MEET THE TEAM

LYNN GUYTON

Owner/Founder

Lynn Guyton has been tutoring students of all ages for more than 20 years. She is an expert on general math computations and solving word problems. She is a native Atlantan who attended Pace Academy for 13 years.  She holds an undergraduate degree from Lehigh University, where she majored in Psychology and earned a minor in Education. In addition to private tutoring, she has also worked as a preferred tutor for a number of local schools. In addition, she wrote a math skills workbook that offers refresher sections on basic math concepts with 50 practice skill sets to help reinforce these concepts, many which feature similar questions to the actual SSAT test (please click here to purchase the book). Lynn and her husband, Randy, have three children, college student, high school senior and a  5th grade daughter. Her children have experienced both public and private schools in the Atlanta area, allowing Lynn to see first-hand the different learning environments students face today.

MISSY LUTES

Office Manager

Missy Lutes grew up in Birmingham, Alabama, and graduated from the University of Alabama in 2012. In the same year, she was married and moved to Atlanta, which has become home to her now family of four! Missy joined the Learning Linkz team in March 2015 and she truly loves helping our tutors and our Learning Linkz families with all of their needs.

ALEXIS SHEPARD

Private Tutor

Alexis Shepard became a tutor because she loves seeing students have that “Aha” moment. Self-described as someone who is “obsessed with school” and “in love with the process of learning,” she gave up a comfortable position as a Marketing Executive and Franchise Recruiter to pursue her dream of earning a PhD in Sustainability. Returning to school was not easy, but her studies in Pre-Law and Engineering at Oglethorpe University gave her a new perspective on learning, not to mention knowledge of Calculus I, II and III. After being a paid note-taker in several of her classes, she realized that learning a subject, even the most difficult ones, can be accomplished by listening and working hard. She brings that mentality, a great work-ethic and a wealth of knowledge to Learning Linkz, helping students from elementary to college earn better grades and understand their subjects.

SAVANA RITHMIRE

Private Tutor

Savana Rithmire is currently a full time 3rd-grade teacher in DeKalb county and a Smyrna local. She graduated from the University of West Georgia with her Bachelors degree in Early Childhood Education. Her passion for teaching started at a very young age and she loves helping children finally get that spark back in their education. She approaches math with a fresh new perspective and always finds a new way to solve any problem. She also likes to bring technology into the classroom when needed. When she is not teaching, Savana is acting in small parts in movies and plays. Her love of teaching and learning is what drives her today.

FABIO CHIAPPINA

Private Tutor

Fabio Chiappina is an aerospace engineering student at Georgia Tech. Since he was a child, he has been fascinated by science and mathematics, always asking the big questions about the origin of our universe and humanity’s place within. He has been tutoring for five years now, and teaching is something he genuinely enjoys, especially when he can make his students care about their learning. In his free time, he is an artist, writer and second-degree black belt in both Taekwondo and Karate.

SHELLY LINKON

Private Tutor

Shelly Linkon has been a classroom teacher for over 20 years, including her current role teaching 5th grade science at The Westminster Schools. A native of Ohio, she completed her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. After graduation she moved to Atlanta and began teaching in Atlanta Public Schools where she taught for 13 years as a homeroom teacher. Shelly then completed her graduate degree in Middle School Education in 1995, majoring in science education. Her teaching experience includes working as a homeroom teacher in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades as well as working as a math resource teacher providing enrichment and remediation experiences for students in a small group setting.

NATALIE NEUGEBAUER

Private Tutor

Natalie Neugebauer is currently a Ph.D. student in Educational Psychology at Auburn University. She received a B.S. in Psychology and Pre-Medical Studies from Georgia State University. Originally from Germany, she has worked as a tutor for the past 9 years and has experience tutoring children of all age groups, grade levels, and personal backgrounds. She knows that every student is different and therefore is focused on finding methods for each individual student to make learning fun.

LINDSEY O'DANIELS

Private Tutor

Lindsey O’Daniels grew up in Houston, Texas, and graduated from the University of Texas with a B.S. in Elementary Education. She then moved to Florida to pursue a Master’s Degree in Reading Education at the University of Florida. She has taught in the public school systems in both Florida and Georgia for the past ten years, including working as a homeroom teacher in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades as well as serving as the English as a Second Language teacher for grades K – 5. She is passionate about education and loves working with students to help them succeed and gain confidence in their abilities.

BJORN THORNTON

Private Tutor

Bjorn is originally from Atlanta, Georgia and has lived here his entire life.  He got his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and his Master’s Degree from Piedmont College, both in Secondary Mathematics Education.  Bjorn has been a high school educator for 13 years, including his current role as the Math Department Leader at Wheeler High School in Cobb County.  He’s taught everything from Algebra I up through Pre-Calculus, including Trigonometry and Statistical Reasoning. He has enjoyed each role with students from freshmen up to seniors and enjoys seeing students succeed at every level.

CHRYSTON JONES

Private Tutor

Dr. Chryston Jones is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. She received a Doctor of Public Health degree from the University of Georgia in 2017, a Master of Public Health from Emory University in 2009 and a B.A. in Political Science and Sociology from Birmingham-Southern College in 2006. She has worked as a Spanish teacher, a health policy college instructor, and as a federal employee in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She has a passion for teaching and assisting young people reach their own life and academic goals. She has years of experience in teaching and tutoring youth, including those with ADHD and other special needs. She additionally enjoys singing, acting, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.

BARBARA OLIVIERA

Private Tutor

Barbara Oliveira is originally from Brazil but she moved to the states when she was 15 years old. She graduated from Georgia State with a Bachelor in Biology in Spring 2017. In college she spent most of her time volunteering at a local hospital, and she was also able to go abroad and provide healthcare to native tribes in Boca Del Toro, Panama. All of her volunteer hours made her appreciate life more and motivated her to pursue a second bachelor degree at Chamberlain College of Nursing. Despite her busy schedule, though, she always managed to work as a tutor. Her love of tutoring came when she was in high school, but it was in college that she saw she was capable of tutoring not only her school friends but other kids in different grades. “I find it very gratifying when I see kids understand and be able to apply what I have taught them,” she says.

NADEEM KHATTAK

Private Tutor

Nadeem Khattak grew up in Roswell, Ga., where he attended Roswell High School. He then went to Kennesaw State University where he is currently majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Mathematics. Math is his specialty and what he enjoys tutoring the most. He has been tutoring throughout his time at college, which allows him to focus on academia and improving himself inside and outside the classroom. Outside of school and work, he has been a life long martial artist and is currently a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.

ASHLEY CLAY

Private Tutor

Ashley Clay currently works with middle schoolers at Pace Academy, where she teaches a Study Strategies course and works with students in the Academic Resource Center. She has nearly 10 years of experience in education, having worked as a middle school counselor and special education teacher at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Ashley has obtained an undergraduate degree from Emory University, a master's degree in Teaching from Bellarmine University, and a master's degree in Professional Counseling from the University of Georgia. She enjoys helping students connect new ideas to previously learned skills to help build confidence and strengthen mental connections.

KAILEY WEBSTER

Private Tutor

Kailey Webster is a recent graduate of the University of Alabama with a BA in Theatre. During her last year of college, she began tutoring English as a Second Language (ESL) to middle school students and realized how much she loved witnessing those “lightbulb” moments. She has been tutoring ever since! After working with ESL students, she is no stranger to breaking difficult concepts down  into bite-sized pieces to ensure understanding. She also believes that while learning can be challenging, it should always be fun! Acting is one of Kailey’s greatest passions, and she brings that love of performance into every tutoring session. There is never a dull moment!

GABE ABSI

Private Tutor

Gabe Absi graduated from Kennesaw State University in the spring of 2019 with a Bachelor's in Biology. He is currently working on his Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering in order to pursue a career in Biomedical Engineering. Originally from Canada, Gabe's enthusiasm for science and math is infectious and he is particularly passionate about subjects related to the medical field. Throughout his schooling, Gabe has acted as a mentor in both chemistry and biology to many of his classmates, and enjoys sharing his knowledge with others and helping them wrap their head around more challenging concepts. In his spare time, Gabe likes to read, play chess, and try out new recipes in the kitchen.

NICK PINTO

Private Tutor

Nick Pinto graduated from Georgia Tech with a Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics and Economics in 2019. During his studies, he taught with the math department for three years, where he particularly enjoyed helping demystify the world of linear algebra. His passion for teaching comes from watching his students develop their confidence in the course material with his assistance. Beyond academics, he loves to spend his time outdoors working at a high ropes course and volunteering with Outdoor Recreation Georgia Tech as a Senior Caving Trip Leader.  

AIDAN MULAOKAR

Private Tutor

Aidan Mulaokar is a Computer Science Major who is also pursuing a Minor in Physics and Certificate in Finance at Georgia Tech. From a young age he has enjoyed helping others with their education, often helping his peers when they struggled in areas in which he was proficient. In high school, this passion led him to join his school’s tutoring club where he mentored younger students for 3 years and discovered the key to teaching was making students focus on “why” and not “how”. Now beginning his 4th year in college, Aidan has completed, and thoroughly enjoyed, a full year of tutoring at Learning Linkz and looks forward to this coming year.

AMBER BELANGER

Private Tutor

Amber Belanger is a Georgia native and life-long student. She strongly believes in "learning with laughter." Amber is able to tutor visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Her experience as a non-traditional teacher has given her a profound perspective on the importance of patience, respect, and compassion when teaching her students. Amber earned her undergraduate degree from Kennesaw State University in biology and is currently attending Walden University for her Master's degree in healthcare administration.