Meet Our Team
Great Teachers Inspire
Our tutors and staff in Defiance consist of passionate educators who love inspiring children to succeed. Warm, caring and great at relating to kids, our tutors in Defiance 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 Defiance!
Kiersten Payne
Director of Education
As Director of Education, Kiersten leads educational programming for Sylvan of Defiance, Bryan, Ottawa, and Wauseon. Formerly an ACT/SAT tutor and high school teacher, Kiersten most recently worked as an English teacher in South Korea before returning to the US in December of 2023. She chose a career in the tutoring business because she highly values education and wants to provide the opportunity for every student to be successful. She received her undergraduate degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master’s degree from Yale Divinity School. When Kiersten isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her reading or playing games with her family in Hicksville.
April Thim
Tutor - Defiance and Bryan / Intervention Specialist
Jana Lentz
Tutor - Defiance and Ottawa
Taylor Losh
Tutor - Ottawa
Jenna Mikuls
Tutor - Defiance
Start your child on the path to academic success today
Give us a call at (419) 956-4437 or fill out the form to discuss your child’s learning goals.
