Staff

Hellen Boyer French is a native of Peru. She moved to Colorado 20 years ago and graduated from the University of Colorado - Boulder with a degree in Linguistics and Italian. Hellen has a passion for education and languages, and speaks Spanish and Italian fluently. When not at work, she enjoys befriending dogs and exploring new places and ideas.

Gabrielle Mahon graduated from the University of Connecticut with a BA in Human Rights in 2012. Since then, she has had the pleasure of teaching globally and locally before finding her home at Vega. She earned her MA from Relay, Graduate School of Education in 2017, and is a current BES Leaders for Emerging Networks of Schools cohort member. She is also the Vice President for Friends of Pioneers, a non-profit dedicated to supporting teacher development in the West Bank of Palestine.

Kathryn Mullins is the Founder and Executive Director of Vega Collegiate Academy. She is an educator with ten years of experience in a variety of urban school settings, Ms. Mullins has experience teaching elementary, middle, and high school, in both general and special education settings, in Brooklyn, New York City, Harlem, the Bronx, North Carolina, and Chicago. Ms. Mullins was selected as New Teacher of the Year, and Teacher of the Year while in North Carolina and has been featured in Doug Lemov's Teach Like a Champion training series, in which thousands of educators participate every year. In 2015, Ms. Mullins earned a Fellowship with Building Excellent Schools, a highly selective Fellowship that trains school leaders to lead charter schools in high-need urban neighborhoods across the country. Ms. Mullins holds a BM from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University - Bloomington, and a MA with Distinction from Relay, Graduate School of Education.

Jessica Racine serves as the K-8 Principal at Vega. She is passionate about providing a high-quality education experience to all students. She earned her Master's degree in Educational Leadership and Policy with a Principal endorsement at Boston College in 2016. Previously, she taught high school math and science. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and playing basketball.

Kristin Brady teaches 6th and 7th grade math at Vega Collegiate Academy and lives in Denver Colorado. She earned her bachelors in public relations at Syracuse University and her masters in education at Lehman College. Kristin taught math for over a decade in New York City charter middle schools. She loves to bike, hike and ski in her free time.

Michelle Gaedke teaches 5th and 6th grade science at Vega. She is originally from Detroit, Michigan and attended Michigan Technological University. There, she received a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and Biological Sciences. Michelle worked in the automotive industry as a Manufacturing Engineer for a few years before moving to Colorado to teach. She is inspired by students who take passion in project-based learning and inquiry.

Ms. Harvey is a Reading Interventionist and parent at Vega. She is a native of Colorado and has enjoyed watching the state grow. She attended Metro State College and has been in education for 6 years.

Olivia Hershman teaches 7th grade Reading and Writing. She recently graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where she drank too much coffee & wrote far too many papers. While she'll forever be a proud Midwesterner, one of her favorite things is drinking coffee and watching the sun set over the mountains after a long day. Ms. Hershman enjoys teaching ELA and how each day brings new challenges.

Luke Kennedy is a 5th and 7th grade Global Literacy teacher at Vega Collegiate Academy. Originally from North Carolina, he received his Bachelor’s in Germanic and Slavic Languages and Literatures from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017. After living as a vagabond for two years, which included a stint teaching English in Prague, he settled in Denver. Since then he has thoroughly enjoyed getting his students up to speed about human history. In his free time, Luke enjoys traveling, music, and writing.

Veronica McCarthy teaches 5th Grade Math, Reading, and Writing at Vega Collegiate Academy. She attended Syracuse University and graduated with a bachelor's degree in Education Policy Studies and Writing. She went on to work for the Massachusetts Department of Education, then she worked for Denver Public Schools as a 4th and 5th Grade Math Interventionist, and finally in 2018, Veronica was hired at Vega Collegiate Academy. She loves working with 5th graders, and she especially loves taking her kiddos on trips to the movies!

Deanna Mendenhall is a second year teacher at Vega Collegiate Academy, and lives in Denver, Colorado. She studied Anthropology and Adventure Education at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, and has a passion for all types of education. Her favorite class to teach is Global Literacy. Before coming to Vega she worked as an instructor at an outdoor science school where she taught beach and forest ecology. She has a dog (Idris) and a cat (Juliette) whom she loves very much.

Mari Ordaz was born in California and raised in Michoacan, Mexico where she lived for 15 years. After that, she lived across the United States including California, Illinois, Arkansas, and finally Colorado. She is the proud mother of three awesome children, two of whom attend Vega. She loves working at Vega where she is surrounded by so many beautiful scholars who give so much love, and being close to her children. She loves her students and her cats.

Anne is a licensed professional counselor. Her early clinical experience was spent serving children and families who experience traumatic stress and adversity. More recently she worked as a school partner, training and coaching school personnel on how best to establish a trauma responsive school environment. She loves this work, her dog, and making food for people.

Jennifer Udema is the first grade teacher at Vega Collegiate Academy and has been with the school since its founding year. She loves teaching the young students at Vega because they are so excited about learning! Jennifer earned her Bachelor of Science from Metropolitan State University and has been in our beautiful state her entire life. In addition to education, she has a passion for adventure, animals, and reading.

Ms. Walker grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, before moving to Denver to attend Metropolitan State University- where she graduated with her Bachelor's of Science in Environmental Science. She has been working with students for 10 years, first as an afterschool program coordinator before moving to teaching Middle School Science. This is her first year teaching elementary, and so far she loves it! In her free time, she does Krav Maga, enjoys cooking, and spending time with her family and pets.

Ashley Young graduated from Wiggins Jr.Sr. high in 2008. She went to college at Red Rocks Community College, majoring in Early Childhood education. She is now a Kindergarten Para at Vega, where she has worked for 2 years. She has a son at Vega, who has attended since founding year. She loves her work and is grateful to work with the students and families at Vega.

Tirzha was born and raised in the Denver and Aurora area, and still lives not far from Vega with her husband and daughter. Always a lover of science and teaching, she taught at a science summer camp while earning a BA and MA from the University of Colorado Denver. Although she taught for a short time at UCD and Metropolitan State University, Tirzha is most passionate about middle schoolers and is so happy to be part of the Vega family. Known by students as Mrs. Z, she teaches middle school science and special education.

Rosalba was born in Aguas Calientes, Mexico and moved to Texas, then Colorado about 10 years ago. Three of her four children attend Vega and love it! Rosalba likes to cook and listen to music and loves a strong cup of coffee.

Ms. Baez is a mom of three at Vega and has worked in education for several years. She enjoys spending time with her family and making the most of every day. Ms. Baez is excited to be on the Vega team and looks forward to growing and learning every day.

Ms. DeThomas is originally from Rhode Island and has worked with children for over 19 years in various settings. She graduated from Rhode Island College in 2007 with a Degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice. In her spare time she loves to explore Colorado and spend time with her family.

Lah Gay Moo is originally from Burma/Myanmar. She grew up in a refugee camp in Thailand. She speaks Karen, Burmese, and English. She immigrated to the US in 2015 and believes that education is one of the most important parts of life. She believes that education is the key to success, which is why she works at Vega. When she has free time, she enjoys visiting with her friends.

Keith Shaffer is Vega's Program Coordinator and Transportation Director. Mr. Shaffer grew up in Aurora and graduated from Aurora Central in 1998. He holds a BA in History and is currently working on his Masters in Nonprofit Management. He believes that every child deserves equity in education and works at Vega to help close the academic gap wherever and however he can. He lives in Denver with his fiancee and his 7 year old son. He is also a novelist, having written four novels, one of which is published.

MeKayla Smith is the After School Director at Vega Collegiate Academy, and live in Aurora, Colorado. She studied Psychology and Adventure Education at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. Her favorite past time is studying Black History and spending time in nature.