Meet Our Team
Great Teachers Inspire
Our tutors and staff in Ankeny consist of passionate educators who love inspiring children to succeed. Warm, caring and great at relating to kids, our tutors in Ankeny 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 Ankeny!
April Samp
Owner
April Samp is the proud Co-Owner of all five Sylvan Learning of Iowa Centers. April is a graduate of Iowa State University and invested many years into the communities where she lived by covering and investigating meaningful stories as a journalist and News Director. April worked in TV News/Marketing and Advertising for 25 years at stations like WOI-TV, KGAN/KFXA, KWQC and WHO in Iowa, KCTV and WDAF in Kansas City, WAVY/WVBT in Virginia and KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City. April’s love of education and everything it does for a person started very early. Both of her parents were educators. April and her son Cale live in Waukee and cheer loudly for the Cyclones and play golf whenever possible!
Jody Simpson
Regional Director
Jody has been with Sylvan for over 20 years. Jody conducts conferences, assists families with their needs and ensures that our center is always upholding the Sylvan Pledge! She loves to build relationships with families and create life long partnerships. In her spare time (ha!) she volunteers at Van Meter schools, plays with her three kids, dog and husband!
Courtney Coakley
Center Director
Courtney has been a substitute teacher in Urbandale, Johnston, Kansas City, and Clarksville, TN, & was also a preschool teacher on an army base in Missouri. She is excited to be back at Sylvan after a few years away. While Courtney has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in reading & math tutoring. She studied Elementary Education at Iowa State – Go Cyclones! When Courtney isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her spending time with her son, Easton.
Jennifer Schafer
Tutor
Jennifer has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She’s owned a daycare, preschool, and is a published author. In her spare time, she likes to spend time with friends and family, listen to music, cook, and watch paranormal shows!
Joe Bagley
Tutor
Joe is a tutor in Ankeny, Iowa with a gift for working with kids. While Joe has many tutoring talents, he finds the greatest joy in reading tutoring. He studied at Grand View University and Drake University. Joe is a Spanish teacher in the North Polk district! When he isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him brushing up on his Spanish skills or spending time with his fiancé and his puppy.
Start your child on the path to academic success today
Give us a call at (515) 635-1032 or fill out the form to discuss your child’s learning goals.
