Contact Information
| Phone: | (248) 822-7188 |
| Fax: | (248) 822-7191 |
| Monday: | 9:00 AM - 8:30 PM |
| Tuesday: | 9:00 AM - 8:30 PM |
| Wednesday: | 9:00 AM - 8:30 PM |
| Thursday: | 9:00 AM - 8:30 PM |
| Friday: | 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM |
| Saturday: | 9:00 AM - 1:30 PM |
| Sunday: | Closed |
Meet the Tutors
Our Sylvan trained and certified tutors are dedicated to your child’s success. Working together with you, we will:
- Pinpoint your child’s learning needs using the Sylvan Skills Assessment®
- Develop a personalized learning plan based on your child’s goals
- Offer unique insights about what will work for your child
- Teach each lesson the way your child learns best
- Build a relationship with your child to provide learning that’s fun, engaging and rewarding
Lynn Hoagland, B.A., M.A.
Owner/Franchisee
Lynn Hoagland has been the franchise owner for the Troy and Utica, Michigan, Sylvan Learning Centers since 1985. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Michigan State University and a Master’s Degree with a major emphasis in reading from Oakland University. Lynn has over 15 years of classroom teaching experience in the Pontiac and Rochester school systems. She has three daughters, two sons-in-law and five beautiful grandchildren. When Lynn isn't working, she's travelling between Michigan, Colorado and California to visit her family.
Little known fact: The true king of her household is Lynn's Bishon, "Duncan."
Kim Gossman, BAA, SAC
Center Director
Kim joined Sylvan in December of 2002 as Center Director of another center and came to Troy in December, 2006. Kim holds a Degree in Communication from Central Michigan Univ., did her graduate work in counseling and is a certified Student Assistance Counselor. She and her husband, Tom, like to spend time with their sons Alec and Jake. They also enjoy reading, golfing, home improvement projects and spending time with their extended families. Kim thinks she has the BEST job in the world because "We change lives!"
Little known fact: There are only four degrees of separation between Kim and Kevin Bacon!
Jessica Hensley, B.A.
Senior Director of Education
Jessica joined Sylvan in July of 2004 after earning her BA in Education from Michigan State University. She worked at the Grosse Pointe Farms and St. Clair Shores Sylvan locations before coming to Troy in March of 2007. Jessica enjoys spending time with her parents, sister Kelly and husband since 2009, Tim. Jessica says she LOVES teaching at Sylvan as well as her administrative duties here.
Little known fact: Jessica loves math and even won a Math Pentathlon in the 2nd grade!
Jeff Castonguay
Asst. Director of Education
Jeff is our resident "math guru" and says his favorite part about working at Sylvan is interacting with his students and showing them that math doesn’t have to be “lame.” He also loves those “light bulb looks” when it all finally makes sense. Laughter is the key to Jeff’s successful teaching style and it helps with his new management position as well!
When Jeff isn't working, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Darcy, being outdoors, playing board games or bowling and other activities.
Little known fact: Jeff has been on staff here at Sylvan longer than anyone with the exception of our franchise owner!
Matthew Vicari, B.A., M.S.
Program Manager
Matthew lived in Chicago Heights, IL before going off to college where he graduated with a BA in education and mathematics from Concordia University in Wisconsin. He later earned his MS through Capella University and has been living in MI since 2003.
When not working at Sylvan, Matthew says he can be found running, working out or reading books by C.S. Lewis and R.A. Salvatore. He doesn’t have any pets, but says he could see himself becoming a dog owner some day.
Matthew says he loves being part of an organization that genuinely puts students first and says that “seeing a young learner reach potentional and start believing in himself reminds me why I get up in the morning!”
Little known fact: Matthew admits that, while he loves reading, computer games tend to take up more of his time!
John Schmitzer
Teacher's Assistant
John is one of our most versatile staff members, in charge of keeping the instructional floor running smoothly and getting the instructors and our children the materials they need during every hour! When he's not working here, John is a student at Specs Howard where he will be finishing soon.
John’s outside interests include all things “cars,” and he hopes to be a degreed auto mechanic one day.
Ms. Mary Jane
Certified Teacher
Mary Jane describes herself as a “Detroiter through and through.” She holds many licenses and certifications along with her BA from Barat College in Lake Forest, IL and a Masters in Education from Wayne State University. Mary Jane is a Licensed Professional Counselor and, when not working here, works at the Schultz Funeral Home conducting support groups and individual counseling sessions in bereavement. She loves the diversity of the students here and the challenge of meeting their individual needs.
Little known fact: Mary Jane has kissed the Blarney Stone!
Ms. Colleen M.
Certified Teacher
Colleen grew up in Bloomfield Township and attended high school in Royal Oak, going on to Michigan State University for her Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and earning her teaching credentials from the University of Michigan, Flint. Besides working here at Sylvan, Colleen works part-time at Pine Trace Golf Club (where she’s worked for over 16 years!) and substitute teaches for the Troy School District. Colleen says she loves working at Sylvan because everyone is friendly and it is a very positive environment in which to work!
Little known fact: Colleen and her family vacation every summer at White Birch Lodge.
Ms. Dena
Certified Teacher
Dena has been here at our Troy Sylvan Learning Center for a few years now and teaches most of our subjects. She attended Baker College for math and education and earned her B.S. at Oakland University and her Masters in Library Science from Wayne State. Little known fact: The house next door to Dena’s is Madonna’s childhood home and there are often passers-by that stop and take pictures!
Mr. Matt
Certified Teacher
Matt is one of our most loyal teachers, returning to us summer after summer to work with our students! During the school year, Matt teaches in a nearby school district. He graduated from Oakland University with a BA in History & Sociology with a secondary education certification. When asked what he loves best about teaching at Sylvan, Matt replied that “the diversity of the students and the subjects are what I find most appealing. It is very encouraging to be part of a center that brings so many different students together in such a positive learning environment.”
Little known fact: Matt once came in 2nd place in a hot dog eating contest in Chicago, eating 19 hot dogs in five minutes!
Mr. Ed
Certified Teacher
Ed comes to us with prior Sylvan experience as well! He grew up in Detroit but has lived in Warren for the past 19 years. Ed attended Eastern Michigan University and Wayne State, earning his BS with teaching credentials in Social Science and English. When asked what he likes best about teaching at Sylvan, Ed says he enjoys helping his students develop a love of learning.
Little known fact: Ed taught at two Macomb County Sylvans before joining our staff in 2007.
Mr. Wade
Certified Teacher
Wade grew up in California and has lived many places, mostly in the western U.S. Wade received his BS in Teacher Education from George Fox University in Oregon and is currently working on his Master’s at Wayne State University.
Wade likes working at Sylvan because of the individualized programs and small class size; he especially enjoys middle and high school students.
Little known fact: Wade met his wife while teaching at the University in Korea and he has also lived and taught in Thailand!
Ms. Elizabeth
Certified Teacher
Elizabeth grew up right here in Troy, MI. She attended college first at Western Michigan University and earned a BA in Elementary Education; she did her graduate work at Oakland University and earned her Masters Degree in Early Childhood Education. Elizabeth says she loves the students at Sylvan (“they’re SUPER!”), and though she enjoys teaching the little ones, the older students are fun for her to teach as well – and a change from her usual “audience” of little ones at home.
Little known fact: When she’s not working, Elizabeth enjoys traveling, reading good books, watching PBS, baking and ballet.
Ms. Amanda
Certified Teacher
Amanda grew up in Berkley, lived in Sterling Heights for a time and now resides in Troy. She earned her BS in Education from Oakland University where she is currently working toward her Masters of Teaching in Language Arts and Reading. When Amanda isn’t teaching, she enjoys reading, crafting and spending time with her family – including their two Yorkie puppies named “Molly” and “Maggie.”
Little known fact: Among Amanda’s favorite places to visit with her children are the Detroit Zoo and the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum.
Ms. Jamie
Certified Teacher
Jamie grew up in the Troy area and has also lived in Canada (near Toronto). She attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and graduated with a B.A. in Education with a major in English and a minor in Psychology.
In her spare time, Jamie enjoys spending time with friends and family and especially loves reading, writing poetry, listening to music and “anything that involves self-reflection.”
When asked what she likes about teaching here at our Troy Sylvan, Jamie says “I most enjoy seeing students improve leaps and bounds” and “seeing kids become more responsible, more engaged and successful!”
Little known fact: Jamie loves classic rock and 80’s “hair bands!”
Ms. Amy
Certified Teacher
Amy hails from Sterling Heights but didn’t stay put for long! She attended Liberty University in Virginia, earning her undergrad degree and then moved to Thailand and attended Philadelphia Biblical University, earning a Masters Degree in International Education with an emphasis in Language Arts. Amy met her husband in Korea, married him in 1999 and they returned to the United States in June, 2007.
Amy says she LOVES teaching at Sylvan and it thrills her to teach the Beginning Readers and help them to gain confidence in their reading skills. Little known fact: Ms. Amy speaks “a little” Korean and “a little bit more” Thai.
Ms. Kristin
Certified Teacher
Kristin is among our newest teachers and comes to us with a BS in Secondary Education Communication and Language Arts from Wayne State University. She grew up in the Downriver area and moved to Troy and then to Royal Oak where she now resides. Kristin lives in a home she describes as “The Money Pit,” with her husband and son – but adds that “the family loves it.”
Little known fact: Kristin’s household is actually run by the “king” of the house – an adopted kitty named “Merlin.”
Ms. Colleen G.
Certified Teacher
Colleen was born in Michigan but the family moved to Connecticut where they lived for 15 years before moving back home to be closer to family. She attended college at Oakland University and earned a BA in Secondary Education with endorsements in History and French; she did her graduate work at Oakland University as well and earned her Masters Degree in teaching. Colleen says she loves working at Sylvan because everyone is working for the common goal of making children feel better about themselves!
Little known fact: Colleen has been a vegetarian since middle school. She loves all things Irish, she was an irish step dancer for 11 years and even studied in Ireland.
Mr. Aaron
Certified Teacher
Aaron has been with us since 2010 after moving back here from Boston, Massachusetts, where he lived for about 3 years. A former resident of Rochester and Clarkston, Aaron attended Central Michigan University where he earned a BS in Education and then on to Oakland University for his Masters Degree in School Administration – Curriculum/Leadership. Aaron also earned a JD in litigation focusing on labor law but decided to continue teaching as well!
Little known fact: Aaron is a former second-grade student of our Executive Director, Lynn Hoagland, “back in the day.” Small world, isn’t it!?
Ms. Nancy
Certified Teacher
Nancy grew up in Livonia. She attended Central Michigan University where she earned her BS in Mathematics and Secondary Education. Her parents have a cottage in South Haven but Nancy resides in Royal Oak with her fiancee. She also has one sister who is a metallurgist for Bell Helicopter in Texas and her parents are retired.
Asked what she likes to do in her spare time, Nancy replies that she enjoys all kinds of art, baking and gardening. Nancy enjoys teaching at Sylvan because she likes to prove that ALL students are capable of success with math!
Little known fact: Nancy lived and taught in Hampton, VA, before moving back to MI.
Ms. Carol
Certified Teacher
Carol began her life as a “devoted” Michigander who grew up in Dearborn Heights. She attended the University of Detroit and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree before obtaining her MA in in Elementary Education from Wayne State University.
When asked what she likes BEST about teaching at Sylvan, Carol says “The Sylvan program allows a student to progress at his/her own speed with a wonderful variety of materials. Seeing a student make progress is a delight to every teacher.”
Little known fact: One of Carol’s favorite places to walk is the Detroit Zoo on a cool day when the animals are very active.
Ms. Molly
Certified Teacher
Molly grew up in Birmingham, MI and moved to Salt Lake City, UT in 2008 to teach second grade. Now she’s back in Michigan where she recently earned her Masters Degree in Education from Western Governors University.
When Molly isn’t teaching at Sylvan, she’s teaching throughout Oakland County as a guest teacher. When she’s NOT working, Molly enjoys traveling, skiing and spending time with family at their cottage in upper Michigan.
Little known fact: Molly’s favorite subjects are reading and science.
Ms. Christina G.
Certified Teacher
Christina mostly grew up in Rochester until she moved to Kalamazoo to attend Western Michigan University where she earned her BS in Education. She also lived in CA for a short time where she taught on a military base but is back home in MI now. When Christina isn't teaching here, she is a guest teacher for the Rochester, Birmingham and Lake Orion school districts.
Christina likes teaching at Sylvan because gets to meet so many new students and loves the fact that each of them is so unique.
Little known fact: Christina enjoys travelling! Some of her favorite places include the Colorado Rocky Mountains, San Diego and Spain.
Ms. Jenni
Certified Teacher
Jenni is another Michigander who grew up in Pewamo, on the west side of the state, where her parents owned and operated a dairy farm.
Jenni earned her bachelor’s degree from Ferris State and her master’s degree from Concordia University. When not teaching at Sylvan, Jenni teaches pre-K in the Royal Oak district.
Jenni now lives with her german shepard, Molly, and likes to take walks with her in addition to reading, shopping and spending time with friends & family.
Asked what she likes best about teaching here, Jenni says she loves the atmosphere where the students and staff are fun and friendly!
Little known fact: Jenni completed a half marathon in 2010 after THREE knee surgeries but hasn’t run since.
Ms. Christy
Certified Teacher
Christy hails from Royal Oak where she’s lived her whole life with the exception of her college years. She earned her BA in education from Cedarville University in Ohio and later her MA from Oakland University.
Christy has been married to her husband since 2006 and they have a daughter named Aliyah. In addition to their human baby, Christy and Shannon have two furry “dog-ders” as well: a husky mix named Maddy and a German short-haired pointer named Buster.
When Christy isn’t working at Sylvan, she’s reading, cooking and scrapbooking or spending time with family and friends. She loves teaching at Sylvan because “Everyone seems happy and the kids work so hard!”
Little known fact: Christy loves to travel and has been to 13 countries and 35 states so far!
Ms. Cassie
Certified Teacher
Cassie grew up in Troy, attended Athens High School and continues to teach in the Troy and Utica districts. She earned her degree in secondary education and English at Rochester College where she also minored in biology.
Cassie has a great family – two brothers and one (soon-to-be) sister-in-law! She describes them as “very Italian,” and says they enjoy each others’ company.
When Cassie isn’t teaching, she enjoys reading, journaling and being active outside by biking or walking.
When asked what she likes best about Sylvan, Cassie replies, “I love working 1:1 with students and getting to know them on a personal level.” Cassie adds that, although she has no pets, she might get a dog one day.
Little known fact: Cassie LOVES the band Cold Play, and she enjoys spending time at the family cottage up north in Port Austin.
Ms. Lauren
Certified Teacher
Lauren began working with us in the fall of ‘11. She grew up in Bloomfield Hills and attended Groves HS, going on to Western Michigan University for her Bachelors degree and then to the University of Nevada for a professional development degree. Lauren says that she LOVES teaching reading – but when she’s not teaching, she enjoys travelling, reading, swimming, taking photographs, writing, cooking, cleaning and painting!
When asked what she likes best about Sylvan, Lauren says that she sees the hard work the children put into their work and the rewards they earn as a result. Lauren adds, “The ‘a-ha’ moments are the best!”
Little known fact: Lauren also works for a Mobile Dentist unit, providing dental care to public and charter schools in Michigan!
Ms. Christina F.
Certified Teacher
Christina is one of the few staff members who grew up outside of Michigan! She was raised in Miami, FL where she lived until graduate school when she moved to Ohio. From there, she moved to Little Rock, AR before coming to Royal Oak in August, 2011. Christina’s husband, Brent, is a neuropsychology resident for Henry Ford; her mom and sister still reside in Miami.
When she’s not working at Sylvan, Christina loves being outside with her dog, Kaiser, hiking and bird watching, kayaking and biking.
When asked what she likes most about teaching at Sylvan, Christina mentions the one-on-one interaction with the students and loves seeing their faces when they do something they couldn’t do before.
Little known fact: Christina has a bearded dragon lizard named Lizzy and she also loves owls! (Christina, not Lizzy)
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