Meet the Team

Dr. Kelly Van Sande

Founder, CEO

 Dr. Kelly Van Sande is a lifelong educator with a passion for children. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina with her husband, two children, and their dogs. She is a certified teacher, principal, and superintendent and has served in all of those roles, including teaching at the elementary, middle and high school levels in the public school setting. She has more than 20 years of experience in online K-12 education including more than a 15 years of experience in online school executive leadership. She holds a bachelor’s degree in music education (B.S.), a master’s in teaching and curriculum leadership (M.Ed.), a master’s in business administration (MBA), and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Administration (Ed.D).

She believes school culture is at the heart of a school and must be the top priority in order for students to thrive. For, if we do not first address the needs of our students, they cannot effectively learn. Only when a leader commits to promoting and supporting excellence in her staff through open dialogue, professional development, deeply valuing everyone on the team, and celebrating their success, will the school’s team function as a cohesive unit with all goals centered solely around the mission and vision of the school. From there, our focus shifts directly to students so we can provide individualized attention and support which goes beyond academics and entails truly getting to know the whole child. Dr. Van Sande is so passionate about this topic that it became the focus of her doctoral dissertation.

As a parent and educator, she observed the traditional school system, including online public schools, often were not able to meet the needs of all students and she believed there had to be a way to make education come alive for students at all ability levels, from various backgrounds, and to allow students to learn in their own, meaningful way. She sought to develop a school that removed barriers to learning, allowed for acceleration and remediation, maintained very low student-teacher class sizes, and focused primarily on teacher-student relationships in order to foster a school community and culture driven by student success.

She looks forward to working alongside parents, students, teachers, and staff every day so we can build a thriving school community of students prepared for today, tomorrow, and the future ahead!

Sheri Behn, M.Ed.

Head of School

Sheri Behn graduated with her B.S. in Elementary Education in 1997 and went on to earn her M. Ed in Educational Leadership from Northern Arizona University in 2002. Sheri has an English as a Second Language endorsement along with eleven years of teaching experience with students in grades kindergarten to fifth grade. In addition, she has over ten years of online leadership experience serving as a lead master teacher, assistant principal, and most recently a principal for six years.

Sheri lives in Pinetop, Arizona with her husband Chad, daughter Natalie, son Zander and two spoiled dogs, Winnie, and Bella. She’s a small-town girl at heart and enjoys living in the mountains. Fall is her favorite time of year. Sheri's favorite things are spending time with her family and traveling.

Nichole Peterson, MBA

VP of Operations

Nichole Peterson lives in Mesa, Arizona with her husband, 2 boys and their pug. She graduated with her B.B.A in Management Information Systems from University of New Mexico in 2005. Nichole then went on to complete her Master’s degree from University of Phoenix in Business Administration with a Human Resources concentration.  She has held many different positions in brick and mortar charter schools as well as online  schools over the last 18 years.

A fun fact about Nichole Peterson is that she loves to be outdoors with her family!  Her favorite activities include camping, hiking, swimming, and kayaking and they often take their pug along for most of these activities.

Mike Van Sande

Chief Information Officer

With over 20 years of experience in the Information Technology industry, Mike Van Sande is a seasoned executive and strategic leader known for driving technological innovation and operational excellence. Throughout his career, Mike has held various key positions, progressively advancing to the role of Chief Information Officer. He possesses a deep expertise in IT strategy, infrastructure management, cybersecurity, and digital transformation.

Mike has roughly a decade of education experience in both brick and mortar and online schools, including large school districts and small private schools.  He enjoys finding new ways to leverage and integrate technology into the learning experience.

Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in network and communication management from DeVry University and has completed various advanced certifications in IT management, cybersecurity and networking.

Adrienne Meeker
Counselor

Mrs. Meeker earned her Bachelor of Music Education from the beautiful mountain campus of Northern Arizona University. She enjoyed teaching high school choir, piano and music appreciation for six years at brick-and-mortar schools in the valley before earning her Master of Education in School Counseling, also from NAU. Mrs. Meeker began her career as a professional school counselor in the online setting and has been supporting online students since 2011. She is a proud member of the American School Counselor Association, Arizona School Counselors Association and completed training to earn the title of College Access Professional.  Mrs. Meeker believes in the potential of every student and enjoys her role as a school counselor to further develop and celebrate each student’s success.

Mrs. Meeker lives in Glendale, AZ with her husband, two children and dog. She enjoys spending time reading, practicing yoga, cooking, traveling and is a huge Disney fan!

Fun Fact: Mrs. Meeker performed in the Super Bowl XLII Pre-Game and Halftime Show in Glendale, AZ.

Anna Moore lives in Arizona with her husband and two cats, Luna and Opie. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree from Benedictine University Mesa in 2023 and her Associate of Arts in Psychology from Mesa Community College in 2021. Anna participated in Mesa Community College’s Honors Program and is a Phi Theta Kappa National Honors Society member. She previously worked in student services in higher education for four years. She completed an internship with the University of Arizona’s Early Academic Outreach Team, where she presented college readiness information at different middle and high schools across Arizona. Anna strongly believes everyone deserves an education and works hard to support students and families in achieving their academic goals.

Sydney Beck, M.A.T

Art Teacher

Ms. Beck is an artist and educator from Rhode Island. She graduated from Wheaton College in Massachusetts with degrees in Studio Art and Business. Ms. Beck worked as a screen printer, wilderness trip leader, and outdoor education teacher before receiving her M.A.T. in Art Education. She has taught Art at the middle and high school levels in Rhode Island and for the past several years coordinated Art Camp at the Orme School in Arizona. Ms. Beck loves art history, contemporary art, and helping students make connections to art and culture. In her free time, Ms. Beck enjoys being in nature, making art, managing her screen-printing business, and playing with her dog.

Melissa Blumeyer
ASL Teacher

Mrs. Blumeyer lives in Colorado with her husband and 4 children. She enjoys traveling to new places, trying new foods, loves the beach, camping (in an R.V.), and playing games with family and friends.

Mrs. Blumeyer earned an Associate degree in interpreting for the deaf, a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at Arizona State University, and a Master of Arts in School Counseling and Guidance with an emphasis in deafness at Gallaudet University.

In over 20 years, she has enjoyed working in different educational roles; an assistant at a deaf school, an interpreter for deaf students, a counselor for deaf students, a substitute teacher, and an American Sign Language teacher.

Kiley Cohoon, M.Ed.

Elementary Teacher

Mrs. Kiley Cohoon has been an educator for 20 years. During that time, she has taught K-12 music and spent time as an elementary teacher. She lives in South Carolina with her husband, two sons, and dog. She enjoys hiking and camping with her family, and enjoys playing the piano.

She holds a BA in Music Education from Presbyterian College in Clinton, SC and a master’s degree in music education/music therapy from the University of Georgia. She is also a National Board-Certified Teacher in Elementary and Middle Childhood Music. She later went on to complete additional graduate-level courses in order to obtain her elementary education teaching certificate. She also holds Read to Succeed and Online Teaching endorsements.

Fun fact: She has completed a 35-mile bike ride with her family through the Virginia mountains!

Emily Szczur, M.Ed.
Teacher, Special Education

Emily Szczur (formerly Columbus) earned her Master's degree in Elementary Education and Special Education from West Virginia University. Since beginning her teaching career in 2016, she has taught special education across West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. She believes deeply in every student's potential to learn and grow with proper guidance, finding joy in witnessing those "light bulb moments" when students grasp new concepts.
At ILA, she enthusiastically teaches science, encouraging students to share their knowledge and engage in hands-on experiments. Her passion for education extends beyond the classroom, as she has established special needs color guard programs in both Morgantown, WV, and Pittsburgh, PA, drawing from her own experience in high school and college marching bands. The South Hills Stars Special Needs Color Guard continues to grow and thrive under her guidance.

When not teaching, Emily serves as a volunteer firefighter, coaches the South Hills Stars, and coaches color guard at the high school she graduated from. She maintains an active lifestyle, enjoying activities such as traveling, camping, rock climbing, and hiking. She has set an ambitious goal to visit all 50 states within the next few years.
Students may know her as either Ms. Columbus or Mrs. Szczur, as she recently married while teaching at ILA. She welcomes either name.

Heidi Curtis

Teacher, Math

Mrs. Curtis attended the University of Utah and graduated with a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a minor in English. Before long, she decided teaching was her true passion, so returned to "the U" to get a teaching certificate. She has been teaching math since 1999 and loves it. She's taught in both Middle and High Schools, in Utah, Texas, and Arizona, both in-person (9 years) and online (17 years) - but always math. Her favorite part about teaching math is helping it fit together like a puzzle and to help each topic fit together and make sense as a part of a larger picture. Her teaching philosophy is that anyone can learn math, when the desire to learn it is present.
Mrs. Curtis has lived in over 20 different States and 5 different countries. She grew up in a military family and moved over 30 times before graduating High School! A fan of teaching and learning online, she thinks online schooling would have helped her with some continuity in spite of moving around so much as a child. Mrs. Curtis completed High School in Mesa, Arizona and therefore considers Arizona "Home". She is very interested in different cultures and languages and speaks three different languages (English, Albanian and German).
Mrs. Curtis currently lives in Gilbert Arizona with her husband, two daughters, and one dog (Mylah - a German Sheperd/Siberian Huskie mix). She has been vegan (plant-based) since January of 2020 and enjoys cooking regular cuisines and comfort foods "vegan style". In the Fall, she can be found most weekends yelling at the television while watching her Utah Utes playing football. Living in Arizona, she has also adopted ASU as her second favorite University.

Warner D'Cunha

Teacher, Technology

Mr. Warner D'Cunha is a servant-leader and steward with more than 20 years of professional Information Technology (IT) experience in financial services and risk management. As a servant first, Mr. D'Cunha's overarching objective is to always enable the growth of individuals and to create environments in which students can excel. As a steward, he holds himself responsible for what has been entrusted to his care, as well as accountable for what he administers on behalf of the true "owners" of the experience i.e. the students, parents, and families.

Mr. D'Cunha graduated from Goa University in Goa, India with a Bachelor's in Computer Science ... so long ago his children refer to it as the "dark ages". Since then he has worked at IBM, American Express, and USAA, spanning the globe in locations like India, Norway, and the USA. Eight years ago, he began teaching part-time in a school-setting that has continued to the present day. During this time, his wife and he started their own STEM education business using LEGO and Python. He also sits on the board of the Southwest Maricopa Region of First Things First — an Arizona voter-initiated, statewide organization that funds early education and health programs to prepare young children to succeed in kindergarten and beyond.

Mr. D'Cunha lives in Litchfield Park, AZ with his wife, their three children, the children's grandmother, two dogs, two turtles, and - come Christmas - a partridge in a pear tree.

The D'Cunha family's perspective on education is summed thusly. “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. Our children have the potential to do great and wonderful things. To become anything, they wish to be. They need to be helped, guided, and nurtured. Not in providing them opportunities – but in equipping them to create their own opportunities. Not in clearing paths – but in teaching them how to build their own roads. Not by mapping out a journey – but by empowering them to create their own destiny! And where these roads take them will pleasantly surprise them … and us. Truly, it has been said that it takes a village to raise a child - and we are that village.”

Fun fact about Mr. D’Cunha: Mr. D'Cunha has had the great fortune to visit all the inhabited continents* on the globe, except Africa. On his punch-list is to visit Uganda, where his mother comes from, as well as to visit Portugal, from where his father shares a cultural inheritance. *Antarctica doesn't count as "inhabited", it just has tourists. <wink> 

Mike Finneseth

Teacher, Science

Mr. Mike Finneseth is a veteran science teacher of 35 years. He has taught in Phoenix, AZ, the Twin Cities in Minnesota and most recently in Fargo, ND. His wife, Sheila and their two dogs, Pal and Gretchen, currently are living in Detroit Lakes, MN enjoying life at the lake.

Mr. Finneseth graduated from the University of North Dakota in 1987 and obtained a Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Minnesota State University in Moorhead.  

Throughout his years of working with students in both public and private schools, Mr. Finneseth has worked hard to get students to critically think about topics in biology, chemistry, forensics, anatomy & physiology and physical science. He has taught college level biology and anatomy and his students have achieved a qualifying score in AP biology at a rate of 70% over the last 7 years.  

Mr. Finneseth has 30 years of coaching experience in basketball both as a head coach and an assistant and has sold hundreds of his landscape photographs taken around the country, had his work featured on the cover of magazines and had his own calendar published by North Dakota Horizons in 2006.

Sarah Freer Teacher, Special Education

Ms. Freer graduated from Seton Hall University with a Bachelor's Degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences and a minor in Social Work. She received her Master's Degree from Seton Hall in Special Education. She is also a yoga instructor, soccer coach and strength and conditioning trainer.

She believes in the mind-body connection and that education and athletics gives us the opportunity to build confidence, independence and community.

Ms. Freer loves to learn and be active! She enjoys reading, writing, hiking, yoga, running, skiing ... just to name a few! Ms. Freer's favorite memories are either at the beach or in the mountains, with her family, friends, and dog!

Kris Hawk

Teacher, History

 Building strong relationships with students, staff, and families is at the core of what Mrs. Hawk does. With over 25 years of experience, she's had the opportunity to shape meaningful connections and support students’ academic journeys. Mrs. Hawk holds a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education with an emphasis in History, and her commitment to lifelong learning was strengthened through a Fulbright-Hays Grant to Turkey, where she had the chance to immerse herself in the culture and history of the region. In April 2024, she had the privilege of returning to her family’s roots in Italy, which further fueled her passion for world history and the interconnectedness of cultures. Mrs. Hawk is deeply passionate about education and excited to be part of this wonderful community at Ignite Learning Academy, where she can continue to learn, grow, and contribute with exuberance and enthusiasm!

Sarah Lawrence, MA.Ed.

Teacher, Special Education

Sarah received her B.A in elementary education from Arizona Christian University and her master’s degree in special education from Grand Canyon University. She has 20 years of teaching experience at various grade levels. Sarah is married and has three children. Two of her children have special needs so advocating for and teaching students with special needs is a passion for Sarah. A few of Sarah’s favorite things: reading, Disneyland, cycling class, anything chocolate and coffee!

Lauren McDaniels

Teacher, Special Education

 Lauren McDaniels graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in Applied Human Behavior which led her to her passion and certification in Special Education. Lauren has taught in both online and in-person environments across many different grade bands. She is located in Phoenix, Arizona, married with children, enjoys reading and the outdoors. 

Mara Mitchell
Teacher, English

Ms. Mitchell graduated from Eastern Michigan University, where she majored in both Spanish and English Language, Literature and Writing. In 2021, she received her M.Ed. in Teaching English Learners from the American College of Education. Ms. Mitchell holds certifications in English (6-12), Spanish (K-12) and ESL (K-12), and she has been teaching since 2017. 

Outside of the classroom, you can find Ms. Mitchell on walks with her dog, reading, traveling, or spending time with her loved ones.

Rebecca Moore, MSIT

Teacher, Gifted

Mrs. Becky Moore graduated from Western Colorado University in Gunnison, CO with a B.A. in American History and Elementary Education. She received her Masters of Science in Instructional Technology from Grand Canyon University in Arizona. Becky has taught Kindergarten through 6th grade in general education and gifted students. Her passion is STEM education where she loves to work with students and challenge them to critically think while engineering projects that help to solve real world problems. Becky’s educational philosophy is that every child is a genius at something. Becky truly believes her job is to help every child find their "genius" and then encourage them to develop and shape it.

Mrs. Becky Moore has been married to her husband for 25 years, and they have two adult children along with 2 spoiled French Bulldogs and a cat who believes she is in charge of the entire house. Becky and her husband live in Florida.

Dr. Christina Obae
French Teacher

Dr. Cristina Obae is originally from Romania but considers herself a citizen of the world as she travels together with her husband and son throughout the entire globe having visited more than 34 countries.

She finished her first PhD in French didactics and linguistics at the University of Bordeaux, in France. Then followed the courses of a second masters and started in August 2023 on her second PhD in education, in Finland. Dr. Obae is a lifelong learner and that's what she tries to instill in her students too.

She has been teaching French both face-to-face and online at University, Middle and High School level in Europe since 2004. She is adept of Finnish pedagogy, PBL and embedding new technologies into teaching. She lead teachers training workshops and designed specially for ILA a VR-based French curriculum in order to efficientize language teaching in the online learning environment and ensure active involvement of students pursuing her classes.

Allison Powell, M.A.

Teacher, English

Mrs. Powell (she/her/hers) is a proud Arizona State Sun Devil, having earned concurrent bachelor’s degrees in English and German at the university. Since then she has taught just about all levels of high school English and German, including Advanced PlacementⓇ, at some point in her teaching career. She earned her master’s degree in English literature from Northern Arizona University, where she focused on Gothic literature, her favorite genre to read, teach, and/or talk about whenever she gets a chance. Currently, Mrs. Powell is earning her doctoral degree in educational policy, organization, and leadership at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and hopes to continue the work of making online education as equitable as possible.

A passionate advocate of graphic novels, Mrs. Powell lives in northern California with her family and two entitled guinea pigs, none of whom appreciate her witty, pun-filled humor as much as her students do.

Fun Fact: Mrs. Powell has been making homemade marshmallows since 2011; she can make just about any flavor you can imagine. Her personal favorite is horchata.

Tracy Rohrbacher
Teacher, Elementary

Mrs. R, as her students call her, has been happily teaching elementary school in-person and online for over 20 years. She graduated with her B.A. in Elementary Education in 2004 from Ottawa University and her M.S. in Psychology in 2012 from Grand Canyon University. She takes a holistic approach to teaching by focusing on academics, as well as character development. Mrs. R knows that every student has a light to shine in the world, and she is excited to be a part of their journey.

She is a proud Arizona native and loves to spend time off-roading in the desert with her family, although she really hates the Phoenix heat. She has been married to her high school sweetheart, Scott, for over 24 years and they have two amazing sons, Kyle (23) and Luke (18). They keep her busy and she loves family game nights and weekend camping trips in the RV.

Fun facts about Mrs. R:

1. She is a huge fan of Marvel, Star Wars, and Transformers. She has seen all the movies in each franchise about a million times.
2. Bug-eyed dogs are her favorite, and she has a sweet senior Boxer who sometimes likes to attend class. She has always had Boxers and Boston Terriers, and her retirement plan is to open a senior dog rescue someday.
3. She is a major Arizona sports fanatic! Go Diamondbacks, Suns, and Cardinals!

Danielle Swezey
Teacher, Special Education

Mrs. Swezey earned her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and special education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in 2016. Since then she has enjoyed several years of developing her skills as an educator, both in general education and special education settings throughout the east coast. Her passion for teaching has followed her throughout her entire life, and she dedicates herself to developing a lifelong love of learning in all of her students.

Currently, Mrs. Swezey lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her husband and her cat. When she isn’t teaching, Mrs. Swezey enjoys crocheting, playing video games, and volunteering in her community’s garden space.

Fun Fact: Mrs. Swezey grew up in western New York, and returns there every summer to go camping with her parents and older sister.

Sheila Thompson
Teacher

Shelia lives in Ocean Springs, MS, on the coastline of Mississippi. Her sweet family consists of her husband and their two sugar cookies (kids). Shelia graduated from Tougaloo College with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education. She furthered her education at William Carey University and received a Master of Secondary Education in Mathematics. This is her 8th year teaching middle school math and her 10th year in education. In her free time, she loves spending time with family, going to the beach, and sewing. She is so excited to be a part of the ILA team and meeting you, her students! Go Bulldogs.

Beth Van Oss
Spanish Teacher

Ms. Van Oss earned her Bachelor of Arts in English from Northern Michigan University. She also earned a Master of Science in Experiential Education from Mankato State University in Minnesota and a Master of Arts in Spanish from Northern Arizona University. She holds a teaching credential in Secondary Spanish, and is a Highly Qualified Spanish Teacher in AZ, OR and TX. She served as an Outward Bound instructor for a decade teaching leadership and outdoor skills to students of all ages, and mentoring staff throughout the US, Canada and Latin America. For the past 15 years she has been a teacher-leader in both online and brick and mortar schools. She has trained new instructors and ushered in new curriculum to meet the needs of students and innovative teaching. She enjoys helping and supporting students and families develop their world language skills. Ms. Van Oss resides in Prescott, AZ and Ashland, OR.

In her free time, Ms. Van Oss enjoys being in nature, paddling rivers and hiking or mountain biking. She also loves cooking and watching a good series on Netflix when she's relaxing. Fun fact: She has made her own wooden sea kayak and uses it on the rivers and lakes in the Pacific Northwest.

Krystal Wall
Teacher, Special Education 

Mrs. Krystal Wall lives in Torrington, CT with her family. She graduated from Grand Canyon University with her Bachelor’s in Education. Mrs. Wall worked as a preschool teacher and paraprofessional before receiving her Elementary and Special Education teaching degree. Since then, Mrs. Wall has taught all ages from 1st grade through 7th grade special education over the past several years. Mrs. Wall has had the pleasure of working with students with many different abilities in her educational career.

Mrs. Wall is excited to meet and work with students and families to help them reach their personal educational goals here at ILA. When not teaching, Mrs. Wall likes to spend time with her husband and their three children.

A fun fact about Mrs. Wall is that she is also a photographer!

Rebecca Williams, M.S. Teacher, Gifted

Mrs. Williams graduated from Columbia College (SC) with a B.A. in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Endorsement in 2004.  She received her Masters of Science in Integrating Technology into Curriculum and a Masters of Science in Online Education.  Mrs. Williams also has a Gifted Education endorsement.  She has taught Elementary and Middle School general education and gifted students.  She has also served as a teacher trainer and instructional coach.

Mrs. Williams lives in Chicopee, Massachusetts.  She has two sons who also attend ILA and a handsome German Shepherd!  She loves spending time with her family going on trips, camping, reading, and crafting.

Here are some fun facts about Mrs. Williams:  She has been in online education longer than she taught in a traditional school setting.  She grew up as a military brat and attended kindergarten in Germany.  When she was little, she used to teach her stuffed animals.

Martha Wright,
Teacher, Special Education

Mrs. Wright graduated with a B.A in psychology and a master's degree in special education after attending the University of Georgia and Georgia College and State University. After being a Georgia girl, she now lives in the sunny state of FLA with her husband. She has taught special education for over 13 years at the elementary level and more recently k-12 online. She was also a reading intervention teacher for 2 years. Mrs. Wright has 4 children and 2 grandbabies with one more on the way. Being a grandma is her favorite thing to do, as well as spending time with her ever growing family. Some hobbies she enjoys are traveling, spending time on any beach and growing and arranging flowers.