INSTRUCTIONAL TEAM
Elementary Team
Ms. Andalon is thrilled to be a part of the Catalyst team this fall. She was born and raised in Southern California and has relocated to Bremerton with her family. She graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Studies and a concentration in Spanish. Prior to Catalyst, she's worked as a program director for an after school tutoring program and as a STEAM teacher to grades TK-8th. Ms. Andalon has always had a passion to teach and she loves seeing every student reach their fullest potential. What she loves about Catalyst is that there is a place for every student. Every student will have the opportunity to find what their passion is and will be given the tools to achieve success. In her free time, she loves spending time with her husband and daughter; hiking, baking, watching football, and being crafty. She am so excited to meet all the wonderful families and students soon!
Viviana Andalon, Lead Teacher
Ms. Amodei is delighted to join the Catalyst Public Schools team as a 4th grade Lead Teacher. Ms. Amodei grew up in the Pacific Northwest, dreaming of traveling and living abroad. She obtained her Bachelors of Visual and Communication Arts from Franklin College Switzerland and spent four years traveling and exploring.
In the last 14 years, Ms. Amodei has pursued certification in copy editing at University of Washington and received her Masters in Teaching from Northwest University. She is grateful for the many opportunities she has had to volunteer and work with children from daycares to marginalized students abroad and families of domestic violence. Most recently, Miss Amodei has worked as a substitute teacher for Bremerton School District and Special Education paraeducator for 4th and 5th graders.
Ms. Amodei spends her time plotting new adventures and embarking on those adventures whenever she has the time. Also along for the ride are her two boys, Nino (6) and Alyosha (3) and one crazy pup, Callie.
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Sierra Amodei, Lead Teacher
Mrs. Blayter was born and raised in San Jose, California, moving to Arizona during high school where she met her husband. Together, they later settled in Colorado to raise their three wonderful children—two sons and a daughter. Now that their children are grown, Mrs. Blayter and her husband have embraced a new adventure in Washington, accompanied by their two beloved dogs, Flip Flop and Wellies.
With over 11 years of experience in Special Education, Mrs. Blayter has specialized in trauma-informed learning and behavior management. She is passionate about creating supportive learning environments and is thrilled to bring her expertise to Catalyst as a Teaching Fellow.
An outdoor enthusiast, she spends her weekends exploring trails, paddle boarding, and biking with her husband and their two energetic border collies.
Joni Blayter, Teaching Fellow
Lindsay Brady, Lead Teacher
Lindsay Brady, originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, relocated to Florida after completing her education. It was there that she met her husband, a Corpsman in the Navy. Lindsay feels fortunate to now be stationed in Washington with her husband. With six years of teaching experience under her belt, Lindsay is passionate about trauma-responsive teaching and implementing positive behavior management systems in her classroom.
She is certified in the Science of Teaching Reading, has her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and her Master’s degree in Educational Leadership.
Outside of her professional life, Lindsay enjoys immersing herself in various activities. She finds joy in spending time with her husband and daughter, indulges in the world of literature through reading, expresses her creativity through art, and maintains a healthy lifestyle through CrossFit and other exercise.
Excited about continuing her role as a member of the Catalyst community, Lindsay looks forward to contributing her skills and expertise to the school's mission and vision.
Ms. Buxton is so happy to be joining the team at Catalyst!
Born and raised for almost all of her teen years, in Anchorage, Alaska, she is not stranger to the beauty of the Pacific Northwest! She moved to the mid-west as a teen, it is here where she finished high school and began her college career. During her college career, she took a break and focused on a service mission for a year and half where she had the pleasure of providing assistance and love to others in a new community, which rooted her love of serving others.
Her favorite past time is spending time with family and watching a good movie.
With a college degree n Public Relations, she found her joy in teaching when her youngest was struggling in reading in Kindergarten. After doing some research and finding a curriculum that would help her daughter, she began learning about various teaching approaches that would allow her help teach her daughter to read. By the end of Kindergarten, her daughter was reading at a first grade level. This sparked an interest and love for teaching, where she would then begin the journey of getting a Masters in Elementary Education.
Since then, her journey and love of teaching has grown! She has enjoyed 12 plus years of teaching in a classroom and with multiple grade levels! She is excited to continue her joy in teaching with the scholars at Catalyst.
Her family includes a wonderful husband of 22 years and two children, Harrison and Kennedy who both attend college. And-do not forget about their fur child- Kylo Ren- the cat!
She looks forward to working at Catalyst and meeting all of the wonderful teachers, scholars and families that make Catalyst great!
Carrie Buxton, Small Group Instructor
Brandee Haynes, Lead Teacher
Brandee is a Bremerton High School graduate who has worked in the education field for more than 15 years, working first in early education before receiving a Bachelor's Degree in elementary education. She continues to build deep roots in this community as she plans to work towards her Master’s Degree.
Brandee is excited to continue to work with a team that is as dedicated to the education and advancement of all children. Inspiring the next generation and being a witness to their endless capabilities is her goal.
Marva Jones, Small Group Instructor
Ms. Jones was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio but has lived in the Pacific Northwest for many years. Ms. Jones began her career teaching students in grades 3-6 in Cleveland. Since then Ms. Jones has worked as an educator with Kitsap Community Resources, the Suquamish Tribe and the Embassy Education Center. She holds both an Associate's degree and her Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. Ms. Jones is happily married is the mother of 4 children.
Mikaela Lightcap, Teaching Fellow
Mikaela is a hobby enthusiast who loves adventuring. Born and raised in South Jersey, Mikaela has always had a passion for exploring new places and trying out various activities. Whether it's hiking through scenic trails or trying out new hobbies, Mikaela is always on the lookout for the next exciting experience and is thrilled for her new journey at Catalyst!
Andrea Nix, Lead Teacher
Mrs. Nix is originally from Chicago, Illinois and moved to DFW, Texas when she was 10. She attended the University of North Texas where she received her bachelors degree in Interdisciplinary Studies Early Childhood - 6th grade with an emphasis in English as a Second Language.
She enjoyed teaching 1st grade in Charleston, SC. before marrying her best friend and moved to Guam for three years. She and her husband are excited to settle down in Bremerton and explore the PNW. Mrs. Nix is beyond excited to join the Catalyst family!
Maddison Paulus, Small Group Instructor
Ms. Paulus is a dedicated educator who grew up in Seattle, WA. Because of her passions for human rights, equity, and writing, Ms. Paulus studied international affairs, journalism, and Arabic at George Washington University in Washington D.C. During her time in college Ms. Paulus discovered that applying her passions to education is her true calling. After graduating, she moved back home to Seattle to be close to her family and pursue a career in education. She is currently a student in the U-ACT program at the University of Washington.
Ms. Paulus began working with scholars when she was 15 years old at a child development center in Seattle. Since then, Ms. Paulus has grown in her teaching through roles at elementary schools in Washington, D.C., and Federal Way, WA. Ms. Paulus’ favorite part of teaching is learning from her scholars. She enjoys art, writing, camping, and swimming in her free time.
Ashli Payne, Teaching Fellow
Ashli, a proud Bremerton native, is deeply passionate about giving back to her community. She finds purpose in empowering women through health and wellness and mentoring young female athletes with aspirations of excelling in sports.
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A standout scholar-athlete at Olympic High School, Ashli’s skill and dedication on the basketball court earned her a full-ride athletic scholarship to a Division I university, followed by a successful professional basketball career that spanned across Europe and Australia. In 2023, after retiring from professional sports, Ashli launched the RAWW Hoops Girls Development Club, an organization devoted to teaching young women invaluable lessons of life through the game of basketball. Her mission is to grow the program, develop creative ways to showcase young women from Kitsap, and empower girls to be leaders in their communities.
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Ashli is excited to contribute to the Catalyst team, where she can expand her impact on Bremerton youth and continue to serve her community. In her downtime, she enjoys expressing her creativity through art, spending time with her family, exploring nature with her dog King, and discovering local restaurants, art galleries and shops.
Maribel Pelayo, Small Group Instructor
Maribel Pelayo is excited to become a part of the Catalysts team this spring. Ms. Pelayo was born in Los Alamitos, California and raised in Jalisco, Mexico. At the age of 17, she moved to Bremerton, Washington, where she graduated from Bremerton High School and embarked her quest as a Multilingual Language Bilingual Paraprofessional in 2019. During the past 5 years, Maribel has been supporting Multilingual Language Learners to help them become proficient in English. Currently, she is enrolled in an education program through Grand Canyon University where she hopes to graduate as an educator with Emphasis in English as a Second Language.
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She is thrilled to continue supporting students at Catalysts Public Schools while fostering a positive environment where all students can reach their highest potential and grow as an educator who can provide innovative learning experiences to her scholars. During her free time, she enjoys fishing, spending time with her boyfriend and connecting with her relatives from Mexico.
Amber Randolph, Teaching Fellow
From early on, Amber knew she wanted to be a teacher. In high school, Amber was selected to be a student ambassador to the New Jersey Future Educator’s Association. In this role, Amber dove into the challenges of virtual learning for elementary aged students during the pandemic. In 2021, she was selected to moderate the Student and New Teacher panel at the New Jersey Educator’s Association conference.
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This passion for education and children continued through Amber’s collegiate career. She began working for the Ronald McDonald House Charities in Charlotte, North Carolina. In this role, Amber recognized the importance of compassion and community. In 2024, Amber finished her Bachelor’s degree in History with dual minors in Community-Based Learning and Social Sciences. This experience promoted Amber’s love of teaching through her various field placements in local schools and her coursework in community behaviors, sociology, and social work. Advocacy, philanthropy, and equity have always been at the forefront of Amber’s mind. In her last undergraduate semester, she participated in a service-learning project with the Rock Hill Schools Foundation’s program “Back the Pack”. This program discretely provides meals to students on weekends.. Amber and her group mates packed hundreds of meals and provided enough funding to feed thirteen students for the entire school year.
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Since graduation, Amber has worked at the Ronald McDonald House of Seattle and enjoyed the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She is extremely excited to join the Catalyst team, grow professionally, and continue to make an impact on children’s lives. In her free time, Amber enjoys listening to music, spending time with family, going on hikes, cheering on the Philadelphia Eagles, and painting.
Ms. Reyes is originally from the Bay Area of California. Before coming to Catalyst, Ms. Reyes worked as a children's show performer, where she realized she wanted a career working with children.
In fall 2017, Ms. Reyes moved to Bremerton to attend Seattle University. She graduated in the spring of 2019 with her Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies (Elementary Education emphasis), and is grateful for the opportunities at Seattle U to demonstrate responsible civic and community engagement.
Ms. Reyes is elated to work for a school where scholars can find their purpose and passion so that they can cultivate hope, optimism and leadership essential to be catalysts in their community.
In her free time, Ms. Reyes loves singing karaoke, spending time with her friends and family, and spoiling her cat, Nala.
Angela Reyes, Lead Teacher
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Alana Santos, Lead Teacher
Ms. Santos is excited to be joining the Catalyst ‘ohana (family). She hopes to inspire, empower, and celebrate each scholar’s growth.
Ms. Santos was born and raised in Hawaii and she received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, majoring in Family Resources. Teaching isn’t just her job, it’s her passion and calling. Ms. Santos has spent her entire career working in the early childhood education field in both public and private school settings.
In 2019 Ms. Santos moved to Washington state with her husband, their 2 daughters, and their chihuahua terrier pup. With her family by her side, they enjoy camping and going to T-Mobile stadium to watch Mariners baseball.
Catherine Sebastian, Small Group Instructor
Ms. Sebastian is from Bremerton, WA and went to Western Washington University. She studied English Literature and Film Studies then got her Masters in Teaching. Ms. Sebastian grew up on Oahu, Hawaii then moved to Bremerton in 2005, spending her summers in Japan with her sister and grandparents. She spent much of her childhood outdoors on the beach, hiking, and helping her grandparents with their vineyard.
Ms. Sebastian previously taught at North Kitsap High School and has worked with elementary and middle schoolers. As a teacher she believes that the environment heavily influences a scholar’s growth and mindset, therefore it is important to integrate in their learning. She loves to spend her time watching anime with her boyfriend, cooking, and playing the NY Times Crossword. She is excited to teach at Catalyst as a third grade teacher and hopes to build strong relationships with her scholars.
Traci Siasat, Small Group Instructor
Ms. Siasat received her elementary certification from Central Washington University in 2007. Previously, Ms. Siasat worked with autistic children and adults, as well as substituting in schools all around Kitsap.
Ms. Siasat has lived in Washington all her life and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. In her free time, she likes to travel with her husband, son, and their chocolate lab, Apollo. They love to visit places full of science and history. Yellowstone has been the family's favorite vacation so far. Ms. Siasat also loves all things geology, especially rocks. On the weekends, you will find her rockhounding on the beach!
Ms. Siasat is passionate about inclusivity and making sure all scholars have found their place amongst their peers. She is looking forward to being part of the Catalyst Family.
Katherine Viridian, Lead Teacher
Ms. Size is from a small surfing community in Southern California called Hermosa Beach where she spent most of my childhood. After graduating high school she went to Santa Monica Community College before transferring to California State University at Long Beach. It was there where she was exposed to what it really meant to be an authentic educator.
Ms. Size graduated with her BA in Liberal Studies with an emphasis in Human and Child Development in 2019 and subsequently earned her Masters in Teaching from Pepperdine University.
After graduating from Pepperdine, she moved to Phoenix where she has been teaching for the last two years. Leaving that group of students was one of the hardest things she has done, but she cannot wait for new experiences in Washington.
When she is not at work she loves reading, creating, spending time with family, going on adventures, cooking and persistently and unsuccessfully trying to annoy her fiancé.
Taiylor Walters, Lead Teacher
Ms. Walters graduated from the University of Washington Tacoma in 2021 with her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology as well as two minors focused in education.
She plans to continue through her Master’s degree and receive her teaching certification starting in August 2021. During her free time she likes to sit down with a good book, typically in the Young Adult genre, or watch one of the many Marvel Cinematic Universe movies. She is excited to be working with all of the Catalyst scholars and getting to know each and every one of them!
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Note: Some staff are not listed on the website based upon what they have told us they prefer.