Meet Our Team

Monica Mora, M.A.

Instructor

Director

As Center Director, Monica leads educational programming and center operations for Sylvan of Minnetonka. Monica studied child developmental psychology at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, where she received specialized training in assessment and program evaluation. Monica is passionate about connecting families to solutions and supporting children to reach their full potential. When Monica isn’t at Sylvan, she enjoys being outdoors, live music, writing poetry, and spending time with her two cats.

Teaching specialties: Advanced English Language Arts, Writing, Social Science, ACT and SAT Prep

Lisa became a teacher for her second career. Her first career was in IT where she specialized in e-learning. After COVID, she decided to change directions and pursue teaching fulltime. Lisa teaches at an English Language Immersion school and specializes in teaching English Language Arts and Social Studies in both English and Spanish. She is finishing a Master’s degree in Dual Language Immersion Education and has a Master’s in Learning Technology from the University of Minnesota.

Teaching specialties: English Language Arts for English Language Learners (ELLs), Social Studies, Spanish

Sam is an engineer by trade who has a passion for teaching math. He studied biomedical engineering at Tulane University. During his time at university, Sam discovered he enjoyed working with children to scaffold their understanding in mathematics and science. When Sam isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him weight training at the gym or designing factories or cities in video games.

Teaching specialties: Advanced Math and Science, ACT and SAT Prep

Mary is a substitute middle school teacher who is currently pursuing her teaching credential in English Language Arts. She is passionate about helping kids with their reading and writing skills. Prior to her current career in education, Mary studied political science at Macalester College. When Mary isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her playing trivia, at a concert, or spending time with family.

Teaching specialties: English Language Arts, Writing, Social Studies

Bill is a retired engineer by trade who has a passion for teaching math and science. Bill enjoys working with kids of all ages to make math and science fun and relevant. In his spare time, Bill enjoys golf and refing for soccer and volleyball.

Teaching specialties: Advanced Math and Science

Sarah is an elementary school PE and Art teacher. She also delivers reading and math interventions at her school for students who need them. Her favorite thing about working as a teacher is building connections with students and seeing them make progress on their goals. When Sarah isn’t working with her students, she enjoys diamond painting, reading, watching TV, and snuggling with her cat Cleo.

Teaching specialties: Beginning Reading, English Language Arts, Math

Megan Hegenbarth is a writer and recent graduate at Dublin City University, completing her Master of Arts in Creative Writing. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in both Spanish and Mass Communications at the University of Minnesota. Megan’s favorite part of teaching writing is discovering how to unlock a kid’s voice and unleash their creativity. Megan spends her free time writing poetry, dawdling outside, and gaping at the natural world around us.

Teaching specialties: Advanced English Language Arts, Writing, Spanish

Ben is a chemist by trade and the current data reviewer for a chemistry lab. He studied Chemistry at Gustavus Adolphus College, where he TA’d and discovered his passion for teaching. Ben enjoys seeing students unlock their intrinsic motivation for learning and build their knowledge base in math and science. When Ben isn’t at Sylvan, he enjoys cooking, video games, and playing with his two kids. Fun fact: Ben has two spleens!

Teaching specialties: Advanced Math and Science