New Hires and Job Transitions 2024-2025

List of 5 items.

• ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF

  Christeen Banoczi will join Team Trinity as a new full-time School Nurse, working alongside School Nurse Kelsey Ricci. Christeen is a Registered Nurse (RN) with five years of acute care experience in pediatric units, including PICU, NICU, and Mother-Baby settings. She previously worked as a full-time pediatric nurse at Novant Health New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, North Carolina, and as a travel registered nurse in Edgewater, New Jersey, and Denver, Colorado. She also has experience as a clinical instructor at Cape Fear Community College in Wilmington. Christeen has a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and holds certifications in Basic Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, Neonatal Resuscitation Program, and Advanced Cardiac Life Support. 
  
  Chef Josh Kim, who has been carefully selected with the assistance of Flik, Trinity's food service provider, will join our team as Chef Manager. He assisted Chef Abel during the last week of Trinity's June summer camp to begin familiarizing himself with our community. Chef Josh, who began his culinary career 14 years ago as a catering intern and prep cook, comes to us from Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta, where he served as chef tournant for the last two years. There he oversaw food production and service for the club's casual and fine dining restaurants as well as its banqueting events. Prior to that, he served as executive chef with Morrison Healthcare in Charlotte, North Carolina; banquet chef at Cosmos Club in Washington, DC; sous chef and interim banquet chef at Chevy Chase Club in Chevy Chase, Maryland; and sous chef at Myers Park Country Club in Charlotte.
  
  Sean Maynard joined Team Trinity in April and serves as our Receptionist four days a week. Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, Sean has a strong background in customer service and people management, which began with his eight years of service in the U.S. Army. He most recently served as a training ambassador at Amazon and has previously held supervisory positions at Great Value Storage, CVS, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Sean holds a Master of Public Administration from DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management and a bachelor's degree in Biology from DeSales University. During his time in the military, he received several Army Achievement Medals for Excellence and Attention to Detail.

• EARLY ELEMENTARY DIVISION

  Sarah Campbell, parent of two Trinity alums, will join Team Trinity as an Early Learners Lead Teacher and work alongside Lead Teacher Lauren Kuzniak, Associate Teacher Patricia Keaten, and Senior Associate Teacher Jasmine Mitchell. Over the last five years, Sarah has served as a Substitute Teacher at Trinity, including stints as a long-term sub for teachers in the Early Elementary Division. Before shifting to education, she spent close to a decade in the corporate world, including time as a showroom manager for Fran Reis Company as well as Bilthouse & Company. Sarah holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Georgia Southern University.
  
  Caroline Conner will join Team Trinity as a First Grade Senior Associate Teacher and work alongside all First Grade Lead Teachers as well as Senior Associate Teacher Bella Giorno. With nine years of experience in education, Caroline comes to us from Cambridge Christian School in Tampa, Florida, where she was a First Grade teacher as well as the junior varsity volleyball head coach and beach volleyball assistant coach. Prior to that, she served as a First Grade teacher at New Hope Christian Academy and Cornerstone Prep, both in Memphis, Tennessee. Caroline holds a Master of Professional Counseling from Southeastern University, a Master of Urban Education from Union University, and a Bachelor of Science in Education from Auburn University.

   

  Catherine Curran will join Team Trinity as a Pre-K Lead Teacher and work alongside Lead Teacher Laura McRae and Associate Teacher Debbie Oakes. Catherine comes to us from the Auburn Early Education Center in Auburn, Alabama, where she spent a year as a Kindergarten lead teacher and two years as an after-school program instructor. She also spent a summer as a youth activities intern at Cherokee Town and Country Club in Atlanta. Catherine has a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from Auburn University.
  
  Patricia Keaten will join Team Trinity as an Early Learners Associate Teacher and work alongside Senior Associate Teacher Jasmine Mitchell and all Early Learner Lead Teachers. Patricia comes to us from The Cathedral Preschool in Atlanta, where she was the lead science and garden teacher for the last five years. She has previously served as a Pre-K assistant teacher at St. Alphonsus School in Chicago; First Grade lead teacher at Visitation Catholic School in Chicago; and Fourth Grade lead teacher, Pre-K lead teacher, as well as Second and Third Grade assistant teacher at St. Martin's Episcopal School in Atlanta. Patricia has a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and Art History from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia.

   

  Lauren Kuzniak will join Team Trinity as an Early Learners Lead Teacher and work alongside Lead Teacher Sarah Campbell, Associate Teacher Patricia Keaten, and Senior Associate Teacher Jasmine Mitchell. Parent to three Trinity alums, Lauren is passionate about Trinity’s mission and has served as a Substitute Teacher at Trinity for several years, including a long-term sub position in the Early Learners. She has also spent the last six years serving as a Fourth- and Fifth-Grade Sunday School teacher at Peachtree Road United Methodist Church. Before coming to Trinity, she spent 12 years in the corporate world and was a clinical business manager at Cubist Biopharmaceuticals, an area account manager at Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and a client representative at IBM. Lauren has a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from the University of Georgia.

   

  Cathryn Lager, who joined Team Trinity as an Early Learners Associate last school year after subbing at Trinity for three years, has moved into a Lead Teacher position and will work alongside Early Learners Lead Teacher Pam Lauer, Associate Teacher Patricia Keaten, and Senior Associate Teacher Jasmine Mitchell. Parent to a Trinity alum, Cathryn spent her early career in the corporate world before shifting to education. Over an 11-year period, she worked her way from account manager to senior director at TrialGraphix, then served as a service line enablement and account manager at EY in Atlanta for six years. Cathryn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Florida State University.

   

  Samara (Meshad) Lumpkin, who joined Team Trinity as a Third Grade Lead Teacher in 2022, will move into a Kindergarten Senior Associate Teacher position and work alongside Lead Teachers Andrea Barnett, Kate Burton, Julia Lee, and Abbey Moore. Samara previously worked at The Mount Vernon School as a First Grade teacher and a Kindergarten collaborative teacher. Prior to that, she was a preschool teacher at The Little Nook in Atlanta. Samara has a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education with a focus on Gifted Education from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Florida State University.

   

  Laura McRae will move into a Pre-K Lead Teacher position after co-teaching Fifth Grade Math with Vicki Eyles for three years. She will work alongside Lead Teacher Catherine Curran and Associate Teacher Debbie Oakes. Laura, who joined the Trinity team in 2010, previously served as a Fifth Grade Lead Teacher, Fifth Grade-Level Team Leader, and Fourth Grade Associate Teacher. Before working at Trinity, she served as a presidential fellow and outdoor adventure director at Camp Twin Lakes in Rutledge, Georgia, and a member of the nursery staff at First United Methodist Church in Athens, Georgia. Laura has a Master of Arts in Teaching with a specialization in Early Childhood Education from Oglethorpe University and a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Science from the University of Georgia.

   

  Ashley Patton will join Team Trinity as a Pre-K Lead Teacher and work alongside Lead Teacher Jaclyn Connell and Associate Teacher Jessi Books. Ashley comes to us from The Museum School of Avondale Estates, where she spent a year as a Kindergarten lead teacher and a year as a student-teacher. In addition, she has served as an intern with the Florida Department of Education’s Vice Chancellor of Literacy Achievement, a college counseling intern with Bloom College Consulting in Atlanta, and an undergraduate research assistant at Auburn University’s College of Human Sciences. Ashley has a Master of Arts in Teaching in Elementary Education from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Science in Human Sciences from Auburn University.

   

  Ali Roby will join Team Trinity as a Pre-K Lead Teacher and work alongside Lead Teacher Leah Lenhardt and Associate Teacher Jessi Books. Ali has spent 20 years in the classroom and joins us from The Cathedral Preschool, where she was a lead teacher for three-year-olds. Prior to that, she served as a lead teacher for three- and four-year-olds at First Presbyterian Preschool in Atlanta for 11 years, was a lead teacher at Stretch the Imagination Preschool in San Francisco, a Kindergarten associate teacher at Katherine Delmar Burke School in San Francisco, a long-term Kindergarten substitute teacher at Palm Beach Day Academy in Florida, and a Seventh Grade assistant teacher at Saxe Middle School in New Canaan, Connecticut. Ali has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Spanish from Fairfield University in Connecticut and is bilingual in English and Spanish.

• EXTENDED PROGRAMS

  Colleen Bazemore-Colclough will join Team Trinity as an Extended Programs Lead Teacher. Colleen brings a wide array of experience, from teaching to working with nonprofits. She has previously served as an assistant Pre-K teacher at Kids R First Academy, admissions consultant at Fusion Academy, STEAM facilitator and leadership instructor at YELLS, Inc., corps member at Ameircorps Vista, camp counselor at Police Athletic League, all located in Marietta. In addition, she has a strong customer service background that includes several years as a customer service agent at EconoLodge and licensed telesales agent at Broad Path in Marietta. Colleen has a Bachelor of Science in Integrative Studies from Kennesaw State University.

• MEDIA AND TECHNOLOGY

  Briselda Carachure-Vargas, who has been at Trinity since 2019 as a part-time Extended Programs Teacher, will move into the newly created Media Center Associate role. In this position, she will work with patrons to locate books and information, check books in and out, assist with ordering books and other materials, catalog and process new books and magazines, assist with author visits, help set up and maintain book displays, and more. Briselda is currently working towards a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Georgia State University.
  
  Steven Valentine will join Team Trinity as a Media Specialist. Steven joins us from the Cobb County Public Library System, where he created innovative library programming and assisted with operations as a library assistant. TEFL/TESOL-certified, he previously taught English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) at Douglas County Schools and English to students in grades 4 - 6 at Coral Springs Bilingual School in Villanueva, Honduras. Steven has a Bachelor of Science in Technical Communication from Mercer University.

• UPPER ELEMENTARY DIVISION

  Sarah Grace Barr ’13, who has served as a Substitute Teacher at Trinity since January, will return to her alma mater full time as a Fifth Grade Associate Teacher and work alongside Lead Teachers Kathy Bruyn and Sammy Rigaud. In the summer of 2023, she served as a Second Grade assistant teacher at Horizons Atlanta, a six-week learning program that provides academic support to students from low-income communities, after volunteering there every summer since 2016. In addition, she was an international programs ambassador at Florida State University for two years while she completed her degree. She has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Florida State University.

   

  Thomas Benefield, who has been at Trinity since 2014 and most recently served as a Fifth Grade Associate Teacher, will remain on leave as we begin the 2024-25 school year.

   

  April Blazejewski will return to Team Trinity after a one-year hiatus from full-time teaching, during which she served as a Substitute Teacher. She will once again serve as a Third Grade Associate Teacher, a position she held during the 2022-23 school year, and work alongside Lead Teacher Kyra Campbell. Before coming to Trinity, April taught Fifth Grade, serving as a lead science teacher and a lead math teacher, as well as Third and Fourth Grade. She has won several Teacher of the Year awards and served as a Grade Level Chair. April has a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the College of Charleston.

   

  Kyra Campbell, who has been a Third Grade Associate Teacher at Trinity since 2021, will move into a Lead Teacher position and work alongside Third Grade Associate Teacher April Blazejewski. Kyra previously served as a lead after-school teacher at Kid’s World Learning Center in Statesboro, Georgia. She has a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood/Elementary Education from Georgia Southern University.
  
  Monique Glafcke will join Team Trinity as a Fourth Grade Associate Teacher and work alongside Lead Teacher Marcia Twiggs. Monique comes to us with 17 years of teaching experience and most recently served as a Pre-First associate teacher at Pace Academy. In addition, she virtually taught English to Chinese students in preschool through high school for seven years through VIPKid and was a virtual teacher for students in grades Kindergarten - Third Grade through Edmentum Options Academy online for three. Prior to that, Monique was a lead teacher for multiple ages at Midtown Lutheran Preschool and a lead teacher for two-year-olds at Canterbury School, both in Atlanta, as well as a Kindergarten teacher at The Children's Circle and a First Grade teacher at Greenway Park Elementary, both in Charlotte, North Carolina. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Northern Illinois University. 
  
  Melissa Goodell will join Team Trinity as a Fifth Grade Lead Teacher and work alongside Associate Teacher Carlos Taylor. Melissa, who has 26 years of teaching experience, comes to us from The Mount Vernon School, where she has taught Second Grade for the last 16 years. Prior to that, she was a Kindergarten teacher at Chesnut Charter Elementary School in Dunwoody as well as at Washington Elementary School in Redondo Beach, California; a Second Grade Teacher at Howard Wood Elementary School in Torrance, California; and a Fourth Grade Teacher at Pinecrest Schools, an independent school in Van Nuys, California. In addition, she served two years as an English Teacher in the United States Peace Corps, teaching English as a second language to Ninth Grade students in a small village in Eritrea, Africa. Melissa has a Post-Baccalaureate Teaching Certification from California State University Long Beach and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Loyola Marymount University.

   

  Reeves Holden, who joined Team Trinity in 2021, will move into a Third Grade Lead Teacher position and work alongside Associate Teacher Mary Teske. She previously served as a Third Grade and a Second Grade Associate Teacher. Before coming to Trinity, Reeves was an online learning proctor and substitute teacher at The Schenck School and gained student teaching experience in grades Pre-K–Sixth. A certified Orton-Gillingham Classroom Educator, Reeves has a Master of Education in Special Education with a focus on dyslexia from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor of Science in Early/Elementary Special Education from Auburn University.

   

  Heather Parker, who has been teaching for 26 years, will join Team Trinity as a Fourth Grade Lead Teacher and work alongside Associate Teacher Jamie Webster. Heather comes to us from Mount Pisgah Christian School in Johns Creek, where she served as a Sixth and Seventh Grade Language Arts teacher for the last 13 years, which included seven years as a middle school cross country coach, and taught Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade for seven years. Heather spent the first six years of her career as a middle school Language Arts teacher for Fulton and Dekalb County Schools and has served as a grade-level chair for various grades over the last 24 years. She has a Bachelor of Science in English Education from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

   

  Michele Payne will join Team Trinity as a Fourth Grade Lead Teacher and work alongside Associate Teacher Jack Teske. An International Dyslexia Association-certified Wilson Dyslexia Practitioner, Michele spent the last decade as a Third and Fourth Grade Lead Teacher at Saint Francis Day School in Roswell. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from the University of Mississippi.

   

  Sammy Rigaud will join Team Trinity as a Fifth Grade Lead Teacher and work alongside Associate Teacher Sarah Grace Barr '13. For the last six years, Sammy was a First Grade teacher with Atlanta Public Schools and previously served as a Second Grade teacher at Gulf Coast Charter Academy South in Naples, Florida, for three years. A published children’s book author, he has a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education in Indianapolis and a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and Media Studies from Florida Atlantic University.

   

  Matt Scott will move to Fourth Grade as a Lead Teacher and work alongside Associate Teacher Ashante Gilstrap after serving as a Third Grade Lead Teacher since 2017. Matt, who joined Team Trinity in 2013 as a Substitute Teacher, spent two-and-a-half years as a Fourth Grade Associate Teacher and has also served as Third Grade’s Grade-Level Team Leader for the last two years. He has a Master of Arts in Teaching from Mercer University and a bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
  
  Jack Teske will join Team Trinity as a Fourth Grade Associate Teacher and work alongside Lead Teacher Michele Payne. Jack is a graduate of Woodward Academy, and he recently earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts. He has served as a substitute teacher at Trinity and Lovett and spent time as a camp counselor at Woodward.

   

  Mary Teske, who began teaching full-time at Trinity last school year as a Fourth Grade Associate Teacher, will move to Third Grade and serve as an Associate Teacher alongside Lead Teacher Reeves Holden. She began her time at Trinity as a substitute teacher from 2015 to 2018, then from January 2023 until the end of that school year. She previously served as the assistant athletic coach at Atlanta Girls' School; spent 12 years as a certified cycling instructor and group fitness trainer; and worked in Atlanta's corporate world, including time as a supervisor/team trainer and patient care coordinator with SCP Health, program manager/team trainer with Premedex, and sales specialist with Peloton Interactive. Mary has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from State University of New York at Buffalo.

   

  Brian Toth will now co-teach Fifth Grade Math with Vicki Eyles. A Fourth Grade Lead Teacher since 2016, Brian was recently nominated for the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching. He has been teaching since 2003 and began his career as a Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade math and science teacher at North Brandywine Middle School in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, before spending seven years teaching Fourth and Fifth Grade math at Rainbow Elementary School in Coatesville and three years teaching Third and Fourth Grade math and science at NHCS Alderman Elementary School in Wilmington, North Carolina. Brian received his master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Neumann University in Aston, Pennsylvania, and a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from West Chester University in Pennsylvania.