What to Expect?
Born from a nurturing home environment in the vibrant community of Yorba Linda, we have established ourselves as the epitome of effective, efficient, and empowering teaching. Our success is fueled by the unwavering support of parents, teachers, and students, as well as our remarkable track record of positive test results and teaching outcomes.
We are not content with just maintaining the status quo. We constantly push the boundaries of educational research, immersing ourselves in the dynamic realm of learning dynamics. Our involvement in the creation of the Common Core Learning standards implemented in California sets us apart. At Breakthrough Learning Center, we are proudly raising the bar for tutoring services.
We extend a warm welcome to all families seeking high-quality education. Prepare to embark on a journey where exceptional teachers deliver an unmatched standard of learning. At Breakthrough Learning Center, excellence is not just a goal—it is our way of life.
At Breakthrough we have one goal
To bring our students to their greatest potential.
Nestled in the vibrant community of Yorba Linda, our center has become synonymous with effective, efficient, and empowering teaching. We owe our success to the unwavering support of parents, teachers, and students who have witnessed the incredible results we achieve.
But we don’t settle for mediocrity. Our commitment to excellence drives us to constantly explore new frontiers in educational research, delving deep into the ever-evolving dynamics of learning. Our active involvement in shaping the Common Core Learning standards in California sets us apart from the rest. At Breakthrough Learning Center, we are proud to raise the bar for tutoring services.
We extend a warm welcome to all families in search of top-quality education. Prepare to embark on an extraordinary journey where exceptional teachers deliver an unparalleled standard of learning. At Breakthrough Learning Center, excellence is not just an aspiration—it is ingrained in every aspect of our approach. Join us and experience the difference today!
At Breakthrough Learning Center, our mission is twofold: to ensure your child not only enjoys their educational journey but also reaches their highest potential. Through our customized study programs, which seamlessly integrate Common Core projects, we cultivate a deep understanding of each topic, foster solid study skills, nurture self-discipline, and instill unwavering confidence that will serve your child throughout their life.
We firmly believe that education lays a crucial foundation, empowering students to thrive. That’s why we are dedicated to empowering each and every student in their educational experience. At Breakthrough Learning Center, we work hand-in-hand with parents and teachers, forging a strong support system that propels students to surpass their own expectations.
Our commitment goes beyond the clock. We go the extra mile because we genuinely care about our students’ success. Your child’s goals are our goals, and we will stop at nothing to help them achieve their fullest potential.
Join us at Breakthrough Learning Center and witness the transformative power of an enjoyable and empowering education. Together, let’s unlock your child’s limitless possibilities.
Our Team
What we want is to see the child in pursuit of knowledge, and not knowledge in pursuit of the child.
Jennifer Dinh-Avila
Executive Director
Jennifer is our BLC Executive Director who has experience with:
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M.A. Psychology Emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy from Chapman University
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Over 15 years of experience in various environments like classrooms, in-house, and various learning academies.
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Tutors all subjects: Mathematics, Language Arts, Literature Analysis, and Standardized Test Prep.
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Specializes in psychological learning tools to aid students in school content, study habits, communication patterns, time management, and building confidence.
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Over 9 years experience in tutoring Fullerton, Brea, Orange, Anaheim, Anaheim Hills, Riverside, and Placentia-Yorba Linda School Districts.
Ivan Avila
Associate Director
Ivan is our BLC Education Analyst/Coordinator who is highly versed in:
- M.A. Education, UCR Alum
- Math Credential
- NVHS Algebra & Geometry Teacher from Alvord Unified School District in Riverside, CA.
- NVHS Over 8 years Private Basketball Coach at all levels ( Freshman to Varsity)
- Over 7 years Experience in Common Core training and design of assessment along with performance tasks.
- Over 15 Years Experience in CA School District.
- Over 11 years experience in tutoring Fullerton, Brea, Orange, Anaheim, Anaheim Hills, Riverside, and Placentia-Yorba Linda School Districts.
diversity | family | learning
Meet Jennifer and Ivan Avila of Breakthrough Learning Center in Yorba Linda
LOCAL STORIES
CAPTURED BEHIND THE CAMERA
Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer and Ivan Avila.
Jennifer and Ivan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Breakthrough Learning Center started in 2009, originally named Gestalt Tutoring Services, in a home setting in the neighborhoods of Yorba Linda. When we first started off, I just started my Master’s Program at Chapman University. I was studying Psychology with an emphasis on Marriage and Family Therapy to pursue my dreams of becoming a psychologist. My husband was working at Alvord Unified School District as a high school math teacher and basketball coach. Naturally, we love working with people and helping them find solutions to anything- whether it be school, life, or on the courts. In the past, I worked at many tutoring centers, but there wasn’t any center that shared the same strong passion in working with kids and aiding in their growth as I had. My husband and I wanted to create something that could help these kids grow to their fullest potential along with mentoring them through life’s challenges as they go through important stages of their life. We decided to start tutoring kids around the neighborhood of Yorba Linda, which was where we currently resided. We went to Ikea, bought 4 desks and 4 chairs, and placed it into our home to create a classroom setup. We started off with two students, a neighbor and my brother. This was our start and we were ready for the hard work.
About three years later, I completed my Master’s program and we had to make one of the biggest decisions in our lives. My time was limited so I had to decide whether I wanted to pursue working in the psychology field (a deep passion that I have) or actually invest in a learning center. In my heart, there was something telling me that I needed to stick with these students who I saw almost everyday, now going into four years of knowing them and seeing them grow through these years. I couldn’t leave them hanging as I wanted to help them pursue their dreams and live a life without limitations.
Nervous and excited, we decided to take the risk. We took that chance of opening up a learning center to see where it would go. We told ourselves that if we help these kids reach their fullest potential and reach their dreams, that was all the success in the world for us. We opened a learning center in Yorba Linda, within a mile from our home setting. Two years later, we opened another set of classrooms in a different suite due to word of mouth and the demands for students who wanted to be part of this Breakthrough Family we created.
This past year was one of the most emotional and hardest years as the students we started off with at Gestalt Tutoring Services (6 + more years) were now graduating and leaving off to college to begin this limitless life they worked hard for. These students became my own brothers and sisters as we saw each other go through both good times and bad times. We experienced so many important life moments together that it would be hard not to call them my family. They saw us from our engagement, to our wedding, to finishing my graduate program, to building the learning center and seeing the growth, to knowing my own family members and my dogs, to seeing our first home. It has been such a beautiful, amazing, and inspirational walk in life to go through. Everyday ,we are amazed by these students and truly are inspired to keep reaching out to as many students as we can.
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Testimonials
Sofia K.
“I went to Gestalt Tutoring (Original Name of Breakthrough Learning Center) for all four years of high school; and during those four years, I not only expanded my quantitative knowledge, but also my qualitative ability. Through math tutoring for geometry to Trigonometry, I graduated high school with a stellar GPA and excellent grades in math. After four years of PSAT and SAT tutoring, my SAT scores were higher than my expectations and in fact, higher than many students around. I applied to nine colleges, including UC’s and Claremont Colleges, and I got into all nine schools. I would allude that success to my experience with Gestalt Tutoring. The positive results and incessant encouragement showed me that I can achieve anything. I was given opportunity to succeed and recognition when I succeeded, something that I would not have gotten if I relied on my school and definitely something that I probably would not get if I did tutoring in a large, group setting. I am completely satisfied with my experience at Gestalt and I would not be where I am today without my foundation that was built by Ms. Jen, Mr. Avila, and myself.”
A. Patel
“I have been a student at BLC since 5th grade and I am now going into my junior year of high school. Mrs. Jen and Mr. Avila have been there for me through everything and are always there to offer me advice and guidance through all of my decisions whether it is academic or not. Mrs. Jen, Mr. Avila, and all the other tutors have created an amazing tutoring center that makes me and other students feel like family and will help us with our every need.
Even in the time of COVID-19, which was stressful as is, they never failed to give us the support we needed through Zoom sessions to get through distance learning. Even after the Zoom sessions, the instructors always responded to my emails promptly throughout the week if I had any questions on any of my homework at home. The instructors at BLC truly care about how their student is doing individually and will do everything to make sure that they are getting the proper support they need. There is truly no other tutoring center that is comparable to BLC because they treat not only their students, but the parents as family as well.”
D. Kim
“I have been attending Gestalt Tutoring, since I was in the middle of third grade and now I am a freshman in high school. When I first attended Gestalt, it was a small tutoring center located at Mrs. Jen’s house. As a young and naive kid, I hated anything related to school work. When my mom told me I had to go to a tutoring establishment, I was infuriated at the fact that I had to put more time into learning. However, over the years I have realized that Gestalt was more than just a tutoring center. It was a place where students can go and learn in a comfortable environment, and establish new relationships with other students. I have stayed numerous hours at Gestalt to study for tests. I can recall many days in which I have stayed long hours studying for tests, and with their help I received an “A.” Mrs. Jen and Mr. Avila are always there for any problems I have faced. I consider both of them as my second family. I can go to Mrs. Jen with any problems I face in my school work as well as my social life. She has helped me through rigorous academic courses, providing multiple practice test, as well as her own knowledge. Mr. Avila has been a major role model to me, and the first day that I met Mr. Avila we had an instant connection. We were both athletes and loved to play sports. Mr. Avila has been my main motivation in my school work and sports. His dedication to his work and his compassion to his students has inspired me. They both have been very important figures in my life, and they have sacrificed their time in making sure that I will be successful. I will always view Gestalt as my second home, because without the support from Mrs. Jen and Mr. Avila I would not be the person I am today.”
