Meet Our Team
Great Teachers Inspire
Our tutors and staff in Valparaiso consist of passionate educators who love inspiring children to succeed. Warm, caring and great at relating to kids, our tutors in Valparaiso 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 Valparaiso!
Kent
Owner
Welcome to Sylvan Learning Center! My name is Kent Kolbow, and I am the owner and one of the directors. I received my college education in Fort Wayne, Indiana. During my educational experience, I completed a bachelor’s degree in Math with a strong background in Physics, Chemistry, and Psychology. I also earned an endorsement in education. During college, I taught at Sylvan Learning centers in Fort Wayne, and within a few years, became the Director. In 1997, I decided to purchase the Sylvan centers in Elkhart and Mishawaka. I have since had the opportunity to purchase nine additional centers in Indiana. My goal through working with Sylvan is “Success with Every Student.”
Sarah
Executive Director
As Executive Director, Sarah oversees Indiana centers in Mishawaka, Elkhart, Merrillville, Schererville, Valparaiso, Fishers, Carmel, West Indianapolis, South Indianapolis, Fort Wayne North, and Fort Wayne South, and four Florida centers in Clermont, Ocoee, Dr. Phillips and Kissimmee. She thoroughly enjoys working with all of the students and their families. Sarah studied at Cedarville University. When Sarah isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her spending time with her husband and her two beautiful daughters.
Devin
Center Director
Zach
Director of Student Advancement
Zachary oversees the educational integrity of our programs, managing and training our team of tutors in Valparaiso. A former teacher in Michigan City, Zachary brings a wealth of knowledge to Sylvan of Valparaiso. He graduated from Purdue University North Central. When Zachary isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him playing games and collecting cards with his friends.
Kristen
Center Director / Team Lead
Kristen is the Center Director for Sylvan of Merrillville and Valparaiso, IN. A former physical education coordinator in Colorado, Kristen chose to return back to Indiana and to the academic side of education because she thrives on the connections made with parents and students as they overcome educational challenges. She studied at Indiana University. When Kristen isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her spending time with family as well as her 2 dogs (Lu and Milo) and cat (D.O.G).
Bennie
Lead Teacher
Heather
Teacher
Greg
Teacher
Kayla
Teacher
Kayla is a Sylvan Tutor in Valparaiso, IN with a gift for working with kids. While Kayla has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in Reading and Math tutoring. She studied at Indiana University Bloomington. When Kayla isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her gardening or reading!
Marie
Teacher
Mia
Teacher
Mia is an LRE Facilitator at Edison High School in Lake Station., IN with a gift for working with kids. While Mia has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in English tutoring. She studied at Indiana University Northwest and Indiana Wesleyan University. When Mia isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her volunteering at American Legion Post 502, spending time traveling with her family, or crafting with her Cricut machine.
Michael
Teacher
As an Advanced Math Tutor, Michael works with high school students that are attending pre-college courses. He is adept at teaching all forms of Algebra, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus and Calculus.
Phil
Teacher
Brianna
Tutor
Brianna is a Verbal SAT/ACT tutor at Sylvan of Valparaiso with a gift for working with kids. While Brianna has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in English tutoring. Brianna received her degree from Purdue University Northwest. When Brianna isn’t tutoring, she enjoys gardening and spending time with her dog Bee.
Rachel
Tutor
Rachel is a reading and science tutor at Sylvan of Valparaiso with a gift for working with kids. While Rachel has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in science tutoring. Rachel received her degree from Concordia University of Chicago. When Rachel isn’t tutoring, you’ll find her hiking and nature journaling.
Sienna
Tutor
Sienna is a Math SAT/SAT and science tutor at Sylvan of Valparaiso with a gift for working with kids. While Sienna has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in math tutoring. Sienna received her degree from Michigan State University. When Sienna isn’t tutoring, she enjoys going for runs and reading.
Start your child on the path to academic success today
Give us a call at (219) 246-4045 or fill out the form to discuss your child’s learning goals.