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.
Sierra Amodei, Lead Teacher
John Bachner, Teacher and Lead of Social Emotional Learning, Elementary School
Mr. Bachner moved to Bremerton from the Bay Area of California. Before coming to Catalyst, Mr. Bachner served as an ESL certified 3rd grade teacher and 4th grade teacher at Match Community Day in Boston, MA. Mr. Bachner also worked as an assistant principal for three years at Rocketship Discovery Prep in east San Jose and 2 years at The Primary School in East Palo Alto, CA. During this time, he coached and supported teachers and students from Kinder to 5th grade.
Mr. Bachner is excited to share this perspective as Catalyst grows into new grades in the years ahead. As an undergrad at Lafayette College Mr. Bachner studied international affairs, traveled abroad in Ecuador, volunteered in education and wrote a thesis on environmental conservation and economic development. As such, he remains deeply passionate and committed to causes that improve learning outcomes, promote sustainability and build human capital both here and abroad.
Jordan Carrillo, Lead Teacher
Ms. Carrillo was born and raised on Bainbridge Island and she is thrilled to be teaching in Kitsap County. Working at Catalyst is Ms. Carrillo's first step in transitioning into her career in elementary education. For the past 10 years Ms. Carrillo has worked in the field of early childhood education. She has worked with newborns up to 5 year olds and has also worked in before and after school programs. Most recently, Ms. Carrillo spent time as an Education Coordinator for a Seattle early education center working with the teachers to develop meaningful curriculums and engaging daily plans.
Ms. Carrillo has also spent 2 years living in Prague, Czech Republic teaching English to children ages 2-15 years old. In April 2020, Ms. Carrillo graduated from Western Governors University with a BA in Education Studies and is currently pursuing her Masters degree in elementary education.
Ms. Carrillo feels that being able to work at such a unique and amazing school as Catalyst is an incredible opportunity. She is very excited to get to know each Catalyst family and scholar.
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Dawnell Durbin, Teaching Fellow
Ms. Durbin has been in education since 2018. In the past she has worked with the Central Kitsap School District. She loves helping scholars meet their fullest potential.
Prior to working in education Ms. Durbin worked at Verizon as a corporate account manager for 18 years. Her duties included training, developing and mentoring sales associates in the indirect channel.
Ms. Durbin is a Washingtonian born and raised. She has lived in Kitsap County all of her life. She has two fur kids Sherman (dog) and Maple (dog). Ms. Durbin loves Washington for its mountains, lakes, oceans, and trees. She believes Washington is the most beautiful state. She enjoys attending concerts, random adventures and sporting events. She loves old eclectic things and believes the best gifts are the ones that are made.
Monique Estes, Lead Teacher
Ms. Estes is a Washington native, a wife and a mom of 3 beautiful kids. Her oldest, Aspen, is an 9th grade scholar in the 2023/2024 school year and her middle child is a 2nd grade scholar at Catalyst. Her son Christopher is only three and will hopefully attend Catalyst when he enters Kindergarten.
Ms. Estes has been a nanny and at-home educator for almost 13 years!. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Development from Purdue University and just completed her Masters degree in Elementary Education with Grand Canyon University. She also owns a children’s dress boutique which runs out of her home.
When she is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, going on hikes, riding our horse, traveling any chance she can get, doing arts and crafts, and has recently begun enjoying gardening. She is a huge Disney Fan and loves the Seahawks!
Emma Gupton - Teaching Fellow
Emma is brand new to the pacific northwest and is moving all the way from Jacksonville Florida where she was born and raised. Emma is a recent graduate of the University of North Florida where she received her bachelors of sciences in political science. This will be her first year teaching and is thrilled to join the Catalyst family. She has years of experience as a substitute teacher, camp counselor and coach. Emma is so excited to join the team and learn everything that catalyst has to offer!
In her free time Emma enjoys hiking and traveling to different national parks ( so far she has been to eleven of the nations parks). She also enjoys reading, crocheting and spending time with family!
Brandee Haynes, Lead Teacher
Ms. Haynes is originally from California, but Washington has been her home for the second half of her life. Ms. Haynes is a twin and the oldest of 4 siblings. She is also the mother of a very busy four-year-old boy. Ms. Haynes has worked in the field of early childcare education for more than 12 years. Ms. Haynes is a Bremerton High School graduate, and she is currently working on my degree. She is working to grow her love and passion for educating and inspiring young children.
Ms. Haynes is excited to be working with a team that is as dedicated to the education and advancement of all children as she is, and she is most excited about inspiring the next generation and being a witness to their endless capabilities.
Being a California girl at heart, Ms. Haynes loves being outside in nice weather with family and friends at the lake or doing crafts.
Chelnesha Fleming - Small Group Instructor
Mrs. Fleming was born in California and spent many years of her early childhood in New York before relocating to Washington State where she was been ever since. Upon graduating from South Kitsap High School, Mrs.Fleming attended and completed her Bachelor of Arts at Central Washington University. Mrs. Fleming is now pursuing her Masters degree in Special Education.
Prior to working at Catalyst, Mrs. Fleming was a business manager for a local family owned business. After becoming a mother, Mrs. Fleming’s love for early education was reignited. Mrs. Fleming relates most to the Vulnerability core value at Catalyst. Vulnerability allows us to find compassion, strength, and common ground. Mrs. Fleming’s teaching motto is, “there is always something to celebrate!” During Mrs. Fleming’s spare time, she enjoys trying different cuisines with her family, camping around the Pacific Northwest, traveling to new areas, and caring for her many pets.
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.
Sara Pohl grew up in Oklahoma and Texas. She joined
the Navy right after high school and served for 5
years. While in the Navy she went on two
deployments that allowed her to see different parts of
the world. After finishing her contract in Virginia, she
moved to Bremerton with her husband and has lived
here for about 5 years.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her
husband and two dogs. They like to explore the area
together by hiking or paddleboarding. Some other
hobbies Sara enjoys include baking and yard work.
Since moving to Bremerton she received a degree in
Environmental Science from Western Washington
University. She worked as a youth crew leader with
the Student Conservation Association to clean and
maintain trails in Edmonds city parks, while also
teaching them the importance of this work. She now
looks forward to working with children in her
community and with the Catalyst team.
Sara Pohl , Teaching Fellow
Daniel Prasch, Small Group Instructor
Daniel was born in Portland, Oregon and spent his early childhood years in Coos Bay. At the same time as graduating from high school in Concord, California, he earned a certificate in early childhood education.
He married his college sweetheart in 2003 and traveled all over the west coast settling down in Kitsap County, Washington in 2006. He and his wife are raising 3 wonderful children, with his oldest graduating from high school this past June.
After 20+ years of running small businesses, Daniel received his Bachelor of Arts in Digital Film Making from Olympic College in 2021, and is currently finishing his Master of Education through WGU. He has spent time over the past several years coaching his children’s interests
including archery, lacrosse, softball and basketball. With his passion always
lying in teaching, he returned to the teaching field in 2022 in an outdoor
education program.
When he’s not in the classroom you can find Daniel outdoors! He loves scuba
diving, paddle boarding, kayaking, hiking, and backpacking. In joining Catalyst
Public Schools he wants to bring education to life and help instill the love of
learning in all of his students.
Sarah Ronspiez, Lead Teacher
Sarah grew up in Edmond, OK and attended Edmond Public Schools. She recently moved to Bremerton with her new husband, Parker, who is a sailor in the U.S. Navy. She graduated from Oklahoma Baptist University with a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education in December of 2017. Afterwards, she taught grades Pre-K and Kindergarten for about four years for Shawnee Public Schools in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Her first two years of teaching were in a co-taught Kindergarten classroom with the Special Education teacher. Sarah enjoys collaborating with her team members and working to help every child become successful. She is a certified Early Childhood teacher as well as a certified Reading Specialist.
She graduated with a Master’s of Education in Reading from the University of Central Oklahoma in July of this year, 2023. She can talk your ear off about educational research, reading theory, and literacy instruction. In her free time, Sarah likes to take walks in public parks and go on hikes. She loves adventure and really enjoys exploring nature. She also enjoys traveling, especially internationally. She has visited six countries and about 20 U.S. states so far. Most days, however, she can be found snuggling her cat, drinking coffee, and reading a book at home.
Sarah is passionate about scholars’ literacy development and achievement. She strives to provide the differentiation and support scholars need to be successful. She is so excited to be working as a part of the Catalyst team this year!
Poulami Wielga - Lead Teacher
Ms. Wielga grew up in Denver, Colorado, but was fortunate to move to Washington in 2014 to attend The University of Puget Sound. She received her BA in English with an emphasis in creative writing. Through this experience she was able to pursue and hone her passions in reading and writing. After college, she worked in several professions serving adults and children with disabilities. She was a camp counselor at Camp Beausite Northwest, a job coach for Trillium Employment Services and currently her partner Joe and her work and live in an adult family home where they care for several residents.
Ms. Wielga has always loved being in the classroom and believes that children have a unique and optimistic outlook on the world. During the 2021-2022 school year she decided to pursue her passion in teaching and has worked towards earning her Masters in Elementary Education at Pacific Lutheran University.
She can’t wait to bring all that she has learned from this program to Catalyst and continue to grow and learn as an educator. She is deeply impressed by the Catalyst community and the commitment to ensure all students see and achieve their individual and unlimited potential. In her free time you can find her baking or cooking delicious food, exploring WA beaches, reading a book, or hanging out with her two rambunctious cats: Tofu and Pinto!
Angela Reyes, Lead Teacher
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.
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Alana Santos, Small Group Instructor
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.
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.
Peter Stone, Small Group Instructor
Mr. Stone was born in Los Angeles, Ca and grew up in Seattle, Wa. He graduated from Western Washington University with a B.S. in Biology and lived in Bellingham for ten years. While Mr. Stone was there, he helped develop and grow the stand-up comedy scene in Whatcom County.
In 2014 Mr. Stone took a seasonal job with the Idaho Bureau of Land Management doing plant identification. Afterwards, he moved back to Seattle and got involved with some local sketch comedy groups while he worked on his Teaching Credentials and Masters in Teaching through Western Governors University. Mr. Stone moved to Kitsap County to complete his student teaching at Cedar Heights Middle School in Port Orchard. After taking some time off from teaching due to Covid, he is excited to return to the classroom here at Catalyst!
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!