Meet Our Team

Ryan Smith

Director

As a Director at Sylvan of Muskegon, Ryan Smith oversees the educational integrity of our programs, managing and training our team of tutors and day-to-day operations. A former Academic Program Site Director serving Grand Rapids Public Schools through The YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids. Ryan chose to grow her career with Sylvan because of her passion to provide students the tools they need to develop into autonomous members of their community; forming personalized goals and values and leading a responsible and productive lifestyle. Ryan studied at Grand Valley State University with a degree in Non-Profit Organization with an emphasis in Youth and Community Development. When Ryan isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her hiking the State parks, swimming in Lake Michigan, and road-tripping around Northern Michigan with her husband, Spencer, and daughter, Brooklyn.

Nellie Mick

Lead Teacher

Nellie is a lead teacher in Muskegon, MI with a gift for working with kids. While Nellie has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in helping students find tools or strategies that increase their understanding and confidence. She studied at Cedarville University and has degrees in elementary and special education grades prek-12. When Nellie isn’t at Sylvan, you may find her at the lake or trails with her husband and pugs or volunteering with families who foster/adopt.

Jessica Rollins

Executive Director/Owner

After working in the Sylvan family for 15 years, Jessica and her husband George had the pleasure of becoming owners in March of 2017. Jessica’s favorite aspect of Sylvan is the ability to partner with community organizations and schools. She earned a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Education from CMU and a Master’s in Educational Psychology from EMU.  Jessica also serves as the chair for the Dewitt Public Schools Foundation, where her children attend school. When she isn’t at Sylvan, Jessica enjoys vegetable gardening and camping.