Meet Our Team
Great Teachers Inspire
Our tutors and staff in Oak Harbor consist of passionate educators who love inspiring children to succeed. Warm, caring and great at relating to kids, our tutors in Oak Harbor 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 Oak Harbor!
Michelle Wilson
Owner/Teacher, Sylvan Certified Teacher
Mrs. Wilson is an owner/teacher in Oak Harbor with a passion for working with kids of all ages. While she enjoys tutoring many subjects, and had the opportunity to teach many when she home-schooled her sons from kindergarten through junior high school, she finds the most joy in talking about Chemistry! She tremendously enjoyed teaching college and high school chemistry, as well as Household Physics and Household Chemistry, geared toward elementary students. Her family is her greatest treasure and favorite hobby, and she is thankful to call Oak Harbor her forever home!
Liz Weaver
Center Director, Certified Teacher, Sylvan Certified Teacher
Director
With 23 years of experience educating grades 7-12 ELD, English, and Advanced Placement Literature & Composition, Liz Weaver is no stranger to personalized learning. She earned a BA in English and Comparative Literature and her MA in Teaching, with an emphasis in Educational Leadership, at Occidental College. She also has her Master’s in Educational Administration from Concordia University. While serving as English Department Chair, Liz began the implementation of the Common Core Standards and served as the Secondary Common Core Specialist for her district. When Liz is not teaching or coaching, you’ll catch her in the clouds – learning to fly!
Stephanie Erikson
Certified Teacher, Sylvan Certified Teacher
Stephanie enjoys working with students as a tutor in Oak Harbor and working at a local elementary school. She is completing her Master’s degree in Elementary Education. Stephanie loves tutoring and finds the greatest joy in reading. When she isn’t at Sylvan you will find her with her family or at home crafting.
Lenita Graves
Certified Teacher, Sylvan Certified Teacher
Lenita is a gifted tutor! She finds the greatest joy in tutoring reading and writing, because she loves to see students gain confidence and empowerment through the power of language. Lenita studied at the University of Alaska and the University of Washington. When Lenita isn’t at Sylvan, she likes to write, read, sing, walk her Japanese Spitz, and do needlecrafts.
Chris Ley
Sylvan Certified Teacher
Chris is a native Whidbey Islander! He has loved math since an early age and even began helping students with their math in the 5th grade! While he did take a brief tenure working in IT, his love of teaching brought him back! Chris loves seeing that look in a student’s eyes when it finally “clicks” into place, and they get that boost of self-confidence!
David Marrufo
Sylvan Certified Teacher
David is a teacher who really loves working alongside kids to learn, grow, and discover their passions. It’s no surprise that he loves helping students learn History, Math and Reading! He studied at Columbia College in Oak Harbor, Washington, to earn his Bachelor’s in General Studies with a Minor in History. When he’s not at Sylvan he enjoys guest teaching for various schools and volunteering in kids and youth programs at his church. Some of his hobbies include hiking, cooking, and board games.
Jedidiah Wilson
Sylvan Certified Teacher
Jedidiah is an intern working for the City of Oak Harbor in HR. When he isn’t working there, he is teaching at the Sylvan Learning Center of Oak Harbor! Jedidiah studied at Seattle Pacific University for most of his collegiate years, then came back to Oak Harbor to work and finish his schooling online. He loves to spend time outside of the center being with his friends or studying small-batch mixology art.
Melissa Shamis
Sylvan Teacher/ Certificated Teacher
Melissa appreciates the difference Sylvan makes – she is a Sylvan alum! As a former struggling student, Melissa loves helping students overcome their learning challenges, build confidence, and achieve their goals! She has a special love for Math, too. “I love math; it is used everywhere – everyday – and found all over the universe in various patterns”. You can also catch Melissa shopping for vinyl records and playing video games with her husband including Elden Ring and Kingdom Come: Deliverance!
Rachel Larkin
Sylvan Certified Teacher
Rachel Larkin (She/Her)Hi! I’m Rachel, I graduated from Southern Oregon University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatrical Performance as well as minor in Shakespeare Studies. I’ve worked with kids from ages 2-18 of all backgrounds, and I loved every second of it. Language arts has always been my favorite subject, and I aim to pass my love of it on to as many people as possible!
Start your child on the path to academic success today
Give us a call at (360) 639-8314 or fill out the form to discuss your child’s learning goals.