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Canterbury School Welcomes New Faculty and Staff
Canterbury School welcomes several new faculty and staff members for our 2024-2025 school year. Each joins our community with an outstanding background and a commitment to academic excellence.
We are pleased to welcome Erin Kolakowski as our new Upper School Counselor. She comes to us from The Village School in Naples where she held the positions of Assistant Head of Upper School and School Counselor. She has also served as an Academic Success Coach and Adjunct Professor at Florida Gulf Coast University. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Eastern Illinois University and a Master of Arts in Human Development Counseling with a concentration in School Counseling from the University of Illinois at Springfield. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in industrial and organizational psychology from Walden University in Minnesota.
Todd Barnett will join us as Assistant Head for Strategic Growth and AP Seminar Teacher in our Upper School. He is a longtime educator and camp director who founded Field Camp, an outdoor summer camp in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2000. In 2007, he started Field School, a boys’ middle school that is also located in Charlottesville. He served as the Head of School there for 14 years. Todd earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Government from the University of Virginia. He also has a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his work with Field Camp and Field School, Todd has enjoyed close to 40 years of teaching experience at various independent schools including Landon School, St. Anne’s-Belfield School, Woodbury Forest School, Grand River Academy, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Ashley Jefferson will serve as our new Director of Library Services. She comes to Canterbury from Miami Country Day School where she served for four years as their Director of Library Services. Ashley earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. She also earned a Master of Science in Library Science from Clarion University in Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in Management from Walden University in Minnesota. Her experience also includes working in library services for Baptist Health South Florida, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Miami Dade County Public Library System, and the Alexandria, Virginia Public Library.
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Todd Barnett will join us as Assistant Head for Strategic Growth and AP Seminar Teacher in our Upper School. He is a longtime educator and camp director who founded Field Camp, an outdoor summer camp in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2000. In 2007, he started Field School, a boys’ middle school that is also located in Charlottesville. He served as the Head of School there for 14 years. Todd earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Government from the University of Virginia. He also has a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to his work with Field Camp and Field School, Todd has enjoyed close to 40 years of teaching experience at various independent schools including Landon School, St. Anne’s-Belfield School, Woodbury Forest School, Grand River Academy, and the University of Pennsylvania.
Ashley Jefferson will serve as our new Director of Library Services. She comes to Canterbury from Miami Country Day School where she served for four years as their Director of Library Services. Ashley earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Lebanon Valley College in Pennsylvania. She also earned a Master of Science in Library Science from Clarion University in Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in Management from Walden University in Minnesota. Her experience also includes working in library services for Baptist Health South Florida, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Miami Dade County Public Library System, and the Alexandria, Virginia Public Library.
Alicia Raymond will teach English to our eighth graders in Middle School. She joins Canterbury with 12 years of experience working in independent schools, most recently at Trinity Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia, where she taught various levels of Middle School English. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English and her master’s in creative writing from Longwood University in Virginia. She also completed the teaching certificate program at the University of Richmond. As a former Division I athlete, Alicia also enjoys coaching and has many years of experience coaching tennis and swimming. We are looking forward to Alicia taking the lead with our swim team this fall.
Anna Syracuse will also join our Middle School to teach fifth-grade English. She has worked in education for the past eight years, most recently with the Lee County School District at Rayma C. Page Elementary School, and Crestwell School, a private school in Fort Myers. Anna earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music Industry from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.
We are pleased to welcome Hernan Matute to our World Languages Department to teach Spanish in our Middle and Upper Schools. He has more than a decade of experience in education, most recently teaching AP Spanish and Spanish 2 at LaBelle High School in Hendry County. Hernan earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in double bass music performance from Florida International University. He is also an accomplished musician and music educator and looks forward to contributing to our music programs.
Anna Syracuse will also join our Middle School to teach fifth-grade English. She has worked in education for the past eight years, most recently with the Lee County School District at Rayma C. Page Elementary School, and Crestwell School, a private school in Fort Myers. Anna earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music Industry from the State University of New York College at Oneonta.
We are pleased to welcome Hernan Matute to our World Languages Department to teach Spanish in our Middle and Upper Schools. He has more than a decade of experience in education, most recently teaching AP Spanish and Spanish 2 at LaBelle High School in Hendry County. Hernan earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in double bass music performance from Florida International University. He is also an accomplished musician and music educator and looks forward to contributing to our music programs.
In our Lower School, Julie Feyereisen is excited to take the lead in one of our third-grade classrooms. She comes to Canterbury with 11 years of teaching experience in elementary education, mainly in first through third grades. Most recently, she taught at Villas Elementary in Fort Myers. Julie earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
We have several new assistant teachers joining us in Lower School this year. Linda McComish will be in our kindergarten classrooms. She first joined Canterbury in 2023 as part of our Extended Day Program. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Textiles from Oregon State University. She also continues to enjoy a successful career of 30-plus years in real estate. We are pleased to welcome Sue Summers as an assistant teacher in our Pre-K4 classrooms. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting with a minor in Art History from Boston University. For the past 20 years, she has worked as store manager at Calico Corners, a designer fabrics store in Naples, Florida. Sue has also spent time this past year as a substitute teacher for Canterbury and has served as an assistant coach with Canterbury’s Cross Country program. Ivonne Urriolagoitia-Torres will be joining us as an assistant teacher in our Pre-K3 classrooms. She is familiar with Canterbury having worked with our Extended Day Program in 2016-2017 as well as serving as a substitute teacher. Most recently, she worked with the Lee County School District as an assistant teacher and as a childcare assistant with Lee Health. Ivonne earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and hospitality from the University Hispano Mexicano in Mexico City.
Our Physical Education Department will have some new faces joining us part-time this year. Michelle Kuntze looks forward to bringing her energy and expertise to teach Dance Technique. She is the owner and artistic director of the Fort Myers Theatre in South Fort Myers. She is a graduate of Hodges University and also studied theatre at the Bower School of Music & the Arts at Florida Gulf Coast University. She has also previously taught dance and drama at Challenger Middle School in Cape Coral, the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, and choreographed past Canterbury musical theater performances. Stephanie Listowski Wong ’04, a proud alumna of Canterbury’s Class of 2004, will teach a unique new course in our Upper School called Athletic Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation. She graduated from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine with a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2011. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in health services administration from the University of Central Florida in 2008. Stephanie has worked as a physical therapist in Southwest Florida for over 13 years with all patient populations in diverse clinical settings. Currently, she serves as the Director of Rehabilitation Services at the Orthopedic Center of Florida (OCF).
Abby Pezzi ’05, a Canterbury lifer from the Class of 2005, will take on the role of Special Advisor for Faculty Recruitment this school year. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the Wharton School and a Bachelor of Arts in American History from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a Master of Science in Economics from Tufts University. Abby served as a senior policy adviser for former Representative Lynn Jenkins and managed successful local and federal campaigns.
Ellie Bowden-Kelly will join our Communications Office as a Communications Specialist. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Digital Arts and Design from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. She previously served as creative director for WooBamboo!, an eco-friendly oral care company based in Cape Coral. She has also worked as a photographer and freelance designer throughout Southwest Florida. CJ Schrowe will join us as a Technology Liaison to assist our IT provider, Entech, with technological support in our classrooms. He will also teach P.E. and Health in our Middle School. He comes to us from Patriot Elementary in Cape Coral where he spent the past two years working as a technology specialist, teaching physical education, and overseeing the daily student news broadcast. He also serves as a pitching coach for Canterbury’s Baseball program and will coach Middle School Basketball this year.
We have several new assistant teachers joining us in Lower School this year. Linda McComish will be in our kindergarten classrooms. She first joined Canterbury in 2023 as part of our Extended Day Program. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Textiles from Oregon State University. She also continues to enjoy a successful career of 30-plus years in real estate. We are pleased to welcome Sue Summers as an assistant teacher in our Pre-K4 classrooms. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting with a minor in Art History from Boston University. For the past 20 years, she has worked as store manager at Calico Corners, a designer fabrics store in Naples, Florida. Sue has also spent time this past year as a substitute teacher for Canterbury and has served as an assistant coach with Canterbury’s Cross Country program. Ivonne Urriolagoitia-Torres will be joining us as an assistant teacher in our Pre-K3 classrooms. She is familiar with Canterbury having worked with our Extended Day Program in 2016-2017 as well as serving as a substitute teacher. Most recently, she worked with the Lee County School District as an assistant teacher and as a childcare assistant with Lee Health. Ivonne earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration and hospitality from the University Hispano Mexicano in Mexico City.
Our Physical Education Department will have some new faces joining us part-time this year. Michelle Kuntze looks forward to bringing her energy and expertise to teach Dance Technique. She is the owner and artistic director of the Fort Myers Theatre in South Fort Myers. She is a graduate of Hodges University and also studied theatre at the Bower School of Music & the Arts at Florida Gulf Coast University. She has also previously taught dance and drama at Challenger Middle School in Cape Coral, the Alliance for the Arts in Fort Myers, and choreographed past Canterbury musical theater performances. Stephanie Listowski Wong ’04, a proud alumna of Canterbury’s Class of 2004, will teach a unique new course in our Upper School called Athletic Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation. She graduated from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine with a Doctor of Physical Therapy in 2011. She also earned a bachelor’s degree in health services administration from the University of Central Florida in 2008. Stephanie has worked as a physical therapist in Southwest Florida for over 13 years with all patient populations in diverse clinical settings. Currently, she serves as the Director of Rehabilitation Services at the Orthopedic Center of Florida (OCF).
Abby Pezzi ’05, a Canterbury lifer from the Class of 2005, will take on the role of Special Advisor for Faculty Recruitment this school year. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the Wharton School and a Bachelor of Arts in American History from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as a Master of Science in Economics from Tufts University. Abby served as a senior policy adviser for former Representative Lynn Jenkins and managed successful local and federal campaigns.
Ellie Bowden-Kelly will join our Communications Office as a Communications Specialist. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Digital Arts and Design from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida. She previously served as creative director for WooBamboo!, an eco-friendly oral care company based in Cape Coral. She has also worked as a photographer and freelance designer throughout Southwest Florida. CJ Schrowe will join us as a Technology Liaison to assist our IT provider, Entech, with technological support in our classrooms. He will also teach P.E. and Health in our Middle School. He comes to us from Patriot Elementary in Cape Coral where he spent the past two years working as a technology specialist, teaching physical education, and overseeing the daily student news broadcast. He also serves as a pitching coach for Canterbury’s Baseball program and will coach Middle School Basketball this year.
New Roles at Canterbury
Several current faculty and staff members are taking on new or additional roles for the 2024-2025 school year. After 35 years of incredible teaching in the classroom, Ronda Garner will be taking on a new role in our Lower School as Dean of Student Activities. This includes leading the charge on various community service projects and traditions our Lower School students enjoy participating in each year. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Ohio University and her Master of Education in Reading and Mathematics from Walden University.
Silvia Zavala looks forward to a new challenge serving as World Languages Department Chair and teaching Spanish in our Upper School. Silvia spent the past seven years teaching Spanish in our Lower School. Silvia earned her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Instituto Pedagógico Santa Rosa Perú.
In addition to his role as head coach of our Varsity Boys Soccer program, Jared Rust will now be Director of our Leadership Institute for Tomorrow (LIFT) program. He will also hold the position of Director of Athletic Advising. Jared joined Canterbury in 2022 after moving from Oregon where he was coaching collegiate men’s soccer for the past 12 years. Jared earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Corban University. Alek Kirschner ’16 will now serve as our Dean of Students in the Middle School. Alek graduated from Brigham Young University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
In our Middle School, Morgan Dexter will now teach Ancient World History to our fifth graders. She earned her Bachelor of Education from the University of South Florida. Paige Pollock ’14 will teach mathematics to our fifth-grade students. Paige earned her Master of Science in Elementary Education from Johns Hopkins University. She also has a bachelor’s degree in family and child sciences with minors in education, psychology, and sociology from Florida State University. Taylor Goins is excited to teach mathematics to our sixth graders in the new school year. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Flagler College and a Master of Education in Educational Psychology from Florida State University.
In our Lower School, Nita Stewart will lead one of our first-grade classrooms for the new school year. Nita earned her Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction Educational Technology from Florida Gulf Coast University as well as her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts Studies from the University of Florida. Kelsie Kirschner will move to Pre-K3 to lead our youngest Cougar Cubs. Kelsie earned her Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Utah Valley University. Maryely Sanchez will teach the Lower School Spanish program. Maryely holds a Bachelor of Science in Social and International Studies from Southern Polytech University.
In addition to her role as Athletic Trainer, Corinne Green will teach Introduction to Sports Medicine in our Upper School Physical Education Department. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Athletic Training from Florida Gulf Coast University. Liz Corrente will join our Physical Education Department to teach Bootcamp Fitness in our Upper School. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Theater Arts from Gettysburg College and her Master of Arts in Psychology and Counseling from Arcadia University.
