Meet Our Team

Natalie Hawkins

Center Director

Natalie oversees the educational integrity of our programs, managing and training our team of tutors in Cypress.  Natalie is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and holds teaching certificates in Speech Therapy and Early Childhood Education.  In her free time, Natalie enjoys reading, playing tennis and spending time with family.

Temmy Ogunsanya

Director of Education

Temmy oversees the quality of our students’ experience at Sylvan. She is passionate about education and believes that everyone deserves access to a path towards improving their lives. She is currently pursuing her doctorate degree and holds a Masters from Texas Tech University in Higher Education Administration. In her free time, she enjoys personal styling and travel (having visited 10 countries in 4 continents!) Temmy is a positive, hardworking extrovert who loves being the bridge that connects students to opportunities.

Lizabeth Wickboldt

Certified Teacher

Liz is a graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi with a Business Degree and received teacher certification at Nicholls State University.  She is certified in Early Childhood-6^th grade and is certified in English as a Second Language.  Her love for teaching began with helping students with learning difficulties believe in themselves and become successful.  When she is not teaching, she enjoys running and reading.

Julia James

CERTIFIED TEACHER

Julia graduated from the University of Houston with her Masters of Education (Curriculum & Instruction). She is passionate about teaching and strongly believes that all students can learn to improve their skills. She considers herself a life-long learner who enjoys time with animals and baking.

Antonio Avila

Certified Mathematics Tutor

Antonio is a tutor at the Sylvan Learning Center in Cypress with a gift for working with kids..  While Antonio has many tutoring talents, he finds the greatest joy in tutoring Math, Science and Spanish.  Antonio is a graduate of the University of Houston and holds a teaching certificate in Mathematics.

Khaliah Peterson

CERTIFIED TEACHER

Khaliah is a dedicated educator who loves working with kids. She graduated from Sam Houston State University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and her EC-6 certification. When she’s not working with students, Khaliah enjoys playing with her pug and watching movie marathons.

Abigail Wagner

SYLVAN CERTIFIED MATH TEACHER

Abigail is a graduate of Rockford University with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics that has a passion for helping others find their own love for math. She also holds certificates in secondary mathematics. Outside of Sylvan Abigail loves running and riding horses.

Loretta Carson

CERTIFIED TEACHER

Loretta is a graduate of the University of Illinois with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. She finds teaching to be a rewarding job where she can make a difference by instilling a “can do” and “never give up” attitude. In her free time she enjoys singing, playing piano, reading and family time.

Laura Segura

CERTIFIED TEACHER

Laura is a graduate of University of Texas at Arlington with a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. She is certified in EC-6, ESL and Administration. Her passion for teaching and a love for learning is what helped her decide on teaching as a profession. When she is not teaching, she enjoys reading, volunteering and working on her fitness.

James Gillock

SYLVAN CERTIFIED MATH TEACHER

James is a graduate of Baylor University with a degree in Finance. He enjoys tutoring others and helping them build confidence while learning something new. He loves math and is excited about sharing his knowledge base. In his spare time, he is preparing to become a Tax/Estate Attorney

Hannah Boutwell Pugel

Certified Teacher

Hannah has a Bachelor of Art degree in Music from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and a Master of Mass Communication from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge. Hannah also holds a Texas teaching certificate. She loves to build relationships with her students and enjoys seeing them grow and improve. When she is not teaching, she enjoys photography, reading and writing.

Surah Watlington-Lawson

CERTIFIED TEACHER

Surah is a graduate of Dillard University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. She also earned a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center with a degree in Cytotechnology. She became interested in teaching as she watched her children go through school and wanted to become part of the education process for others. She is intrinsically a happy person and when she’s not at Sylvan she enjoys watching cheer competitions.

Komal Trivedi

CERTIFIED TEACHER

Komal is a graduate of the University of Memphis with a degree in Information Systems, which she earned after completing a bachelor’s degree in Engineering. She enjoys sharing her knowledge while giving individualized attention to her students. In her spare time, Komal enjoys cooking and learning about other cultures through travel.

Lisa Mims

CERTIFIED TEACHER

Lisa holds an undergraduate degree in Humanities and a master’s degree in Literature from the University of Houston. She also has a master’s degree from Sam Houston State University in Library Science. Her certifications are in Language Arts, Theater Arts and Speech Communication. Sharing her knowledge with others is what motivates her as a teacher. When she is not teaching, she enjoys reading and genealogy.

Maya Greene

CERTIFIED TEACHER

Maya is a proud graduate of Prairie View A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Teacher Education. Her focus is social studies, but her biggest goal is to help students become as prepared as possible to become productive members of society. On her days off Maya enjoys a good book, Netflix, and getting her nails done.

Lillie White

CERTIFIED TEACHER

Lillie is a graduate of Texas Southern University with a degree in Education. She also holds a degree in Human Relations from Liberty University. Her certifications are in Special Education and English as a Second Language. She loves working with students in small groups and giving them the attention they need to succeed. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering, choir, meeting new friends and enjoying the sights around Houston.

Karina Escobar

Certified Teacher

Karina has a Bachelor of Science degree in Teaching and Learning from University of Houston. She has a passion for working with children and finds helping them meet their educational goals fulfilling. She is certified to teach EC-6. When she is not teaching, she enjoys hiking with her dog, reading, and riding her bike.

Nina Berry Gallow

Certified Mathematics Tutor

Nina is a tutor at the Sylvan Learning Center of Cypress with a gift for working with kids. While Nina has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in tutoring Algebra I, Algebra II, and Basic Skills.  Nina is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and holds teaching certificates in Mathematics 7-12.  In her free time, Nina enjoys working as a substitute at Cypress Fairbanks ISD.

Gregory Lang

SYLVAN CERTIFIED TUTOR

Greg is a graduate of Marquette University with a Master’s Degree in History. He also earned a Master’s Degree from Prairie View A&M in Administration. He finds great satisfaction in helping others find the joy in learning. In his spare time he loves reading, writing and traveling with his wife.

Neha Sharma

Certified Teacher

Neha is a graduate of University of Houston with a bachelor’s degree in political science.  While teaching she prides herself on breaking down concepts for students in a way that they can understand.  Her hard working, determined and friendly personality add to the joy of teaching for her and her students. When she is not teaching, she enjoys playing her violin and spending time with her cat.

Mike Troung

CERTIFIED TEACHER

Mike is a graduate of Western Governors University with a Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education. Learning has been a lifelong endeavor of his and he views teaching as an inspiring and rewarding experience. He embraces the opportunity to foster curiosity and a love for learning. When he is not teaching he enjoys walking his dogs, working in the yard and experiencing food from different cultures.

Mubaraka Rajkotwala

SYLVAN CERTIFIED TUTOR

Mubaraka is a graduate of the University of Mumbai with a degree in Journalism. She has a passion for sharing her knowledge of writing, reading and math with all ages from the very young to upper high school. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, painting and traveling.

Vivian Cook

CERTIFIED TEACHER

Vivian is a graduate of Our Lady of the Lake San Antonio with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business as well as a Master’s of Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University. She obtained teacher certification in EC-6, ESL and Special Education. Teaching is a rewarding part of her life that allows for her to see her students succeed. When not teaching she enjoys reading, making jewelry and spending time with family.

Peter Valters

Certified Mathematics Tutor

Peter is a tutor at the Sylvan Learning Center of Cypress with a gift for working with kids.  While Peter has many tutoring talents, he finds the greatest joy in tutoring Math and College Prep. Peter is a graduate of the University of Minnesota nd Metropolitan State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics.  In his free time, Peter enjoys family, working out, and reading.