Lynn Esmail joined OptimALL Services as its Executive Director in 2018. Prior to that, she was an executive working on behalf of people with disabilities at Starfire Council and the Ken Anderson Alliance. Lynn has successfully led many programs in order to create an inclusive community and has raised millions of dollars toward this effort. She started with OptimALL as a volunteer in 2012 while working on a team to create a similar program at St. Ignatius Loyola School. She is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, but credits her interest and focus on the importance of Catholic education to the time she spent with the Sisters of Charity at Seton High School. OptimALL has experienced 2800% growth since Lynn has officially joined the organization. She resides with her husband and two sons.  

Nicki Eichhold attended Xavier University where she graduated with a BSBA in Marketing. Before joining OptimALL Services in 2018, Nicki honed her organizational and communication skills through many leadership and coordinator roles. She uses her positive attitude and tireless energy to guide staff and families through various education processes while partnering with educators, schools, school districts, and state agencies. She and her husband reside in Cincinnati with their children and two dogs. Nicki is a 7-time marathoner and has completed half marathons in 6 states and 2 countries.

Allyse Sonnega graduated summa cum laude with her Masters in Early Childhood Education from Old Dominion University in 2011, followed by her K-12 mild/moderate Intervention Specialist license from the University of Cincinnati in 2018, and her Montessori adolescent certification in 2022, and is highly qualified to teach in all subject areas. She has taught in a wide variety of settings, including private and public schools, with an emphasis on Montessori schools. Allyse is passionate about supporting the holistic development and success of all students! She is trained in the Orton-Gillingham method of teaching reading, is a Certified Autism Specialist, and is a registered yoga teacher. She is also a mother of three young daughters.

Angela Hawley has been involved in Catholic education in Cincinnati her entire life. She attended St. Catharine of Siena for grade school, Mother of Mercy High School, and Xavier University. As a captain of the women’s soccer team at Xavier, Angela also received her Bachelors of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education and her Masters in Special Education. In 2011, Angela received National Board Certification and was named a Master Teacher by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 2013. She received certification in Orton-Gillingham in 2013. She taught third grade for 7 years before she moved to part time roles as an Orton-Gillingham instructor and a 7th and 8th grade Writing lab instructor in order to spend more time with her growing family. Angela has moved around the Midwest for the last 6 years but is finally back in Cincinnati to stay! She is looking forward to working as the Director of Coaching for OptimALL and helping teachers implement differentiation strategies in their classrooms.

Patty Drees attended Northern Kentucky University where she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Management.  She worked for 42 years in the insurance industry as an agent & office manager for a small agency in Bellevue.  She was the founding president of the Northern Kentucky Association of Insurance Women. The organization’s purpose was to promote fellowship, loyalty, and education in the insurance industry. Upon the birth of her granddaughter, Rowan, in July 2020, Patty retired from the insurance industry so that she could watch Rowan two days a week.  She was born and raised in South Newport and attended 12 years of Catholic School.  She and her husband reside in Villa Hills, Kentucky and have 3 grown children.  Her hobbies are cake and cookie decorating, knitting, and entertaining family and friends.  

Following her undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University, Kristen Brokamp spent a few years helping children with autism, leading her to pursue her master’s in occupational therapy from the University of Indianapolis. As an occupational therapist, Kristen has supported clients, students, and families in outpatient clinics, specialized school placements, and public schools around Cincinnati, She has experience working with all ages, including students preschool through high school as well as currently providing adult acute rehabilitation services at an area hospital. Kristen values evidence-based practice and has contributed most recently by presenting and publishing on the benefits and outcomes of occupational therapy for children experiencing complex trauma. She utilizes an individualized, holistic, and strengths-based practice incorporating sensory integration and trauma-informed approaches.  When not working, she enjoys the outdoors, time with her husband and two children, and enjoying all that Cincinnati has to offer.

After receiving her undergraduate degree in psychology from Northwestern University, Donna pursued her doctorate of physical therapy at University of Illinois at Chicago.  She worked at a level 1 trauma center in southwest Chicago before moving to Cincinnati in 2012. In Cincinnati, her career has been spent in the inpatient rehabilitation hospital setting, working with patients with a variety of neurologic and orthopedic diagnoses. She loves helping patients reach their goals, achieve independence and live life to the fullest. Donna and her husband have 3 young children and she loves working with children of all ages. Donna looks forward to being a part of the OptimALL team and is excited to help each child reach their full potential physically, socially and emotionally and truly thrive in their school environments.

Janet Willig graduated from Georgetown (KY) College and earned her Master’s Degree in Education at Xavier University as a Reading Specialist and Rank I in Gifted Education. Her Kentucky teaching experiences include the Fort Thomas Preschool Program and teaching in the Newport and Fort Thomas Independent Schools. Jan crossed the river and worked 15 years in the Mason City Schools and is currently working with the Gifted/Talented students in Dayton (KY) and Southgate (KY) Independent Schools. Jan has been an Adjunct Professor at Xavier University School of Education for 25+ years with the Gifted and Talented licensing and endorsement programming for Graduate Students. Along with teaching responsibilities, Jan has directed Summer Enrichment and Leadership Programs/Camps for Xavier, Northern Kentucky University, Fort Thomas Schools, and Mason City Schools. She has been involved with the ExploreMore Program at Thomas More University and served on the State Board for the Kentucky Odyssey of the Mind International Association and other Gifted and Talented organizations. From state conventions to podcasts, Jan is always excited to share the world of Gifted and Talented with parents, educators, and students. Jan is currently the 2023-2024 Kentucky Teacher of the Year awarded by the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society for Women Educators. Jan lives in Fort Thomas and loves hanging out with her grand-twins and serving in her Church.

Alison Nieman is a graduate of Mother of Mercy High School and the University of Cincinnati, where she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology. She was a volunteer for the United States Peace Corps and served for two years in Honduras in the Child Survival Program.  She was a Children’s Services Case Manager for Hamilton County, a Probation Officer for the State of Ohio, and a stay-at-home Mom for her three children. Alison, her husband Joe, and their three children are all grateful recipients of Catholic education. After re-entering the workforce, she has explored various work opportunities, which included volunteering for Bless Our Children, running her own small business, working for the Community Press, and baking cakes at The BonBonerie. Her interests include hiking, geocaching, baking, making bread, reading, puzzles, traveling, and spending time with family and friends. She is very grateful to be surrounded and inspired by the gracious members of the OptimALL family.

Amy Schaffer M.A. CCC-SLP has been practicing Speech Pathology for over 30+ years in a variety of settings. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelors degree in Communication Disorders and a Masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology.  Amy has a passion for reading and focused her graduate research on literacy and different reading styles, which she eventually published and presented at an American Speech Language Hearing Association (ASHA) convention. She is currently state-licensed and nationally board-certified. Prior to having children, Amy gained extensive experience in rehab management at the local, state, and regional levels.  The majority of her career was spent working with the geriatric population, however, she has become increasingly interested in working with students with varying degrees of communication disorders and cognitive-linguistic deficits. She desires to advocate and provide support for such students by educating parents, teachers, and students to achieve functional and meaningful outcomes while fostering educational success and inclusion. Amy has three teenage/young adult sons who were raised Catholic and attended Parochial schools. She enjoys reading, traveling, jeep rides, and spending time with family and friends and her golden retriever, Cooper.  Amy has recently joined the OptimALL Services team and looks forward to using her professional skills and talents to support students with speech-language therapy needs.

Ruth Ellis is a professional educator who has been working as an Intervention and Reading Specialist for many years. She is licensed to work with students in grades K-12.  Ruth enjoys working with students who have special learning needs and is blessed to be doing one of the things that she is passionate about: learning from and teaching children!  What’s most important to Ruth about educating children is getting to know the individual learner, researching their learning needs, observing and enhancing their learning style, and finding tools & materials that will build their confidence as learners and empower them to be their personal best.

Casey Skeldon, born and raised in Cincinnati, has over 12 years of experience teaching in a kindergarten classroom at the Mason Early Childhood Center and Cardinal Pacelli. In order to stay home and focus on her two girls when they were young, she worked for the University of Cincinnati as a supervisor for student teachers in various schools throughout the area. She has her masters in reading intervention from Miami University and is very passionate about classroom management as well as responsive classroom, a student-centered, social and emotional approach to teaching and discipline. Casey believes that creating a classroom community where all students feel safe and welcome is key to a successful year of learning. 

Laura graduated from Ohio University, in 2007, with an Intervention Specialist degree focusing on moderate to intensive educational needs. She moved to Washington D.C. and taught in Maryland for 3 years in a self-contained classroom in a public school pushing for inclusion. After that, she returned to Cincinnati and worked for Hamilton County DDS at Margaret B. Rost school. During that time, she got her Early Childhood Special Education masters at Xavier University. After three years of teaching at Rost, she moved locations to a satellite classroom at Woodlawn Elementary in the Princeton School district. She taught at Woodlawn for 2 years. Then in 2015, she welcomed her first child and wanted to stay at home with him. She was home with him for one year when her sister told her about the Jon Peterson Scholarship, where part-time teaching and being a mom could fit as one. Then in 2017, she started to work at Mercy Montessori as an Intervention Specialist serving students under the Jon Peterson scholarship. Laura is very passionate about her students. She is a huge cheerleader to all and is always finding ways to meet the needs of her students. When not teaching, she loves being a mom to her three kids, being outside, walking her dogs, making cookies and traveling. 

Holly graduated from the University of Dayton in 2007 with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration and minor in Communications. After a brief career in sales, Holly realized her passion was in the field of education and working with children. She attended graduate school at the University of Cincinnati and graduated in 2010 with a master’s in Special Education.  She is certified to work with students who have both mild to moderate disabilities as well as those with moderate to severe disabilities along with being a highly qualified teacher in the area of reading. Holly has 13 years of teaching experience, working with a wide variety of learners in the public education setting in grades k-12. She is passionate about inclusion and equitable opportunities for all students. Holly is looking forward to working at her former grade school, Cardinal Pacelli, for the 2023-24 school year. 

Lori Schulte graduated from Bowling Green State University with a Bachelors in Elementary Education for grades 1-8. After graduation, she subbed for various Catholic elementary schools in Colerain Township before landing a fourth-grade position at St. John the Baptist Dry Ridge. When Lori and her husband Ted started their family, she stayed home to care for her growing family for the next thirteen years. She went back to work as a teacher’s aide at St. Bernard Elementary and then transferred over as a paraprofessional for those with special needs. Lori is excited to be working with OptimALL Services and expanding her passion for those needing individualized education.

Mary Anne is looking forward to helping students and working for OptimALL!  She has spent many years working in the healthcare setting and is looking forward to making a difference in the lives of children. Having sent all of her children to Catholic schools, she understands the importance that a private school can provide. Mary Anne lives on the west side of Cincinnati with her husband Steve.  She has 6 grown children and 7 grandchildren. She enjoys watching her grandchildren participate in their chosen activities and always cheering from the sidelines. Her favorite role is being a hands-on Memaw and she is looking forward to positively impacting the lives of elementary-aged children with the OptimALL team.

Tricia Grawe graduated from Xavier University and earned her bachelor’s degree in Montessori Education for ages 3-6. She worked at Mercy Montessori Center for 22 years in the preschool/kindergarten program. During that time, she went to Xavier University to work on her Master’s Degree in Special Education. Recently, she completed her Orton Gillingham training through Hamilton County ESC and is working towards her Intervention Specialist degree from Xavier University. Tricia volunteers at her parish in many areas including children’s liturgy and the school theater program. She and her husband live in Covedale and have three children.

Molly Wilkins has 35 years of experience teaching Montessori school. After retiring two years ago, she discovered that she missed being in the classroom and wanted to continue working with students. OptimALL has proven to be a good fit for her to use her skills and talents while supporting students.

Therese Mata graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a degree in Early Childhood and Special Education. After graduating college, Therese completed a missionary year in the Bronx, NY serving as a learning specialist in a public charter school. Therese moved to Cincinnati in 2021 and worked as a classroom teacher at an Archdiocesan Catholic School. Therese newly joined the staff of OptimALL/Romero Academy at Resurrection for the 2022/2023 school year. She is passionate about high-quality education in Catholic schools, particularly for students with learning differences and those in underserved communities. Therese enjoys exploring Cincinnati, traveling, and she is very excited to experience newlywed life during this school year!

Tammy Smith graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Disorders with a focus on special education in 1996. Trained in Behavior Modification Therapy, she began her career as a home therapist for children on the Autism Spectrum.  For five years she enjoyed working with parents and their children in the home.  To allow for more flexibility with raising her three young children, she became a substitute teacher for Northwest Local Schools where she covered traditional classrooms and resource rooms on a day-to-day basis.  

Having grown up on the west side of Cincinnati and attending catholic schools, she and her husband wanted the same for their children. When they began attending St. Ignatius Loyola School, she also got involved by substituting, covering long-term teacher absences, and other day-to-day assignments.  In 2016 she became an Inclusion Assistant at St Ignatius Loyola School and worked with teachers and inclusion specialists to modify plans and make accommodations for students.  She led small group instruction, taught one on one, and team-taught in the classroom.  She loves working in the catholic school environment and enjoys using her background in phonetics and language to help all children, especially those that need a little extra help, achieve their full potential.  

Michael graduated from Thomas More University with his Master’s degree in athletic training in 2020. He has been a man of many ventures including being a business owner. Michael has always had a passion for working with children, especially in the school setting. Michael lives on the west side of Cincinnati with his wife Brittany and Dachshund puppy Finn. Michael is thrilled to be working with the OptimALL team for years to come! 

Born and raised in the Washington D.C. area, Elaine Lynch has a combined 20 years of teaching experience ranging in ages from 1st grade through university level. She graduated in 2001 with her Masters of Fine Arts from New Mexico State University, minoring in critical thinking and art history. She has taught painting, drawing, and art history at UC (DAAP), The Art Academy, Miami University, and Mercy Montessori Center, where she found her passion for working with children on the autism spectrum. Elaine also spent time working for Greenacres in Indian Hill, where she was the Arts Education Manager. Her calling brought her back to the classroom, via OptimALL Services! She loves making a difference in the lives of children and young adults with special needs, and often refers to herself as ‘the P.A. (production assistant) on the set’. She is thrilled to be at Cardinal Pacelli, and looks forward to helping children navigate the journey in and out of their classroom! Elaine just received her certification in the Orton Gillingham Reading Method and is excited to help students grow in their reading skills. She is an avid road cyclist who loves to cook, travel, read, and spend time with her family. When the time affords her, Elaine volunteers with Starfire Council, the Down Syndrome Association of Cincinnati, and assists with the I can BIKE program through Children’s Hospital. 

Lisa O’Brien joins OptimALL with close to twenty years of teaching experience and great excitement to contribute to the team.  She obtained a strong Catholic education in Cincinnati and then graduated from the University of Cincinnati, with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a double major in Marketing and Management.  After working as a Marketing/Research Manager, she was blessed to become a stay-at-home mother of triplets.  Lisa’s mini three-person “school” was her favorite class ever and began her passion for teaching children. 

Lisa has a Master’s degree in Middle School Mathematics and Language Arts from Northern Kentucky University and has taught grades two to seven at three different Catholic schools.   Most recently she has been teaching at St. Jude Elementary where her children attended.  Lisa has taught all subjects but has concentrated on honing her craft in her favorite subjects, math and language arts.  She dedicates particular focus to reaching all learning abilities and styles using engaging technology, fun while learning, excellent classroom management, and creativity in a student-centered classroom.  

In addition to teaching, Lisa has a broad range of other academic-related experiences.  She has been a substitute teacher and athletic instructor/coach, a summer school teacher, founded and ran a tutoring business, and started an after-school homework program.  She has also served on many leadership committees to improve schools where she was a parishioner and teacher.

Lisa has been a part of Catholic education her whole life and loves spending her days with middle school children. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys reading, cooking, gardening, diy projects, solving mysteries, yoga, walking, and laughing with her husband and kids.  Lisa recently began a new (and very challenging) teaching endeavor, training her Labrador Retriever puppy, Chloe!

Nicole Kennedy graduated from the College of Mount St. Joseph in 2011 with her Bachelors Degree in K-12 Mild to Moderate Special Education along with a Reading Endorsement. She has attended Catholic schools her whole life and loves the tight-knit community. Throughout her career, she has had experiences as a Title I Reading Teacher (6 years), an Intervention Specialist (2 years), and a Substitute Teacher (1 year). Nicole enjoys seeing the “aha” moment on her student’s faces when working on a specific skill. She resides in Green Township with her husband and daughter. 

Michelle Hageman has done many things before becoming a paraeducator but has always enjoyed her jobs working with kids the best! She is excited to begin her journey with OptimAll and try to make a difference in others’ lives, not only academically but also as a human. Michelle values the education that a private school provides having attended them herself her entire life. She lives on the westside of Cincinnati in Covedale with her husband Jason and her three children, Isabelle, Oliver, and Evelyn. She enjoys playing and coaching sports, baking and decorating cookies, woodworking, and most of all spending time with her family in any capacity.

Louise Gunn has had the privilege of working in a variety of educational settings. She graduated from Mount St. Joseph University with a dual degree in Elementary Education (1-8) and Special Education (K-12). She also earned her Master of Education, with a focus in Reading, from Xavier University. Louise began her teaching career at St. Bernard-Elmwood Place School District as an Intervention Specialist, grades 9-12. She worked at all three schools in the district, moving to regular education and mainly teaching middle school math. With the vast number of special needs students in her classrooms, Louise’s knowledge in the field of Special Education enabled her to focus on the struggling students and provide them with strategies to help them be successful. 

In 2012 she was named Teacher of the Year in the district. Louise has worked at Glenwood Gardens for eleven years, teaching children’s nature programs and maintaining garden grounds. The last three years Louise has taught at Skyward Academy, a customized school program for students with various learning challenges and gifts. The Launch Pad, a fifth-year deferred diploma program to develop transition skills, provided Louise the opportunity to organize woodworking projects, home maintenance activities, cooking instructions and a job site opportunity for the students at Glenwood Gardens. 

Jeanette Beckham M.A CCC-SLP recently joined OptimAll/Guardian Angels Catholic School for the 2021-2022 school year as the Speech Language Pathologist. Born and raised in the Cincinnati area, she attended Catholic school in both elementary and high school. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a Master of Arts in Speech Language Pathology in 2018. Jeanette is passionate about continued education and incorporating new evidence based strategies in therapy with her students. She has experience working with students in grades PreK-12  in areas of articulation/phonology, receptive/expressive language, voice, fluency, pragmatics, and students who are on the Autism spectrum along with other disabilities (ADHD, syndromes, associated behavior deficits, etc.). Jeanette is also a member of ASHA. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with her husband and children.

Christel Murphy is an educator with nearly 17 years of experience in various settings. After graduating from Ohio University in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in Education, she served as an Intervention Specialist at Colerain High School (3 years) and Mason Intermediate School (6 years). During her time with both districts, she participated on several curriculum, programming, staff development, and data initiatives at the building and district levels, which led her to pursue a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership at the University of Dayton. In 2013, she was given the opportunity to apply her background in education in a new way at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC), where she served as a liaison between the family, medical team, and school team to help school teams understand how to best meet the diverse needs of children who experience chronic and mental health conditions. Her experience at CCHMC inspired her to return to school so she could learn new ways to meet the needs of the ever-growing population of diverse learners. In 2018, she earned a Doctoral degree in Special Education from the University of Cincinnati. Shortly after finishing her doctorate, she became the manager of School Services in Psychiatry at CCHMC, where she co-developed programming and managed staff in four School Services’ programs within the Division of Psychiatry. In 2021, Christel was given the opportunity to join St. Bernard Catholic School as an Assistant Principal, as well as OptimALL Educational Services as an Intervention Specialist Leader.

Angie Knoop has been a speech language pathologist for 21 years. Catholic education has been an integral part of her life. She graduated from Thomas More College in 1996 with a BA in Psychology and AA in Sociology. At Thomas More, she was a four year member and two year captain of the women’s soccer team.  She went on to obtain her Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology from the University of Cincinnati in 2000.  Her first six years were spent working in medical settings including long term care facilities and Dearborn County Hospital in Indiana.  She transitioned into the Catholic school setting and has worked for St. John the Baptist in Harrison, OH for sixteen years. She has developed a passion not only for working with students who have communication disorders, but also for gifted and twice exceptional children. Through extensive research and experience she has developed the knowledge to advocate for such students and to help educate parents, teachers, and students to maximize outcomes in speech therapy as well as to foster educational success. In December of 2019 she presented a course for www.speechpathology.com regarding how to identify and advocate for twice exceptional students and has another presentation scheduled for November of 2021. Angie has also served as a part-time speech language pathologist for Southwest Local School District since 2015.

Shannon Buckner graduated with a degree in Hearing Impaired/Deaf Education and Special Education: Mild Interventions from Ball State University in 2005. During her studies, she completed several practicum including residential internships at the Indiana School for the Deaf and St. Rita’s School for the Deaf. She began her teaching career as an intervention specialist at The Good Shepherd Catholic Montessori School in 2008 (at the time, known as Queen of Angels). She continued teaching at GSCM until 2018 while concurrently fulfilling parent and teacher coaching and leadership roles for Muskingum University, Child in Bloom and OptimAll. Her spirit for teaching and love of children has guided her throughout her career to her current position with OptimAll Services where she already positively influenced many Catholic Schools.  Shannon resides in Green Township with her husband Joe and their four children.

Susan Weickgenant’s long teaching career has been through several Divinely Designed phases since it began in 1979. She enthusiastically taught elementary school for years and proudly received the Teacher of the Year Award in 1983. Then in order to stay home with her 3 small children, Susan began the next phase of her teaching career by instructing adults as a certified prenatal-health educator in 1990. She spent 20 years teaching and supporting families for a community group, the Mercy-Franciscan Hospital and the Healthy Moms & Babes Health Ministry Program.  In 2008 after completing an additional license in Special Education with a Highly Qualified Designation in Reading & a Masters degree, Susan started another phase of her teaching career.  She worked at St. Ignatius School as an intervention specialist for 11 years. She was an active part of the school’s transition to funding services for exceptional learners through the Jon Peterson Scholarship Program. In 2019, she reluctantly resigned from St. I’s in order to happily begin babysitting her first grandchild along with volunteering for the Greater Cincinnati Literacy Council as a certified Orton-Gillingham tutor. In 2020, Susan began the newest phase of her teaching career as a part-time special educator with OptimAll Educational Services. She feels blessed to be part of this invaluable program that helps Catholic schools utilize the Jon Peterson funds to support their students with diverse learning needs.

Scott Dearth joined  the staff of OptimALL/St. Jude Catholic School in 2019-2020 as an intervention specialist after 30 years serving in the same role in the Oak Hills School District. The first 6 years of his teaching career were as an IVS in Erlanger, Ky.  Scott was raised in the Dayton area, but went to college at Cincinnati Christian University. While there he received a degree in Christian Education(1982), and then got his Masters Degree at UC in Special Education(1983). God is at the center of Scott’s life, and he and his wife worship and serve at White Oak Christian Church. Scott’s wife, Susan, taught for many years at Christian schools in Harrison, Ohio and is currently a substitute teacher. His daughter Jasmine lives in Denver, and is an intervention specialist with the Englewood, CO School District.  Scott and his wife  love to travel, and last summer they vacationed in Punta Cana. He is also an avid OSU football and UC basketball fan.

Katherine Harrell has been an educator in a Catholic School for 23 years.  She graduated from the College of Mount. St. Joseph with a Bachelors in Elementary Education.  She spent 22 years as a general educator at St. Bernard Elementary teaching Language Arts and Social Studies primarily in Grades 5-6.  She has spent the last 8 years focusing on professional development and college course work in special education, both gifted and intervention.  She recently made the transition from general educator to intervention specialist. 

Danielle Metz joined OptimAll in 2020. Born and raised in the Cincinnati area, she attended St. Ignatius of Loyola, McAuley High School and graduated from Mount St. Joseph University in 2016 where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Special Education (Cum Laude). Upon graduation, Danielle accepted a teaching position at North Dearborn Elementary School in Indiana. After four years of teaching full-time, Danielle is transitioned to a part-time position at OptimAll so she can spend more time at home with her family. She now resides in Brookville, Indiana with her husband, daughter and son, two dogs, and chickens. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running, and spending time outdoors with her family.

Ella graduated with a degree in Elementary Education from Michigan State University and Ohio University (Magna Cum Laude). Prior to coming on staff with OptimALL, Ella was a Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Grade Language Arts and Math Teacher with Lakota Local Schools, Madeira City Schools, both in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Ft. Thomas Independent Schools, Ft. Thomas, Kentucky.     Ella has over 60  hours of graduate work in Differentiated Instruction, Reading Curriculum and Development, Technology in Education, and Special Education graduate courses which included Classroom Management, Communication Strategies and Techniques, Philosophy and Cultural Diversity, Leadership and Administration, Advanced Human Development and Learning, and Administrative Partnerships in Special Education. Ella is a Master Teacher and has been nominated for the Ashland Oil Teacher of the Year in the state of Kentucky.  Ella was fortunate to down-size her classroom to 4 students and be a stay at home mom for 12  years before returning to teaching in the classroom.

Rebecca Thacker has been in Catholic education her entire academic career.  Her K-4 education was spent at St. Ignatius Loyola and her 5-8 education years at St. James, White Oak.  She attended McAuley High School (2011) and continued to the University of Dayton for her bachelor’s degree.  Rebecca received a Bachelor’s of Science in Education and Health Sciences, Intervention Specialist (2015).  Rebecca received her Masters in Education, Reading from Xavier University (2019). After graduating from the University of Dayton, Rebecca accepted an Intervention Specialist position (K-6) at Hamilton City Schools.  She stayed in this position for 4 years and then accepted a position at St. Johns in Dry Ridge where she spent 1 year before becoming a part of OptimALL.