Meet Our Team
Great Teachers Inspire
Our tutors and staff in Arden consist of passionate educators who love inspiring children to succeed. Warm, caring and great at relating to kids, our tutors in Arden 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 Arden!
John Friday
Tutor/ Director of Education
John is a musician and Sylvan Tutor in Asheville, NC with a gift for working with kids. John also oversees the educational integrity of our programs as well as managing and training our team of tutors. While John has many talents, he finds the greatest joy in the music industry. He also loves history. He was the Department Chair of Social Studies and English Department in Florida where he taught high school. He studied at Mary Washington College in Virginia. When John isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him gardening, writing songs, and playing music in local establishments.
Victoria Sumner
Front Desk Coordinator
As the Front Desk Coordinator, Victoria handles parent requests and all admin responsibilities. She is the first welcoming face you will see when you walk in the door of Sylvan Learning Center. Victoria has a Healthcare Administration Degree from The University of Guam. When she is not at Sylvan, she loves to spend time playing with her grandson, traveling and fishing.
Kristy Neff
Tutor
Kristy is a teacher in Hendersonville, NC with a gift for working with kids. While Kristy has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in tutoring English Language and Literature. She studied at Winthrop University. When Kristy isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her exercising, reading, and spending time with her husband and her dog.
Tracy Levi
SAT/ACT - College Prep LIVE, Online Instructor
Tracy Levi holds a bachelor’s degree in zoology and a master’s degree In civil engineering. For eleven years she served as a civil engineer in Florida, working primarily with storm water management and water quality programs. Since moving to Asheville, she has enjoyed teaching Hebrew and Judaica to religious school students and teaching reading and math at Sylvan. She also teaches SAT/ACT math through our LIVE, online classes. In her spare time, Tracy enjoys the company of her two daughters and outdoor activities like hiking and kayaking. She also has a passion for music and plays keyboard in a local band.
Melissa Deloach
SAT/ACT - College Prep LIVE, Online Director/Professor
Melissa Deloach joined the Sylvan team in May 2019. By day she’s the Director of the Scholar’s Academy for Spartanburg County, but in the evenings and on Sundays, she manages our college prep program, including SAT/ACT prep and College Reading Strategies. Melissa holds degrees from Clemson University and Converse College. When she isn’t helping teens prepare for college either here or at the Scholar’s Academy, she enjoys reading and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.
Dr. Jeff French
SAT/ACT - College Prep LIVE, Online Professor
Dr. Jeff, as his Sylvan students call him, graduated from Furman University in 1995. He then held a variety of college-level roles as graduate student, program coordinator, and instructor for the University of South Carolina and Midlands Technical College while also serving as a zookeeper at the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. With a focus on genetics and ecology, Dr. French finished his graduate work in biology and currently serves as Chair of Biology and Assistant Dean of Science and Math at North Greenville University. In his “free time”, he enjoys preparing students for the SAT and ACT as a LIVE, online instructor for Sylvan.
Start your child on the path to academic success today
Give us a call at (828) 237-4019 or fill out the form to discuss your child’s learning goals.
