Faces of GBAPS 2022-23

The Green Bay Area Public School District is lucky to have staff and students with a wide range of talents, interests, and rich life experiences. The Faces of GBAPS series profiles these unique members of our community each week during the school year.

Justine Bruan recently joined the Green Bay Area Public School District (GBAPS) in May as the Communications Specialist. Previously, she worked for the City of De Pere as the Video Production Specialist, and was responsible for De Pere TV, the city’s government access cable channel. Justine received her Bachelor of Science as a Radio-TV-Film major and a Journalism minor from UW-Oshkosh. In 2018, she earned her Digital Marketing Certificate from Cornell University’s online program. Teachers have had a significant impact on Justine's life that kept her focused on school and preparing for her future. In fact, her former teachers encouraged her to apply to join GBAPS’s School & Community Relations team. Justine serves as a member of the UW-Oshkosh Alumni Association Board of Directors and also manages the Radio-Tv-Film Alumni Chapter. She enjoys DIY projects and renovating her 1928 house near West High School. Justine cherishes the time she is able to spend with her husband, Brandon, and their dog, Lanie.

Rubi Robles is a senior at West High School, and the first Green Bay Area Public School District student to earn the Seal of Biliteracy credential in Spanish. To receive this credential, Rubi had to demonstrate language proficiency at or above Intermediate High level on the ACTFL proficiency scale, and socio-cultural competence as it relates to English and a partner language. Rubi is bilingual and speaks Spanish at home, but didn't start studying the Spanish language until 6th grade when she lived in Illinois. After moving to Green Bay and attending West High at age 16, Rubi became involved with FBLA and a group that plans events for students such as prom and senior night. Rubi has already been accepted to multiple colleges. After high school, she plans to attend college to study business or finance. She is interested in helping people learn about money and how to manage their finances wisely.

Donovan Morgan is a senior at Northeast Wisconsin School of Innovation (N.E.W.). Prior to attending N.E.W. he attended Eisenhower Elementary and Franklin Middle. Donovan has been accepted into the culinary program at NWTC, and is enrolled in a dual college credit class for spring semester. After he completes his training, he would like to eventually be a chef at a high-end restaurant, own a food truck, or become a personal chef. Outside of school, Donovan enjoys skating, spending time with friends, and working at a local sushi restaurant.

Sarielys Garcia Colon is a senior at East High School. She was born in Puerto Rico, and came to Wisconsin when she was in fourth grade. Sarielys is very involved at East High. She’s the president of National Honor Society, a member of the Latino Club, Book Club, and Link Crew. Sarielys has been part of the AVID college readiness program at GBAPS since she was in seventh grade. She says AVID has been a huge help in her educational career and has prepared her for college. After high school, Sarielys plans to attend UW-Green Bay to major in psychology and minor in neuroscience. Eventually she would like to work in a research facility or become a psychiatrist or psychologist.

Lauren Rank is a busy senior at Preble High School. She loves both athletics and music, and is a captain on the girls varsity soccer team and has been involved in musicals at Preble since freshman year. She also is part of the show choir at Preble, and an aid to the music department during her study hall. Last year Lauren was the lead in the musical Sister Act, and enjoyed performing at the Fox Cities PAC where Sister Act won for outstanding ensemble and outstanding student pit orchestra. After high school Lauren plans to attend Carroll University in their direct admittance program for occupational therapy, where she will major in exercise science. Lauren knew after job shadowing at Bellin and the CP Center this summer that she wanted to become an occupational therapist and ideally work with children.

Derek Thepphone is a senior at West High School. He’s involved with the science academic team, math team, Asian Club, and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Derek’s favorite subjects are math and science. After high school, he plans to use his skills to study electrical engineering. He has been accepted to UW-Madison, UW-Green Bay and Marquette University. In his spare time, Derek enjoys spending time with his friends, listening to music, and playing video games.

Secquoia Cornelius is a Southwest High School senior with big dreams for her future. At Southwest she is the American Red Cross blood drive coordinator for the National Honor Society, Vice President of the Native Club, a member of the Chemistry Club and the academic science team. She is also part of Link Crew and President of HOSA-Future Health Professionals. Secquoia applied to 13 colleges, and has already been accepted to Vanderbilt University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She has always wanted to be a doctor, and plans to start a pre-med track in college. Secquoia’s interest in the medical field began at a young age, as she struggled with food allergies and spent a lot of time at the doctor. She is currently a CNA and works at a nursing home to get experience in the field. Secquoia is a member of the Oneida Nation, and her culture is very important to her. In her free time she loves to bake to relieve stress, she plays lacrosse for the Notre Dame Academy girls varsity lacrosse team, and she likes to go on walks with her mom.

Kimberly Moua is a passionate 8th grader at Edison Middle School who believes it is important to be involved. She was the 7th grade student council class president, was on the Edison volleyball team, loves to sing and participate in school musicals and talent shows, is in forensics, is in the NJHS (National Junior Honor Society), and is a proud member of AVID and the Edison Hope Squad. Hope Squad is a peer mediation program that supports students with positive mental health and suicide prevention. Kimberly’s favorite class is AVID, a college readiness program. She loves AVID because it allows her to focus on her future career and envision her college experience. She is grateful for her AVID teacher Ms. Simon because she cares about her students’ successes, makes them all feel like they belong, and encourages them to be motivated and confident. Kimberly plans to start college at NWTC and eventually go on to earn her doctorate degree to become a pharmacist. Kimberly has won several awards, including an honorable mention for her poem and illustration in the annual Brown County Martin Luther King Jr. contest, and has placed first and second in singing competitions across the state. She was also chosen as a GBAPS Equity in Education Student Success Award recipient in 2022.

The Kennedy Elementary School Special Education team has been named 2023 Golden Apple Award winners. The team includes Madeline Labott, Hope Smeester and Rylee Schmitt. Madeline and Hope are moderate autism focus teachers, and Rylee is a severe autism focus teacher. The team is proud to be recognized and are grateful to bring attention and awareness to their work and the GBAPS autism program. Madeline, Hope and Rylee enjoy collaborating and sharing ideas to best meet the needs of their students. They want people to understand that their students are unique individuals, and that autism doesn’t define them. The goal of the GBAPS autism focus program is to engage students in an inclusive environment to prepare them to be part of a regular education setting. Madeline earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from UW-Oshkosh, and her master’s degree in special education from Marian University. Hope earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from UW-Green Bay and completed the American Board for Special Education certification. Rylee earned her associate’s degree in education from UW-Marinette, and her bachelor’s degree in special education from UW-Oshkosh.

The East High School AVID team has been named 2023 Teachers of Distinction. The team includes Brian Nast, Karen McGrath, and Levi Nelson. Brian is an AVID elective teacher and site team coordinator, teaches Social Studies at East, and has coached football for years. Karen is an AVID elective teacher, an English Learners (EL) teacher, and teaches in the bilingual alternative education program. Levi is an AVID elective teacher, teaches Physical Education at East, and coaches football. AVID is a college readiness program that provides support for students in the “academic middle” to enroll and succeed in college. AVID teachers help students get organized for their classes and act as mentors, teachers, and counselors to help kids fulfill their dreams. Many AVID students are first generation college students, and benefit from additional support and guidance in the college preparation process. Brian, Karen, and Levi believe their students are amazing, resilient, talented, and continually push themselves to achieve. Brian Nast comes from a family of educators. He received his bachelor’s degree from UW-Stevens Point, and his master’s from Marian University. Karen received her bachelor’s degree from UW-Oshkosh, a certification through UW-Milwaukee, and her master’s from Lesley University. Levi received his bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from The University of Akron, and his doctorate degree from the University of Western States. The East AVID team cares deeply for their students, and enjoys giving their time, energy, and passion to helping their kids achieve their goals.

Elementary Special Education teacher Stephanie Lenz has been at Dr. Rosa Minoka-Hill School since 2016. She started in the Green Bay Area Public School District as a paraprofessional. Stephanie earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education and language arts from Carroll University, and her master’s degree in special education from Marian University. This year, she has been named a Teacher of Distinction. Stephanie works with kindergarten through fifth grade students at Minoka-Hill. She helps her students find regulation in a safe and comfortable environment with no judgment. She feels honored to be named a Teacher of Distinction, and believes that the work of special education educators is very important. Stephanie has three daughters and a husband who has supported her through her educational journey. In their free time, they love to be outside, spend time on their boat, walk their dogs, and go to local car shows.

Jen Brooks has been a school counselor at Danz Elementary for 16 years. Jen is proud to be a Danz Dolphin, and feels blessed to work with an amazing team of educators who always have the children’s best interests at heart. Jen earned her bachelor’s degree from UW-Oshkosh in psychology and Spanish, and her master’s degree in school counseling from Lakeland University. She has many roles in the District, serving as the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) internal facilitator for Tier 1, as well as Tier 2 and 3. PBIS creates a safe and positive learning community and helps students understand what is expected of them at school. She is also the District elementary school counselor liaison, and was very involved in the universal implementation of Zones of Regulation at Danz. Zones of Regulation helps students identify and regulate their feelings and emotions. One of her favorite events each year is when the Preble graduates (who were former Danz students) walk through the Danz Elementary hallways and are cheered on by current students and staff. She loves to hear them reminisce about their elementary school memories, especially when they recall ways in which she helped them or lessons she taught them. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Physical education teacher David Calloway has been teaching at Franklin Middle School for nine years. David is originally from St. Louis, and earned his bachelor’s degree from Missouri State University. After moving to Wisconsin, he received his master’s degree in educational leadership and policy analysis from UW-Madison. David is very involved at Franklin, coaching football, boys basketball, and girls basketball. He is also passionate about being an advisor for the Anti-Racist Folx Student Group at Franklin. The group started with adults after the George Floyd tragedy, and then expanded to students. David enjoys having important conversations with his students about how to create positive change, how to listen to the perspectives of others, and how to break down barriers together. He would love to see students at other schools have this same opportunity, and is happy to collaborate with other teachers about starting a group at their schools. In the future, he aspires to a role in education administration to advance equity in education. David is a family man, and enjoys spending time with his wife, two boys, and extended family and friends. In his free time, he loves to watch sports, cook, and give of his time to others.

Brooke Schmitz is a fourth grade student at Langlade Elementary School. She enjoys reading, writing, participating in the Girls on the Run program, and spending time with her friends. Brooke likes Girls on the Run because she gets to train for a 5K with other kids. She enjoys this club because you “get to know who the other kids are, and not just who you think they are.” Brooke wants to become a doctor or nurse because she wants to make people happy. She is already thinking about college, and asks for extra challenging work after finishing her class assignments to be prepared for her future. Outside of school, Brooke enjoys piano, singing lessons, gymnastics, and drawing. She likes spending time with her family, and playing with her older brother.

Zhuxin Karoliussen is a math teacher at Leonardo da Vinci School for Gifted Learners (K-8). She has been teaching in the District for 9 years. Zhuxin enjoys teaching multi-age students in the same classroom, and loves to see them work together. She adapts her lessons to keep up with the pace and rigor of the curriculum, and even teaches high school classes to her students. This year, Zhuxin was named a Teacher of Distinction. Zhuxin grew up in a city near Shanghai, China. After graduating high school, she came to Wisconsin to study abroad at UW-Green Bay. She was a very involved college student, participating in the Phuture Phoenix program; and serving as International Club co-president for two years, a summer camp counselor, and an AVID tutor. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from UW-Green Bay and a master’s degree in educational psychology from UW-Madison. Zhuxin met her future husband while in college. They now have a young son, and enjoy taking walks and spending time together. In her free time, she also enjoys photography.

Abdulkadir Nur has been a District-wide paraprofessional for 15 years. In his position, he serves as the bridge between GBAPS staff and families from Somalia who are new to our District and our country. Abdulkadir provides translation and interpreting services for District families as they navigate the differences in education, culture, food, weather, and more. Originally from Somalia himself, Abdulkadir understands this cultural shift, and strives to provide comfort and guidance to families and students experiencing transition. Abdulkdir had the opportunity to leave Somalia after he graduated high school. He moved to Italy with a scholarship and studied architecture. He then moved to Milwaukee to continue his studies. Abdulkadir feels fortunate to have lived the life he has in the United States, and spends his time working to improve the lives of others. Abdulkadir coaches for the Allouez Stampede, a nonprofit youth soccer club. He also works with local students who are interested in basketball with Harry Boyce, former East High School student. The students train at Harry’s basketball facility, and Abulkadir helps raise money for uniforms and tournaments. In addition, he is heavily involved with the Global Youth Foundation. Through this organization he helps local children and students in Africa pay for their school tuition, books, food, and other needs. Abdulkadir has four grown children who have graduated college and live across the U.S. He is proud that his children’s vocations have allowed them to help others as well.

Brisset Torres-Alvarado is a senior at East High School. She enjoys being involved in her school community, and spends her time as president of both the Latino Club and FBLA, treasurer of National Honor Society, a student council member, and a Link Crew mentor. Additionally, she’s part of the senior business internship program where she works at a local credit union for part of the school day. Brisset says she has formed a bond with many of the teachers at East High School, and feels comfortable reaching out to them for help and guidance. After high school, she plans to attend college in Wisconsin, and potentially get into the field of social work or sociology. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering, spending time with friends, watching movies, shopping, and riding her bike.

Mazda Noorzad is an English Learner (EL) paraprofessional at Keller Elementary, Lombardi Middle and Southwest High School. She interprets for students and families who speak Farsi and Pashto. Originally from Afghanistan, Mazda also speaks English, Urdu and Hindi. Mazda has been with the District for five years. Mazda fled war-torn Afghanistan when she was five years old and lived in Pakistan for six years. She returned back to her homeland until she came to the United States in 2013, and is a U.S. citizen. She started as an EL student at NWTC, and graduated with her associate’s degree in Foundations of Teacher Education. Mazda feels accomplished and fulfilled every day at her job, and knows she is making a positive difference for children and families who are new to the country and to our community. Mazda enjoys spending time with her husband and daughters, who also attend school at Lombardi and Southwest. She likes to read books about empowering women, go on walks, shop with her daughters, travel, and talk with her siblings who live all over the world.

Ying Thao has been a Green Bay Area Public Schools Head Start teacher for 18 years. She loves working with the District’s littlest learners. Ying is one of 10 siblings and has many cousins and family members, so she grew up with little ones around. Ying earned her bachelor’s degree in education with an emphasis in early education from UW-Green Bay. She believes that being a child’s first teacher and first exposure to the school environment is an important responsibility. Ying feels that being a Head Start teacher is a humbling experience because the students remind her of herself. In her free time, Ying enjoys spending time with her family and grandchildren, going up north to her cabin, traveling, and dancing.

West High School senior Ivan Grant moved to Green Bay from Michigan as a sophomore. He has enjoyed getting involved at West, and is vice president of National Honor Society, vice president of FBLA, secretary of the International Baccalaureate ® (IB) club, and part of the language arts academic team. Ivan enjoys being part of the IB program because it has challenged him academically and allows him to prove to himself that he can be successful in the program. IB has opened his mind to a different way of thinking and learning. Ivan’s dream school is Harvard University. He plans to major in biochemistry or neurology, with an eventual goal to become a neurosurgeon. Outside of school he loves to spend time with family, volunteer, and read.

Ashley Wagner has been a school counselor at Dr. Rosa Minoka-Hill School since 2014. She collaborates with community providers and agencies to support families and build positive relationships with students. Part of her role includes coordinating Minoka’s school-based mental health program in partnership with Bellin Health. Ashley always knew she wanted to work with kids. She received her bachelor’s degree in human development and psychology from UW-Green Bay, and her master’s degree in school counseling from Lakeland University. Ashley loves her job, and enjoys making a positive difference in the lives of her students. Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her family and three children camping, traveling, and being outdoors.

Senior Elianna Maas is involved in just about everything at Southwest High School. She’s an active DECA member, manages the school store, is senior class president, chief editor of the yearbook, historian for National Honor Society, social media manager for Key Club, and enjoys taking sports photography for the football and basketball teams. Elianna is most proud of the business she has helped build and manage out of the Southwest school based enterprise (school store). She manages a team of eight students to design, produce, and market apparel for the Southwest community. She has loved working with a team of students with different backgrounds and ideas to create the business and actualize her vision. Outside of school, she works at Coldstone Creamery, is the social media manager for their TikTok account, and is a digital marketer for an agency based out of Florida. After high school, Elianna hopes to graduate from UW-Madison, work in marketing in Dubai, and eventually own her own marketing agency.

Dean Baerenwald has been a special education teacher in the Green Bay Area Public School District since 1998. He has been teaching at Nicolet Elementary School for 20 years, and enjoys helping his students succeed and persevere through challenges. Dean believes that everyone has the ability to learn - people just learn in different ways at different rates. Dean earned his degree from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He fell in love with the special education population after his friend, who was coaching the Special Olympics, asked him to help out. In his free time, Dean enjoys camping, football, and traveling. He also looks forward to his family’s monthly game nights.

Seth Logerquist is a senior at West High School. He’s involved in student council, intra-city student council, academic decathlon, and cribbage club. Seth is an International Baccalaureate ® (IB) Programme student. He enjoys the IB Programme because the learning model is focused on discussion, critical thinking, and engagement with the subject matter. Students are encouraged to dive deep into their learning. Seth’s favorite class at West is history with Mr. Gage. He enjoys learning about how the past influences the present and potentially the future. Seth has been accepted to Lakeland University, and plans to be a religious studies scholar. In his free time, Seth enjoys reading, and playing sports with friends, and video games.

Pai Lo has been with the Green Bay Area Public School District for 35 years. She has been a district-wide Hmong interpreter for the Special Education Department since 2006. She has also worked at Head Start and Howe Elementary School. Pai came to Wisconsin in 1980 with her family after spending four years in a refugee camp in Thailand. She speaks Hmong, English and some Laotian. Pai loves working with students and families, and enjoys being a friend, interpreter, and grandmother figure to them. Pai has a husband and three grown children. In her free time, she enjoys sewing and making clothing alterations. She learned to sew at the age of seven doing Hmong embroidery.

Callie Schauer is an 8th grader at Red Smith School. She’s on the Red Smith volleyball team, and participated in show choir last year. She is in accelerated English Language Arts (ELA), which means she is completing 9th grade work in 8th grade. Callie’s favorite teacher at Red Smith is her ELA teacher Mrs. Molaski. Callie enjoys learning from her because she makes learning fun, explains concepts well, and will help her students with anything they need. In her free time, Callie enjoys spending time with her friends and playing games and fishing with her family. She’s undecided about her future career, but is interested in the fields of nursing and marine biology.

Tyler Bouressa has been teaching at Northeast Wisconsin School of Innovation (N.E.W.) since it opened. A teacher in the District since 2014, he has also worked at East High School. Tyler had many positive influences in his life growing up, and wanted to become a teacher to be a role model for young people. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UW-Madison, and is certified in alternative education from UW-Milwaukee. Tyler says his students inspire him daily, and he is constantly impressed with their passion, grit, acceptance of one another, and their ability to overcome obstacles and barriers. Tyler has two children of his own, and enjoys coaching his son in sports and singing with his daughter. He loves Wisconsin sports, being outside, camping and hiking.

Feuy Yang has been an English Language (EL) paraprofessional with Green Bay Area Public Schools since 1988. She currently works at Chappell and Elmore Elementary Schools, but has worked at many schools across the District. Feuy speaks six languages: Chinese, Hmong, Thai, Lao, Mien, and English. Feuy’s family came to the United States as refugees in 1981. Her mother is Hmong, her father is Chinese, and she came from a diverse village in Luang Prabang, Laos. Feuy loves her job as a paraprofessional, and enjoys helping her students achieve their goals in reading, writing, and math. She works as a team with the classroom teacher to ensure all students can be successful. Outside of school, Feuy loves to hike and grow food in her garden to share with the community. She has four children, all who attended Green Bay Area Public Schools. Two of her children have followed in her footsteps and are now teachers.

Brandon Rivera De Leon is an involved senior at Preble High School. During his high school experience, he has participated in DECA, Language Arts Academic team, Sting Cancer, National Honor Society, FBLA, Link Crew, Sources of Strength, and NEW Scholars. When Brandon graduates from high school in 2023, he will also receive his associate’s degree from UW-Green Bay as part of the Rising Phoenix program. Brandon works part-time at the Green Bay Area Public School District office as a co-op student, assisting four different departments. He is bilingual, fluent in both English and Spanish. In his free time, Brandon enjoys listening to music, volunteering at school functions, and going to the movies. After high school, he hopes to attend UW-Madison.

Michele Salzsieder is the head cook at West High School. She has been at West since 2014, and has been with Green Bay Area Public Schools for 27 years. She describes her position at West as her “dream job”, and says it feels like coming home. Michele and her children both went to West, and she still lives in the West High neighborhood. Michele makes a point to connect with the students at West, and build relationships with them. She recognizes that she is the first face the kids see at school in the morning, and she takes that responsibility seriously. Michele also loves art, and will often share containers recycled from the cafeteria to be used in various art projects. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, refinishing her home and her daughter’s home, reading, and doing hands-on projects. Michele is also a big Stephen King fan, and owns all his books in hardcover in her personal library.

Ashlee Olujic has been a First Nations Specialist with Green Bay Area Public Schools (GBAPS) for three years. She serves students at Fort Howard, Keller, and Kennedy elementary schools. In her position, she works to ensure that her students feel valued and represented. She feels GBAPS is very lucky to have a First Nations program, as many school districts do not. Ashlee earned her degree in organizational leadership from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. As a Native American woman, she feels an obligation and responsibility to help her community and make sure that First Nations students feel empowered to reach their full potential. In her free time, Ashlee enjoys spending time with her daughter, writing, hiking, taking day trips, and going for walks. As a writer, she has her first children’s book coming out in December.

Tara Miller is a first grade teacher at Beaumont Elementary School. She has been at Beaumont for four years. A graduate of Sullivan Elementary, Edison Middle School and Preble High School, Tara returned to her hometown after attending the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire to live out her dream of being a teacher. Tara has wanted to teach ever since she can remember. Growing up she played “school” at home with her sister, babysat, and started taking child development classes as soon as she was able. She credits her fifth grade teacher at Sullivan for pushing her to go further in her education, making her feel special, and helping her grow as a student. Outside of work, she enjoys camping, reading, spending time outside, listening to music, and being with family. Whenever possible, she likes to take her students outside to learn in the fresh air.

Bryan Pater is a floating facility technician for the Green Bay Area Public School District. Since he joined the District over two years ago, he has worked in 30 of our schools. Bryan enjoys the challenge of working in different schools, and appreciates the relationships he is able to build with people. Prior to joining the District, Bryan worked in concrete construction for 10 years. When his family moved to Green Bay, he was excited to join Green Bay Area Public Schools for the benefit of the Wisconsin Retirement System. He describes his experience working for the District as “very positive, everyone is super helpful and polite.” In his free time, Bryan enjoys spending time with his family and hunting waterfowl and turkeys. He also likes wildlife photography, and recently won a national photo contest through Delta Waterfowl.

Krista Vande Ven is in her 3rd year of teaching kindergarten at McAuliffe Elementary School. Prior to her current position at McAuliffe, she taught 4th grade at King Elementary School. Krista loves her career as an educator, and enjoys working collaboratively with the team at McAuliffe. This year, Krista was named a 2022 Teacher of Distinction. Krista earned her bachelor’s degree in early education from UW-Green Bay. While she was in high school she considered studying social work in college, but quickly realized her heart was in education. She enjoys teaching at McAuliffe because of all the opportunities that are provided for kids to grow their interests and explore. In her free time, Krista enjoys spending time with her friends and family, visiting Door County, reading, going for bike rides, golfing, and attending shows at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center.

Marisa Witterholt teaches accelerated and regular 7th grade math at Edison Middle School. She has been teaching for seven years, and previously was a long-term substitute for Green Bay Area Public Schools. She is also one of Edison's Co-Math Department Leads for the 2022-23 school year. Marisa received her bachelor’s degree from Winona State University, and her master’s degree and education technology certificate from the College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. Marisa was named a 2022 Teacher of Distinction. Marisa has never wanted to be anything but a teacher. Her past teachers positively influenced her career path, especially her math teachers. Marisa is also interested in education technology, and would like to support teachers and students by infusing more technology resources into their teaching and learning. Outside of work, she enjoys friendly board game competitions with her husband, and spending time with family and friends. She likes to exercise, read, golf, and go kayaking.

Abby Schultz is an 8th grade language arts teacher at Lombardi Middle School. She has been teaching for 10 years, and this year she was named a 2022 Teacher of Distinction. Abby earned her undergraduate degree in secondary education at Northern Michigan University, and her master’s degree from Viterbo University. She originally wanted to study biology and work in medicine, but found she enjoys teaching. Abby enjoys building positive relationships with students. Serving as that positive influence keeps her teaching every day. Outside of work, Abby enjoys visiting Door County, reading, taking her children to the library, thrifting, and do-it-yourself projects.

Teresa Terzich is a 2nd grade bilingual teacher at Sullivan Elementary School. She has been a Green Bay Area Public School District educator for 19 years. Teresa considers herself a lifelong learner, and enjoys passing along her love of education to her students. This year, she was named a 2022 Teacher of Distinction. Teresa received her undergraduate degree from UW-Whitewater, and her master’s degree from UW-Green Bay. She has also taken bilingual and English as a Second Language classes through UW-Oshkosh. Teresa loves traveling and being outside. She enjoys spending time with friends and family, reading inspirational books, and listening to music.

Joe Baltus, Keith Griffin and Nicholas Pichla make up the Washington Middle School Fine Arts music team. Joe and Nick are both instrumental music teachers, and have been at Washington for four years. Keith is a choral music specialist, and has been at Washington for two years. This year, they were named a 2022 Teacher Team of Distinction. Joe received his education from the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh, Keith earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin - Parkside and his master’s degree from Anderson University in Indiana, and Nick received his bachelor’s of music education degree from Grand Valley State University in Michigan. Each member of this Team of Distinction is a passionate educator. For Nick, he loves the feeling when his students realize they can complete challenging work, and show pride and joy in their education. For Joe, he appreciates the realness and energy his students have, and feels honored to be able to teach and make music. Keith is appreciative of how beautiful and ethnically diverse his students are, and loves to gather around the piano with his students raising their voices together in song.