About
About Benjamin McHale
- USNA '19
- NPS '20
- M.S. Mechanical Eng.
- Submarine Officer
I graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2019 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and went straight into graduate school — a year at the Naval Postgraduate School, finishing an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 2020. From there I went through the Navy's nuclear propulsion pipeline, and I serve as a nuclear-trained submarine officer today.
All of it shapes how I teach, and it started on the other side of the table. I finished Chemistry I and II in my first year, and from sophomore year through graduation I led group study for the freshmen taking it — a course with a reputation for thinning out a class. Teaching it back, to students a year behind me, is where I found out that almost every problem a student calls impossible is a problem they have not yet written down correctly.
Nuclear Power School and prototype taught me the rest. Physics, thermodynamics, reactor theory and electrical engineering, delivered at a pace that removes any option of memorizing your way through — then months of qualifying on an operating reactor plant, examined out loud and on your feet by people whose job is to find the seam in what you only think you understand.
That is where the method comes from. A procedure you only half-understand is the one that fails under pressure, and a memorized formula does exactly the same thing on an exam. The same approach carries into coaching: structure the problem, prepare deliberately, practice under pressure, and make the feedback actionable.
How I got here
Started tutoring at USNA
Chemistry group study leader for freshmen — every semester through graduation
Graduated USNA
B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Naval Postgraduate School
M.S. Mechanical Engineering
Nuclear submarine officer
Applied technical decision-making under pressure
Resumed tutoring professionally, alongside serving
Advanced STEM tutoring and mentorship
Why I tutor the way I do
Most tutoring is answer delivery. A student brings problem 14, leaves with problem 14 solved, and meets problem 15 exactly the way they met problem 14.
I teach the structure underneath instead: what kind of problem this is, what the setup has to look like before any algebra happens, and how you would recognize the same shape wearing different clothes.
I do not have a photographic memory, and I have never taught as though a student should need one. I focus on what a relationship means, when it applies, what assumptions sit behind it, and how to use a formula sheet intelligently. We build a reliable method for recognizing the right tool and setting the problem up correctly.
The Engineering Notebook Process
That is also why every tutoring session ends with something you keep — a full video recording and a high-resolution PDF of the whiteboard. Coaching sessions use a different set of follow-up materials built around feedback, practice, and action steps. The session is only the starting point; the goal is what you can do independently the following week.
“Most importantly, he adjusts explanations to how my son learns, explains concepts clearly and patiently, checks for comprehension, and builds real understanding… He invites students to share what they're working on in advance, which… in turn, encourages my son to preview material before sessions.”
Who I am a good fit for
- Students who want to understand the method, not just clear tonight's assignment
- The students who benefit most are not necessarily the ones who need the easiest explanation. They are the ones willing to slow down, understand the system, and build the skill
- Engineering students in the courses that decide whether the major sticks
- Families who would rather have one tutor across several years and several subjects
- ASVAB candidates preparing for a specific rating or career path — how ASVAB prep works
- Students and professionals preparing for interviews, selection boards, internships, and other high-stakes evaluations
- Current Naval Academy midshipmen — there is a dedicated rate
Who I am not a good fit for
- Anyone who needs homework completed rather than taught
- Courses outside the subjects I list. I would rather turn down work than take a subject I cannot teach well
- Students looking exclusively for last-night exam cramming. I can sometimes help with urgent exam preparation, but the strongest results come from building understanding before the pressure point
Start with a short call.
Tell me the course, the instructor's style, and what is actually going wrong. I will tell you honestly whether I am the right person for it.
Get in touch