Meet Our Team

Sritama Bhattacharyya

Teacher

Sritama was born and raised in India and moved to the Puget Sound area in 2023. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Calcutta, her MA in English from Presidency University, and her second MA in Philosophy with a concentration in Women and Gender Studies from Jadavpur University. In India, Sritama worked as a High School English teacher and served as an examiner for WBCHSE, the state government board of West Bengal. She comes from a family of teachers and grew up observing how they impacted their students’ lives, which inspired her to pursue a career in education. Beyond teaching, Sritama is also a published writer. She works as a freelance writer for Musée Magazine in New York and Outlook Magazine in India. She enjoys learning while teaching, and teaching while learning, and loves supporting students in their reading and writing goals. In her free time, she often reads, cooks, and photographs anything that catches her eye. She looks forward to working with your family to support your child’s reading and writing success!

Aaron Bui

Teacher

Aaron attended Boston University, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Physics. Born and raised in Washington, he discovered his passion for teaching through tutoring and finds it most rewarding to help students discover that learning can be fun. Before joining Sylvan of Bellevue, Aaron worked as a private tutor, partnering directly with families to support students in AP Physics, Calculus, and Algebra I and II test preparation. At Sylvan, he works primarily with middle and high school students, with math as his favorite subject to teach. Outside of work, Aaron enjoys spending quality time with his extended family, whether fishing, camping, or playing card games. He also loves reading and crocheting. He looks forward to working with your family to support your child’s success!

Benita Chandraraj

Benita holds a Master’s in Mathematics and received her teaching certificate from City University of Seattle with honors. Before her graduate studies, Benita earned a Bachelor of Arts in Karnataka, India, and was recognized as one of the top 100 students in the region. Originally from India, Benita moved to the Seattle area about 15 years ago and discovered her passion for teaching early on. She regularly tutored classmates and younger neighborhood students, an experience that inspired her to pursue a career in education. Most recently, she taught at Kumon before joining Sylvan of Bellevue. Benita finds it most rewarding to help create those “aha” moments, when a learner grasps a challenging concept and lights up with pride and confidence. Benita believes that all students can learn when given the proper support, and she strives to create an inclusive, safe environment where every child feels valued and empowered to grow. In her free time, Benita enjoys watching Indian films, spending time with family and friends, reading, and taking walks. She looks forward to working with your family to ensure your child’s success!

Jason Eckard

Teacher

Jason grew up in North Carolina and attended the University of North Carolina. After university, he lived in London and Glasgow and attended graduate school in New York City and Seattle. He has worked as an educator since 1996, working with second-graders to undergraduates, before joining Sylvan of Bellevue as a tutor. He enjoys reading and gardening and is preparing his book on early medieval history for publication.

Duong Ha

Teacher

Duong attended UW Bothell and received her Bachelor of Arts in Applied Computing. Born in Vietnam, she has lived in the Greater Seattle Area for the last 9 years. Duong discovered her passion for teaching in high school while tutoring peers in math, and that interest continued in college, where she taught coding to middle school students. Her computing background shapes how she approaches teaching math: she focuses on problem-solving, logical thinking, and breaking complex concepts into clear, manageable steps. This helps students see math as structured and approachable rather than overwhelming. At Sylvan of Bellevue, Duong works with students from elementary through high school, including SAT math preparation. She believes every student can succeed with the proper support and strives to create a patient, encouraging environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and learning from mistakes. Outside of teaching, Duong enjoys hiking, badminton, and pickleball. She looks forward to working with your family to support your child’s success!

Sri Vidya Honnappa

Teacher

Sri Vidya was born in Bangalore, India, before moving to CA and then the Puget Sound region in 2017. She earned her degree from Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangalore, then worked at Lil Explorer’s Preschool in Milpitas, CA. Sri Vidya was inspired to teach because of her son and his friends. She loves the variety of teaching, and seeing how students think and apply what they are taught. Sri Vidya joined Sylvan of Bellevue as a Math and Reading tutor. In her free time, she enjoys DIY projects, cooking, watching movies, and playing chess, badminton, tennis, and board games.

Aaron Lee

Teacher

A native of Renton, Aaron earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Physics from Western Washington University and his Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado – Boulder. During college, Aaron tutored math at the campus tutoring center. His favorite subject to tutor at Sylvan of Bellevue is upper-level math. He enjoys seeing the light go on when a student really ‘gets it’ for the first time. In his free time, Aaron enjoys reading, baseball, astronomy and singing.

Karen Lewan

Teacher

Karen was born and raised in Seattle. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from SPC and completed course levels 1 and 2 of Slingerland teaching for dyslexic students. When she was in junior high and high school, Karen babysat and worked with children, and discovered a desire to be a teacher. She loves the gratification she receives from seeing students learn new things. She joined Sylvan of Bellevue as a Reading and Math tutor. In her free time, Karen enjoys knitting, reading, walking her dog, sewing, baking, and visiting with friends.

Charlotte Reid

Teacher

Charlotte grew up in Palo Alto, California, and Wilmette, Illinois, before moving with her family to Bellevue, where she graduated from Bellevue High School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Lake Forest College and her Master’s in Teaching with a Special Education Endorsement from Seattle University. Charlotte served as a Special Education teacher for K-6th grade in the Shoreline and Seattle School districts for 15 years. Right out of undergrad, she fulfilled a bucket list goal by writing for the Seattle Weekly for several years, an experience that deepened her love of the craft. At Sylvan of Bellevue, Charlotte enjoys sharing her passion for writing with her students and encouraging them to find their voice. She is also an avid reader who strives to inspire students to work hard so they can discover the same joy in reading. She looks forward to working with your family to support your child’s success!

Maribelle Samuel

Teacher

Maribelle was born in Yuba City, CA, and moved to the Bellevue area in 2013. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a concentration in Child Development and a minor in Spanish from CSU Sacramento. After college, Maribelle worked in the corporate world before realizing her true calling was in education. She taught at Mills Montessori School in South San Francisco and Bright Horizons before becoming a full-time mom. After moving to Washington, she returned to the classroom as a volunteer at Puesta del Sol Elementary, where she assisted with Spanish-language lessons in reading, writing, math, and science. Maribelle is fluent in Spanish and familiar with the ISA program through her own children, who attend Sammamish and Newport High Schools. At Sylvan of Bellevue, she works with students in grades 1st through 12th in reading, writing, math, and Spanish. In her free time, she enjoys reading, knitting, baking, gardening, and spending time with her husband and sons. She looks forward to working with your family to support your child’s success!