Meet Our Team

Judy Cornell

Franchise Owner/Director of Parent and School Partnerships

As Franchise Owner/Director of Parent and School Partnerships, Judy works closely with her team to create a learning environment where families feel they have an educational partner to support their academic needs.  A former Regional Director in retail, Judy chose a career in education as a way to make a difference in the lives of children. Judy studied at Davis & Elkins College, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Management & Marketing. When Judy isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her busy spending time with her family or involved in yet another home project!

Greg Brumm

Education Quality Specialist, Instructor

As an Education Quality Specialist, Greg ensures program quality as well as works with our staff to make sure educational excellence is achieved at all times. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Math with Secondary Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as well as an Associate’s degree in Tech Support from Southwestern Illinois College. He enjoys teaching because of watching the students grow and learn and seeing their light bulb of understanding turn on. When he’s not at Sylvan, you’ll find him playing video and board games and spending time with friends.

Ryan Cornell

Instructor

Ryan is a tutor in O’Fallon, IL with a love for working with kids. He has a Bachelor of Arts in Socio-Political History from McKendree University. Ryan believes that confidence is key when helping kids, but also making sure the kids feel and see the improvement for themselves. When Ryan isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him reffing soccer or reading a book.

Austin Hawkins

Instructor

Austin is a 7th grade Special Education teacher in Granite City, IL and loves working 1-on-1 with students. He has a Bachelor’s from Greenville College in K-9 Regular and Special Education as well as a Master’s from Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. He believes that practice makes perfect and that we will all fail and struggle at some point, and those failures will lead to improvement and success in the future. When Austin isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him playing and watching sports with his 3 boys and rooting for the Cardinals and Blues!

Kim Johnson

Instructor

Kim is a retired teacher from East St. Louis, IL who loves helping kids learn. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Workforce Education from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a Master’s Degree in Special Education from the University of Phoenix. She believes that all kids can learn, and they just need help finding how they learn. When Kim isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her working in the children’s church, helping out with her sorority, and spending time with her family.

Michelle Marciniak

Instructor

Michelle is a Middle School Interventional Aide and loves the lightbulb moments with the kids when something finally clicks. She graduated from the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and also has a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction and Special Education from Greenville University. Michelle uses students’ prior knowledge to help them make personal connections to text. When Michelle isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her watching Netflix or doing her homework.

Lynda Masterson

Instructor

Lynda is a retired teacher from Belleville, IL. Her greatest joy was teaching elementary age students in Reading and Grammar. Lynda has a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, middle school endorsements in Language Arts and Social Studies, and a Special Education certificate. She believes that all students deserve an equal opportunity to grow and learn while keeping in mind each student’s different needs. When Lynda isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her reading, walking, baking, or babysitting her grandbaby.

Mike Rangel

Instructor

Mike is a tutor in O’Fallon, IL with a gift for working with kids.  Mikes comes to us with previous Sylvan experience as an instructor and Center Director. While Mike has many tutoring talents, he finds the greatest joy in college prep tutoring. He studied Political Science at Mizzou and completed his Master’s in Teaching at Washington University in St. Louis. When Mike isn’t at Sylvan you’ll find him trying out a new recipe, training his puppy, or reading.

Toni Rushing

Instructor

Toni is a 2nd Grade Teacher in Madison, IL. Something Toni enjoys about teaching is the different personalities the students bring with them, and this makes teaching much more enjoyable and fun for her. Toni has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from AIU Online and her master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Phoenix. Toni believes that all students can learn but need to be met where they are now and then brought up to be as successful as possible. When Toni isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her at her church, with her children, or with a good book.