St. Michael's Catholic Academy | New Faculty Welcome Page Best Private High School in Austin

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Welcome, New Faculty + Staff!

We are pleased and excited to welcome new faculty members to our St. Michael's community and have no doubt they will enhance student learning in each of their respective areas of expertise.

They all look forward to getting to know their students. We wish them a great school year as they assume their new positions in support of the St. Michael's mission!

Heidi Sloan
Head of School

	Education Degree(S)	Professional Experience	Welcome Message	Favorite Quote or Experience
Erik Brugamyer Physics Instructor	B.S. Physics B.A. Astronomy Master in Professional Accounting M.A. Astronomy Ph.D. Astronomy University of Texas	After finishing my undergraduate studies, I pursued a career in business. This experience taught me many valuable lessons. Among the most important was realizing I knew exactly what I wished to do with my life: teach! I've been teaching and tutoring physics, astronomy and mathematics ever since -- 20 years now.	Teaching is my life's passion. There is no greater joy than learning about the wonders of The Universe and sharing what I learn with others.	"If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." -- Isaac Newton
Caroline Anderson Science Teacher	B.S. Chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin	Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and graduate of the UTeach certification program from the University of Texas at Austin. Ms. Anderson is also a UTeach Maker Teaching Fellow with a maker education endorsement. After graduation, Caroline served two years as a missionary for The Culture Project, receiving extensive educational and theological formation. Working with a wide variety of secondary schools all across the dioceses of Toledo and Cleveland, Ohio, she led discussions about the dignity of every human person and healthy relationships based on authentic love, not emotional or physical use. She is currently pursuing certification from the Theology of the Body Institute under Dr. Christopher West.	What a joy to join the science department at SMCA this year! I am thrilled to grow in both experience and innovation as a teacher while supported by this amazing educational community. I’m especially looking forward to encouraging my students to become well-formed humans in every aspect of their lives — in addition to being fantastic scientists and learners.	“Nothing is more practical than finding God, than falling in love in a quite absolute, final way. What you are in love with, what seizes your imagination, will affect everything. It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning, what you do with your evenings, how you spend your weekends, what you read, whom you know, what breaks your heart, and what amazes you with joy and gratitude. Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything.” — Fr. Pedro Arrupe
Frances Boggs, MEd History Instructor	Creighton University - MEd (Secondary Ed. focus in History); Ashland University - BA (History)	Frances is in her third year of teaching. She has two years of prior experience while teaching World History at a Catholic high school on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. There she learned the importance of leadership while serving as department chair, clear communication when cut off from colleagues due to starting in a virtual environment, and building authentic relationships with students. While juggling those first years of teaching, she also simultaneously earned a Master’s of Education from Creighton University.	Hello and welcome to another school year! I am so excited to be joining the Social Sciences team here at St. Michael’s. For five years I wanted to become a teacher and for the last two years I got to make that a reality. I am happy to say I still want to continue in this calling I’ve had, though the placement for that calling has changed a bit. I am originally from Ohio but the last two years were spent as a volunteer teacher through a Jesuit program in South Dakota. Now I’m here in Texas creating my next home just south of Austin in Kyle. Teaching for me has become about relationships and helping students find their own passions. (I especially love when those passions can be found within the realm of the history classroom, because everything is and has history!) When there is trust, learning can happen and I love getting the chance to learn from students; so for me, education is all about them and making them active participants in their education experience.	“The world is vast! If you are thrown out of one place, you will seek somewhere else to live and you will always be under the same vault of heaven and under God’s Fatherly Providence.” - on a card given to me by a sister I met on my pilgrimage to Poland in 2019.
Brad Cake, MEd Associate Director of College & Academic Services	BA in Political Science from Furman University M. Ed. from the University of Notre Dame	Brad began his career as a teacher at St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic School and also taught at St. Dominic Savio Catholic High School as he was training to become a college counselor. After a brief stint as the college advisor at the Austin Waldorf School, he has been a college and academic counselor at Hyde Park High School for the past three years.	I am passionate about college counseling because I enjoy helping students find their best-fit schools, bringing clarity and organization to the process, and being a strong advocate for students throughout their time in high school.	Favorite book: A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
Kent Carroll Math Instructor	B.S. in Applied Mathematics from Abilene Christian University Russian Language certificates from Tver Intercontact Group	Kent Carroll has taught high school mathematics for many years, including Westlake High School (17 years). He also taught for two years at the college level: One year at Concordia University in Austin and another year overseas in Russia at the Pedagogical College of Naberezhniye Chelny.	I've always enjoyed teaching mathematics to young people. I'm honored to now be a part of the staff at SMCA.	"Prepare the kid for the path, not the path for the kid."
Elaine Dela Peña Digital Media Coordinator	B.S. Digital Media Innovation, Texas State University (expected graduation Dec 2022)	Elaine has experience working with small businesses to build content for digital avenues and plan future strategies for growth, with a background in non-profits and higher education building brand identity and establishing a digital presence through brand and web design.	Howdy! My name is Elaine Dela Peña I love baking bread, crafting, and mandarin oranges. I am so excited to start as St. Michaels’s new Digital Media Coordinator. I love the world of academia and the pursuit of knowledge and have always had a passion for utilizing the digital world. This position just so happened to align both of those aspects. I look forward to communicating St. Michael's values and joining the community here.	LIFE EXPERIENCE: One of the most treasured times of my life was when I lived in Alaska for a summer. I interned at an agricultural non-profit in rural Alaska for three months. An absolute once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where I learned so much about sustainable service, what community looks like, and what loving your neighbor looks like.
Shailagh Clarke, MS, PhD Testing Coordinator	Dr. Clarke graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a double major in Plan II and English Literature, with a concentration in Psychology. After working for several years as a software technical writer after college, she returned to school at University of North Texas to pursue a master’s and doctoral degrees in counseling psychology.	After graduating from UT, Dr. Clarke worked as a technical writer, creating and editing user documentation for enterprise-level software systems. After a few years, she decided to pursue master's and doctoral degree in psychology. For several years during graduate school, she taught a course to incoming freshman focused on academic success, effective study strategies, goal-setting, and time management. During her clinical training, Dr. Clark provided therapy in various settings including college counseling centers, community agencies, and hospitals, including a two-year post-doctoral fellowship Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston working with kids with disruptive behavior disorders. In 2007, her family moved to Oregon and she worked as a staff psychologist in the counseling center at Oregon State University, providing both personal therapy and ADHD assessment to college students.	After many changes to my practice brought about by the pandemic (e.g. providing teletherapy to clients from home, working exclusively with adults), I am thrilled to be working with students again. As the Testing Coordinator, I look forward to helping the amazing students at SMCA and collaborating with colleagues in Student Support and College Counseling to find new ways to do that well. I'm excited to start this new chapter daughter, Claire Temple, will be transferring to SMCA from Lake Travis High School.	“When you stop comparing what is right here and now with what you wish were, you can begin to enjoy what is.” — Cheri Huber
Amy Martin-Klumpp, MLIS, MA English Instructor	MLIS – Library and Information Science, Louisiana State University MA – English, University of New Orleans BA – English & History, Loyola University New Orleans	For the last decade, Ms. Martin-Klumpp taught English, U.S. History, Publications, and regularly collaborated across the curriculum with fellow faculty as a teacher and school librarian/media specialist at a small college preparatory, Catholic high school in New Orleans, Louisiana.	I went into Catholic education because I experienced the benefits of Catholic instruction firsthand as a student; Catholic school teachers recognized my talents and taught me how to grow intellectually, athletically, and spiritually. With each successive year as an educator at a Catholic institution, I continue to grow my practices in creating student-centered programs and lessons that allow students to discover their own interests and share them with others through reading, research, and projects. I am committed to educating the hearts and minds of young people to become lifelong learners.	“Not till we are lost, in other words, not till we have lost the world, do we begin to find ourselves, and realize where we are and the infinite extent of our relations.” – Henry David Thoreau
Ashley Navarro Graphic Designer	Bachelor of Fine Arts Texas A&M University-Kingsville	Ashley graduated with a fine arts degree. During her undergrad career, she also worked as a marketing graphic designer for the wellness department at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. After graduating, I joined AmeriCorps where I served as an Advise TX Academic Advisor where she assisted high school seniors apply for college. In 2019, Ashley joined her alma mater as TAMUK's graphic designer where she designed admissions pieces, social media posts, and was an advocate for the student voice on campus. She now brings her expertise to SMCA in hopes to achieve similar goals.	I wholeheartedly believe our students hold the keys of a bright future in their hands, so I do what I can to ensure they have the tools to pursue their academic/career/life goals.	Favorite book: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez gifted to be by me father.
Julia Nazarenko Spanish Instructor	Currently working on a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Spanish; majored in Spanish, Latin American Studies	Julia has been teaching Spanish going on her sixth year in Catholic secondary schools. She also taught English as a Foreign Language in Madrid, Spain and English writing and reading comprehension to native speakers in Louisville, KY.	I’m excited to be joining the faculty at SMCA as a Spanish teacher. I am passionate about my subject and love sharing that excitement with students. I look forward to working with dedicated colleagues on this beautiful campus.	I love Calvin and Hobbes. A favorite quote from it, as a language nerd: “Verbing weirds language.”
Jennifer Peterson Director of Communications & Content	BA in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin	With over 20 years of experience in nonprofits and marketing agencies, Jennifer’s focus has been on strategic communications and outreach efforts that increase visibility and advance mission-driven organizations. Her passion is to work for organizations focused on serving and supporting children and families. Most recently, Jennifer served as the Director of Public Relations & Strategic Partnerships for Any Baby Can in Austin, TX. As a public-facing spokesperson for the agency, her role was to cultivate strong community partnerships and relationships with media and influencers, train agency ambassadors and manage thought leadership initiatives. In addition, she managed the volunteer program and outreach strategy for the agency.. Previously, she served as the Statewide Outreach Coordinator for Texas Hands & Voices, a non-profit supporting families with children who are deaf/hard of hearing. She was co-lead on a grass-roots efforts resulting in the passing of an insurance mandate for coverage of children’s assistive listening devices in 2017 and serve as the President of the Board of Directors. Committed to improving the lives of children with disabilities. Jennifer was honored to be the Keynote Speaker for the Texas Academy of Audiology in 2017 and a presenter at statewide and national conferences over the years.	Hello , SMCA! ! I'm excited to be serving as the Director of Communications and Content for SMCA and getting to know all of you in the coming months. I joined the Advancement team in June and have been busy learning about all that we do here at St. Michael's and what makes us such a unique and special learning community. I am a native Austinite and attended Lake Travis HS. My entire family lives in Central Texas and this inspired me to stay in the area, becoming a Longhorn graduate many years ago. Hook'em! I can already see why St. Michael's is a "family of families" and I'm grateful to be here.	I've always struggled with questions about my "favorite" things, as I'm someone who thrives on variety and appreciates so many different styles of books, music, experiences. But in the spirit of sharing, I'll have to fall back on one a quote that resonates more as a life mantra. “It comes down to a simple choice, really. Get busy living or get busy dying."
Christopher Yeager, MDiv Theology Instructor	Master of Divinity, University of St. Thomas Bachelor of Arts in History, St. Edward's University	Christopher began teaching because he believe that education is at the heart of the Church. His first teaching assignment was at St. Theresa Catholic School in Sugar Land, Texas where he taught 5th Grade Humanities for two years. After St. Theresa, he taught 4th Grade Humanities at St. Clare of Assis Catholic School in Clear Lake, Texas. “Teaching Liberal Arts at the elementary school level taught me sound classroom management techniques and effective delivery of a learning objective.”	I love learning and I am excited to join the theology department at St. Michael's in the work of furnishing students with the theological wherewithal to live as a disciple of Christ.	“God will find you. Stay calm and do not flee from Him who has been seeking you before you even existed in your mother’s womb.” from Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset

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St. Gabriel’s Catholic School and St. Michael’s Catholic Academy do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, age, gender, national or ethnic origin in : (i) the admission of students; (ii) the offerings of rights, privileges, programs, or activities generally made available to their students; or (iii) the administration of educational policies, financial grant programs, athletic programs, employment practices or policies, or other school-administered programs.