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
Jordan Carrillo, Lead Teacher
Jordan Carrillo is a passionate elementary school teacher in her fifth year of education. She holds a Master's degree in Elementary Education from Grand Canyon University, where she specialized in creating engaging and interactive curricula for diverse learning styles.
Jordan's teaching philosophy centers on fostering a supportive and stimulating environment, where each student is valued and encouraged to reach their full potential. She utilizes a range of methods, including hands-on activities, collaborative projects, and technology, to inspire critical thinking, creativity, and a love for learning.
Outside of the classroom, Jordan enjoys exploring Kitsap County with her husband and 2-year-old daughter. She is dedicated to building strong partnerships with students and their families, and looks forward to another year of growth and discovery.
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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!
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.
Jacob Knight, Small Group Instructor
Mr. Knight is so excited to be a part of the Catalyst team! He is originally from Spokane, Washington, where he taught elementary school for the last five years. Mr. Knight LOVES reading, writing, and learning. Jacob Knight received his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Elementary Education and English Language Acquisition, respectively. He is currently working on his second Master’s in Trauma and Resilience in Schools.
Mr. Knight is a lifelong learner, and you can always find him reading a new book or re-reading the Harry Potter series. He loves to write and has published a couple of stories. Jacob Knight is passionate about LGBTQ+ rights, education, and representation. His other hobbies and passions include spending time with his dogs, kayaking, hiking, traveling, and playing piano.
Andrea Nix - Small Group Instructor
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.
Ashlee Redfern, Small Group Instructor
Ms. Redfern shares her life with her husband, their energetic first-grader, and beloved pets, Jack the dog and Miki the cat, calling Poulsbo home. With a background in Culinary Arts and a love for exploring global flavors at farmers markets around the world, her zest for life knows no bounds. Her adventures took her to Florence, Italy, where she earned a Bachelor's in Intercultural and Interlinguistic Studies, igniting her passion for cross-cultural communication. Now, as she works towards her Masters in Elementary Education, Ashlee is dedicated to fostering justice through education.
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Ms. Redfern is a spirited advocate for positive change. With unwavering conviction, she believes in the transformative power of expanding non-violent communication and cultivating edible permaculture in communities worldwide. These twin passions serve as pillars in her mission to foster a brighter, more beautiful future for all. Whether she's engaging students in the classroom, sharing a book recommendation, studying a foreign language, swimming in the sea, wild foraging for edibles, or tending to the earth, she is dedicated to nurturing connections that transcend borders and promoting practices that nourish both body and soul. She is excited to join the Catalyst family in the journey towards a world where peace, understanding, and sustainability flourish!
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.
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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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!