Meet our Piedmont Tutoring Staff

Great Teachers Inspire

Our tutors and staff in Piedmont consist of passionate educators who love inspiring children to succeed. Warm, caring and great at relating to kids, our tutors in Piedmont know how to engage and motivate each child in a personal way—building confidence and smiles, as well as skills and better scores. We selectively choose tutors who know local curriculum and can link Sylvan lessons to what’s being taught in school. Get to know our tutors and staff in Piedmont!

Anthony Thomas

Center Director

As Center Director, Anthony takes care of the administrative and business side of Sylvan. He possesses a Master's Degree in Education and holds an Advanced Graduate Studies Degree in Educational Leadership. With a combined fifteen years of hands-on-administrative and teaching experience, he has worked within a variety of settings including overseas in Abu Dhabi. When Anthony is not at Sylvan, you can find him cycling around town or planning his next travel experience.
Ms. Haley

Center Assistant / Lead Tutor

Haley is a teacher offering center support in Piedmont,CA with a gift for working with kids. While Haley has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in Math tutoring. She studied at the University of Nevada, Reno. When Haley isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her spending time with her family, hanging out at the beach, or taking walks with her two dogs.
Pearis Tavares

CENTER ASSISTANT / LEAD TUTOR

Pearis is a tutor in Piedmont, Ca, with a gift for working with kids. While Pearis has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in tutoring children in Reading. She studied at Holy Names University in Oakland, Ca, and graduated with a B.A. in Sociology. When Pearis isn’t at Sylvan, you can find her spending time with her family, baking her favorite sweets, or curled up with one of her favorite books.
Abby Tiongco

Tutor

Abby is a tutor in Piedmont, CA with a gift for working with kids. While Abby has many tutoring talents she finds the greatest joy in reading, math, art and science. She studied at California State University East Bay. When Abby isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her exploring museums,parks, and beaches all over the Bay Area with her playful toddler.
Pema Lhakey

Tutor

Originally from Tibet, Pema is a well traveled tutor in the Piedmont Center in Piedmont, CA, having taught as a math teacher in both India and throughout the United States. Pema has a special gift for connecting with students to share in her love for and extensive knowledge of math. She strives to ensure each student "gets it". Pema collects scarves, enjoys Indian cuisine and likes to travel during her holiday down time.
Nia Crawford

Tutor

Nia is a teacher in Piedmont, CA with a gift for working with kids. While Nia has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in SAT tutoring. She studied at UC Santa Barbara. When Nia isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her cooking, reading, or attending dance classes.
Joaquin Lascano

Tutor

Joaquin tutors students at Sylvan in reading, writing, and math. He attended Contra Costa college and worked there tutoring other college students in English literature and writing. When he isn't tutoring you can find him writing scripts, producing short films or recording music.
David Kellert

Tutor

David is an upper level math and science tutor at the Piedmont Center in Piedmont, Ca. David has been with the Piedmont team for many years. He has a special gift in working with students in an individual one on one setting. Chemistry, Pr-Calculus, and Calculus are some of David's areas of strength. David comes highly requested for those challenging math classes. A man with great work-life balance, David enjoys traveling across the country and world in his spare time.
Thurston Gill

Tutor

Thurston is a third grade teacher in Oakland, CA with a gift for working with kids. While Thurston has many tutoring talents, he finds the greatest joy in Math tutoring. He studied at Georgian Court University in Lakewood, NJ. When Thurston isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him watching sports, hiking, or otherwise enjoying the west coast weather.
Osai Hashimi

Tutor

Osai is a UX Researcher in Oakland, CA with a gift for working with kids. While Osai has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in Math tutoring. She studied at UC Irvine. When Osai isn't at Sylvan, you'll find her reading, painting, or playing basketball.
Kelsie Phillips

Tutor

Kelsie is an educator in Oakland, CA with a gift for working with kids. While Kelsie has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in reading tutoring. She studied at Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. When Kelsie isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her walking her dog, working on an art project, or watching scary movies.
Jasmine Fedele

Tutor

Jasmine is a Teacher in Oakland, CA with a gift for working with kids. While Jasmine has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in math tutoring. She studied at Mills College. When Jasmine isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her walking around with her cat or singing songs from musicals, possibly at the same time.
Nicole Vermolen

Tutor

Nicole has been a teacher in several roles in Higher Education all over the world. She is passionate about education and encourages students to leave their comfort zones and have great fun while doing so. She holds a BA in Hospitality Management and an MSc in International Service Management from The Netherlands and the UK. When Nicole isn’t at Sylvan, you can find her on the waters of the Bay Area or exploring hiking trails in Northern California.
Rae Martin

Tutor

Rae is a tutor in Piedmont, CA with a gift for working with kids. While Rae has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in reading and writing tutoring. She studied at San Francisco State University. When Rae isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her in used book shops, record stores, or the movies.
Adnan Ismail

Tutor

Adnan is a math and science tutor based in Berkeley, CA with a gift for working with kids. While Adnan has many tutoring talents, he finds the greatest joy in math tutoring. He currently studies at the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, CA. When Adnan isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him watching or playing basketball and reading a good book.