Kyrie Adams, Director of Student Support Services/Counselor
Kyrie has worked in Education for over 20 years. Originally from New York, she taught in the greater D.C. area for 7 years and then moved to Colorado to complete her graduate program. Kyrie joined the JA staff August 2010. She has a BS in Secondary Education from Liberty University and an MA in School and Community Counseling from Denver Seminary. Kyrie also holds credentials as a Special Services Provider (SSP), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) specializing in adolescent, adult, and family therapy. She also has three kids that attend JA. You can email Kyrie at [email protected] or call 303-465-7621.
Dave Bollig, Special Education Teacher Assistant
Dave started teaching Special Education as an awesome career change later in life, and only wishes he would have done it sooner! “We all have challenges in life, and I enjoy supporting those who have been identified through the educational environment”. Dave started working at Jefferson Academy Secondary in 2015 full time and is now helping support students on a part-time basis. The energy level in the JA school environment is really fun and I am blessed to be part of it. Dave is a Colorado native (a rarity) and grew up in the highest incorporated city in North America! Dave enjoys the outdoors, camping, hiking, golf and family time with adult kids and grandkids.
Marcella Dasta, SEL Coordinator/Teacher/Counselor
Marcella has worked at Jefferson Academy for over 20 years, in various capacities. Currently, she teaches JH and HS Spanish, College Psychology through Front Range Concurrent Enrollment Program, and is also an advisor for Sources of Strength at JA. Marcella earned her MS in School Counseling and MS in Psychology from University of Phoenix. Marcella’s four children graduated from Jefferson Academy. She enjoys spending time with her family, reading a good book, and cooking for fun. You can email Marcella at [email protected].
Kristin DeFiore, ELA Interventionist
This is Kristin's eighteenth year in education and her seventh year at Jefferson Academy. She earned her bachelor of arts degree in speech communication and her minor in English from Metropolitan State University. In addition, she earned her master's degree in Education from the University of Phoenix. She has worn many hats at JA, including 9th grade English teacher, Internship Coordinator, and currently Literacy Interventionist. When she's not at school, you can find her at church, hiking, biking, reading, listening to live music, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends. You can reach her at [email protected].
Angela LeValley, Post-Secondary Advisor
Angela LeValley has worked in higher education for over 20 years. She has held various positions including Director of Tivoli Student Union on the Auraria Campus, Director of Student Activities at Metropolitan State University of Denver, and Hall Director at San Diego State University and CU Boulder. Angela earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology and speech communication and her master’s degree in communications. She is a first-generation college student and is a proud alum of the University of Northern Colorado. Angela believes that happiness can be found in the simplest things including a Venti Iced Coffee from Starbucks! Angela joined JA in May 2021. You can email Angela at [email protected].
Kimberly MacGregor, Digital Teacher Librarian
This is Kim's sixth year in education, and her second year at Jefferson Academy. She has a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theatrical Design and Technology from Texas Tech University, as well as an Associates Degree in Theatre from Tyler Junior College. She is so excited to be in the library after spending the last four years in the classroom teaching technical theatre, as she thinks that storytelling is an imperative artform in our society. Kim is also an advocate for social emotional learning, so the thing you will hear her telling students the most is "You are loved and have purpose in this world!". When she's not at school, her favorite hobbies are writing and producing music, playing video games with her husband, and going hiking with her friends. Kim is so excited to be a part of the JA team! You can reach her at [email protected].
Kira Mlodozeniec, Special Education Teacher
This is Kira Mlodozeniec's third year as the Special Education Teacher at JA. She has a BA in Political Science, a Paralegal Degree and a Teaching License. Her family consists of her husband, son Brandon, two dogs and 2 cats. For fun, when she is not in school, she likes to travel around the US and around the world. You can reach Kira by email at [email protected].
Valerie Morris, Media Specialist
Valerie has been working in Education for 20+ plus years in many different capacities. She has a Bachelor’s in Education from NAU in Flagstaff, AZ. Valerie decided to take the past few years off to focus on raising her son but is very happy to be back at it as a part of the JA team this year! Her family consists of her husband, her 7 year old son and one black cat. Valerie enjoys spending time with her family, reading, hiking, paddleboarding, playing board games, crafting, seeing live music and traveling.
Ellen Moyer, Math Interventionist
Ellen has been teaching for over 12 years and is teaching Math Intervention this year at JA. She earned her Bachelor’s from Colorado State and her teaching licensure from University of Colorado Denver. She has 2 kids, a sophomore at Duke and a freshman at Lehigh University. She enjoys spending time with her boyfriend, kids, and dog, as well as reading, cooking, camping, hiking, yoga, and live music. You can email Ellen at [email protected].
Cara Severance, Social Worker
Cara has worked in Social Work for 5 years with a background in Psychology. She has previous experience in fields such as child development, equine therapy, mental health services, substance use disorder services, and education. Cara joined JA staff August 2022. She earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology at St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, and pursued her master's degree in Social Work at Metropolitan state University in Denver, Colorado. Cara is passionate about providing social and emotional support to all students, curating the best educational experience possible. You can reach Cara by email at [email protected] or call her at (303)465-7691.