Meet the Faculty

Faculty List

Note: Please click on the names to view the description.

A graduate of Slippery Rock University, with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Education, Linda founded Lee Academy in 1983. She has made numerous presentations on gifted education at national and international conferences. Linda is a member of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children, the Florida Association for the Gifted,
and the National Association for Gifted Children. She is presently studying nutritional health and fitness as it relates to enhanced cognitive, emotional and physical growth and development in children.

Jen holds a Bachelor’s Degree in German and French, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education, a Postgraduate Diploma in the Law of Educational Management, and a Master’s in Education, specializing in Curriculum Design and Assessment, all from the University of Leeds in England. Jen has taught in both England and Germany and has many years of experience in a variety of subject areas, including languages,
math and information technology. She is responsible for all aspects of the program and is the focal point of communication for parents, faculty and the world outside Lee. Along with the Upper, Middle and Lower School Coordinators, Jen is responsible for curricula. She is also our go-to person to keep computer systems up and running on a daily basis.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in languages and a post graduate diploma in education from the University of Leeds in England. He taught high school in France, Germany and England for many years. In addition to being Upper School Coordinator, David directs our Latin, French and German programs. He takes the active participation approach to foreign language learning, encouraging students to converse in the language as much as possible. David also works
with our Upper School students on career and college planning. He liaises closely with USF and area colleges with regard to our Upper School Dual Enrollment program. David is experienced in leading student trips abroad.

Jeff received his Bachelor’s degree from Manchester College and has strong experience individualizing curriculum and preparing individual education plans. His teaching style is very hands-on and visual, encouraging students to be active during experiments, field trips, projects and class discussions. In Jeff’s physical education classes,
he emphasizes teamwork and fair play. Jeff and Lou Ann work together on Middle and Lower School responsibilities, including working with students and parents.

Caroline earned a BA from Florida State University, a Master of Arts in Elementary
Education Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado and completed
the Educational Research Foundation’s “Trainer of Teachers” program. An accomplished artist, Caroline has provided art and music instruction to young children
for over 20 years. Caroline is excited to build a hands-on active learning classroom
community with the Early Childhood students again in the fall. Artwork from
her class receives high acclaim.

For the past 16 years, Lauren has been teaching and developing engaging English courses as a college professor at various higher education institutions, including FSU, USF, Texas Tech, Embry-Riddle, and HCC. She received her Bachelor’s in English at the University of Florida, graduating Cum Laude. Thereafter, she received her Master’s in English Education and is currently ABD a PhD in Curriculum and Instruction, specializing in English Education. Lauren previously served as lead tutor for the Community Learning Centers in the Lee County School District. Based on her teaching effectiveness, she was appointed Sr. Program Coordinator for the Lee County School Board’s Tutoring Service for Education Enhancement. Throughout her career in academe, she has published multiple articles in various scholarly journals, presented at national academic conferences, contributed course materials to the first-year composition program at USF, received certification in Publishing and Editing from FSU, and created Embry-Riddle’s Online Writing Lab—a computer-based, self-reference program used to facilitate learning in grammar, language, research, and essay construction. Lauren’s expertise in designing innovative lessons and knowledge of best teaching practices seamlessly align with her commitment to student success.

Marina earned a Master of Arts degree in Teaching English and Literature in Slovakia and previously taught language arts to middle and high school students in private schools in Maryland. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Educational Studies from Johns Hopkins University, where she focused on effective teacher leadership skills and adult learning strategies. After completing her graduate internship at Johns Hopkins School of Education, Marina worked as an Academic Specialist at Notre Dame of Maryland University. She believes the understanding of the grammar components along with the writing processes is crucial for young learners to become finer writers and readers. When discussing and analyzing the works of literature, Marina welcomes a plurality of perspectives, encourages empathy, and guides her students to see a character’s story as a story of humankind.

Samuel was born and raised in Southern Spain where he went on to college to study Environmental Sciences and Marine Biology. Soon his passion for music took over and he began a new career teaching at various educational academies in Spain and the United States. Prior to joining our faculty, he was a teacher and administrator for private schools, focusing on developing Athletic and Fine Arts programs. He also served as adjunct professor and Spanish curriculum designer at Florida State College. Samuel is very excited to be part of the Lee Academy mission. He believes in the importance of education and seeks to bring out the inquisitive nature of others.

Patricia Flórez was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia where she completed a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. Upon moving to Atlanta in 1998, she attained a Master’s degree in Spanish Literature from Georgia State University and taught Spanish in grades K-8.  In 2013, Patricia decided to go after a lifelong dream and became a Certified Holistic Nutritional Therapist.  After gathering several years of experience working as a Health Coach in the Wellness industry, she moved to Tampa to be closer to her family and work in the area of Nutrition.  In 2018, motivated by the passion to educate and enlighten younger minds, she returned to the educational field as a Spanish teacher EC3-8th grade and Bilingual Lead Teacher in St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

Mark Shon is teaching Science to groups from LS G thru US E. He is also teaching the Algebra II class. Mark holds several degrees, including Masters in both Microbiology and Business Administration. He also has Florida Certifications in Earth & Space, Biology and Chemistry. During his career, Mark worked in biomedical science, cancer research, genetic engineering and bio-health. Mark will be able to incorporate his experiential background into the Science curriculum and labs.

Rob holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Dayton, where he also earned a Post-Graduate License for Adolescent to Young Adults 7-12 Social Studies. Prior to joining our faculty, Rob worked at Dayton Early College Academy, where he taught social studies, started a debate club, organized a Washington DC field trip and worked as an academic advisor. Rob also served as a Congressional Intern for Congresswoman Judy Biggert.  He is presently working on arranging a field trip to Washington DC for our upper school students.

Sarah earned two Bachelor’s Degrees – Mathematics Education and Physics from the University of Central Florida and has taught a variety of high school Mathematics and Science classes over the years in Orange County and the Diocese of St Petersburg, including AP Calculus BC and physics curricula. Having presented at AAPT as an undergraduate on student based learning, Sarah is excited to apply hands-on student focused techniques to help the students internalize the knowledge that they are presented with. She is excited to bring her real-world experiences and applications into the classroom to showcase the importance of mathematics in everyday life. Sarah believes that all students can excel in mathematics when equipped with the right tools, the right mindset, and taught with patience and enthusiasm.

Sandra completed her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing from the University of South Florida and worked as a level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit nurse for 18 years. Having a passion for teaching others, she completed a Master of Nursing Education degree and was employed as a critical care nurse educator for several years. She is enthusiastic to bring the skills she has employed educating nurses, including problem solving, coaching, and knowledge assessment, to the students of Lee Academy.

Krista graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the State University of New York at Brockport. She has taught in both public and private schools, was an English instructor in Taiwan and South Korea and served as director at a private school in Tampa. Her philosophy: when students feel safe and heard, when questions and ideas are not only accepted, but encouraged, they become free to reach their potential. She looks forward to extending lessons beyond the classroom by taking advantage of the many enrichment opportunities Tampa Bay has to offer.

Kayla holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Monmouth University in Marine Biology and Environmental Policy and a Master of Science degree from Coastal Carolina University in Marine Science and Wetland Studies. She was also a Division I softball player at both schools.  Kayla has participated in many different marine research projects around the country dealing with organisms such as sea turtle nesting, dolphin strand feeding, biomechanics of bottom-dwelling fish, conch mitten assessments, mangrove dispersal, diamondback terrapin nesting and phytoplankton abundance among coral reefs. While in South Carolina she had the opportunity to teach undergraduates in Biology 101 and also had the opportunity to teach science at all different levels at the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) in Tampa. She is beyond excited to bring her science background and experience into the classroom at Lee’s Academy.

Danielle holds a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Theater from the University of South Florida.  A former Early Childhood teacher at Lee Academy, Danielle was the faculty advisor to the Lee Academy Chess Club for a number of years.  She is rejoining the Lee Academy faculty to teach Language Arts & Social Studies and to introduce more Theater to our younger students.

Krystle has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University Of Tampa. Local to the Tampa Bay area, she has experience in art restoration, gallery operations, custom framing, photography and graphic design. She owns and teaches at Kipit Art, a private studio in Wesley Chapel. She has a passion for showing students new materials and using mixed media to experiment with the creative process of making art and is a strong believer that art may be easier for some, but everyone can learn with the right instruction and a positive attitude.