Meet Our Team

Jamie Tate

Owner & Director

Born and raised in Vancouver and a graduate of Prairie HS, Jamie is a life-long educator and excited to own Sylvan Learning of Vancouver alongside her partner, Pat. Jamie attended Clark College in Vancouver, followed by the University of Montana, earning a Bachelor in Elementary Education. She also holds a Master in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governor’s University. Jamie has taught in elementary classrooms in Montana, Virginia, Texas, and Washington, including right here in Evergreen PS. She spent most of her teaching career serving low income and Title I schools. Jamie lives in Vancouver where she and Pat raise their 3 children, their dog, Penny and their cat, Nemo.

Patrick Tate

Owner & Director of Operations

Born and raised right here in Vancouver and a graduate of Columbia River HS, Pat, along with his partner Jamie, take great pride in owning and operating Sylvan of Vancouver, WA. Pat attended Montana State University on a full academic scholarship, where he earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering, a B.S. in Bioengineering, and a B.A. in Modern Languages & Literatures. He also holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. Pat has a background in Social Sustainability in the Energy and Tech industries and is passionate about investing in education as a means to achieving social progress. He serves on the Board of the Directors for the Evergreen School District Foundation. Pat and Jamie live in Vancouver where they raise their 3 children and their dog and cat, Penny and Nemo.

Maria Hoffman

Center Director

A native Los Angeleno, Maria moved to Camas with her family in 2017. She holds a BA in Psychology from Occidental College, an MA in Psychology from Pepperdine University, and a teaching credential from Cal State Northridge. Maria has a background in Human Resources and Elementary School Education and considers herself a life-long learner. When she isn’t working, she loves spending time thrifting & making jewelry with her teenage daughter, gaming with her teenage son, and dining out with her husband of over 20 years. Maria loves solving logic problems, reading psychological thrillers, and every so often, doing math problems, just “for fun.”

Brianna

Teacher

Brianna has tutored at Sylvan for five years and has tutored professionally for seven years. Brianna has her Bachelor’s Degree in English from Washington State University Vancouver. She loves helping beginning and academic readers get more comfortable with reading. When Brianna is not tutoring, she loves to dance and paint.

Jan

Teacher

Jan is an experienced teacher in Vancouver who has a gift for helping students understand difficult concepts. While Jan can teach many subjects, her greatest passion is teaching math. Jan earned a Bachelor’s in Economics from Whitman College and a Master’s in Math with a focus in Computer Science from the University of Vermont. She has been teaching since 1996 and first tutored at Sylvan in 2008. When Jan isn’t at Sylvan, you can find her working on jigsaw puzzles.

Eric

Teacher

Eric is a tutor in Vancouver with a gift for helping people learn. While Eric teaches multiple subjects, he finds the greatest joy in mathematics tutoring. Eric has a Bachelor’s in Mathematics from Central Washington University and a Master’s and Doctorate in Mathematics from Washington State University, specializing in differential equations and modeling; he has also instructed math at the university level. When Eric isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him watching football, working around his house, going for drives, and bargain hunting.

Kristina

Teacher

Kristina is an English teacher at Jason Lee Middle School and Alki Middle School in Vancouver, Washington. She enjoys working closely with the kids at Sylvan at the end of the school day. She studied teaching at National University in San Jose. When Kristina isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her reading, playing board games and watching Star Trek.

Jaron

Teacher

Jaron is an instructor at Charter College in Vancouver, WA with a gift for working with kids. While Jaron has many tutoring talents, he finds the greatest joy in Reading tutoring. He studied at San Francisco State University and Chapman University. Jaron has served on the Washougal School District Board of Directors as a Legislative Representative, as a high school assistant principal in California, and has taught at the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels throughout the Portland, Vancouver and Camas areas. When Jaron isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find him mountain biking, working in his yard, watching Star Wars and documentaries, and reading Tolkien.

Eleanor

Teacher

Eleanor is a Portland-based tutor specializing in math and writing. She has degrees in theoretical math and screenwriting from Carleton College, UCLA and Vancouver (BC) Film School. Diverse talents mean you can find her work published in medical journals, literary magazines and even on screen. Outside of Sylvan, you might spot her writing in a café or on a film set.

Maggie

Teacher

Maggie is a tutor in Vancouver, WA with a gift for working with kids. While Maggie has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in math and science tutoring. She studied physics at the Florida Institute of Technology. When Maggie isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her hiking, thrifting, or figure skating.

Beth

Teacher

Ms. Beth is a teacher who comes to us from all over. She has taught in CO, MO, NV, WA, AZ and CA.  No matter where she lives, she enjoys working with children. As a past 3rd grade teacher, she knows the importance of reading skills, so that is what she teaches at Sylvan. She graduated from Azusa Pacific University and has a number of certificates from other universities, as well. Beth is a Master Gardener and is known as Gigi to her seven grandkids. When she is not at Sylvan, you may see her at Trader Joe’s, church, or caring for her worm farm!

Andrew

Teacher

Andrew is a teacher in Vancouver, WA, who has a passion for education and academic success. While Andrew tutors a variety of subjects, he enjoys mathematics and science most of all. He is a student at WSU Vancouver, and when he isn’t learning or teaching, he enjoys reading, hiking, and playing music.

Julie

Teacher

Julie is a retired teacher.  She spent 28 years as a public school teacher in Texas with a gift for working with kids. She taught both elementary and middle school.  While Julie has many tutoring talents, she finds the greatest joy in beginning reading, elementary math, and all levels of writing tutoring. She has an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees. When Julie isn’t at Sylvan, you’ll find her reading, crafting, hiking, baking, or putting together puzzles.

Gayla

Teacher

Gayla recently moved from N.C. to Vancouver, WA and is originally from New York. She did her undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Development at U.V.M. Her graduate degree is in social work from NYU. After many years working as a social worker with high-risk youth in urban areas, she decided to work in the school systems as a substitute teacher in special education and mainstream classrooms for grades 1-5. She is passionate about teaching reading and finds great fulfillment in her students’ progress. Outside of work she enjoys photography, doing art, hiking in nature and spending time with friends.