De Popolis graduated from Loyola University with a B.S. in English, and began teaching middle school in a Chicago private school. Several years later served as assistant principal and principal. While earning her C.A.S. in L.D. and S.E.D. (teaching students with learning disabilities and/or social-emotional disabilities) from National Louis University, De taught at a private school for adult education (adult literacy) and a psychiatric hospital. Until retirement, De taught 6th-12th grade special education students for Indian Prairie school district. Additionally, she was an adjunct professor at Roosevelt University where she had earned an M.A. in teacher leadership. Among the subjects De teaches are ACT/SAT and high school entrance preparation, social sciences (psychology, history); reading, both for comprehension and Wilson; literature; religion; writing; grammar (including diagramming); study skills (test-taking, organizational skills, executive functioning); and writing college applications. De enjoys her granddaughter, gardening and is a Cub fan.
Itri Papanikolla
Itri Papanikolla has a Master’s Degree in Applied Mathematics from University of Illinois and wants to continue his education in a higher level of Abstract Mathematics which gives him the chance to teach his favorite subject. He was a tutor at College of DuPage. He speaks Albanian, Greek, Ancient Greek, and French. Itri has a medal in Math Olympiad and is a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society. His interests include the study of history and economics, painting on canvas, aquarelle, music, and sports. Itri wants to create a new model of how students can observe mathematics and science.
Diane Spiotta
Diane Spiotta tutors all levels of Spanish and has taught in both public and parochial schools. She holds a Bachelor of Art degree in Spanish education with a minor in French education from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. Diane has recently received a Master’s Degree along with a Reading Specialist certification from Benedictine University. Diane has taught Spanish at the pre-school, high school and post high school levels. She is currently teaching 7th and 8th grade Spanish in Naperville School District 203. Diane enjoys reading, puzzles, and spending time with her family of eight. The Spiotta family was honored with the K of C Family of the Year award for the State of Illinois.
Rick Klimas
Rick Klimas is a graduate of Loyola University and taught school in Chicago for ten years. He tutored mathematics and science in the Blue Gargoyle adult education program. He teaches science, math, history, economics, philosophy, religion, humanities, music and art history, and language arts courses at the high school level, as well as organizational skills and test preparation classes at all levels including Honors and AP. Rick also teaches ACT/SAT/GRE test prep. A book dealer specializing in scholarly volumes, he also enjoys classical music and plays basketball. Rick and his wife live in Warrenville where he serves as a Park District commissioner.
Jenna Micko
Jenna Micko holds a B.A. degree in English education with an endorsement in Journalism from Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, Illinois. She has studied Shakespeare and Art History abroad at Oxford University in Oxford, England. Jenna taught English at the secondary level for 11 years and Special Education. In addition to teaching British Literature, Reading, Literature as Film, American Literature, Study Skills and Humanities, Jenna has tutored in History, Religion, Biology, Earth Science, Psychology, ACT Prep, as well as other content areas. Jenna has also worked as a reporter for local papers in DuPage County covering local high school sports. She enjoys spending free time with her husband and daughter, as well as watching baseball and football, playing softball, acting in community theatre and creative writing.
Linda Wei
Linda Wei has a B.A. in English Language and Culture from University of International Relations in Beijing, China, a certificate from Johns Hopkins University–Nanjing University Center for U.S.-China Studies, and a M.Ed. from DePaul University in Teaching and Learning Chinese. She holds a Type 10 Illinois teaching certificate in the area of K-12 Mandarin Chinese. She taught Chinese at Xilin Asian Community Center. She is a member of Chinese Language Association of Secondary-Elementary Schools (CLASS) and Midwest Chinese Teachers’ Alliance (MCTA). Among the courses Linda teaches are Chinese Language and Cultural for both children and adults, AP Chinese Prep for high school students, Experiencing ChineseCharacters with Chinese brush and philosophy for beginners, Chinese Cooking for those who love Chinese food, Business Communications in China for businessmen, and Traveling around China with 300 Words for those who plan to travel in China. Linda enjoys photography, knitting, sewing, cooking, traveling, and time with her husband and two daughters.
Kim Olson
Kim Olson is a certified kindergarten through eighth grade teacher with 38 hours toward her MAT from National-Louis University. She received her BA in Graphic Design from Grand View College in Des Moines, Iowa, where she grew up. With a passion for teaching reading, she has been trained in the Wilson Reading System in Applied Methods, Fundations, Just Words, and Fluency, and had completed all on-line courses. She has done extensive substitute teaching in the Naperville and Aurora areas. Kim is a mother of one teenager and has interests in keeping physically fit and young at heart in addition to traveling, cooking, and gardening.
Kevin Hughes
Kevin Hughes is a graduate of Wheaton College with a B.A. in English Literature and Community Development. During his undergraduate career, Kevin studied at the University of Oxford in England and completed the prestigious Human Needs & Global Resources (HNGR) Internship in Nicaragua. During his HNGR Internship in Nicaragua, Kevin taught Spanish in a Nicaraguan primary school. While at Wheaton College, Kevin was active on the Rowing Team, Hockey team, writing newspaper articles for The Record, and editing poetry for The Pub. Before joining our team in the beginning of September, 2011, Kevin completed an internship in Educational Consulting in San Francisco, CA and was trained by World Relief to Teach English as a Second Language (ESL). Bringing all these incredible experiences into the classroom with him, Kevin mainly teaches Spanish and ACT / SAT preparation classes. In the future, Kevin plans to continue his education by studying Psychology in graduate school. For now, he spends his free-time studying for the GRE and reading voraciously. Kevin is an active member of College Church and lives with friends from Wheaton College.
Rebekah Lipp
Rebekah Lipp graduated from Wheaton College with a B.S. in Mathematics and minor studies in Psychology and Bible/Theology, as well as a Masters Specialization in Theology from Northern Seminary. The areas of math she is most passionate about are non-Euclidean geometry and cryptology. Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, and ACT Math and Science preparation are among the courses that Rebekah tutors. She is currently studying cryptography online through Stanford University in order to learn the art and science of communicating securely dating back to ancient Babylon. Rebekah loves dance, reading, number and logic puzzles, and playing the violin, which she also tutors. Married in the fall, Rebekah and her husband Kevin love spending time with local high school students, playing card games, and listening to mystery novels together.
Joan Treland
Joan Treland has a M.A.+ in Learning Disabilities and B.S. in Socially Maladjusted. She holds four certificate endorsements (K-21): Learning Behavior Specialist, (Learning Disabilities, Social/Emotional Disorders); Standard Secondary Teaching; Standard Elementary Teaching. Her background includes the multisensory Orton-Gillingham approach and the Wilson Reading System. She taught regular and special education kindergarten, elementary, middle school, and high school, co-founded a private school, and has been in private practice for forty plus years. She is currently owner-director of our accredited school and served on the Education Industry Association conference planning committee. She is a member of the International Dyslexia Society and the American Association of University Women. Interests include reading, cooking, traveling, and music. Treland and Associates has accreditations with North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement and NCAA Initial-Eligibility Clearinghouse. All staff members teach executive function and metacognitive strategies.
Current Events
ACT / SAT Prep
ACT Septemeber 10 registration is August 12. Tutoring in all four subjects is available. Call 630.653.9222 for details.
