Meet our San Francisco Tutoring Staff

Ken brings a passion for education to his role of Center Director, along with a heartfelt commitment to customer service. Ken started at Sylvan as our Instructional Manager and was subsequently promoted to Associate Director of Education and now Center Director. Ken manages our complex schedule, ensuring the best possible student-tutor matches, and oversees Center operations with a sharp focus on quality improvement. Ken has a BA in Philosophy and Religion from SFSU. When not at Sylvan, Ken enjoys reading, meditating, drinking tea, and playing with his cat. He also enjoys discussing the qualities of fine chocolate. Ken is fluent in both Cantonese and Mandarin. 

Dylan brings a deep passion for educational access and support for all students, several years of classroom teaching experience, and a warm and outgoing personality to his role as our Director of Education. Before coming to Sylvan, Dylan was a high school English teacher for SFUSD. He draws upon his education expertise to ensure the best possible academic outcomes for our students. Dylan graduated cum laude from SFSU with a degree in English and went on to obtain his California teaching credential. He is currently working towards a Masters's of Library Science and Information at SJSU. In his “spare time,” Dylan enjoys biking, baking, and exploring the varied cuisines of SF.

Lori brings a passion for education and a background in executive management to Sylvan Learning of SF.  She has held management positions at Apple Computer and Fidelity Investments, and has served two terms on her local public school board. Lori has raised four sons, each one benefiting from the individualized support they received to reach their academic potential. She loves helping Sylvan students reach their own academic goals. Lori is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Stanford University and a Harvard Business School alumna. She is an avid skier, golfer, hiker, biker and reader.

Donald manages Center business functions and gets to know Sylvan students by conducting many of our assessments.  He conferences with parents to make personalized tutoring program recommendations. .Donald uses his service orientation to contribute to the successful operations of Sylvan Learning of SF. He is a Stanford alum, an avid SF Bay Area sports fan, and an expert chess player. A Bay Area native, Donald resides in San Francisco.

Lance oversees communications with families and keeps Center operations running smoothly. He grew up in LA and came to SF to complete his undergraduate studies in Communication and Marketing at SFSU. Before joining our team, Lance was a valued employee of AMC Theatres, where he developed a reputation for being a skilled team leader and creative problem solver. Lance takes pride in providing a very high level of customer service to Sylvan families. In his spare time, you can find Lance checking out new food spots, taking photographs, skating, or sneaker collecting.

Jacob tutors math for students of all ages and ability levels, successfully making math concepts from fractions to calculus understandable for Sylvan students. He is also a talented SAT, ACT, and HSPT prep tutor. Jacob discovered his love of math while an undergraduate student at Roosevelt University, where he completed a BS in Mathematics with Honors. Jacob is also a member of our full-time team, supporting families as a Program Manager and handling key educational administration duties. 

Dana comes to us as a teacher with the Bay Area Archdiocese Elementary Schools.  She graduated with a Physical Education Degree and completed credential coursework at SFSU.  She has also done everything from serving on Executive Boards for the Archdiocese to teaching gymnastics! Dana is a reading, writing, math and HSPT/SSAT tutor at Sylvan and also supports the team as Instructional Manager.  When not teaching at Sylvan or in her classroom, you may find her reading, playing tennis, or doing yoga.

Teddy earned his BA in Physics from The University of Chicago. He is one of our versatile tutors who can tutor any level of math or physics. He also helps our students prepare for their SAT, ACT, SSAT and HSPT tests. Teddy has worked as a camp counselor for both the Lincoln Park Zoo and the SF Zoo and currently works part-time at the California Academy of Sciences. He brings to his work with our students a passion for making difficult concepts understandable.

Amanda is an engaging reading and writing tutor who enjoys helping students of all ages. She earned both a BA and a Masters in English from the University of Oregon. At Oregon, Amanda worked as a drop-in college writing tutor as well as a writing instructor for undergraduate students. She loves teaching. In her spare time, Amanda enjoys spending time with her friends and exploring the city. 

Julie has been a valued tutor at Sylvan of San Francisco for over 10 years!  With her bachelors in French, a minor in ESL and her teaching credential from San Jose State, Julie is a skilled tutor in reading, elementary math, writing and study skills.  Our students and team love her!  She works with special needs students at a high school in San Francisco and has experience teaching languages at schools in Brentwood and San Jose as well. When Julie is not teaching, you'll find her reading or listening to classic rock.

Sarah is a warm and engaging literacy tutor who loves helping Sylvan students develop their writing and reading skills. She recently retired from UCSF where she was a Communications Analyst and won a “UCSF Great People Award” for her work with postdoctoral scholars. Sarah has worked alongside literacy specialists in local schools and has always enjoyed tutoring and coaching writing students. She has degrees in Psychology and Journalism from SFSU. In her leisure time, Sarah enjoys creating art and playing with her French Bulldog.  

Scott is a skilled math tutor who loves helping our students progress in both their Sylvan and school curriculums. He has a BS in Physics with a minor in Mathematics from UC Santa Barbara. A SF local, Scott attended Balboa High School where he was selected to be an after school math and science tutor for his peers. He has also worked as a Bryant Elementary School volunteer and as an Exploratorium “Explainer”.  In his free time, Scott enjoys following the Warriors and spending time in SF's many beautiful parks.

Rahil loves solving math problems and ignites our students' enthusiasm for math.. She is currently enrolled in the nursing program at USF. Rahil previously received three associates degrees at West Los Angeles College, where she distinguished herself in math and the health sciences. In her spare time, Rahil loves reading, hiking, baking and spending time with friends. 

Zoe is a warm and engaging language arts tutor who enjoys students of all ages. She excelled as an undergraduate student in History and Philosophy at Willamette University, winning a prestigious Carson Undergraduate Research Grant. In addition to tutoring at Sylvan, Zoe works as an administrator and substitute teacher at Studio 70. When not working, Zoe enjoys running half marathons, reading, surfing, swimming and going to the movies.

Andrew is an expert language arts tutor who has built a successful career around his writing talents. He has a BA from USC, a MSW from Columbia University and a MFA with writing emphasis from Virginia Commonwealth University. While earning his MFA, Andrew instructed over 100 undergraduate writing students. He also served as a writing center specialist. In addition to tutoring at Sylvan, Andrew is a college application reader for Reed College and a professional freelance writer. In his leisure time, Andrew enjoys hiking, traveling, entertaining and…writing! 

Ellen is an engaging reading and writing tutor who motivates our language arts students to do their very best work. She is a retired sales and marketing executive who excelled as an empathetic sales trainer. Her retirement activities have included volunteer language arts tutoring at SFUSD and 826 Valencia Street. Ellen holds a BA in English from Yale University. She is a voracious reader of fiction and history and a weekend artist. 

Lauryn is one of our superstar math, science, HSPT, SAT and ACT tutors. She holds a Bachelor’s in Physics from Moravian College and is currently earning her Masters in Physics at SFSU. Lauryn has worked as a teaching assistant both at the college and graduate student level. She has also worked with younger students, doing science demos for elementary students through her college Physics Club. In addition to being an expert in math and science, Lauryn loves to read and knows sign language, too!

Our wonderful Teaching Assistant, Cesaria, provides support to tutors and students, oversees a fun and educational “transition time” and keeps our Sylvan Store fresh and engaging. Cesaria received her BA in Psychology Cum Laude from St. Mary’s College. Her prior experience includes work as a summer camp counselor and online tutor. She grew up in both Oakland and Mozambique, bringing a unique international perspective to our center. 

Warner is one of our most versatile tutors with expertise in math, writing, and college test prep.   Warner is a professional teacher, a published academic writer and a Ph.D. candidate in Sociology at Stanford. He holds a B.S. in Sociology from Texas A & M. He has worked as a Teaching Assistant at both Stanford University and Texas A & M. Our students love him!