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Avalon Academic Center
Our Team

Tutors in Wylie, TX — Certified Instructors and Homework Club Tutors

Our instructors aren't just subject experts — they're dedicated mentors who believe in every student's potential and work tirelessly to unlock it.

Why Our Team Stands Out

More Than Just Tutoring

We believe positive relationships with instructors are where learning really begins. So we carefully select instructors who combine subject expertise with patience, enthusiasm, and a genuine gift for connecting with students — because the connection comes first, and the math follows.

Our Math and Reading & Language Arts instructors are all certified teachers — current, previously certified, or retired.

Highly Qualified

Our Math and Reading instructors are certified teachers (current, previously certified, or retired) with years of classroom experience. Our Homework Club tutors are strong students and mentors selected for patience and subject knowledge.

Patient & Caring

We listen first. If your child is struggling, stuck, or anxious about a subject, the instructor hears them out before teaching — then builds trust and confidence through encouragement and positive reinforcement.

Adaptive Teaching

Every instructor adapts their approach to each student's unique learning style, pace, and goals — no cookie-cutter methods here.

The Avalon Standard

Every instructor at Avalon Academic Center is selected through a rigorous process that evaluates not just knowledge, but character and passion for teaching.

Subject Mastery

Deep expertise in the subjects they teach, with the ability to explain complex concepts in simple, relatable ways.

Communication

Clear, patient communicators who keep parents informed and students engaged at every step of the learning journey.

Empathy

They remember what it's like to struggle with a subject and bring genuine empathy and encouragement to every session.

Passion

A contagious enthusiasm for learning that inspires students to discover their own curiosity and love of knowledge.

How our instructors work with your child

Every instructor is expected to teach the way the research says works: introduce a clear objective, model the skill out loud step by step, then hand it to your child to try — watching closely and stepping in only when they get stuck.

That modeling is where understanding is built. Your child sees how to think through the problem at least once on their own level before attempting it, so they're never guessing. The instructor's job is to be the guide beside them, not to do the work for them.

Meet Our Team

The People Behind Every Student Success

Our team brings together experienced educators, dedicated instructors, and caring staff who are committed to helping every student grow in confidence and skill.

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Angie Carroll

Administrator

Angie keeps Avalon Academic Center running smoothly behind the scenes and is often the first friendly face families meet. She spent nearly eight years as Campus Manager at McMillan Junior High School in Wylie, where she managed daily campus operations, coordinated events, and supervised and trained a team of ten paraprofessionals. Her work there earned her McMillan's Paraprofessional of the Year award twice. Before working in education, Angie was a General Manager for CNA's West Territory Claim Operations, leading operations teams across three states. Organized, detail-oriented, and dependable, she handles scheduling and front desk operations so instructors can focus on teaching and families can count on a smooth experience.

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Christopher Raso

Education Consultant

Christopher brings more than two decades of middle school teaching experience to Avalon, having taught social studies and language arts in Arizona before retiring from the classroom in 2023. He holds a Master of Secondary Education from Northern Arizona University and a Bachelor of Secondary Education from Arizona State University. He is certified in history and social studies in both Arizona and Texas. Christopher has been recognized many times for his teaching, including being named the Arizona Department of Education's History Teacher of the Year and receiving the National American History Teacher Award from the Sons of the American Revolution. Since moving to Texas, he has served as a museum guide for the City of Wylie and received its "Voice of the City" Employee of the Year Award. At Avalon, he helps shape teaching standards and supports instructors in creating engaging, effective lessons for every student.

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Jieun Jung

Math Instructor

Jieun brings more than 25 years of teaching experience from classrooms in both the United States and South Korea. She earned her B.A. in Elementary Education, with an emphasis in Mathematics Education, from Seoul National University of Education, and her M.A. in Elementary Education, with an emphasis in ESL, from the University of New Mexico. She is a previously certified classroom teacher. She has taught K–12 math in person and online, including STAAR and SAT Math prep, and currently substitutes in Wylie ISD. Since 2006 she has homeschooled her five children through 12th grade, and all four of her older children scored in the 90th percentile or higher on SAT Math. She is also an accomplished pianist with more than 40 years of experience. Jieun believes in patience, encouragement, and breaking difficult concepts into steps every student can master.

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Trena' Matthew

Reading & Language Arts Instructor

Trena' brings nearly 20 years of experience in Texas classrooms, where she has taught English and reading from 4th through 8th grade. She holds a Master of Arts in Education Administration from Texas A&M University–Central Texas and is Texas-certified in ELAR (grades 4–8), ESL, and as a PreK–12 principal. Her experience also includes work as an instructional coach, ESL interventionist, and mentor to new teachers, helping schools use student data to close learning gaps. She has extensive experience supporting struggling readers, English language learners, and gifted students. Trena' believes in building a safe, encouraging environment and tailoring instruction to each student's needs. She also served in the U.S. Army for 12 years.

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Stephanie White

Math, Reading & Language Arts Instructor

Stephanie has more than ten years of experience teaching and tutoring students from Pre-K through 12th grade. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Texas A&M University–Commerce and is certified in Elementary Education and ESL. During six years in Garland ISD, she taught kindergarten, first, and third grades, where she was named Teacher of the Month and received a Teacher of the Year award for her work with special education and inclusion students. As Assistant Director of Huntington Learning Center in Dallas, she ran a busy tutoring and test-prep center, supervised 30 teachers, and taught math from early number sense through Algebra 2, along with ACT and SAT prep. Most recently, she taught fourth grade in North Lamar ISD, where she taught reading and language arts alongside mathematics. Stephanie is passionate about creating a positive, encouraging environment where students build confidence and a love of learning.

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Kayla Nguyen

Homework Club Tutor

Kayla recently graduated from the University of North Texas Honors College with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and a 3.97 GPA. For nearly three years, she served as a Peer-Led Team Leader in UNT's Department of Chemistry, where she led study sessions, helped students work through difficult concepts, and taught them effective study strategies. She has also helped design research on how students study and learn most effectively. Currently on the pre-medical track, Kayla trains new medical scribes in a fast-paced emergency department, which has sharpened her skills in clear communication and patient, constructive feedback. At Homework Club, she helps students build strong study habits, stay organized, and approach challenging assignments with confidence, especially in science and math.

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Kaden Cornelison

Homework Club Tutor

Kaden is a familiar face at Avalon: he has taught piano at Avalon School of Music since 2022 and is now bringing his patient, encouraging approach to the Academic Center. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Education focus at the University of Texas at Dallas, after earning his Associate of Science from Collin College with a 4.0 GPA and membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. As a private tutor, he has guided middle school students through math and reading. His background in engineering coursework, including Python, MATLAB, and 3D design, gives him a strong foundation for helping students with STEM homework. Kaden is also proficient in American Sign Language (ASL), which lets him connect with a wider range of students. Known for his gentle approach with younger students, he helps them stay organized, build good study habits, and tackle assignments with confidence.

Safety and Screening

Every person who works at our center — instructors, tutors, and front desk staff — completes a criminal background check before their first day. No exceptions.

Our center is designed with open sightlines, and sessions take place in shared, visible spaces rather than closed rooms. Students sign in and out at the front desk, and we release students only to a parent, guardian, or someone you have authorized in advance.

Security cameras cover the entire center.

Under Texas law, every adult is a mandatory reporter of suspected child abuse or neglect. Our staff are trained on that obligation and on how to act on it.

If you have a question about our screening or safety practices, call us at (682) 343-5523. We are glad to answer it.

Meet Our Team in Person

Every family starts with a free diagnostic, so we can match your child with the instructor who fits their needs and personality.

Book a Free Math DiagnosticFind out exactly where your child stands in math and what they need next.Book Math Diagnostic(opens in a new window)Book a Free Reading & Language Arts DiagnosticPinpoint your child's strengths and gaps in reading, writing, and language.Book Reading Diagnostic(opens in a new window)
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