Meet Our Team

Kent

Owner

Welcome to Sylvan Learning Center! My name is Kent Kolbow, and I am the owner and one of the directors. I received my college education in Fort Wayne, Indiana. During my educational experience, I completed a Bachelor’s degree in Math with a strong background in Physics, Chemistry, and Psychology. I also earned an endorsement in Education. Throughout college, I taught at Sylvan Learning centers in Fort Wayne, and within a few years, became the director. In 1997, I decided to purchase the Sylvan centers in Elkhart and Mishawaka. I have since had the opportunity to purchase nine additional centers in Indiana, four in Florida, and five in Maryland. My goal through working with Sylvan is “Success with every student.”

Sarah

Chief Operating Officer/ Owner

As Chief Operating Officer & Owner, Sarah oversees eleven centers in Indiana (Mishawaka, Elkhart, Merrillville, Schererville, Valparaiso, Fishers, Carmel, Plainfield, Greenwood, Fort Wayne North, & Fort Wayne South), four Florida centers (Clermont, Ocoee, Dr. Phillips & Kissimmee), and five centers in Maryland (Bel Air, Crofton, Catonsville, Timonium, & Columbia). She thoroughly enjoys working with all of the students and their families. Sarah studied at Cedarville University.  When Sarah isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her spending time with her husband and her two beautiful daughters.

Carmen

Center Director

Carmen is the Center Director at Sylvan of Portage & Merrillville. With a background as a National Educational Consultant, she brings a wealth of experience and a passion for student success. After relocating to Indiana, Carmen returned to local education to reconnect with what she loves most—building strong relationships with families and helping students overcome academic challenges. She holds a Master’s degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago. Outside of Sylvan, Carmen enjoys spending time with her family, staying active in her church community, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.

Zachary oversees the educational integrity of our programs, managing and training our team of tutors in Valparaiso. A former teacher in Michigan City, Zachary brings a wealth of knowledge to Sylvan of Valparaiso & Merrillville. He graduated from Purdue University North Central. When Zachary isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him playing games and collecting cards with his friends.

Cathy

Teacher

Cathy equally spends her time at Merrillville, IN and Schererville, IN Sylvan locations. While Cathy has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in both reading and math tutoring. She studied at Purdue University Northwest where she obtained a degree in Elementary Education and Special Education. When Cathy isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her browsing bookstores in the area.

Michael

Teacher

Michael is a teacher at Sylvan Learning of Merrillville as well as our Valparaiso location. As an Advanced Math Tutor, Michael works with high school students that are attending pre-college courses. He is adept at teaching all forms of Algebra, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus and Calculus. Michael has been with Sylvan since March 2022.

Kaitlyn

Kaitlyn is an elementary math and reading tutor at Sylvan of Merrillville with a gift for working with kids. While Kaitlyn has many tutoring talents she finds the greatest joy in math tutoring. She studied at Purdue University. When Kaitlyn isn’t at tutoring, you’ll find her drawing or hanging out with her 8 pets.