Tonya Druen

Center Director

Nikki Thompson

Instructor

I have a BA in History and an MS in Education. I teach kindergarten at a private school in Leesburg and have taught at Sylvan for four and a half years.
I love the opportunity to work on such an individual basis with the students here.

Barbara Ziemer

Instructor

I have been a primary grade classroom teacher in Minnesota for over 30 years. After retiring from the classroom two years ago, I began teaching for Sylvan, both in Minnesota and Virginia. I love working with Sylvan students because they are so motivated and excited about learning. I have a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education, a Master's in Special Education, and a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction.

Jamie Charles

Instructor

I am a graduate of the University of Mary Washington, where I received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics. I joined the Sylvan team in September 2009. My focus has been on upper level math and SAT prep; I have truly discovered my joy for teaching. My hope is to encourage students' present lives to help inspire their future - that is what a teacher did for me once.

Mr. David Gonzales

Math Teacher

I hold a B.B.A. in Economics with a Math minor from James Madison University. I have always enjoyed teaching and take great pride when students overcome their difficulties. I am excited to be part of the Sylvan team and be able to affect children’s lives in a positive way.

Mr. Brian Stumm

Teacher!

Miss Dana Olson

Teacher!

I graduated from Virginia Tech with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics. I am a new member of the Sylvan team, joining in July 2010. At Sylvan, I love having the opportunity to work with children of all different ages and helping them realize their potential as they learn.

Miss Celia Friedman

Writer and Teacher!

Miss Jennifer Penton

Teacher!

My name is Jennifer Penton and I enjoy working with students at Sylvan. I hold a B.S. degree in Mathematics from Liberty University and an M.Ed. in Mathematics Education from the University of Georgia. I love teaching because I love watching students gain confidence in their abilities. I believe that when students gain confidence they will enjoy learning more and this will help them to become successful lifelong learners. Besides working at Sylvan, I enjoy running, reading, and knitting.

Matt Todd

Teacher!

Graduated from George Mason University with a B.A. in Communication in '09. After graduating, I decided to take advantage of traveling. I obtained my TEFL certificate and worked as an ESL teacher in Ukraine for eight months. I also had the opportunity to travel to Hungary, Czech Republic, Austria, and Ireland. I have been teaching and tutoring for the past two years both children and adults and feel the field of education suits me best. My hobbies are writing, hiking, and camping. My future goal is to teach and of course continue seeing the world.