Meet Our Team

Shallum Washington

Center Director

As the Center Director, Shallum is committed to creating engaging learning spaces for students to reach their full potential. He finds inspiration in an environment that ignites intellectual curiosity and builds academic confidence. An alumnus of Greenville University, Shallum graduated with a BS in Media Communications and minored in Music Business. Prior to the education field, Shallum worked in marketing for Simon Property Group. He worked closely with the Simon Youth Foundation, a nonprofit seeking to improve the national dropout rate and increase college accessibility through a partnership with public school systems. He is inspired by the art of storytelling and writes in his free time.

Christina Lopez

Director of Education

Christina (she/they) was born and raised in Altadena, CA. They attended Pasadena City College before transferring to UC Riverside to earn her Bachelor’s in Philosophy and Religious studies. They went on to teach aboard and complete their Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at USC. After 6 years of teaching international students, Christina made the switch to K-6th education, earning their Multiple-subject credential through UMASS Global. They have spent the last two years in the classroom. In their free time, Christina enjoys hiking with her dog and reading just about any book they can get their hands on.

Abigail Capiendo

Program Manager

Abigail was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley. She is a graduate of Bishop Amat High School and is currently completing her undergraduate studies at Pasadena City College. Abigail’s goal is to transfer to a university and earn a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. She loves learning and hopes to help other students reach their educational goals. Abby started with Sylvan as a Center Assistant and worked her way up to Program Manager. During her free time, she enjoys going to Disneyland and spending quality time with friends and family.

Elizabeth Lopez

Assistant Director of Education

Elizabeth was born in Los Angeles, CA, and has remained local throughout her K-12 education. After graduating from Arroyo High School, she went on to pursue her AA degree in Child Development. Through her experiences in various school sessions like after-school programs and summer camps, Elizabeth realized that she wanted to gain additional experience in a learning environment. This led her to want to pursue a teacher’s aid position in an effort to help students strengthen their academic achievement. Aside from education, Elizabeth enjoys hiking, spending time with family, and visiting museums.

Anthony Reyes

Lead Instructor

Anthony was born and raised in Glendale, CA, and is a graduate of Pasadena High School. He attended Pasadena City College before transferring to California State University, Long Beach, and earning his Bachelor’s in English Education. After his undergraduate, he took a break from school to gain more experience in the classroom. He has worked as an after-school math instructor, a P.E. instructor, and a reading and writing instructor. He is currently in pursuit of his multiple subject credential. In his free time, Anthony enjoys finding new music, attending concerts, traveling to new places, exploring nature, and spending time with his two dogs Max and Gigi.

Sarina A

Center Assistant

Sarina values each student’s unique learning abilities and skills to help students exceed their educational goals and journeys. She graduated from Stern Mass High School in 2021 and is currently attending East Los Angeles College. Sarina is striving to complete her academic endeavor within another university for her degree in Business Administration. Prior to Sylvan, Sarina has worked with the overall development of students from differing ages as a former swim instructor and lifeguard for the City of Monterey Park. She loves to crochet and hike in her free time as well as study at local cafes

Olivia N

Instructor

Olivia was born in Indiana and moved to California after completing her undergraduate degree at Ball State University. She is currently completing a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Union Institute & University. Upon completing her degree, Olivia will become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. Olivia has been working as a behavioral aide, helping students with learning disabilities and challenging behaviors achieve academic and behavioral goals. She enjoys working with children of all ages and aims to leave a lasting impact on everyone she meets. In her free time, Olivia enjoys exploring new places, hiking, and camping with her dog.

Hany D

Instructor

Hany joined Sylvan because of his love for Mathematics and his desire to administer student success. Graduating from the University of Redlands with a Bachelor’s of Science in Mathematics, he aims to soon complete his Master’s degree in Mathematics. Hany would like to become a  university professor to help future adults understand the complexities of Mathematics. Before working at Sylvan, Hany was member of the Department of Institutional Research at the University of Redlands, providing information on student retention rates. Hany loves puzzles, so he spends his free time solving riddles and other problems, as well as exploring conventions and concerts.

Jeremy F

Instructor

Jeremy (he/him/his) was raised in Glen Rock, NJ. He attended college at the University of Rochester in NY, graduating with a Bachelor’s in English / Creative Writing. After a brief stint in the publishing industry, Jeremy enrolled in Montclair State University where he earned a Master’s in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. After graduation, Jeremy was granted a Fulbright Scholarship to teach English in Taiwan. Upon his return, Jeremy relocated to Maryland, where he taught in Montgomery County for four years. Tired of the East Coast, Jeremy moved to LA, teaching 6th-8th grade in Burbank. He is currently studying web design and playing music (or video games) in his spare time.

Nidia M

Instructor

Nidia is a born and raised Angelino who is a theater kid at heart – she loves theater, reading, and writing. She was able to combine her two passions by earning degrees in English and Drama at UC Irvine which led to the opportunity to work professionally as a stage manager for 10 years. Though she has a passion for theater, she found that she has an even bigger passion for education and earned a Master’s degree in Humanities from Mount Saint Mary’s University. She plans to use her educational and professional experience to teach at a community college level. On her free time, Nidia enjoys arts and crafts like Knitting, crochet and book binding.

Jocelyn B

Instructor

Jocelyn (she/her) grew up in Pasadena, CA. After leaving her hometown, she attended UC Santa Cruz, where she received a Bachelor’s in Sociology with a minor in Education. She discovered an interest in education of all types through her work as a peer instructor at a tech-for-social-good program, an editor at UCSC’s student-run newspaper, and a tour guide at the local art museum. Her other interests include drawing and painting, creative writing, and exploring new nature spots.”

Griffin M

Instructor

Griffin was born in Minnesota and began to love math during high school thanks to their algebra and calculus teachers. Griffin studied mathematics at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, and particularly enjoyed researching new problems in number theory and discrete math. Outside of classes, Griffin worked as an online tutor for students in math and programming. They moved to California after graduating, and have been independently working on new math problems since. Griffin is also a lifelong programmer, doing competitive coding in their free time.

Todd Crabtree

Executive Director

Todd is our Executive Director and has a life-long passion for helping kids achieve academic success.  Todd is the first to graduate from college in his family and served in the Marine Corp for twelve years.  He has been running learning centers since 1998 and he fully understands the impact a good education can have on a child’s life.  A native Southern California, Todd studied at Cal State Fullerton where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Theater Arts. When Todd isn’t working he’s a full-time husband and Dad, driving his son from one practice to the next.  He fully understands what every parent goes through, trying to help their child become the best he or she can be.

Fabio Marquez

Regional Director

Fabio Marquez is the Regional Director for Sylvan and has been with the company for 7 years. In the Regional Director role, he oversees seven centers and is responsible for operations, sales, and ongoing training. Fabio attended UC Irvine where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics along with a Minor in Latin American Studies. He comes to Sylvan with over a decade of tutoring and directing experience. In 2018, he was nominated for the Center Director of the Year Award. This award spans all centers in North America. Fabio enjoys working with families in order to make an ongoing plan for success.

Sara Hall

Director of Marketing

Sara is the Director of Marketing for 8 Sylvan Learning centers in Southern California. In addition to overseeing all local digital marketing campaigns across her centers, Sara conducts and manages partnerships with school districts across Los Angeles. Sara’s passion for education began during her time at California State University, Long Beach, where she earned her Bachelor’s of Arts in English with an emphasis in Creative Writing. During her time in college, she studied abroad in Oxford England and taught English in South Korea. When she is not at Sylvan, she’s hiking and exploring the local mountains, hitting the beach, or scuba diving the Channel Islands.