Meet Our Team
From our founders to our talented and passionate instructors, we come from families just like yours.
Marla Kenley
Owner/Teacher
Marla brings over 15 years experience in education to Brain Builders. After teaching in both a classroom and in a remedial setting, Marla saw first-hand the difference she could make with students one-on-one and in small groups. She wanted students to feel like they had a team rooting for them during these sometimes challenging years where school proved to be difficult. Her approach is simple: develop a relationship with the student and then encourage them by teaching them the foundations of learning and skills and strategies to help make learning a positive experience. Marla and her husband Scott have three children and enjoy hiking, boating and camping.
Marla brings over 19 years of experience in education to Brain Builders. After teaching in both a classroom and in a remedial setting, Marla saw first-hand the difference she could make with students, one-on-one and in small groups. She wants students (and parents) to feel like they have a team rooting for them during these sometimes challenging years, where school proves to be difficult. Her approach is simple: develop a positive relationship with her students, then encourage them by teaching them, starting with foundational skills and strategies, to help make learning a positive experience for every student. Marla has three children and enjoys the Colorado sunshine and boating.
Marla Kenley
Founder/Director
Kristi Smith
Team Assistant
Intensive Reading Tutor
Kristi has been in Colorado for most of her life. Kristi and her husband have been married for 15 years. About 3 years ago, they moved to Colorado Springs with their five boys, and love this area! They have been homeschooling their boys for 10 years and are still going strong! Kristi has experience with all ages and various different curriculums. She loves teaching writing and helping kids find a love for learning!
Joanna grew up with a love for learning, as both of her parents were teachers. After college, she served for two years at an international school in Mexico. Since then, she has authored several books for both children and adults, done writing coaching, and taught writing classes. She loves helping students discover the joys of reading and writing. As a certified life coach, she also enjoys equipping students with the tools and confidence they need to grow in executive function, study habits, and reaching their goals. Joanna loves good books, dark chocolate, traveling, and writing in various genres.
Joanna Harris
Writing & Executive Functioning Tutor
Tina Passarelli
General & Intensive Reading Tutor
Being the child of two teachers, it is second nature to adopt the philosophy of sharing education as an integral part of life. Tina was born, and grew up, in Colorado Springs where she spent most of her time riding horses and learning about them. She was giving lessons to other riders before turning 18. Her professional background revolves around a service oriented industry. She has been helping tutor children at her kids' school for the past several years and loves the spark that sound recognition and phonics create to foster great readers and students.
Tara Hernandez
General & Intensive Reading Tutor
Tara was born and raised in Colorado and, after a few years in Arizona to attend ASU, is excited to be back in her home state! She has five years of teaching experience in general and special education and is currently taking a break to stay home with her two little boys. Tara’s favorite part of teaching is getting to know her students and watch their progress throughout the year. She is always inspired by their determination to overcome any challenges they face. Now, she is looking forward to this opportunity to continue to help students reach their full potential. In her free time, Tara loves soccer, making crafts, and spending time with her family.
Cheryl has lived, attended college, and taught in Michigan, Wyoming, and Colorado. A retired school administrator, Cheryl coaches middle and high school students to develop life skills so they may become better organized, stay focused, and follow through with assignments. She develops relationships with students by helping them connect their background knowledge, behaviors, interests, and learning to their goals. While her expertise lies in improving writing and understanding literature, Cheryl also helps students create functional 2-column notes and mnemonics useful in all subjects. She lives and teaches by the words of L.C. Powell: “Write to be understood, speak to be heard, and read to grow!” Cheryl and her husband Michael have three adult daughters. She enjoys writing, theater, gardening, camping, cooking, reading, and creating memories with her six grandchildren.
Cheryl Lassota
Secondary Tutor
Executive Functioning Tutor
Jessica has been in education for over twenty years and has served in private, public, and homeschool settings. She has an undergraduate degree from The University of Texas and a graduate degree in library science from The University of North Texas. She wants young people to feel equipped and encouraged as they grow and learn.
She and her husband have four children ages eight to sixteen and have lived in the Springs for nearly two decades. In her spare time, she enjoys laughing with friends, a good book, and watching a movie with her family. She's also working on honing her gardening skills!
"Children are likely to live up to what you believe of them."
-Lady Bird Johnson
Jessica Williams
General & Intensive Reading Tutor
Jenni Deiderich
Secondary/Beyond Math &
General Tutor
Jenni is a military spouse of 20+ years, and a mom to two teenage boys. She has lived in 7 states, 1 US territory, and Japan. She is a secondary math tutor, with a special place in her heart for algebra and geometry. Her Master’s of Arts in Teaching is from Western Governor’s University, which she earned in 2022 after a lifelong dream of becoming an educator. For now, life’s demands (a spouse who is often gone, two active teens, and frequent moves) make being a classroom teacher unrealistic. In the meantime, substitute teaching and tutoring are keeping Jenni’s skills sharp. She enjoys getting students through their toughest subjects and making sure they truly understand a concept before moving on. In her free time, Jenni is an avid reader, and she loves coffee, her dogs, and traveling.
Sandy has been in the education field for over 31 years. Her primary teaching responsibilities have been at the elementary level. She currently works for BOCES part time in the alternative licensure program, coaching new teachers. Education has always been her niche, and she loves working with teachers and students. Her educational philosophy is simple: children are unique learners and must be challenged to progress to the best of their ability. They should be educated as individuals, in a comfortable, creative and caring environment where they can feel successful according to their own individual needs and learning styles. They must become inquirers, thinkers, communicators, risk-takers, and valuable, productive members of society. At home, Sandy spends a lot of time with her furry babies! They love to walk around the neighborhood and meet new friends. Sandy has two great nieces and one great nephew that she spends as much time with as possible. She and her sisters work very hard at staying close since losing their parents. Family is everything!
Sandra Hawk
Primary Math Tutor
Tonya is a Colorado Springs native who graduated from the University of Northern Colorado. She is the proud mother of two adult children. Tonya has 13 years of experience working in elementary special education, with an emphasis in handwriting for the past 3 years. She strives to help kids reach their fullest potential and works to solve the individual needs of each student. She loves the impact she sees working one-on-one with students and the gains that come with that level of support.
Tonya Onken
General & Intensive Reading Tutor
Annie grew up in Minnesota and moved to Colorado three years ago with her husband, and loves this beautiful area. With a B.S. in Child Psychology, she started her career in children's mental health and child advocacy, supporting youth and families in mental health crises in clinical settings. After a decade, she decided to go back to school and follow her heart to become a teacher, and obtained her Master of Arts in Education with a specialty in English as a Second Language, and has enjoyed teaching students in kindergarten through 8th grade. As both a Reading Intervention and English Language Development teacher, she found it vital to use students' background knowledge, familial and cultural traditions, and student interests in order to enable learners to make meaningful connections to content. Outside of teaching, Annie loves to hike, camp, run, and explore all things outdoors with her husband and newly adopted dog, Sunny!
Annie Dunaye
General & Intensive Reading Tutor
Amber Green
General & Intensive Reading Tutor
Amber has been married to her high school sweetheart for 25 years. They have one daughter who is completing her second year of college in Nebraska, working on her civil engineering degree. She has had the opportunity to work in the education field for fifteen years. This has included special education, title one reading and math intervention, teaching second grade and kindergarten. She has a Bachelors of Arts degree from WGU and have also served as a UCCS teacher mentor for several years. Helping students at all levels achieve their goal is why Amber became a teacher. She believes that everyday is an opportunity to learn and explore new skills and ideas.
Catherine grew up in Colorado and has been here for most of her adult life where she attended UCCS to receive her undergraduate degree in English with her teaching license and master's in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in math. She taught fourth grade for nine years before taking time off to stay home with her baby (and currently has another on the way). Catherine's passion is to help students love learning, especially math! She believes that building relationships with her students helps to create a supportive environment where they can gain confidence in their own abilities and thrive. She enjoys hikes with her dogs, exploring new places with her husband and family, and finding great coffee shops or restaurants around the city.
Catherine David
General Tutor
Becky Wesley
Intensive Reading Tutor
As a teacher with 25+ years of experience teaching at all levels, my greatest joy is to see my students improve their academic skills and in turn, gain confidence in themselves. I particularly enjoyed teaching reading, literature and social studies at the elementary and high school levels. My Colorado teaching license endorsements include Special Education, Secondary Social
Studies, Art Education and Elementary Education. I look forward to establishing new
relationships with my students at Brain Builders, enjoying their unique personalities and watching their confidence grow as their skills improve!
Kaylin grew up in Washington state before moving around with her husband, and eventually settled in Colorado Springs. She went to the University of Washington and got her B.S. in Chemistry and trained to be an analytical chemist. During that time, she was a private tutor for elementary and high school aged children. After working for the state of Washington in a chemistry lab, Kaylin moved to Florida for a brief stint where she was a substitute teacher. Kaylin has a love for math, and an even bigger love of watching students succeed. She wants to help young minds grow in not only their academic skills, but in life. In her free time, Kaylin loves to read and enjoy the outdoors.
Kaylin Delp
Secondary & Beyond Math Tutor
Kath grew up in Ohio. She also lived and taught in Texas, the Boston area, and southern California. She retired after 33 years of teaching. She taught 9 years in kindergarten, 15 years in 1st grade, and 9 years in 2nd grade. Her favorite was teaching 1st grade even though it was the most challenging. She feels there is nothing like seeing the spark of excitement when a child unlocks the secret of reading. She and her husband moved to Colorado to retire here because they love the mountains. They have been married for 36 years and have one adult son who just got married this year! They enjoy traveling, listening to live music, watching football, and reading.
Kath Schmidt
General & Intensive Reading Tutor
Jason is a Colorado Springs native. He graduated with a degree in Mathematics from UMASS Boston. He has a background in finance but has been in education for 6 years, mostly as a middle school math teacher. Jason has a passion for math, which he likes sharing with his students and helping them see that math is everywhere around us. He believes the skills from learning math prepare students to become problem solvers of the future. Outside of education, Jason enjoys the outdoors, sports, cooking, and hanging out with his family.
JasonHuggins
Secondary & Beyond Math Tutor
Dawn retired from the United States Air Force after 20 years of dedicated service to instructing aircrew on the hazards of aviation. Following retirement she joined her husband on his assignment to Germany with their children. There she was a substitute teacher for the Department of Defense for grades 3rd through 8th. She loved seeing her kids in their academic environment all while helping other children achieve academic success. Dawn joined Brain Builders as a team assistant and to sub for tutors as needed.
Aside from teaching, Dawn enjoys running, cooking, reading and spending time with your two daughters, husband and their most recent family addition, Lumi the Goldendoodle!
Dawn Mathes
Team Assistant/Substitute Tutor
Emily Marrs
Intensive Reading Tutor
Emily Marrs was raised in Colorado Springs and is a D20 graduate! She attended UCCS, earning her bachelors in Elementary Education and English Literacy. Emily has 10 years teaching experience with D20 where she taught kindergarten and second grade. She has been tutoring for the past several years after taking a break from the classroom to stay home with her kids. Her favorite part of tutoring is having the opportunity to work one-on-one with students and tailoring instruction to meet their specific needs. In her free time Emily loves exploring with her kids, hiking, skiing, playing board games and reading!
Stephanie grew up in Texas and moved to Colorado with her family four years ago, where they’ve come to love living by the mountains. She served in the United States Air Force for five years, and during her final two years, she discovered a passion for teaching while conducting training. Since then, she’s taught PreK through 5th grade and is deeply committed to helping her students thrive academically and build self-confidence. Outside of teaching, Stephanie enjoys crafting, traveling, and spending quality time with her family.
Stephanie Hall
Intensive Reading Tutor
Meredith Newmaker
Intensive Reading Tutor
Meredith has been in education in one form or another her whole life. With a B.S. in Biology, M.S. in Software Engineering, and PhD in Missions, she loves being a student as well as being a teacher. Meredith has teaching experience in elementary, middle, high school, and college. Once her youngest homeschooled kiddo went to college, she began homeschooling other people's kids. Meredith has three kids, three grandkids, two dogs, and a very patient husband. In her free time, Meredith enjoys coaching the Monument Warriors Special Olympics team.
