Meet Our Team

Michelle Varoutsos

Executive Director and Franchise Owner

Michelle is the Executive Director and Centre Owner. A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University in Elementary Education and Psychology, University of Phoenix in Curriculum and Instruction, High Point University in AIG education and UNC Greensboro in Educational Administration. Michelle has taught in Connecticut and North Carolina and was an administrator in Thomasville and Concord. She is passionate about education and helping students love learning, increase their confidence, and achieve success. Michelle is responsible for meeting Sylvan’s high operating standards and ensuring that our families enjoy the many benefits that Sylvan has to offer. When Michelle isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her reading and spending time with her family which includes her husband, 2 adult children, 2 furbabies, and 8 feathered friends.

Ellen Halka

Part Time Director of Education

Ellen Halka oversees the educational integrity of our programs, managing and training our team of tutors in Lexington, NC. As a former Elementary Educator in both New York and North Carolina she brings a wealth of knowledge to Sylvan of Lexington. She graduated from Concordia College in NY with a BA in Education, from NYIT with a Masters in Instructional Technology and has her STEM Certification. When Ellen isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her spending her free time reading or out and about with her two daughters.  She especially enjoys spending time at the beach or SCUBA diving.

John Varoutsos

Lead Tutor

John is a Biochemical Engineer in Winston Salem, NC with a gift for working with kids. While John has many tutoring talents, he finds the greatest joy in Science and Math tutoring. He received his undergraduate and graduate degrees at NC State University. When John isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him hanging out with his family and his dogs.