Meet the Hermosa Beach team

Amber Castillo oversees the educational integrity of our programs, managing and training our team of tutors in Hermosa Beach. Amber is a California-credentialed Multiple Subjects teacher who taught grades 1-5 for eleven years. An Air Force veteran, Amber graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a Master’s in Human Relations and from Boston University with a Bachelor’s in Linguistics and minors in International Relations and Mathematics. When Amber isn’t at Sylvan you’ll find her with family appreciating the arts and outdoors.

Dr. Douglas Biedenweg is a teacher in Hermosa Beach, CA with a gift for working with kids. While “Dr. B.” has many tutoring talents, he finds the greatest joy in science tutoring, in particular Chemistry and Physics. Dr. Biedenweg taught high school science at Chadwick in Palos Verdes and Physics and AP Chemistry at Vistamar School in El Segundo. He holds a PhD in Spider Behavior from Washington State University and a B.S. in Zoology at UC Davis. When Dr. Biedenweg isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him with his wife, also a teacher, his two young adult children, writing science books, and swimming.

Dr. Laura Holden is a teacher at Hermosa Beach Sylvan. She is a local South Bay resident who graduated from Mira Costa, El Camino, Long Beach State University (BA and MA) and Brigham Young University in Utah (Doctorate). Dr. Holden also took classes at University of San Diego and Cal State Dominguez Hills. She taught and coached in Bellflower, Los Angeles and Compton. Dr. Holden loves working with young people and enjoys that excitement when they are successful. Sylvan provides those moments. In her free time she reads, watches sports (Galaxy season ticket holder for 19 years), golfs and bowls.

John Curtis is a high school history teacher in Redondo Beach, CA with a gift for working with kids. While John has many tutoring talents, he finds the greatest joy in Social Studies tutoring. He studied at the University of Cincinnati, where he played baseball. When John isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him with his family and appreciating sports.

Amy Plank is a dedicated and compassionate educator with 21 years of experience. She has a proven ability to educate, mentor, and support diverse populations while fostering positive relationships with students, families, colleagues, and community members. Amy is recognized for her strong communication skills, reliability, and her ability to create welcoming and supportive environments for individuals from all backgrounds. She's skilled in teaching, problem-solving, conflict resolution, and community engagement.