Meet Our Team

Joy McGovern

Center Director

As Center Director, Joy ensures all students are given an opportunity to foster their learning and are set up for success. Her favorite part about working for Sylvan is watching students grow as individuals and recognize what they are capable of. Joy graduated from Winona State University with a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a minor in music. When Joy is not at Sylvan, you’ll find her trying new restaurants, listening to music, playing board games, or spending time with her family.

Christiana first started with Sylvan as a Center Director in 2021 at our Woodbury location. Christiana began as an enrollment coordinator for our north metro locations (Coon Rapids, Maple Grove, and Roseville) on top of her center director position. She now does both roles and travels from center to center to facilitate enrollments while making sure our Coon Rapids location is running smoothly. Christiana graduated from the University of Minnesota, Morris with a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology, having also minored in Biology. Christiana loves working for Sylvan because she truly values education and knows that having the right tools to academic success early on can open so many doors for the future. Watching and helping kids close their learning gaps is one of the most fulfilling jobs one could ever have. When Christian is not at Sylvan, she enjoys traveling, eating lots of food, and playing with her dog, Minnie.

Kavitha Senthil Kumar

Instructor/Tutor

Kavitha enjoys sharing her knowledge with others to develop a personal and adaptive learning plan created just for the child to get the best results and help them grow their skills quickly. She has received appreciation from management due to her ability to help students score higher in their academics. She has graduated with a Master’s of Philosophy (Mathematics) and a Master’s of Science (Mathematics). Kavitha has more than 15+ years of experience in tutoring students of all ages from kindergarten to college internationally. When Kavitha isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her Playing with her kids, listening to music, gardening, socializing with friends, and sometimes on the tennis court.

Cheryl Blair

Instructor/Tutor

I have joined Sylvan Learning Center after being retired from public school teaching for 10 years. I completed my college education in UNI, Cedar Falls, Iowa and U of M, Minneapolis, MN with majors in English, Computer Information Systems, and Special Education. I taught full-time in Minneapolis Public Schools for 20 years and substituted in Chanhassen, Chaska, and Eden Prairie public schools more recently. Sylvan is giving me another opportunity to support children in their educational growth. They in turn help to give me renewed perspective on childhood in a new age. My most rewarding experience was volunteering at Waterloo Community Playhouse in Iowa. Much fun, many friends, and great memories. I am happily married to my husband Michael and is the proud grandma of Parker, James, and Benjamin. In addition, Michael and I have two tiny dogs, Ruby and Diesel.

Emmanuel Saye

Senior Area Director

Emmanuel has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. He finds making a difference in the lives of the youth the most valuable aspect to his role with Sylvan Learning Centers. When he is not working with Sylvan, Emmanuel enjoys spending quality time with his family.