Hi! My name is Mr. Iljeen, and I am a reading and writing tutor, an aspiring novelist, and a kickboxing trainer. A bit of an unexpected combination, I know—but my motto? Follow your joy.

Born in Chicago and raised in Des Plaines, I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a James Scholar, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in political science and a minor in urban planning. After undergrad, I joined the Peace Corps and worked as an educator for two years. Since then, I have accumulated five years of tutoring experience while exploring different career paths, including a return to academia for my Master of Fine Arts at the University of Central Florida as the Provost Fellow in Fiction.

In addition to completing a thesis novel to graduate, I gained valuable teaching experience through a pedagogy practicum in creative writing and English composition for college freshmen. I have also developed strong strategies for standardized test preparation, having placed in the 99th percentile for the ACT and GRE and helping students improve their reading and writing scores.

Outside of tutoring, I love reading science fiction, speculative fiction, and literary fiction. I am currently in the agent query process, seeking representation for my novel. When I’m not writing or teaching, you can find me boxing in Logan Square.

I am excited to tailor lesson plans to meet each student’s needs and help them grow into confident, capable readers and writers.

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