Meet Darnell

My name is Darnell Almanzar, and I am a dedicated educator and tutor with more than 15 years of teaching and academic support experience. I specialize in helping students strengthen their reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, and I have worked with learners at every level—from elementary school students building foundational literacy to graduate and doctoral candidates refining advanced academic writing and research.

I currently serve as the Occupational Course of Studies (OCS) English Teacher and Department Lead at William G. Enloe Magnet High School in Raleigh, North Carolina. In this role, I design engaging, personalized curriculum, lead a team of educators, and use data-driven instructional practices to ensure each student receives the targeted support they need to thrive. My teaching background also includes roles at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School and Cesar Chavez Public Charter School for Public Policy in Washington, D.C., where I taught English Language Arts and Special Education. These experiences have equipped me with deep expertise in differentiated instruction, literacy development, and one-on-one intervention.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in English from Livingstone College, where I also competed as a track and field student-athlete, and a Master of Education with a concentration in English Education from Howard University. I also completed the prestigious Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Research Program at the University of Tennessee, which significantly strengthened my academic writing and research skills—tools I now pass on to the students I tutor.

In addition to my work in education, athletics has always been a major part of my life. I have coached track and field at both the high school and collegiate levels, and I currently coach post-collegiate and master's athletes throughout the RTP area. Outside of coaching, I compete as an elite age-group runner, an experience that shapes my approach as a tutor: patient, focused, disciplined, and committed to helping each student reach measurable growth.

I believe every learner can succeed with the right support, and I am passionate about providing individualized, confidence-building instruction that helps students unlock their full potential and become stronger, more self-assured communicators and thinkers.