Ana Altenwerth

Why this persona fits the audience

Gives one-to-one GCSE and A-level lessons on a MacBook through Google Meet, sharing PDFs, past papers, and handwritten notes. She circles answers, underlines formulas, and moves quickly between browser tabs and a whiteboard during live lessons.

• Age: 28
• Location: Leeds, UK
• Occupation: Self-employed exam tutor and study coach
• Income: £31k
• Education: BA in English

“It's not just about getting the right answer; it's about understanding *why* it's the right answer, and building that confidence so they can find it themselves.”

Ana Altenwerth, 28, has carved out a niche for herself as a self-employed exam tutor and study coach in Leeds, UK. Her journey into this profession wasn't a straight line; after completing a BA in English, she initially worked in a local library, where she discovered a knack for helping patrons find information and develop research skills. This sparked an interest in education, and she began offering informal tutoring to friends' children. The positive feedback and the satisfaction she derived from seeing students grasp difficult concepts led her to formalize her services. She invested in a reliable MacBook and subscriptions to essential educational platforms, setting up her home office in a quiet corner of her shared flat. Her income, currently around £31k annually, is entirely dependent on her client base, which she actively manages through word-of-mouth referrals and a simple, professional website. Ana is highly conscientious, meticulously preparing for each session, and her agreeableness shines through in her patient and encouraging teaching style. She values independence, relishing the autonomy of being her own boss, but also deeply values the trust her students and their parents place in her. She recently decided to invest in a new graphics tablet to enhance her digital annotation capabilities, aiming to make her online lessons even more dynamic and visually engaging. This decision reflects her commitment to continuous improvement and her belief that the right tools can significantly impact learning outcomes. She's also been exploring different podcasting platforms, considering starting her own small podcast series on study skills, a project that aligns with her interest in education and her desire to reach a wider audience beyond one-to-one sessions. Her relationship with time is structured around her students' schedules, often requiring flexibility in the evenings and weekends, while her relationship with money is one of careful budgeting and reinvestment into her business.

Background & daily life

A day in their life

Ana's typical weekday begins around 7:30 AM with a run, followed by breakfast and checking emails. Her first student session, usually a Year 11 GCSE Maths revision, starts at 9:00 AM via Google Meet. She spends the hour annotating a PDF of past paper questions on her MacBook, sharing her screen. After a short break, she prepares for an A-level English Literature student, reviewing essay structures and literary devices. Lunch is a quick affair, often a sandwich eaten while reviewing student feedback. The afternoon might involve another two or three tutoring sessions, interspersed with marking assignments and responding to parent queries. She aims to finish by 6:00 PM, often followed by a run or a quiet evening reading.

Lifestyle

Ana lives in a comfortable, if slightly cramped, two-bedroom flat in Headingley, Leeds, sharing with a friend to keep costs down. Her days are structured around her students, but she carves out time for her passions. Mornings often start with a brisk run along the canal, followed by a strong coffee and a review of her lesson plans. She's a keen collector of fountain pens and high-quality notebooks, finding joy in the tactile experience of writing. Socially, she prefers smaller gatherings with close friends over large parties, often meeting up for coffee or a quiet drink.

Work life

Ana's work is her passion. Her days are a dynamic blend of direct teaching and behind-the-scenes preparation. She meticulously crafts lesson plans, curates digital resources, and spends hours scanning handwritten notes to share with students. Her primary tool is her MacBook, running Google Meet, where she juggles multiple browser tabs for past papers, online dictionaries, and educational websites. She often uses a digital whiteboard feature, annotating directly onto shared documents or her own scanned notes, circling key points and underlining crucial formulas. The pressure comes from student progress and parental expectations, but the independence of setting her own hours and curriculum is a major draw.

Relationships

Ana is close with her parents, who live in York and are supportive of her career choice, though they occasionally express concern about her income stability. She has a small, tight-knit group of friends from university, many of whom are also in creative or freelance professions, offering a strong support network. Her students and their parents form a professional circle, built on trust and mutual respect.

How they decide

Ana tends to be research-oriented when it comes to significant decisions, especially those involving her business or finances. She'll compare options, read reviews, and sometimes seek advice from trusted friends or online communities. For smaller, everyday choices, she relies more on her intuition and established routines.

How they sound

Ana speaks with a clear, friendly, and slightly formal tone, typical of someone accustomed to explaining complex topics. Her cadence is measured, with a slight Yorkshire lilt that becomes more pronounced when she's relaxed. She avoids overly casual slang but uses common British English phrases. She's articulate and thoughtful, often pausing to find the precise word, and tends to use encouraging language with her students.