Ellen Jacobson

Center Director and Territory Manager for Ace it! Tutoring

B.A. Elementary Education, Minot State University. Ellen is the owner and director of the Sylvan Learning Center in Bismarck. She opened the center in July 1995. Prior to Sylvan she was a classroom teacher in Mandan, ND, and Wibaux, MT, for 18 years. Ellen also is in charge of a new program, Ace it! Tutoring. This program can be taken into the schools and administered there. Ellen enjoys playing with her 5 grandchildren, scrabble, reading, and spending time on the river in the summer.

Kari Weigel

Center Director

Bachelor of Accountancy, University of North Dakota. Kari started with Sylvan when it opened in July 1995. She rejoined Sylvan in June 2004. Kari spends much of her time introducing families to Sylvan, answering their questions, and matching students up with a program built just for them! In her free time she enjoys going to coffee, playing scrabble, reading, playing with her young children, and spending time with her extended family.

Tamara Wagner

Director of Education

Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, Valley City State University, and minor in Business Administration, North Dakota State University. Tamara has been a part of Sylvan Learning Center since January 2004. She started in Livonia, MI as a teacher, test administrator, and program updater. A year later she moved to Las Vegas, NV and obtained the Director of Education position at the Henderson, NV center. She held this job for a little over a year and then moved up to the Center Director role. She worked for this location for a little over six years before moving back to her hometown area of Bismarck/Mandan in February 2011. Tamara’s favorite things about Sylvan are watching students accomplish the “impossible”, writing programs that meet their individual needs and abilities, and helping families feel they made the best decision for their loved one. In her spare time she loves to spend quality time with her husband and beautiful daughter; in addition to playing games with her family and friends, and cheering on her Green Bay Packers-Go Pack Go!

Rose Paulson

Sylvan Office Manager

Rose has been with Sylvan since November 1995. She is the office Manager and a Test Center Administrator for the Prometric Testing Center housed within Sylvan. She is the behind the scenes person who makes sure everything runs smoothly!! Rose and her husband, Dave, are "empty nesters" as their two sons are in college. They have two pure black cats, Boo Boo and Sassy, to entertain them. Rose's hobbies include gardening and jigsaw puzzles.

Ryan Weigel

Chief Financial Officer

Masters of Business Taxation, University of Minnesota, and Bachelor of Accountancy, University of North Dakota. Ryan joined Sylvan in September 2008. We are lucky to have him here. He manages the "business" side of Sylvan. In his free time he enjoys golfing, softball, curling (a new experience), spending time with his three little kids, and watching football, baseball or any other sport.

Linda Boyd

Instructor

Linda has been with Sylvan since 2010. She retired from Mandan Public Schools and enjoys playing tennis, beading and scrapbooking. She has 2 sons, Jeff and Brandon, and is looking forward to Jeff's upcoming marriage to his fiance Laura. Linda and her husband Jim hope to travel. Linda enjoys teaching Beginning Reading and Academic Reading at Sylvan and she loves working with the students and staff.

Rose Braun

Prometric Test Center Administrator

Rose has been at Prometric for 4 1/2 years as a Test Center Administrator. She is a retired teacher having taught junior high P.E. for 32 years. Rose and her husband, Gary, have 2 sons and 1 daughter-in-law. They also have 2 dogs - Portuguese Pointers named Bailey and Sage and she does pet therapy with the dogs at Medcenter One.

Dan Cahoon

Instructor

Kim Clarke

Instructor

Kim has been with Sylvan since 2010. Outside of Sylvan she is a 5th grade teacher with Mandan Public Schools. She is married and they enjoy fishing and camping.

Gretchen Feininger

Instructor

Maren Gerhardt

Instructor

Maren joined Sylvan in 2006 and manages the ACT and College Prep programs. Maren earned her degree in Elementary and Early Childhood Education from UND. Her favorite part about teaching at Sylvan is helping students love to learn for life. She is a certified dance judge and can be caught performing in the Mandan Clydascope each year.

Janeane Hessinger

Test Administrator

Meghan Ibach

Instructor

Meghan started working at Sylvan 2011. She teaches Academic Reading and Sylvan Math Essentials. She loves when kids ask why?! Outside of Sylvan she is a substitute teacher and a Kid's Fitness Instructor at the YMCA. She loves the sun and peanut butter!

James Jenkins

Instructor

Katie Jenkins

Instructor

Katie has been with Sylvan since 2010. She teaches Academic Reading and Sylvan Math Essentials. Katie has taught Latin and Geography. She loves to take pictures, make jewelry and travel.

Ashley Kautzman

Instructor

Joan Morton

Prometric Test Center Administrator

Joan has been at Prometric since 2006 as a Test Center Administrator. She is a retired teacher who enjoys volunteering with her pets and riding her mule Nate. Joan is married to David and has a daughter Laura who is married to Bart and together they have her grandson Xander who is her pride and joy. Happy trails!

Tammy Munson

Instructor

Lori Nelson

Instructor

Lori has been with Sylvan since 2008. She truly loves this place. She especially enjoys working with reading students and seeing their confidence and skills grow and develop. She works with Beginning Reading and Academic Reading programs and Sylvan Math. At Sylvan, she's known as Lori by the tree.

Brittany Peterson

Instructor

Brittany joined Sylvan in 2010. She has enjoyed working with all ages and watching the children grow and discover a love of learning. She teaches Beginning Reading, Academic Reading and Sylvan Math. She has high energy and enjoys spending time outdoors on a lake.

Corby Rachel

Instructor

Corby has been the Sylvan sub since 1995. She teaches Academic Reading and Sylvan Math Essentials. In her spare time she likes to read, go on long walks and listen to music.

Kristin Rosenau

Instructor

Penny Saylor

Instructor

Penny has taught at Sylvan for 8 years. She teaches Beginning Reading, Academic Reading and Math and loves every minute of it. Watching kids gain success in their reading and math skills is a joy to her. She has 2 grown sons and 3 beautiful grandkids that she spends much of her free time with. She loves and collects cats, having 1 real one and multiple "cat objects" in and around her home.

Laurie Schwartz

Instructor

Laurie has been with Sylvan for over 11 years. Outside of Sylvan, she teaches at Roosevelt Elementary in Mandan. She teaches Beginning Reading, Academic Reading, Math and Advanced Reading Skills. Her hobbies include softball, camping and reading.

Nicole Sibla

Instructor

Chelsey Snider

Teachers' Assistant

Chelsey has been a teacher's assistant at Sylvan since 2008. She makes sure that the teachers have everything they need to start the hours. She writes up the binders after the students are gone so that they are ready for the next day.

Bev Stieg

Instructor

Bev has been teaching at Sylvan since 2004. Working with students to help them feel success in their efforts is her favorite aspect of teaching. Kids keep Bev feeling her youth. Bev loves to see the growth in her students and see their attitudes toward learning become more positive.

Amanda Weston

Instructor

Breanna Wolf

Teachers' Assistant

Breanna has been with Sylvan as a teachers' assistant since 2009. She attends the University of Mary and is majoring in Secondary and Middle School Mathematics and Elementary Education. Outside of Sylvan, she enjoys participating in cheerleading and dance for the University of Mary Marauders!