JEFF: CO-FOUNDER and DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Jeff Payne is our in-house guitar teacher. He taught himself to play at the age of 8 after working in a guitar shop dusting guitars to be able to buy his first guitar. He only has begun to take his own guitar lessons after over 30 years of playing. His instructors include renowned players, Craig Bartok of the band, Heart, and Mark Karan, who has played with bands such as the Grateful Dead, Paul Carrack, and Huey Lewis. Jeff is executive director of numerous mental health facilities in Northern California and the founder and CEO of Horizon Management Company. Jeff believes in the mission of VGK and shines his belief in children's power through his instruction with them. 

HANNAH: Director of operations

Hannah is a UCLA graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in American Literature and Culture. Throughout her college career,  Hannah both tutored at VGK and volunteered for UCLA’s ArtsBridge program, where she developed and implemented core curriculum for LAUSD ESL students through artistic methodology. In addition to core elementary subjects, AP English, and standardized test preparation, Hannah also offers theatre and singing lessons as she has been acting since she was nine years-old and has appeared in TV and film roles including 13 Reasons Why, How I Met Your Mother, and That Is How Motherhood Works. She has also been featured in the New York Times and on Larry King Now. Hannah is passionate about implementing learning methods that encourage students to engage, connect, and grow in new and exciting ways.

ANGIE

Angie is a 2023 graduate from Central Connecticut State University (M.A.), where she earned her Bachelor’s in English with a minor in Psychology and her Master’s in Health Psychology. Prior to graduating from CCSU, Angie held a Graduate Assistantship position working in the Educational Opportunity Program which provides a diverse population of first-generation and underserved students access to higher education by preparing them to meet academic, personal, and social standards. Angie’s initial experiences in the classroom began with roles as a Summer Youth Employment Specialist at EASTCONN and as Preschool Teacher for Bright Horizons. Outside the classroom, Angie is a professional distance runner for the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project, where she lives and trains in Rochester Hills, MI as a full-time athlete. She has a love for advocating for women’s and youth sports and one’s overall mental and physical well-being. Her favorite quote, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift,” is a mantra she tries to instill in not only her own life but those around her as well. Angie is excited to work with our VGK students to help them feel empowered learners!

ELLEN

Ellen is a graduate of Cal State East Bay where she earned a degree in Mass Communications and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. She began her teaching career in the Hayward Unified School District teaching third grade, and then continued her career in education in Rocklin, CA, developing the English Language Learners program.   Ellen has spent nearly 30 years in the classroom, with 23 of those being a sixth grade teacher in the Rocklin Unified School District.  During her tenure in Rocklin, Ellen served several years as a Student Council advisor and after school Homework Club teacher. She has served on several committees that focused on developing curriculum, as well as, programs that promoted a student’s social/emotional well-being. Ellen is excited to work with VGK students one on one to create a learning partnership. Her favorite part of teaching is experiencing that moment when the light bulb goes on and a student’s confidence builds. When Ellen is not working with students, she enjoys gardening, cooking, and taking dance/PE classes at the local junior college. She currently lives in Roseville with her two kitties.

Jennifer

Jennifer is a Grand Canyon University Summa Cum Laude graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, with an emphasis in Structured English Immersion, and a minor in Early Childhood Education. Jennifer has been in the education field for 16 years, including working as primary classroom teacher in both the public and private setting. She has worked with students in person and virtually from ages 3 to 18. She believes in creating a safe and positive relationship with her students and is passionate about helping children succeed and achieve their greatest potential. In her free time Jennifer enjoys baking, crafting, reading, and spending time with loved ones. Jennifer lives in Missouri with her husband, Bill, and their cat, Jack. She is honored and excited to serve students at VGK.

JESSIE

Jessie is a 2018 graduate of Westfield State University (MA), where she earned two bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education and Liberal Studies, as well as a concentration in Mathematics. In August of 2021, she earned her master’s degree in Elementary Education from Worcester State University. Jessie’s teaching experience began in 2018 immediately after graduating, when she accepted her first teaching position as a 2nd grade teacher in Holyoke, MA. In 2019, she taught as a 4th grade teacher in all subjects, and then served as the sole math teacher on the grade 4 team. Last year, she taught at a private boarding school with a population entirely made up of students with learning differences in Hardwick, MA as a math teacher. Jessie began her tutoring journey when she was in high school, where she truly discovered her love of not only helping others academically; she also realized just how incredible it was to support others as they build confidence in areas where they may struggle. She tutored throughout college and into her professional teaching career, giving her more than 10 years of experience in this field. Not only is Jessie passionate about being an educator; she is also passionate about being a dedicated athlete, and is a professional runner for the Hansons-Brooks Original Distance Project. She enjoys being able to apply all that she has learned (and continues to learn) in the classroom to the professional running world, and vice versa. She primarily enjoys working with her students; she values forming meaningful relationships with them, exploring how each learns most effectively, and continuously applying what is learned within tutoring sessions to real world experiences. She is excited to serve VGK students by implementing both individualized and engaging strategies for each student so that they all can be successful in their own uniquely awesome way!

Jordan

Jordan Kirby is an artist and educator. Jordan holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Technical Theatre from California State University, Fullerton. Jordan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from The University of Texas at Austin.

Jordan has six years of experience teaching mathematics and theatre at the Junior High and High School Level. Additionally, Jordan has four years experience teaching at the college level (scenic design/painting, stagecraft, and computer-aided drafting).

With her blend of artistic expertise and teaching experience, Jordan is committed to bringing creativity and learning together. She is excited to contribute her skills as an educator to the Victory Garden Kids community.

Jamie

Jamie Luke is a UC Irvine graduate with a B.A in Literary Journalism and an A.A in Communications. Throughout her college career, she has worked as a tutor for L.E.A.P, a reading intervention program where she created her own curriculum to assist elementary students from grades K-5 with their reading and writing comprehension. She has also worked over summers with the SER Latino Program, where she was an elementary literacy tutor for ESL students. At this program, Jamie would go over their school curriculum with them and ensure that they understood what was being taught to them. Most recently, Jamie worked as a teacher in Irvine, California, at a school named iLearn Education. There, she taught academic writing, phonics, and english classes to students ranging from PreK to 5th grade. Jamie is passionate about exercising, reading, writing, all things involving art, and of course, family. She comes from a family of four sisters and has 10 nieces and nephews! She loves teaching them what they need to know as they grow, and is excited to connect with the students of VGK by doing the same!

REGAN

Regan is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics. While in college, she started working as a teaching assistant for Calculus I and II. Shortly after graduating, Regan began working as an online math tutor for 5th - 12th grades. She has a passion for teaching students about math. She is excited to work with VGK students by helping them grow a love for math.

SIERRA

Sierra is a student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas studying to become an elementary teacher. Sierra’s teaching experience includes tutoring a variety of subjects to students of all ages. She has worked as a private student to student tutor since 2019 and has loved every child she has gotten to work with and impact.  Sierra is passionate about working with students and finding what drives them to learn.