Meet Our Team

Nancy Diaz

Director of Education

Nancy has a gift for working with kids. While she has many tutoring talents, Nancy finds the greatest joy in teaching elementary reading and math. She has been a tutor and program manager for the Northridge center for 2 years, and earned her Elementary credential from CSUN. Nancy has also worked as a teacher’s assistant at Garden Grove Elementary. When Nancy isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her playing and singing songs to her new baby boy!

Cat Chittick

Education/Operations Coordinator

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.

Amie S.

Tutor

Amie Soffer has been with Sylvan since August 2021. She has 13 years of teaching experience with a B.A degree in Mass Communications and an A.A Degree in early childhood education. When Amie is not working at Sylvan, she loves spending time with her Husband Darren, and her cat Farfalle.

Angelita S.

Tutor

Angelita has been an ESL, English, and Math Teacher for 35 years. She speaks six different languages and loves to interact with students of different nationalities and culture. It gives her great happiness and satisfaction when students accomplish their goals. She teaches all ages and loves working in Sylvan. The staff is so kind and friendly. Angelita’s favorite color is pink and her hobbies are dancing, cooking and listening to music.

Shahnaz P.

Tutor

Shahnaz is a gifted math teacher who has a passion for the topic. She finds great joy in helping students who are struggling with a concept overcome their challenges and learn the material. Shahnaz is originally from Tehran, and holds BS degrees in physics and accounting. Her hobbies include playing chess, backgammon, rock climbing, yoga, running and ping-pong.

Eloisa L.

Tutor

Eloisa holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Sociology, but she has worked in LAUSD for 3 years and enjoys working with and tutoring students at Sylvan! Eloisa is vegetarian, her favorite colors are green, yellow, and purple; and loves to hang out with her sisters in her free time.

Joe F.

Tutor

Joe enjoys teaching all levels of math, but especially Algebra and SAT/ACT prep. He truly became excited about math when he was exposed to pre-algebra in the 7th grade. He loved trying to figure out complex number puzzles and appreciated the fact that math always has just one right answer. Joe graduated from Duke University with a BA in Economics and a minor in Chemistry and The Yale School of Management with an MBA in Marketing and Leadership. In his free time, Joe enjoys cooking and discovering new recipes and styles of cooking. He is also writing a biography about Coach Willie Jeffries, the first African American head football coach in NCAA Division I-A.

Audrey Chen

Teacher Assistant and Admin

Audrey is a gifted well-rounded high school student. Her favorite subject is Economics, however, her passions range from Math to English to History to Science. She’s excited to share her experience as a student along with study habits/tips with others her age or younger. Outside of Sylvan, Audrey serves as Student Body President, Captain of the Varsity Cheer Team, and the Distinguished Young Woman of California.