Meet Our Team

Karyn Hodges, BA, BEd

Centre Director

Karyn holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Education from UBCO in Kelowna, BC. Karyn grew up on the rainy west coast of British Columbia and has lived in Calgary for over 10 years. She has worked with Sylvan Learning for 17 years, starting as a part-time teacher while working as a teacher in the Central Okanagan School Board, before becoming the Director of Education, and then moving to Calgary to become the Centre Director of the Calgary SW Sylvan. In her spare time, she likes to read and spend time with her friends and family, especially her cat, Monkey.

Eve Hebert

Director of Education

Eve quickly immersed herself in the Sylvan environment since joining us in 2020. She strives to create a positive and engaging learning environment for each student at Sylvan and loves seeing students reap the rewards of their hard work. Eve holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Calgary. In her spare time, she practices nature photography and enjoys spending time with her pets.

Kirsten Hewitt

Lead Teacher

Kirsten has been with Sylvan since 2020. She was an elementary teacher for seven years with the Calgary Board of Education. She has always known she wanted to be a teacher and enjoys working with the students at Sylvan. She loves teaching a variety of subjects, but her favourites are reading and social studies. She has a B.Ed and B.A. in History from the University of Lethbridge. When Kirsten isn’t at Sylvan, you can find her lounging on the couch with her lab Taber and a good book or out hiking around the mountains.

Rebecca Carrol

Senior Teacher

Rebecca is a fun and energetic teacher who has been with Sylvan for over 10 years. She has a diploma in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Professional Arts in Human Services degree from Athabasca University. Currently, Rebecca is a mental health and guidance counsellor with the Rocky View school district and has over 5 years working in various roles in the Alberta education system. Rebecca loves to work with children of all ages and she particularly loves working at Sylvan because she gets to see students grow, learn, and build knowledge on new concepts. When Rebecca is not working at Sylvan, you can find her in the Rocky Mountains hiking and exploring nature.

Anya Tyan

Tutor

Anna has been a valued member of the Sylvan SW team since early 2023 and enjoys working with all students to help them develop new perspectives towards learning. She brings with her a degree in Engineering and previous experience as a private and university-level tutor. As a lover of learning, Anna is completing an accounting degree to pair with her engineering one and enjoys crafts and digital arts in her spare time. She may even show you her latest crochet project!

Ruchika Sharma

Teacher

Ruchika is a dedicated educator with over 4 years of teaching experience. Holding a Master’s degree in Mathematics, she is passionate about nurturing young minds and fostering a love for learning. Ruchika is an Alberta certified teacher, known for her commitment to excellence in education and her ability to inspire students to excel in the field of mathematics. In her spare time, she enjoys listening to music, volunteering and exploring new teaching methodologies.

Mirza joined Sylvan SW in early 2024. He brings with him a Bachelor of Business Administration and 3 years of experience teaching at an international school. He enjoys using his experience to help students gain a deeper understanding of mathematics and various science disciplines. When he is not at Sylvan, he enjoys volunteering for the community, or in the swimming pool, either swimming himself or helping instruct others how to swim.

Lauren McManus

Teacher

Lauren joined Sylvan SW in mid-2024 and brought with her a Bachelor’s of Education, years of experience in the classroom, and even a stint as a previous Sylvan tutor. Now that she has retired from classroom teaching, Lauren enjoys employing her experience on elementary reading and math students here at Sylvan, though she does still enjoy spending her other time golfing, going for walks, and being with her friends and family.

Matthew Salvatore

Tutor

Matthew became a part of the Sylvan SW team in mid-2024. He is currently completing his Bachelor’s of General Science and has been accepted into an education program to pursue his Bachelor’s of Education in fall 2026. While at university, Matthew has acted as a guest lecturer for university-level astronomy and been a mentor to first-year students. He is excited to be starting his teaching journey here at Sylvan! His favourite part of teaching is helping students overcome academic challenges and learn to love learning!

Bhoomi

Tutor

Bhoomi joined the Sylvan team in late 2024. She brings with her experience with younger children from a previous job as a Child and Youth Care Worker. She is currently also a university student, so when she is not at Sylvan, she is either busy in class or studying and working on assignments for class. Her favourite part of teaching is being a trustworthy person for students and seeing them achieve new things and be successful.

Jaunelle is a new addition to the Sylvan SW team. Having recently graduated with his Bachelor’s of Education with a minor in English, Jaunelle brings his experience and love of teaching, particularly English and social studies, to the students here at Sylvan. His favourite part of being a teacher is the spark of excitement when a student learns something new or grasps a concept. When he is not at Sylvan, you can probably find him playing one of his many board games!

Paige Lansky

Tutor

Paige is another new addition to the Sylvan team, joining in late 2025. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Cinema Studies and is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Education at the University of Calgary. Paige’s favourite part of teaching is talking about books and graphic novels with students. She is bringing her experience with playwriting to helping students here at Sylvan with their reading and writing skills.

Favour Adeleye

Tutor

Favour recently joined the Sylvan SW team in late 2025. He is currently a university student working on his Bachelor’s of Theology. His favourite part of teaching is seeing students integrate their new learning to their life experiences. When he is not at Sylvan or busy in class, he enjoys watching video essays on Youtube.

April

Tutor

April returns to the Sylvan SW team after several years away pursuing other passions. She has experience teaching students a variety of subjects at Sylvan. Her favourite part of teaching is helping students learn and overcome their challenges. When she is not at Sylvan, she can he found doing activities with her kids, reading and learning piano.

Colin joined Sylvan at the beginning of 2026. He has a degree in logistics and supply chain management, but has recently returned to school to get an after degree in Education. Previously, he taught students how to Irish dance and loves all of the surprises that working with students can bring. When he is not at Sylvan or school, Colin can be found walking his dog and even rock climbing!

Salma is the most recent addition to Sylvan. She brings with her a B.Sc. in Mathematics and ten years of tutoring. Her favourite part of teaching is helping the students feel confident about their learning. When she is not at Sylvan, she can be found at the gym, reading, skating, or in a new local coffee shop.