments for children of all ages, and she specializes in evaluating individuals with complex learning difficulties. 

Education:

  • Undergraduate: Cornell University
  • Master’s + Advanced Certificate in School Psychology: Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
  • Doctoral Degree: Educational Psychology Department at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York
  • Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Neuropsychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center
  • Faculty Fellowship in Neuropsychology at the Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian (CHONY)/Columbia University Medical Center

When spending time out of the office, Amy enjoys spending time with her family, including her weenie dogs. Additionally, she loves international travel and recently returned from Paris.

Vin DiDonna, M.S. Lead Associate

As Lead Associate, Vin specializes in SAT & TACHS Prep as well as Algebra, Algebra II, Geometry, and Trigonometry

Education & Experience:

  • Began tutoring in 1998: St. Peter’s Boys High School National Honor Society
  • Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice & Sociology: University of Scranton
  • Master’s Degree in Law & Policy: St. Joseph’s University (Philadelphia, PA)
  • Guest Lecturer at the James E. Beasley School of Law at Temple University.

Joseph Racanello, MSEd.

Joseph has been an integral part of the practice since its inception.  Joseph and Amy have team-tutored high school and college math students, as well as many young learners.

Education + Experience:

  • S. in Mathematics & Education: Wagner College (SI, NY)
  • Master’s Degree in the Arts in Education: Saint Michael’s College in Colchester (VT)
  • Waldorf Teacher Certification: Antioch University (NE)
  • Current: Teaches 1st grade at the Mount Laurel Waldorf School in upstate NY

Although he is not living in the immediate area, Joseph continues to share his expertise and knowledge with many of our students, especially our young learners and college math students.

Keith Frerichs, PE, LEED AP

Keith specializes in the areas of Physics and Calculus.  He began working with students in both classroom and one-on-one settings while tutoring for Xaverian High School’s REACH Program.  

Education + Experience:

  • S. Mechanical Engineering: Lehigh University
  • Design Engineer and Project Manager in Aerospace and Commercial Real Estate and Construction Industries
  • Licensed Professional Engineer in NY
  • Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional
  • NYC Chapter of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Conditioning Engineers Board Member

Delia Sequeira, M.S., BCBA

Delia serves as Dr. Racanello & Associates’ resident expert on foreign language. She is fluent in Spanish and French. 

Education+ Experience:

  • Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) since 2007
  • 10+ years of experience in the field of Intellectual Disabilities
  • S. in Psychology with a specialization in Performance Management: The Florida State University
  • A. in French: The Florida State University
  • S. in Applied Behavior Analysis with an emphasis on Organizational Behavior Management: Florida Institute of Technology
  • Licensed Behavior Analyst in the State of Virginia

Ann Mitchell MSN, RN, FNP-BC

Education+ Experience:

  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Cum Laude: Wagner College, Staten Island, New York
  • Masters of Science in Nursing: Wagner College
  • Board Certified Family Nurse Practitioner
  • Inducted into Sigma Theta Tau international honor society of Nursing
  • Ann has over a decade of experience in critical care settings, and currently, she works on the busiest and most prestigious cardio-thoracic unit in the tri-state area.

Ann enjoys spending time with her family, tending to her beautiful garden, cooking delicious food, and being all around awesome.

Amy

Corey Plate is a senior undergraduate at the City University of New York, completing the capstone coursework for a bachelors in neuroscience, psychology, and physics. A member of the Thomas W. Smith fellowship, he maintains a cumulative grade point average of 3.94, and a science grade point average of 3.91. He is highly proficient in both pre-medicine and pre-nursing requirements, and he is broadly familiar with the fundamentals of mathematics, chemistry, and biology. As a former English and education major, as well as the editor-in-chief of a university psychology publication, Corey is proficient in the mechanics and organization of the English language, and he is versed with the fundamentals of experimental psychology. As a participant navigator for the Healthy Brain Network at the Child Mind Institute , Corey accumulated over two thousand contact hours working with children, adolescents, and young adults, as well as with their families. Currently, in addition to his full-time coursework, research placement, medical scribe position, and tutoring, Corey is preparing his medical school applications! As a tutor, he is especially excited to share the combination of his knowledge and skills with fellow students to support their capacity to reach and exceed their academic goals. In addition to being brilliant, Corey is an amazing human being, and he is a wonderful addition to the team at PLG.