Who We Are
Blue Ribbon Scholars, LLC is an educational services program that enables scholar-athlete equestrians to flourish in school and in the competition ring. Accordingly, our mission is to help students achieve their goals academically so they can pursue a bright future in the horse world and beyond. Our program is tailored to each client’s needs and takes tutoring for equestrians to the next level.
Our Services:
- On-site education program at HITS Ocala showgrounds (official partner) with full range of in-person services available in Ocala, Florida, grades K-12
- One-to-one academic support and tutoring for equestrians, in-person and online
- Regular communication with parents and academic institutions
- One-to-one ACT/SAT test preparation
- Fill out the contact form below or email us at info@blueribbonscholars.com to set up a complimentary education consultation
The Blue Ribbon Scholars Value System
Scholarship
We offer comprehensive academic support for scholar-athlete equestrians. Perhaps you're keeping up a certain GPA for your college of choice, or maybe you're missing school every week to compete far from home. From the IEA to the A-circuit, we're here to help you stay on track academically.
Sportsmanship
Good sportsmanship fosters respect, discipline, and teamwork. When a horse enters the equation, the patience and perseverance required of an athlete increases tenfold. Blue Ribbon Scholars teaches our students the importance of resilience through the highs and lows of equestrian competition.
Stewardship
The equestrian community is, and has historically been, closely woven. We are all stewards of our horses and our actions within the community. Blue Ribbon Scholars takes an active role to foster the next generation of athletes and leaders that will form the core of this community in the future.
Why Choose Blue Ribbon Scholars
Scholar-Athlete Synergy
We understand the demands of your sport and school life. Our flexible scheduling ensures that your tutoring sessions fit seamlessly into your busy schedule.
Experienced Tutors
Our dedicated tutors have a track record of success, helping equestrian scholar-athletes excel academically all year round.
Proven Results
Our students have achieved remarkable academic and athletic success, earning admission to top colleges and universities, including D1 NCEA equestrian teams at Baylor University, Texas A&M, the University of Lynchburg, and University of Oklahoma.
Meet Our Learning Coaches
Just a few of our talented educators are shown here. Contact us to set up classes or for a specific tutoring subject area request.
Mira Korber, M.P.P.
FOUNDER OF BLUE RIBBON SCHOLARS
Mira holds a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Yale and a Master’s of Education Policy from Vanderbilt. Her ability to think quickly, reflect critically, and communicate clearly allows her to reach students from diverse educational backgrounds. Mira’s teaching focus centers on the humanities, economics, and Spanish language.
Dr. Steve Vaughn
MATHEMATICS, ECONOMICS, AND PHYSICS
Dr. Vaughn has more than 20 years of experience focused on training, coaching, and mentoring others in learner-centered (constructivist) methodology. He holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Management and a Master’s in Math Education. Dr. Vaughn is an adjunct professor at the College of Central Florida and a math coach for almost all levels of math.
Dr. Julie Emerson
BIOLOGY, AP BIOLOGY, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Julie has over a 40-year career as a biology educator and researcher. Most recently, she taught introductory biology at Amherst College for 18 years. During this time, Julie also directed a summer workshop in genetics and molecular biology for high school biology teachers. Julie holds a ScB in Biology from Brown University, a Ph.D. in Anatomy from the University of California San Francisco and completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at Princeton University.
Valérie Chaussonnet
BLUE RIDER ART CLUB, FRENCH, RUSSIAN
Valérie holds a master’s degree from Sorbonne University in Paris in Russian Language and Studies and completed doctoral research in anthropology (ABD) at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. Valérie has been teaching French for over 20 years. She is a professional artist and maintains an active sculpture and painting studio.
Alexander Malekan
ADVANCED STEM, TEST PREP
Alex holds a master’s degree in mathematics and bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics from UF. He has over six years of teaching experience in mathematics and standardized test preparation (SAT/SAT II/ACT/AP/GRE/GMAT). He also holds the title of National Chess Expert as certified by the United States Chess Federation.
Justina Rodriguez-Campos
K-8 SUBJECTS, MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH
Justina graduated from Texas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She holds Texas certifications for math and generalist 4-8, as well as a Florida certification for math 5-9.
Cynthia Sirois
BIOLOGY, CHEMISTRY, US HISTORY
In addition to majoring in environmental science at Rochester Institute of Technology, Cynthia studied biomedical science and British literature. She then earned a JD at Vermont Law School with an emphasis on environmental, energy, and international climate law.
Testimonials
Kristin S.
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
It has been a pleasure working with you. The organization of your system has been excellent. We missed Layne, but are happy that she had the experience.
Ronnie R.
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
This is wonderful. Thank you so much! You all are the best tutors we’ve worked with for our students at WEF!
Leslie M.
PARENT
I really appreciate the individualized instruction for my daughter– and the excellent communication between Blue Ribbon, the student, and the family. THANK YOU!
Deborah E.
PARENT
“The time we invested in tutoring was fantastic. Mira has an ability to connect with her students and understand their development needs. I had two very different students tutor with her and results are seen with both. Not only do I see increased confidence in their abilities, but also engagement in the subject matter.”
Linda S.
PARENT
This was a top notch educational experience for my daughters. They were able to complete their work and stay on track with their classmates at home, and focus on their riding, as well. The girls thoroughly enjoyed their teachers and other students and were sad to leave at the end of the 5 weeks.
Michele T.
PARENT
Mira and Blue Ribbon Scholars were invaluable during my daughters time at HITS Ocala. When Katie returned to school in March, she was actually ahead in all of her classes. The one on one tutoring was helpful keeping her focused on her specific tasks, while the study hall sessions were great for establishing a community. She is still in contact with many of the students and they are making plans to meet up at future shows. I can’t recommend Blue Ribbon Scholars highly enough!
Emma S.
STUDENT
I liked that Blue Ribbon Scholars was flexible and I could get help whenever I needed. If I didn’t have a lot of work for one course, I could focus where I had more work. In regular school the schedule is more strict which makes it hard to get ahead.
Emma C.
STUDENT
I like learning at Blue Ribbon Scholars because it is a friendly, safe, and fun environment. There are great tutors…and snacks!
Margaret M.
STUDENT
The flexibility of Blue Ribbon Scholars and being able to get help when I needed it made my time in Florida stress-free.
Brand Partners
Get Started
Are you an equestrian scholar-athlete?
You’ve come to the right place! Send us a note in the contact form so we can set up a complimentary learning consultation to help you reach your goals in and out of the show ring.
Are you a tutor, teacher, or education professional?
We are always looking for qualified tutors to join our growing team of learning coaches. Fill out the contact form or send us your resume at info@blueribbonscholars.com.