Staff
Building the best possible lessons is one of our core values at MiaPrep. Every lesson goes through a multi-step, collaborative review by experts in education, content, and production.
Meet our Team
Tim Phelps
School Director
Tim lives near Louisville, Kentucky, with his wife and children. Tim received his B.A. in English from Western Kentucky University and his M.A. in English with focuses in creative writing and rhetoric from the University of Louisville. Tim has taught high school English for public and private schools, while also teaching communications at the prestigious Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program each summer for the past six years. He likes to read, write fiction, travel, play chess (poorly), play guitar (even worse), and play old-school Mario games (pretty decently, actually).
Mark Messaris
Academic Counselor
Mark has over a decade of experience in education, including eight years of teaching high school English in Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina. Additionally, he has spent some time in college admissions at Johnson & Wales University. Mark has a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Education and English from the University of Maryland and a Master’s Degree in Education from East Carolina University. In his free time, he enjoys reading books, playing video games, exploring New Orleans with his wife, and spoiling his dog.
Noelle Mouhtarim
Academic Counselor
Noelle is a former high school English teacher with five years of experience from the first state, Delaware. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English Education from Delaware State University and a master’s degree in Secondary School Counseling from Wilmington University. Noelle holds a tremendous amount of passion for working with students on goal setting and college/career exploration and readiness. She believes in the importance of catering to the needs of the whole student and is committed to working with young people of all backgrounds in discovering their own power and potential to embark on their chosen path and make a mark on the world. In her spare time she hangs out with her cats, coaches high school swimming, and enjoys traveling!
Nicole Twohig
Academic Counselor
Nicole has over a decade of experience working as a counselor in multiple educational settings across the country. She received her B.S. in Social Science from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and her M.A. in Counseling from Saint Mary’s College of California. Nicole loves working with students from a “whole child” perspective to help them thrive as they engage with their educational journey. Her goal is to help students successfully navigate learning about themselves, the world around them and how their unique skills, values and perspectives can contribute to a better world. She currently lives in Charleston, South Carolina with her husband, son and dog. When she is not working, you can find her at the beach or the baseball field with her family. They love exploring new places and their hometown.
Anna Kytonen
Administrative Support Specialist
Anna earned her Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and Master of Public Health from Portland State University. Now a resident of South Carolina, she comes to MOHS with over a decade of experience in higher education administration, social services, and healthcare. In her spare time, she can be found chasing after her two dogs and two cats, reading and writing fantasy, or coming up with her next inspired art project.
Hallie Barker
Dean of Curriculum & Instruction
Hallie has 5 years of experience teaching math and science, and loves helping students develop critical thinking and a love of learning through these subjects. She has her bachelor’s in astrophysics from Whitman College and her master’s in teaching from the Relay Graduate School of Education. When she isn’t teaching, Hallie loves reading, going on hikes, and baking yummy treats. Hallie lives in the mountains of Colorado with her partner and 2 cats.
Sukhvir Dhanda
Science
Sukhvir has been teaching a variety of science courses for 12 years now, with experience in private, public, and online schools. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Biology with a Chemistry minor from CSU Stanislaus and a Masters in Educational Leadership from CSU Sacramento.
Sukhvir lives near Sacramento, CA with her husband and three girls. In her free time she enjoys doing arts and crafts with her kids, reading, bike rides, spending time outdoors, bowling (very rarely scores over 100), and taking weekend trips with her family.
Kelsey Morgan
Math
Kelsey has had the pleasure of sharing her love of mathematics for 9 years at the secondary level as a public school teacher. She earned her B.S. in Applied Mathematics and her M.A. in Mathematics Education from California State University, Northridge (go Matadors!). In her free time, she enjoys learning piano pieces that are much too challenging based on her ability level, as well as baking.
Whitney Cornelia
Math
Whitney has 5 years of teaching experience and loves giving students the tools to be more confident in math. She loves engaging with students to help them be tomorrow’s problem-solvers! Whitney graduated with her education degree from the University of Idaho. She recently moved across the country to Nashville, Tennessee. When she isn’t teaching or exploring her new home, she is either enjoying the outdoors, exercising, or curled up on the couch binge-watching tv shows.
Jaime Delaney
Science
Based in Colorado, Jaime has a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Georgia Tech and a master’s degree in Science Education. She has 12 years of experience teaching math and science in public, private, charter, and online schools, along with 1:1 teaching and homeschooling. When she isn’t busy creating content for our MiaPrep science courses, you’ll find her spending time with her 2 children, paddle boarding, snowshoeing, swimming, and enjoying the mountains.
Gerald Dessus
Humanities
Gerald is a seasoned educator with 12 years of experience teaching English and Social Studies in charter and private secondary schools. Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Education from Lincoln University of PA and a Master’s in Curriculum and Teaching from the University of Kansas, he’s committed to fostering inclusive educational environments that ensure every student has access to personalized resources and support. With a passion for guiding students to transformative “Aha!” moments, Gerald believes in the diversity and joy of learning. Gerald currently resides in Pennsylvania with his partner and pets. He enjoys writing and producing music, hiking, and exploring new places in his spare time.
Elyse Farwell
Humanities
Elyse is coming from 12 years of dedicated classroom teaching, the last 6 of which had been facilitating project-based learning at High Tech High in San Diego, California. Before that she was working at an international school in Quito, Ecuador for 3 years, and she began her teaching career by receiving an MA in Reading Instruction at Loyola Marymount University and simultaneously teaching full time at a small Catholic school in Venice. During that program, she lived in community with 10 other first year teachers in a converted convent in Compton.
She currently resides in San Diego where she can most often be found with family and friends enjoying book clubs, bonfires, and Barre3 workouts. She is also passionate about social justice and has been an active voice and advocate for local and global issues that impact her community.
Nicate Ferrill
Student Support Specialist
Nicate has worked with youth in a variety of roles over the last 20 years. She started her career as an English teacher, spent time working in college admissions, and ran a grant-funded after-school program focusing on social-emotional learning and growth mindset. Since the pandemic she has been working to help online students meet the challenges of our changing world. She holds a Bachelor’s in English from Grand Valley State University and a Master’s in Literacy Education from Cambridge College. She enjoys nature walks, photographing neighborhood wildlife, kayaking, and traveling to new places.
Mich Guilman
Student Support Specialist
With 17 years of educational experience, Micheline holds a B.S. in Movement Science from Springfield College and an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the American College of Education. She has worked fully online for the past 13 years serving as a lead teacher, curriculum specialist, and learning success coach. She is dedicated to inspiring students through the development of a growth mindset and essential academic and life skills.Outside of her professional life, she enjoys flipping houses, interior design, and engaging in health and fitness activities. Originally from Connecticut, Micheline now resides in Florida with her son and family. She is also a homeschooling mom who loves paddle boarding and exploring new places in her down time.
Chloe’ Yeung
Physical Education
After studying media and journalism in the sports broadcasting field at N.C. State University, Chloe’ decided she wanted to pursue her true passion so she went back to school for her teaching license. She is a former elementary school P.E. teacher and currently a fitness coach for children and teens. She loves teaching others the importance of a healthy, movement-involved lifestyle. Based in Charlotte, NC, with her husband and her daughter, she can be found spending time with her family, at the CrossFit gym training for an upcoming competition, or hanging out with her two dogs, Boogie and Wallie.
Hannah Pearsall
Theatre Arts
Hannah is thrilled to bring her strengths and passions to the MOHS team! Alongside Bachelors’ Degrees in Education and English, an M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction, and seven years of teaching experience, she also has a plethora of experience in the realm of the theatre, including: acting, directing, scriptwriting, stagecraft, dramaturgy, stage makeup, and more! A native Rhode Islander, Ms. Pearsall currently resides in Philadelphia, where you can catch her going to musicals with her friends, running at the dog park with her pup, or gardening in her backyard.
Andrew Mullen
Spanish/Academic Advisor
Andrew graduated from Appalachian State University with his Bachelors in Spanish Education. He currently lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, which is also where he spent 6 years teaching high school Spanish. Andrew has a passion for teaching the Spanish language and culture and creating lifelong learners. When he is not creating content for our users, he can be found woodworking, gardening, solving puzzles, and spending time with his wife and two dogs.
Drea Lee
English
Drea has been a secondary educator and teaching artist for the past 17 years. She holds a BA in Literature and Writing and a Masters in Educational Technology. She has taught a variety of subjects, but her primary focus is on literature, writing, and theatre arts. When she’s not teaching you can find her working on creative projects, playing with her three dogs, or exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband.
Emily Zimmerman
Spanish
Hola todos! Emily has been a live virtual Spanish teacher for the past two years and spent the 6 years before that as an in-person Spanish teacher for both middle and high school. She is based out of Atlanta but also travels often to Ecuador to visit her partner’s family. Emily learned Spanish as a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala for two years and continuously bettered it by living and working in Ecuador for over 6 years before becoming a teacher in the states. Emily am passionate about language learning and how it can open doors to perspectives and ideas one may have never known otherwise! In her free time, she enjoys writing and reading poetry, dabbling in photography, spending time with her family (especially at the beach) and watching way too much soccer.
Vivian Udart
Academic Advisor
Vivian homeschools two of her four children in Chattanooga, TN. With a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Development and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Instruction: Early Childhood Education, Vivian is a natural to work on content for our K-2nd grades. She also runs a preschool co-op where she provides child-led and play-based learning experiences for homeschooled preschoolers in her area.
Alison Lazo
Student Advisor
Before joining the MOHS team, Alison was a social studies teacher at international schools around Latin America. She holds a Master’s in Teaching and is TEFL certified. Alison is passionate about making students feel confident, empowered, and excited about their future, and she is deeply committed to promoting equitable education for all students.
Anthony Groom
Health
Anthony is from Grapevine, TX, but now lives with his wife in Lewisville, TX. He has a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from the University of Texas at Arlington. He has eight years of experience teaching a variety of subjects, including Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy/Physiology, and Robotics. When he isn’t working hard on content for kids here at Mia, he enjoys hiking, board games, and creative writing.
Madeline Zastrow
Data Support Specialist
Madeline is a Michigan resident with various customer service and administrative experience. Outside of MOHS, she is also involved with Miacademy’s customer support/moderation team. She has a lifelong passion for community involvement, and has volunteered with her local educational programs and animal shelters for many years. She enjoys cooking, reading, crafting, gardening, and exploring the forests of her home state.
Michelle Winglewich
Student & Family Engagement Coordinator
Michelle is one of the Moderation Managers for Miacademy, Always Icecream, Clever Dragons, and MiaPrep, along with overseeing the MOHS community! Michelle has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Elmhurst University, as well as a degree in Baking & Pastry Arts from Johnson & Wales University. She has taught S.T.E.A.M. for over 3 years, along with teaching various baking-related classes as a professional cake decorator. When not working, Michelle enjoys baking, painting, hiking, and finding local donut shops.
Kelsey Petty
Chief Academic Officer
Kelsey is a former high school English teacher of 7 years with a passion for creating content that is engaging, relevant, and rigorous for students. Kelsey holds a teaching certificate in High School English/Language Arts (grades 7-12) and a Master’s in Education Leadership and Policy from the University of Michigan. In her spare time, she enjoys doing yoga and reading, as well as working on her food blog.