Meet Our Team

A native Californian, Justine also grew up in the Midwest and lived back East and attended both public and private schools. Her background is mainly in business but over the many years she has taught toddlers to teens in preschool and after school programs. While teaching, she used her ingenuity and various techniques to make learning exciting and fun! Children looked forward to her classes and families were thrilled with their results. Wanting to continue to make a difference, Justine joined Sylvan and uses her knowledge and expertise to support their diverse student population. She understands the challenges families face growing up in this digital age, the need to hone critical thinking and comprehension skills, and ugh, the “new Math”…She and the San Marino team want to help each child recognize and realize their potential and thrive!

Noelle Machian

Associate Director of Education

Born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, Noelle has dedicated over 10 years towards supplemental education, tutoring, and teaching roles. She began her career in education supporting students with progress and development in reading and writing at college and high school levels. Her experience working with students with diverse needs quickly grew her passion to work with students in a more individualized way. This started her Sylvan journey as a teacher followed by taking on the role of Director of Education. As Director of Education, Noelle loves working with families and students to help them reach their academic goals. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, live music, and catching up on classic movies.

Kristin Maitlen

Instructor

Kristin Maitlen has been an English language arts teacher and tutor for over 30 years. She earned her BA degree in English from CSUN and her Masters from the Shakespeare Institute of the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Kristin began her teaching career at The Buckley School as a 9th-12th grade English instructor and test-prep/writing lab tutor. She recently retired from The Learning Castle/La Canada Preparatory where she spent the last 15 years as a K-8th grade reading specialist, test-prep tutor, and performing arts coach. She is the proud mother of twins, both of whom attend NYU. Kristin and her husband enjoy taking their huskies the dog parks in their La Crescenta neighborhood

Michelle Fong

Instructor

Michelle Fong is an elementary teacher with four years of classroom experience. She holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education and is passionate about helping students recognize the strengths within themselves. In addition to her work in the classroom, Michelle tutors at Sylvan of San Marino, where she supports students in building confidence and academic skills. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring new food and dessert spots.

John C.

Teacher

John lives in the San Gabriel Valley with his wife and three children. He enjoys spending time with his family, studying the Catholic faith, and playing the violin. John has taught at Bishop Amat High School since 2010 where he teaches physics and has also taught algebra, trigonometry, and AP statistics. Before moving to California, John taught Physics at Missouri State University for six years. John has tutored since he was a student in college and loves to talk about mathematics and science.

Jenny Jiang

Instructor

Jenny grew up in Shanghai, the daughter of two university professors. She attended Shanghai University College of Architectural Engineering and obtained her first degree in science. After moving to the U.S. to reunite with her parents, she obtained a second degree in Interior Architecture – Bachelor of Fine Arts from CSULB. She also obtained a Postbaccalaureate certificate from Southern California Institute of Architecture (Sci-Arc) in 2017. Since studying architectural engineering, Jenny has always had a deep passion for mathematics and earned straight A’s in all math classes. In recent years, Jenny has begun tutoring math and is interested in helping students improve their grades. She encourages students to draw and create visual experiences to help them solve math problems. Jenny is an environmental designer and has been actively supporting experiential marketing clients with world-class design solutions for educational visitor centers, showrooms, exhibits, and events. She enjoys visiting art museums and galleries with friends, making handicrafts and baking.

Gabby J.

Instructor

Gabby was born and raised in Pasadena, California. Gabby attended Pasadena City College and graduated with an AA in Psychology and Communications. She is currently attending CSULB for her bachelor’s in Communications. Gabby loves working with children and understands what a profound experience it is to provide a safe, welcoming, and fun learning experience. Gabby is a big mental health advocate and tries to always ensure that her students here always feel safe and understood. During her spare time, Gabby loves watching films and is an avid book reader. She loves to go to museums, concerts, and try out new restaurants. Her favorite place to visit is the beach with her dog.

Sean T.

Teacher

Sean grew up in Eagle Rock, CA, a small neighborhood in the LA area, and he attended Eagle Rock High School. Having always struggled with mathematics throughout his educational career, he realized the impact that a good teacher can have on a child. His passion for teaching developed when he interned for the Davis Joint Unified School District as a math teacher at the Davis Senior High School and Holmes for Middle School from 2012-2014. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Math from UC Davis and his single-subject teaching credential in Math from Cal State LA. Outside of teaching, he enjoys playing billiards, performing magic tricks, and eating at local restaurants with friends and co-workers.

Kelly F

Tutor

Kelly is originally from upstate New York and moved to Los Angeles about 8 years ago.  Having worked with students throughout her career in arts education and with Girl Scouts of America, she went on to pursue and receive a Master’s in Elementary Education from Brandman University. Since then, she has found fun and unique ways to support all students in their individual learning journeys.  Some of her hobbies outside of education are working behind the scenes for theater productions, exploring new places, and volunteering in the arts.

Marilyn Del Rio

San Gabriel Valley Senior Director

Marilyn Del Rio has been with the Sylvan team for over 10 years supporting centers all over Los Angeles in various roles including partnerships, marketing and local directorship. Her favorite part of working with Sylvan though has been helping families find solutions for their child(ren) and seeing the confidence grow with their skills. As Senior Director of the San Gabriel Valley, Marilyn leads the local directors and teams of various centers in the San Gabriel Valley to ensure the best experience for our families. When she’s not in the center, you’ll find her at the nearest dog park with her dog Gigi, enjoying the day with her niece Daisy, or enjoying live music at a local concert.

Todd Crabtree

Executive Director

Todd is our Executive Director and has a life-long passion for helping kids achieve academic success.  Todd is the first to graduate from college in his family and served in the Marine Corp for twelve years.  He has been running learning centers since 1998 and he fully understands the impact a good education can have on a child’s life.  A native Southern California, Todd studied at Cal State Fullerton where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Theater Arts. When Todd isn’t working he’s a full-time husband and Dad, driving his son from one practice to the next.  He fully understands what every parent goes through, trying to help their child become the best he or she can be.

Fabio Marquez

Regional Director

Fabio Marquez is the Regional Director for Sylvan and has been with the company for 7 years. In the Regional Director role, he oversees seven centers and is responsible for operations, sales, and ongoing training. Fabio attended UC Irvine where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics along with a Minor in Latin American Studies. He comes to Sylvan with over a decade of tutoring and directing experience. In 2018, he was nominated for the Center Director of the Year Award. This award spans all centers in North America. Fabio enjoys working with families in order to make an ongoing plan for success.

Cat Chittick

Senior Director of Operations and Staff Development

After receiving her degree from Wayne State University in Michigan, Cat moved to Los Angeles and spent several years teaching Shakespeare in the Beyond Borders: Arts and Language for Youth program and subbing in classrooms in the city. After accepting a job at Sylvan over 20 years ago, she realized she had found her new “home.” Cat has worked in many different roles, and loves talking to parents and teachers who know that Sylvan has been a lifeline for so many students. Currently, she is responsible for operations, program management, and ongoing training of all staff members. In her free time, Cat enjoys baking, doing anything crafty, and spending time with her husband and two children.