The TLC team brings learning supports to all George Brown College students. The TLC's main focus is on development literacy, numeracy, and learning skills to support course learning throughout all college programs. Read on below to see how the skills and experience of our team further our united goal of making learning accessible for all of our students.
Staff
Michael (he/him) is the TLC Advisor at the Waterfront campus. He has an M.Ed. in Languages and Literacies Education from OISE, an M.A. in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, a Teacher of Adults Certificate, and OCELT Certification from TESL Ontario. Michael has worked as a Research Assistant, a CELBAN Assessor, an Assessment Advisor, a translator, an editor, and has over twenty years of teaching experience. He has taught in China and in Turkey, as well as at Centennial College, Seneca College, George Brown College and York University. In his spare time, he likes reading and studying foreign languages.
Linh (she/her) is the TLC Advisor at the St. James Campus. She is a certified teacher with OCT (Ontario College of Teachers) and TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto. She has 8+ years of teaching experience in ESL, Science, Math, and Social Studies, where she has worked with students at the high school, college and university level. More recently, Linh has worked in a university research lab, with the recruitment and coordinating of numerous developmental psychology projects. Linh has a passion for working with ESL students and loves learning about different languages and cultures from all around the world!
Alana (she/her) is the TLC Advisor at the Casa Loma campus. She has a Master of Education in Language, Culture and Teaching, a Graduate Diploma in Post-Secondary Education: Community, Culture and Policy, and TESL Canada certification. With 15+ years of experience teaching general and academic English in the private language industry, Alana is committed to ensuring students enjoy their studies and achieve their language goals.
Maryana (she/her) is the TLC Advisor at the St. James Campus, and she brings 15 years of diverse experience at George Brown. Upon graduating from the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) program at GBC, Maryana started her career as a Success Coach at the ESL Student Success team. While working at the college, Maryana continued her studies, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology & Criminology from the University of Toronto. She has also completed a TESOL Certificate and is currently working on a Certificate in Instructional Design. Her passion for mentorship, leadership, and fostering the growth and development of learners from diverse backgrounds is at the core of her work. In her spare time, you can find Maryana enjoying walks with her dogs, exploring bike trails, and immersing herself in captivating books.
Sergio (he/they) is the TLC math Advisor at St. James, Casa Loma and Waterfront Campuses. They hold a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in mathematics from Benemerita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla and a PhD in mathematics from York University. They have taught mathematics at the high school, college, and university level, and have been tutoring from elementary to university level. They frequently visit different stages of math anxiety (depending on the area and topic of the trigger), but they’re ready to tame their anxiety with every new question they do not know how to answer.
Aisha (she/her) is the TLC Administrative Program Support. She is responsible for administrative work, student staff training and onboarding, payroll and contract preparation and promotional events. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Roehampton, London. She has 7+ years of teaching and tutoring experience in Chemistry, Biology and ESL where she has worked with students at high school and college level. Aisha has also worked as a Research Associate in a University/Hospital research department where she has done literature review and prepared research proposals for data collection. Aisha has a passion for working with students and enjoys helping them achieve their academic goals.
Geraldine (she/her) (on leave) is the TLC Operations Support responsible for providing comprehensive operational support for TLC academic services, including administrative, logistical, promotional, as well as tech support, social media management and training. With a background in mathematics, tech, visual arts, and over 10 years of experience in private tutoring, Geraldine has also tutored math in the ACE program at George Brown College and is currently studying computer science. Passionate about fostering academic, personal, and professional development in lifelong learners through tutoring, mentorship, and leadership, Geraldine also enjoys playing board games from her extensive collection.
Amanda (she/her) (on leave) is the TLC advisor at the St. James campus. She is OCT Certified (Ontario College of Teachers) and holds a BA in English Language and Literature, a BEd, and a Master’s degree in Education (curriculum and pedagogy). Amanda has nearly a decade of experience in secondary schools across the GTA. Within the public and private sector, Amanda enjoyed a variety of roles such as English Department Head, Student Success Teacher, and Assistant Soccer Coach. Between these roles, Amanda also travelled around Southeast Asia where she volunteered in a Thai school and ran literacy workshops across Singapore.
Katharine (she/her) (on leave) is the TLC Advisor at Waterfront campus. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in Writing and a PhD in Literature. She has been teaching academic and professional writing, literature, ESL, and research workshops for over ten years. In addition, she has also worked as a Writing Instructor at three writing centres: University of Toronto, York University and the University of New Brunswick. She enjoys helping students better understand the research and academic writing process.
Peer Tutors, Peer Leaders and TLC assistants
The TLC includes a large team of Peer Tutors, Peer Leaders, and TLC Assistants. They are GBC students and University of Waterloo co-op students who have demonstrated strong academic achievement, with many of them having completed other college or university programs before coming to GBC. Through the completion of the TLC Tutor Training and Development Program, certified as an International Tutor Training Program, TLC Tutors develop and enhance tutoring skills and strategies to effectively support students in reaching their academic goals. For more information on becoming a tutor, please visit Becoming a TLC Tutor or Peer Leader.
