Samantha Lindenmeyer

Founding Partner of Level Up Academy

Sam received her Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Illinois State University in 1997. She continued her graduate studies at Northeastern Illinois University and obtained a Masters in Education in Reading. She is a certified Reading Specialist.

Sam taught primary grades in LaGrange School District 102 as well as Chicago Public Schools for over 10 years. She also facilitated the Reading First Grant at her school where she helped mentor teachers and chose various reading curriculum for grades K-5. Sam also was a Preschool-4 teacher in Clarendon Hills, Illinois.

Most recently she has held mini bootcamps for grades first through third grade during the pandemic throughout the school year. In addition she has done private tutoring for the past 6 years.

Sam resides in Clarendon Hills with her husband and three children.

Kerry McLaurin

Founding Partner of Level Up Academy

Kerry received her Bachelors degree in Elementary Education from Northern Illinois University in 2002. She completed her Graduate Degree with a Masters in Education/Professional Studies in Literacy Education from the University of Minnesota in 2008.  

She participated in a Professional Learning Committee to help initiate a district’s new curriculum, specifically focusing on a comprehensive literacy program.

Kerry taught primary and intermediate grades in both Chicago Public Schools and Orono, Minnesota. Kerry has held bootcamps locally during the summer since 2016 for grades K-4 and also during the school year throughout the pandemic.

In addition, she has tutored privately for over 12 years. 

Kerry resides in Clarendon Hills with her husband and three children.