Meet Our Team

Becky Jewell

Center Director

Center Director, Becky, serves as the team leader for Sylvan of Oak Park. Becky has a strong passion for education and helping children reach their full potential. She takes pride in creating a supportive and welcoming environment for kids to learn and grow in and is continuously inspired by the progress made by her students and the impact Sylvan has on their academic journeys. Her goal is to ensure that each student who walks through the door leaves a more confident version of themselves and takes with them a lifelong passion for learning.

Karen Love

Director of Education

As Director of Education, Dr Love oversees the integrity of our educational program by meeting with families for conferences, and supporting our tutors through training and development.  Karen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood/Elementary Education, a Masters Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis on Reading Instruction and a Doctorate Degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Assessment and Family Engagement.

Karen taught in the Chicago Public Schools and retired after 20 years.  After a few months she decided that she missed the excitement of being around children and their families and found her way to our Sylvan family where she brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise and and deep commitment to seeing students achieve their individual goals.

Outside of Sylvan, Karen enjoys making crafts, watching tv and spending time with her 2 feline children – Callie and SweetPea.

Maria Aiello

Tutor

Maria is a tutor in Oak Park, IL with a gift for working with kids. While Maria has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in teaching early readers. She studied at Concordia University. When Maria isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her listening to music,  spending time with family and friends.

Antonio Criste

Tutor

Antonio enjoys tutoring because he knows that students are undergoing some of the same challenges that he went through as a kid and he appreciates solving problems and the feeling of helping someone else understand a concept that he used to have issues with.  According to Antonio, “it is a fantastic feeling being able to help someone else”

In his free time Antonio is a sucker for exploring the city, taking advantage of free museum days or popping open a good book.  When he is not doing those things, he is heading down to boardgame night or trying out a hidden hole-in-the-wall with the best street taco’s he has ever had.