Meet Our Team

Adriene White-Scott

Owner

Ms. Adriene is the owner of Sylvan Learning Center of Downey. She took this location over at the beginning of 2020, and has over 10 years of experience at Sylvan! Ms. Adriene has a background in education and law enforcement, so her tough love for our students helps produce amazing results! She trusts the Sylvan method so much that her own daughter went through Sylvan. Educating and motivating students to be the best version of themselves is a passion of hers! You can trust Adriene to always make the best recommendation for your child!

Carlos Rodriguez

Associate Director

Hi, I’m Carlos. I am the Associate Director at Sylvan of Downey. I graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a degree in Business. In my spare time, I enjoy exploring new places, working out, and spending time with my dog.

Juanita Castaneda

Program Associate

 My name is Juanita Castaneda. I’m from Norwalk Ca and graduated from UCR. I have 3 cats who I love very much named Leela, Girl, and Sassy. I also love to travel when I have the time. Especially the Pacific Northwest, because I enjoy the fresh weather and forestry. My favorite animal is a tiger. My favorite color is red. My favorite food is pasta and lastly I love to teach.

Kali Wade

Director of Education

 My name is Ms. Kali, I’m a grade 5th teacher! I have a Bachelors Degree in Speech Therapy and a Masters Degree in Education. Here at Sylvan, I teach Math and Reading! During my spare time I like travel, try new food, and play with my cat Joon. I look forward to seeing each student achieve academic success. 

Cassandra Beccera

SPED Advisor/ Teaching Coach

 My name is Ms. Cassandra. I am a full inclusion special education teacher. I have been teaching for 9 years. I have my bachelors in child development and family studies and my masters of science in special education. I enjoy working out, traveling, writing and eating ice cream. My favorite flavor is chocolate. I enjoy being an advocate for students and families in education. 

Ray Alpuche

Teacher

 My name is Ray Alpuche and I work in the Downey Unified School District as a Guided Reading Interventionist. I have also Worked for Sylvan for many years, and enjoy teaching reading and math. I am married with two beautiful children. I enjoy reading and collecting action figures.

Mali Robleto

Teacher

Hello, I am teacher Ms. Mali, at Sylvan Learning Center in Downey. I have been in the teaching field for about 10 years. I have a Bachelor’s Degree and a Multiple Subject Credential program completed at Cal State Los Angeles. I am currently working on a research project to complete my M.A. in Education and will be finished by this fall. I am very passionate about teaching children because I enjoy watching them grow and succeed in their learning. When I am not teaching I love hiking the outdoors.

Pamela Stubblefield

Teacher

Ms. Pam is a patient teacher whose knowledge is limitless! Sylvan Learning Center of Downey is blessed to share Ms. Pam’s time with Sylvan in Culver City. Ms. Pam works inside our center and works well with our middle school and high school students. She is gifted at all levels of math and can dissect reading passages like a math problem making it easier for students to comprehend. Ms. Pam’s passion and enthusiasm for teaching motivate and inspire her students!

Mr. Amezcua

Teacher

Hello! I’m a Reading, Writing, and Math Teacher at Sylvan. My experience is in management, education, and working with K-12 & special education students throughout the Los Angeles area. I have worked as a educator for over 8 years. I consider myself a mental health advocate & have my degree in Psychology from CSULB. I enjoy taking photos and working with my nonprofit where I do mindfulness clay workshops

Clarissa Lomeli

Teacher

Hello! My name Is Ms. Clarissa. I am a math and reading teacher here at Sylvan. I love working with kids and seeing their academic growth. I have a bachelors degree In Political Science from Cal State Long Beach. In my free time, I love to take my dogs for walks, go on adventures, and shop. I am excited to see each student reach their academic goals here at Sylvan!

Mr. Steven Morgenthaler

Teacher

Hello, there! I have worked at various Sylvan Learning Centers since 2015, I have been trusted to teach many things – reading, math, writing, STEM, SAT Prep, and Math Edge. I have spent several years as a teacher in local school districts, making a positive difference as a classroom teacher, a  substitute teacher, an online instructor, and as an academic Interventionist. I hold a multiple subject teaching credential, a GATE certificate, and a Master of Science Degree in Curriculum and Instruction. Outside of teaching, I enjoy many things including writing lyrics/poetry, spending time with close friends/family and spending time making a difference with many charities and fundraisers.

Cristina Santiago

Teacher

I have had a passion for working with kids as long as I can remember. I graduated from CSU Chico with a BA in Liberal Arts with an emphasis in Psychology. While working towards my degree I was a preschool teacher. Most currently, I have been with LAUSD for over 4 years as a substitute teacher. I have worked mostly with children K-6 in all subjects. My hobbies include hiking, roller skating, and shopping. I look forward to continue to serve the students and families of Sylvan everyday. It is so awesome to see our students grow and learn in the areas of Math and Reading!

Cristian Estrada

Teacher

Hi! I am Mr. Cristian! I am one of the math/science teachers. I enjoy watching movies and reading comic books in my free time. I am a huge nerd for Star Wars as well. Batman is my favorite superhero and Yoda is my favorite Jedi. I recently graduated from Cal State Long Beach. My main goal here is to help my students see and reach their full potential. I want my students to really believe that they can do anything they set their minds to!

Mr. Hugo

Teacher

My name is Hugo Vera Molinet and I have a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice, minor in Spanish with an emphasis in pre law. My goal is to attend law school and then become a prosecutor. I’m a Reading and Writing teacher at Sylvan Learning center in Downey. Some of my hobbies include boxing, relaxing at home, and my favorite podcasting. My podcast Understanding Basic Criminal law is now streaming on various streaming platforms.

Mr. Christian

Teacher

Hey! It is Christian Baca! My favorite subject is history. I have a bachelors degree in history from Cal State Fullerton. Some of my hobbies are reading, hiking, and live music.

Mr. Hassan

Teacher

Hello, I am Hassan Ferasati Senior. I have been teaching for LAUSD for 31 years full time and currently part time. Teaching is as integral to me as gas is for an engine. My personal life is simple; I power walk my dog, cook and clean, watch TV, and If time permits I write poetry in Farsi.

Ms. Maria

Teacher

My name is Maria Suerte Felipe. I came back to be a tutor at Sylvan after 2 years for the summer. I am currently a 3rd/4th grade ELA/Social Studies teacher at Our Lady of Fatima in Artesia. For my hobbies, I like to do the following activities: journaling, being part of Singles for Christ and a grief support group, spending time with friends and family, going to the gym, and furthering my craft in teaching by attending and participating in professional development, since I am a new teacher. I am currently working on my teaching credentials. I do not want to stop learning, because I know that life never stops teaching us lessons in life; therefore, I want to share my knowledge with others.

Ms. Cathy

Teacher

Hi, I am Cathy Bravo I have worked at Sylvan since 2020. I have been an educator for over 20 years specifically with Special Education students in such areas of La Verne, Long Beach, Bellflower, and East Los Angeles. On my free time, I enjoy live music, reading, watching sports, the outdoors, and getaways.

Juan Carlos

Teacher

I am a hardworking, enthusiastic and compassionate education professional who is committed to academic excellence with experience supporting K-12 and higher education staff, students and families to ensure all students have their needs met. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Chicano Studies with a Master’s degree in Higher Education and organizational change from UCLA. With a unique combination of over 10 years of working with a variety of student demographics from the homeless/displaced students to at-risk youth combined with my education and strong artistic background has prepared me to implement diverse skill sets, technical proficiency and new perspectives to leadership personnel.

Barbara Fitzpatrick

Teacher

Hi! I’m Ms. Barbara. I’ve been an educator for over 30 years. My husband and I are originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and moved here with our cat five years ago. I have two daughters and one granddaughter who I love spending time with. When I’m not teaching I enjoy reading, traveling, watching movies and cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers!

Joe Farr

Math Teacher: Online Only

Mr. Joe is a gifted math teacher and exceptionally patient with middle school and high school students. We are blessed to share Mr. Joe’s talents with Sylvan of Northridge. Mr. Joe teaches online for Sylvan of Downey. He has a vast range of knowledge and guides his students through the appropriate steps to find answers on their own. Mr. Joe’s methods motivate students and encourage them to apply what they learn on their own!

Emma Castillo

Center Assistant

Hello! My name is Emma. I have previously worked for Los Angeles Unified District, Downey Unified School District, and AT&T. I retired from AT&T and pursed my Associates Degree in Child Development. I have always enjoyed working with children, so I am currently part-time here at Sylvan and full-time grandma to my 3 grandchildren. It’s been a pleasure working with the staff and children.

Isaiah Reyes

Center Assistant

Hello! My name is Isaiah and I am currently a student at Cal state Long Beach, where I major in computer science. During my free time, I like to watch movies and TV shows. I also enjoy reading, playing video games, and basketball.