Contact Information
| Phone: | (512) 310-7890 |
| Fax: | (512) 310-8091 |
| Monday: | 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM |
| Tuesday: | 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM |
| Wednesday: | 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM |
| Thursday: | 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM |
| Friday: | 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM |
| Saturday: | 8:00 AM - 2:00 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
April Saint, M.Ed., M.A., ABD
Center Director
April has earned two Master's Degrees---her Master's in Education and her Bachelor's Degree are both from Louisiana State University. Her M.A. in Counseling is from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, LA, and she will soon complete her Doctorate in Education from Walden University.
April was a drama teacher for six years at one of Louisiana's highest rated, five-star magnet schools. She then went on to become the Center Director at the Miami Lakes, Florida center--one of the largest in the area.
What April enjoys about Sylvan: "I like knowing that I can make a difference in how a child feels about himself and learning, that I can have a hand in creating a curriculum that serves a child's specific needs. Sylvan allows me to combine the best of my strengths: working with people, growing a business through commitment to customer service, and providing excellent educational opportunities to students. Coming from a single mom with limited resources, education gave me the chance to become who I always wanted to be, and I have dedicated my life to becoming an educator who gives opportunities to students."
April moved to the Austin area in August of 2007 and quickly made a positive impact on our Austin students and their families. About Sylvan students, April says: "Sylvan students become leaders who are strong, sure, and confident learners. Sylvan students are unlocking pathways to new worlds--for a student who once struggled in reading, learning to read fluently opens up the horizons and helps students to believe in themselves. For high school students who always had trouble with math, to give them the keys to unlock a part of them they thought would never be possible is powerful and students become the strong, bright children they were always meant to be."
Karen Novak
Director of Education
Karen received her bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Eastern Illinois University with an emphasis in mathematics. Her desire to work more individually with children and make a direct impact in their lives drew her to Sylvan as a teacher, and because of her personable and inviting nature, became a mentor and coach for all new teachers in the Austin area Sylvan Learning Centers.
Committed to personalizing and closely monitoring over 100 students at the center, Karen plays an active role as the Director of Education (DE). Specific within her role as the DE at the center, Karen creates individualized curricula for all new and continuing students, and helps each student feel sure of themselves, strong and confident with their new skills.
Karen plans to pursue higher education as she seeks to maintain the high quality of instruction and customer service as part of the culture at Sylvan Learning-Round Rock.
Sabrina Bunning
Director of Education
Sabrina earned her Bachelor's Degree in Education from Eastern Illinois University; her degree is in Elementary Education with a concentration in math.
Sabrina has been with Sylvan for nearly six years and has been a teacher, a tester, a trainer for the district, and is now the Director of Education at Round Rock Sylvan. What Sabrina enjoys about Sylvan: "I love coming in and seeing the kids enjoy themselves and seeing their confidence build everyday. The staff here is really great; I know that they enjoy coming here and working with the students." She also loves how the students form friendships with one another and how they enjoy Sylvan so much, sometimes they don't even realize how much they're learning!"
In her free time Sabrina enjoys reading, listening to music, playing "old school" video games, and writing. She has written an intermediate chapter book with Karen, for ages 9-12, and hopes to see it in print soon!
Lori Sofinowski
Teacher
Lori has been married for 12 1/2 years to her husband, Andy, and they have two sons: Ethan, 7, and Harper, 4. Lori grew up in San Angelo, TX, and she's wanted to be a teacher since she was little and played school with her friends (and dolls). She graduated from UT-Austin with a degree in English and she's taught freshman and sophomore English in Beaumont, TX. Lori is currently a stay-at-home mom and loves the flexibility of her Sylvan schedule and the great Sylvan students!
Jack Forlizzi
Teacher
Jack earned his Master's Degree in Secondary Education and holds a Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering. He is certified to teach Math, Technology, and Special Education. Jack joined the Sylvan staff in April of 2008 and teaches math and reading. He loves interacting with the students and enjoys seeing how they are working to improve their future. He says: "I think Sylvan students are great...I am impressed by the Sylvan staff and their dedication and willingness to assist the tutors." Jack taught engineering at LBJ for two years.
Angela Solis
Teacher
Angela earned her Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Texas State University in 2000 and in 2005 earned her Master's Degree in Education from the University of Houston. She is certified in grades EC-12 and has taught science for 8th grade and K-5. Currently she is an Educational Diagnostician for RRISD. Angela joined Sylvan in 2007 and teaches reading, writing, study skills, and beginning reading. She enjoys working with the students and helping them to get excited about learning. Angela says: "I love coming to work at Sylvan because it is such a positive atmosphere and the students are great!" In her free time Angela enjoys training for and running marathons.
Caitlin Pike
Teacher
Caitlin was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, but grew up in Lima, Ohio, with her 5 brothers and 3 sisters. She went to Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. Caitlin graduated with a degree in Secondary English Education and holds a Texas Teaching Certificate for English Language Arts and Reading Grades 8-12. She has been substituting with Leander I.S.D. since the 2007-2008 school year and currently is a substitute for Leander I.S.D. as well as Round Rock I.S.D., and Austin I.S.D.
Caitlin says, "I love working at Sylvan because of the 3:1 ratios. I can spend more time with each student and watch them learn. That "light bulb" moment is the greatest reward a teacher can ask for."
At Sylvan, Caitlin teaches Academic Reading, Academic Writing, Sylvan Math Essentials and the SAT Verbal Prep Course. Outside of Sylvan and substituting, she is currently planning her wedding for next October, traveling as much as possible and doting on her nieces and nephews. "I also enjoy rock climbing, scrapbooking and I love to read just about anything!"
Michelle Plumb
Teacher
Michelle is a graduate of the University of Texas Dallas with a Backelors in Interdisciplinary studies. She has her ceritfication in general education grades EC-4 and Special Education K-12. Michelle has spent two years teacher in various grade levels of Autistic classes and two years teaching Pre-K. "When not working I like to read, watch movies and cook/bake. I like teaching at Sylvan because the program matches my teaching style."
Amy Patterson
Teacher
Amy taught 4th and 5th grades in the Austin area before becoming a writer. She enjoys teaching at Sylvan, as well as writing and directing films. Amy is a Texas A&M Aggie and a University of Miami Hurricane and lives with her cat, Pumpkin, in Georgetown.
Jennifer Dupont
Teacher
Jennifer Dupont graduated from California State University, Sacramento, in December, 2008. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and received her teaching credential, Early Childhood to Grade 6, Generalist. Jennifer moved to Texas in early 2009 with her husband.
Jennifer is a small business owner, a current AISD employee, and she has been teaching at Sylvan for two years. She enjoys working with different age groups, and teaching different subjects.
Jennifer is a firm believer in the Sylvan philosophy and programs. In her spare time, she spends time with her husband, exploring the beauty of Texas.
Aaron Smithers
Teacher
Aaron holds a Bachelor of Arts from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Science from Indiana University. He is a former actor-turned-teacher with public school experience.
Aaron loves teaching because "...it gives me an opportunity to truly make a difference by mentoring children, not only in reading and math, but in skills that will make them more well-rounded."
He says about Sylvan: "Sylvan helps provide the platform for that mentoring by using a low student-teacher ratio and providing programs that really help students learn."
Laurie Davis
Teacher
Laurie graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History. She earned teacher certification from Howard Payne University and she is certified in Elementary Reading, Grades 1-6, Elementary History, Grades 1-8, and she holds a Generalist Certificate, grades 1-8.
Laurie has several years of classroom experience, and she has been teaching at Sylvan Learning for five years.
Laurie enjoys the small group instruction Sylvan provides and getting to the know the students personally.
Gregg Geist
Teacher
Gregg holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Astronomy and Physics from the University of Arizona and has studied language and linguistics at the University of Texas at Austin. Gregg finished his teacher certification in 2006 and is certified to teach Math in the upper grades.
Gregg started his teaching career by instructing students in a charter school, Duane Lake Academy, and has worked for Apple Computers (Apple Learning Exchange).
Gregg has been teaching for many years and enjoys teaching Sylvan math programs, such as Geometry, Calculus, Algebra I and II, and Trigonometry. He also tutors students in Physics, Chemistry, and other sciences and maths.
Having a great rapport with students is the cornerstone of what makes Gregg such an effective tutor.
Amanda Simpson
Teacher
Amanda gradeated from the University of Texas in Austin with her degree in Applied Learning and Development. She is certified to teach Early Childhood (EC) to 4th grade, English as a Second Language, and Special Education (EC to grade 12).
Amanda is currently a Teacher's Aide at Cedar Ridge High School in Round Rock.
Amanda is also currently pursuing certification in Visual Impairments through Texas Tech University.
Amanda enjoys helping people. She says that she "loves the chance to help young people learn." While working at Sylvan, Amanda uses instructional strategies she knows are effective for students and likes to give students the "best chance to succeed."
Jay Alzeerah
Teacher
Jay graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aerospace Engineering. He's been tutoring high school and middle school students for the past 2 years. He became a teacher because he has a strong background in mathematics and science and he also hasa passion for helping people. His teaching philosophy is to make learning fun for the students. Making learning fun makes the subject matter more accessible, and the students, in turn, tend to perform better.
Jay enjoys working at Sylvan because it gives him the opportunity to make a positive impact on kids' lives. His aim is to instill confidence in students' math abilities and he feels rewarded when he sees progress in their performance. In his spare time, Jay is an avid road cyclist and rower. "I row semi-competitively with the Austin Rowing Club and volunteer my time to assist in teaching Introduction to Rowing courses."
Kendra Gordon
Teacher
Kendra graduated from Wayland Baptist University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in Management and Marketing as well as earning a Master of Arts in Education with emphasis in Adult Education and Corporate Training from University of Phoenix. She earned her Science 4-8 teaching credentials through West Texas A&M University.
Her teaching experience includes middle school math and In-School Suspension. While serving as an In-School Suspension Teacher she developed a strategy geared to at-risk students which proved positive, verifiable results in grades, attendance, attitude, standardized test scores, and behavioral accountability. Based on excellent student response and results of the program, the school district began district-wide implementation as an RTI (Response To Intervention) for Behavior Management in 2011.
Kendra’s teaching philosophy and beliefs coincide with her reasons for becoming a teacher and is so eloquently stated by Carl Jung, “One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.” She believes that “building a positive relationship with students will lead to maximizing a well- rounded learning experience by giving them a sense of belonging and excitement for learning.” “The student may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.”
Kendra began as a Sylvan parent and through her wonderful experience and positive educational, attitude, and confidence strides that her daughter achieved, she was given the opportunity to become a Sylvan Teacher. She enjoys working at Sylvan because she loves getting to know the students, enjoys watching each of them making successful strides in their learning and confidence, and takes pride in being a positive part of the educational team of molding and shaping them as well.
In her spare time, Kendra enjoys reading, cooking, volunteering at her daughter’s school, playing music, and spending time with her family.
Gina Burgdorf
Teacher
Gina Burgdorf graduated from Southwest Texas State University with a B.A. in Mass Communications. After spending some time in that field, she realized she wanted to give back to the community on a more personal level. She returned to school to earn a teaching certificate in English Language Arts (grades 4-8), Generalist (EC-6th grade), and English as a Second Language (all levels).
She began her teaching career teaching middle school English for 5 years. She then spent one year as a Title One teacher, teaching Math, Reading, and Writing for a small private school (grades K-8), before moving to Round Rock. She is now enjoying her first year at Ridgeview Middle School working with 6th, 7th, and 8th grade ESL students to ensure they understand all of the TEKS in their classes. She is in the classroom as additional support assisting them with assignments, projects, and any misunderstandings of a concept.
Gina has been with Sylvan for 6 years, transferring to our center from Fort Worth. She enjoys working with students of all ages, and Sylvan gives her an opportunity to do that, as well as allows her to stay current with her teaching skills in various levels and subjects. She enjoys the smiles on the kids’ faces when they come in, or finally get that concept that has been giving them trouble at school. She feels the small table setting is really beneficial to enhance a student’s knowledge of a subject.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, movies, theatre, and comedy shows. Since she is new to the Austin/Round Rock area, she takes advantage of all the events going on around town. She loves being in this area because there is always something fun and exciting to do. “This has been a good move for me. I love my school, Sylvan, and Austin. I’m having a blast.”
Leslie Meyer
Teacher
Leslie Myers graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She currently holds a Texas certification as an EC-4 Generalist. After graduation in May 2008, she began working at the Sylvan in San Marcos, TX where she taught all levels of reading, math, writing, Sylvan Quick Pace, AceIt!, GED, and SAT prep courses. During the 09-10 school year she worked at Texas Preparatory School and Boys and Girls Club of South Central Texas in San Marcos as their 4th grade homeroom and 4th-6th grade math and art teacher. She and her students were very successful that school year and were able to boast a 100% TAKS passing rate.
In the spring of 2011 she moved to Manor with her husband, Andy, and their two Doberman Pinschers, Hannah and Axle. Since the move, she has been working with middle school students in Manor ISD. She joined the Sylvan team in Round Rock in July 2011 and currently teaches Beginning Reading, Academic Reading, and Sylvan Math Essentials.
Her teaching beliefs are that learning should be fun, relevant to students' lives, and that students should always be set up for success. She enjoys working at Sylvan because she has seen first hand that the programs work for students of any level and loves seeing students' pride and confidence grow. In her free time she enjoys fishing, going to concerts, cooking, visiting family, and watching movies.
Tabitha Young
Teacher
Tabitha Young is a native Texan who currently resides in Cedar Park. She received her B.A. in Political Science from St. Mary’s University San Antonio, TX and continued her passion for government and politics by attending graduate school at Suffolk University in Boston, MA. It was in the process of working on political campaigns that she realized the way in which she wanted to contribute to positive change in the country was by working directly with our greatest resource, our children.
She then pursued her passion of becoming a teacher, and was privileged to become a fourth grade teacher. "My time in the classroom served as the most influential learning experience for me, allowing me to feel true professional fulfillment for the first time in my life."
Today she continues to teach her own two little ones at home, and looks forward to her days at Sylvan. "My time at Sylvan instills in me a sense of inspiration and excitement as I see all the hard work and progress from our amazing students."
Laura Mersiovsky
Teacher
Laura graduated with a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies specializing in math from Concordia University, Texas in 1998. (She holds a Texas teaching certificate in grades 1-8.) Laura has taught children in grades 4-8 in public and private schools. She is currently homeschooling her 3 children, ages 14, 10, and 7.
As far back as she remembers, Laura wanted to be a teacher. "I believe every child processes/learns differently. This is why I believe in Sylvan's programs; we meet the students where they are and work together towards their goals. My husband and I chose to enroll our children in Sylvan and we are so very pleased with the progress they made and the confidence they gained in their learning."
In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, gardening, scrapbooking, and camping with her family.
Amy Zandy
Teacher
Amy graduated from Texas State University with a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies. She is certified as an EC-4 Generalist teacher and is currently working as an Educational Assistant for all grade levels at Patsy Sommer Elementary in RRISD.
Amy decided to pursue her degree in education because she enjoys working with children and helping them reach their full potential. Amy believes that each child learns differently, and "It's my responsibility to provide students wtih an integrated curriculum composed of meaningful and engaging hands-on activities and cooperative learning opportunities that connect to their everyday lives."
Amy enjoys working at Sylvan because of the center's positive learning environment and because she gets to do what she loves--teach children! "Sylvan is a wonderful place because of its individualized programs, positive environment, and because the staff truly love what they do."
In her spare time, Amy enjoys cooking with her three daughters.
Jessica Williams
Teacher
Jessica holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Sam Houston State University. She is curently pursuing her M.Ed. in Mathematics Curriculun and Instruction from the University of Texas-Arlington. Jessica is certified in Math, Science, English, and History in grades 4-8, as well as 8-12 grade Speech. Jessica currently teaches 6th grade math at Benold Middle School.
Jessica became a teacher because she enjoys working with children. She believes that education provides students opportunities that they might not have otherwise. "I believe every child has the ability to learn."
Jessica enjoys working at Sylvan because she loves teaching students in a smaller, more individualized setting. In her spare time, Jessica loves to read and watch movies. She also loves to spend time with her dogs, Callie and Bailey.
Tangee Royster
Teacher
Tangee Royster is dedicated to guiding students to succeed while inspiring an insatiable passion for learning and reading. Tangee has an earned doctorate (EdD) and education specialist
(EdS) degree in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership from Argosy University in Sarasota,FL. In addition, she has a Masters (MEd) in elementary education from Union University in
Germantown, TN. She is currently licensed in three states with teaching certifications in middle school reading and elementary education. Her Texas certification is in EC-4 with an ESL
endorsement. The most recent full-time teaching was for grades 2-4 at a private immigration center in Texas.
Tangee has been with Sylvan and its affiliates for over seven years. She started with Sylvan as a supplemental after-school teacher, and then worked with online students and now she has the wonderful opportunity to work with students face to face in a small-group setting.
She says of Sylvan, “I love Sylvan because it provides me with an opportunity to work with students on a personal level. It also allows students to grasp important concepts with a low
teacher to student ratio in a 1:3.”
She is associated with American Tutoring Association (ATA), ADL (Anti-Defamation League), ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), and enjoys writing
curriculum programs. She loves cooking, reading, spending time with family and listening toclassical music.
Sean Schobinger
Teacher
Sean grew up in Round Rock and it is because of the teachers he had in Round Rock ISD that he decided to become a teacher. He graduated from Texas State with a degree in Education specializing in Mathematics. He completed his student teaching at Ridgeview Middle School in Round Rock ISD where he taught 8th grade Math and Algebra. Sean is certified in Mathematics.
Sean was also accepted into the Pi Mu Epsilon (National Math Honor Society) while at Texas State. He believes, "My job is not just to teach math, but to help every student to become lifelong learners."
Sean says, "I love working at Sylvan because of the time I’m able to spend with each student."
In his spare time, Sean loves playing football and going out with friends.
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