BARB FINKEL-BENNETT

Barb Finkel-Bennett loves teaching and kids of all ages. She facilitated staff workshops on writing instruction and taught Spanish at St. John’s School and Poe Elementary before becoming a seventh grade math teacher at Lanier Middle School. She has a Bachelor’s Degree from Baylor University and is currently working on her Master's Degree in school counseling. She hates to cook but loves exercising and running. In fact, she just completed her certification in Spinning and is qualified to teach Spinning classes although she has no intention of actually teaching a Spinning class. In fact, she just wanted to learn how to adjust the bicycle, but was too embarrassed to ask!

PAULETTE BOGERT

Paulette Bogert likes to spend her time in the classroom as both a student and a teacher! In addition to holding a principal’s certificate, she has a B.A. in French from Oberlin College, an M.A. in French from Bowling Green State University and an M.B.A. from Tulane University. Paulette has been teaching in HISD for 13 years at the middle school level preceded by 5 years at the high school level. She has served as technology coordinator and technology department chair, Saturday Math Camp instructor, and has taught robotics, web design, keyboarding, podcasting, journalism, business ventures, English as a second language (ESL), French 1 & 2, and German 1 & 2 in the HISD Virtual School. Her hobbies include reading, cooking, sailing, swimming, and anything else that gets her outdoors.

RICK BRENNAN

Rick Brennan holds a bachelor’s degree in history with minor degrees in Spanish and Education from the University of Houston. He has taught social studies in HISD since 2000, and currently teaches sixth grade world cultures at Lanier. Rick also works with both Writers in the Schools (WITS) and the Summer Institute for the Gifted (SIG). At WITS, Rick teaches poetry and creative writing to high school students and provides teacher training and professional development, while at SIG, he developed advanced academic courses for gifted and talented students from around the world. In his spare time, Rick has been known to finagle keys to the city from unsuspecting mayors and to enjoy his favorite food, peanut butter.

EVELYN CUBBERLY

Evelyn Cubberly is a 5th year teacher at The Harris School. She received her Bachelors from Trinity University in English Literature. She also has a Masters in Educational Psychology from University of Houston. She is an avid reader and loves a good mystery novel. She is inspired by people who have a thirst for education, and loves challenging herself to further her own. Evelyn loves to paint, and takes painting classes whenever she has the opportunity. Outside of school, Evelyn loves to run and ride her beach cruiser outdoors in the Heights. She also enjoys monkeying around with her friends and family.

CAMEDRA JEFFERSON

Camedra Jefferson is a huge people person who loves working around diverse thinkers. She is a UH Downtown graduate and is an experienced Case Manager and Math Resource teacher for HISD. She is working toward a Masters of Education at the University of St. Thomas with an emphasis in Reading Specialist Certification, and is an active Board member for the Center for the Healing of Racism, a non-profit organization. Camedra is inspired by her students, especially those who continue to strive for success, despite major adversity and learning disabilities. Her part time interests are yoga, reading, humanitarian work, art, music, travel, and imitating celebrity singing voices.

KATIE KEENAN

Katie Keenan is a 7th grade social studies teacher and is in her 4th year working at Fonville Middle School. She is a proud Texas Christian University graduate and is currently working on her Masters in Educational Psychology at the University of Houston. She loves history and focuses on encouraging her students to make connects between past events and their current life. She has worked as the field trip coordinator and cheerleading sponsor, looking for opportunities that the students in her community would not otherwise have. Outside of school she enjoys searching for four leaf clovers and making her Irish ancestors proud.

GARY KEESE

Gary Keese was born and raised in College Station, Texas and ended up attending Texas A&M where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. While attending A&M he spent three weeks on a church campaign in Thailand, after which he dedicated two years in the Philippines as an Apprentice Missionary. This altruistic quest naturally led him into the teaching profession. He has been in the profession for 26 years, of which the last 20 years have been at Lanier Middle School teaching various technology classes. Gary’s love for the outdoors stems from spending his summers with his grandfather who worked on a large ranch in the Hill Country. Gary enjoys photography and almost any kind of competitive sport. These days he loves to travel and spends most of his time trying to keep up with his three daughters.

KAREN KEESE

Karen Keese loves to teach students how to see the world through different eyes in her visual arts classes. She wants her students to know that art is not just an elective to take in school, but something that surrounds them in the world they live in daily. Karen grew up in Oklahoma, drawing from the time she can remember, and learned how to use a camera when she was young under the supervision of her father. She received her Bachelor’s of Arts degree from Oklahoma Christian University in Commercial Art and has been teaching middle school and high school art, photography, and yearbook for 9 years at Westbury Christian School in Southwest Houston. She enjoys travelling, sewing, and music, but most of all, loves spending time with her husband and three daughters.

LC KIRKPATRICK

LC Kirkpatrick is a former football player from the University of Houston. He graduated in 2007 with a degree in Health Education. He is currently a 6th grade Physical Ed Teacher and he coaches 7th and 8th grade football and track. He has 15 years of experience combined in coaching and participating in sports. He loves the great outdoors and has received certifications to be an angler educator and archery instructor. In his spare time he enjoys fishing, photography, cooking, traveling, and spending quality time with his 5 year old son and 3 year old TRIPLETS!!!

SUMMER MAGEE

Summer Magee has taught 8th grade Literacy at Lanier MS for 6 years and believes in creating a lifelong love of reading and writing within her students. Although she has a passion for all genres, her heart rests mostly within Southern novels and short stories. She received her B.A. in English from Trinity University and a Masters in Education specializing in Literacy and Language Arts from UT at Austin. She has worked for WITS creative summer writing camp for 6 years and considers herself a “writer who also teaches”. Her passion for creative thinking and writing guide her work within her Literacy classroom and within her own writing life. Summer’s life outside of work centers around family and culture; she spends a month of her summer vacation at the family home in Greece, attempting to perfect her Greek speaking skills while eating a lot of grilled octopus and shouting OPA! as often as possible.

JAN MEEK

Jan Meek has taught social studies at Pin Oak MS for seven years. Before she "graduated" to middle school, she created and taught theme units on history and culture as a part of the SIGHTS curriculum at Mark Twain Elementary. She earned her B.S. and M.S. in Education many moons ago, but she stays fresh and up-to-date by attending workshops at Rice University's Chao Center for Asian Studies and the Museum of Natural History. Still, she is quick to say that she has the most fun and gains the most knowledge from being in the classroom with students. Now that her two awesome daughters are out of the house, she is pursuing a long-held dream of showing dogs (her new furry kids, Boon and Sunnie, both Australian Cattle Dogs) in both conformation and obedience classes.

AMBER PARKER

Amber Parker has known that she wanted to teach since her sophomore year in high school. She holds a bachelors degree from University of St. Thomas and has recently attained her Masters of Arts in Teaching-Curriculum and Instruction from University of Houston-Downtown. In her teaching career, Amber has taught first grade, reading intervention, home economics, technology, and is currently teaching 6th grade reading. When she is not grading papers or planning lessons, Amber also enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, and running (slowly…very slowly) and watching sci-fi television series. When Amber grows up she wants to be a baker, a geologist, or a Jedi.

JENNIFER ST. AMAND

Jennifer St. Amand knew way back in high school that she wanted to work with children after spending two years as a receptionist/teacher at a local ballet studio. She graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Elementary Education...Go Coogs! She began her teaching career almost 9 years ago at Roberts Elementary where she had the privilege of teaching 5th grade, running the Extended Day program, and acting as the Summer School Coordinator. Throughout the years, Jennifer has taught dance, drama, and journalism after school and sponsored the student council and yearbook. She earned her Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from Lamar University which has helped her be successful as Vanguard Coordinator at Lanier Middle School. In Jennifer’s spare time she loves to play with her two dogs, read, dance, paint, re-decorate her house, and kickbox.

MICHAEL ST. AMAND

Michael St. Amand is pursuing a degree in Graphic Design at the University of Houston Clear Lake and is excited to be entering his last year. Michael believes that Graphic Design is more than just a form of art, it's an expression of an artist's ideas. He focuses mainly on digital art, using computer programs such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and In design. When he's not creating art, he loves to yoyo, learning intricate tricks that to some may seem impossible, but with practice seem to make sense.

POLO VIGIL

Polo Vigil is a seventh grade vanguard math teacher at Lanier Middle School, where he has worked for 11 years at a variety of grade levels. He enjoys teaching middle school and preparing students for their academic journeys from high school to college and beyond. Before becoming a teacher, he worked in many areas of chemistry, including Environmental, Petroleum, a Research Chemist at Argonne National Laboratory, and finally as a Forensic Chemist with the Houston Police Department Crime Lab. He has a degree in Chemistry with a minor in Mathematics from the University of New Mexico. He is an identical twin (older by 5 minutes) and an avid coffee fan who proudly worked as a barista at Starbuck’s for four years. Polo balances out the caffeine by practicing yoga several times a week.

BOYD WISNIEWSKI

Boyd Wisniewski tried his hand at a variety of professions before finding his true calling as a math teacher. He worked as a lumberjack and served as an officer in the US Navy, which were walks in the park compared to Middle School. He worked at the college level for 4 years before moving to Lanier Middle School, where he has worked for 14 years teaching 8th grade math and Algebra 1. Boyd is a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and is a Texas Certified Math teacher in grades 1 through 12 with a special certification in Math for grades 1-8.