Meet Our Team

Great Teachers Inspire
Our tutors and staff in Lake Mary consist of passionate educators who love inspiring children to succeed. Warm, caring and great at relating to kids, our tutors in Lake Mary know how to engage and motivate each child in a personal way—building confidence and smiles, as well as skills and better scores. We selectively choose tutors who know local curriculum and can link Sylvan lessons to what’s being taught in school.
Get to know our tutors and staff in Lake Mary!
Kaila Barker
Owner/Center Director
With over twenty years of experience in education, Kaila brings passion and innovation to our academic tutoring programs and STEM enrichment. Having worked with school districts across the nation, Kaila has developed and scaled successful educational programs from the ground up and brings both creative vision and practical expertise to our center’s operations.
Kaila’s priority is creating an environment where students don’t just learn – they discover their potential and develop a genuine love for learning. Her approach emphasizes building confidence alongside competence, ensuring every student has the tools they need to succeed in school and beyond.
As a mother of five, Kaila’s experience has been further deepened her understanding of how each child learns differently and her commitment to creating educational programs that work for every student’s unique abilities.
Josh Barker
Owner/Business Manager
As a seasoned executive from small startups to large multinational companies, Josh is excited to apply his knowledge to creating a lasting positive impact for families in Central Florida. As owner and business manager, his areas of focus are finance, operations, facilities, and personnel. When he’s not at Sylvan he’s spending time with his family and cheering on his favorite sports teams.

Dwan
Reading and Writing Teacher
Dwan has a B.A in Communication Science Area from the University of Florida, with more than 20 years of experience in many educational areas. Dwan has worked in St. Lucie, Seminole and Orange countries as an instructor. She also has 300 hours Florida Reading Endorsement qualifying her to coach teachers as well as teach grades K-12 English/Reading/ESL. Dwan has hiked most of the country’s national parks. When she is not showing others “how to make the printed and spoken words come to life”, she enjoys reading, writing, journalism and traveling to some of the world’s most beautiful places with her husband and large extended family.

Emma
Reading and Math Teacher
Emma has been teaching at Sylvan for a year and a half. She is attending Stetson University to attain a Bachelors degree in Music Education and a teaching license. She enjoys working with students on Math and Reading. Her goal for a student would be for them to understand and use what they have learned in everyday life.

Kara
Reading, Writing, Math, SAT/ACT Teacher
Kara has been teaching for more than 25 years. She has a BS in Social Science and Education along with a M Ed in Curriculum and Instruction. She believes that all the students can learn and enjoys helping them reach their educational goals. She especially enjoys working with students preparing for the SAT/ACT. Ms Kara currently teaches middle school math and science in Volusia County.

Andrew
Reading / Math / SAT / ACT / Writing
Andrew has been an educator for over 10 years and has tutored students of all ages in a variety of subjects, including special needs. He has a Master’s in Interactive Entertainment from UCF’s award-winning FIEA program, and he’s a big proponent of combining technology and learning. He believes that skills like coding, data analysis, and AI prompting aren’t just the future – they’re the present. He’s also interested in political science, philosophy, literature, and environmental activism. Teaching is his passion and he makes a point of cultivating curiosity in his students, and always treating them with respect.
Start your child on the path to academic success today
Give us a call at (407) 915-0975 or fill out the form to discuss your child’s learning goals.