Halle Borree
Teacher Associate
My name is Halle Borree and I am a 2023 Carthage College graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Criminal Justice with a minor in Spanish. I grew up in Appleton, WI before moving to Kenosha, and I have always had a passion for teaching and helping others. Ever since completing my psychology thesis with an internship at Open Wings, I have been drawn to the mission and teaching philosophy of the school which emphasizes the uniqueness of each child’s learning experience. This is my first year as a part of the Open Wings family and I am looking forward to supporting students in their learning and passions through the meaningful connections and opportunities Open Wings provides students.
Cody Brant
KW Associate
Heidi Brant
Teacher
I graduated from Trinity Bible School with a BA in Elementary Education. I taught at Christian Life School for 12 years and then took some time off to focus on being a mom. I started teaching at Open Wings in February of 2021. I love teaching at Open Wings because this school focuses on the child as an individual, not a label they have been given. Each child has an opportunity to succeed on their level.
Angela Corn
Teacher
I hold a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Psychology.
This is my second year in a Teacher role at Open Wings. I previously worked as an Associate in the upper school and learned so much from the students. I've traveled the world with my family while my husband was in the U.S. Navy. Therefore, I worked in many childhood education facets over the last 20+ years. Some of these include owning an Early Childhood Education Center, teaching 1st grade through 5th grade writing, Preschool Teacher on the Bahrain Naval Base, and a Preschool Teacher at CLS.
It is always the children that I learn the most from and who inspire me the most in life. This is why the following quote by an unknown author is one of my favorite ways to describe how I feel while teaching at Open Wings.
"Every child is gifted. They just unwrap their packages at different times."
Jennifer Donald
Teacher
Steve Drake
Teacher
I joined Open Wings because I visited the school and met the most delightful and eager group of learners I have ever encountered. These young people are a joy to spend time with. Our job together is upper school math and science. Every day we work together on new problems relevant to our learners’ lives and imagination.
Kayla Frase (Uhwat)
Teacher
Hi, I'm Kayla Frase (Uhwat). I have a Bachelors in Psychology from Carthage College and a Masters in Social Work from Aurora University. I have been with Open Wings for 10 years now. I taught in person before switching over to Open Wings Online where I've been for the past 5 years. Open Wings has a special place in my heart for many reasons, one of them being the relationships we build in the building, online, and within our community. Our kids know that they are cared for, respected, and safe. I love coming to work everyday knowing that I get to make a difference in future generations. OW has always been my home away from home.
Amy Gordon
Teacher Associate
My name is Amy Gordon and I am so excited to have joined the Open Wings family this school year as a social work associate. I couldn’t be more happy to be part of this amazing community that truly focuses on the whole child and celebrates every milestone. I am so honored to have the opportunity to link arms with our parents to be a team and to do life together with all of our families.
Gretta Guilford
Social Work Intern
Jennifer Hendrick
Office
Jen worked overseas on a cross-cultural team helping children with special needs for 6 years before she and her family returned to the US in 2018. Since then she has enjoyed using her background and degree in business administration supporting Open Wings as the office manager.
Hayley Henschel-Jensen
Teacher
I am a Carthage College graduate and received my BA in Elementary Education. I have been teaching at Open Wings for 5 years now. Prior to coming to Open Wings I was the Preschool Director at St. Mary's Lutheran Church. The greatest joy for me as a teacher is seeing that lightbulb moment when a student understands and learns a new concept. What a celebration that is for all of us.
Dr. Kim Hufferd-Ackles
Founder and Educational Advisor
Kimberly Hufferd-Ackles had the dream of opening a school where smiling students would enter the doors in the mornings for many years. This dream became a reality in 2012 when the first group of students came in the doors at Open Wings. She has devoted the past decade to the most rewarding and most challenging work of her professional career supporting students, teachers, and families at Open Wings. Kim received her PhD from Northwestern University in 1999. In addition to being the mother to four children, she thrives in her ongoing support of many aspects of Open Wings Learning Community and in knowing the amazing students that call this school home.
Alicia Johnson
School Director
Alicia holds a Bachelors degree in Special Education with an emphasis in behavioral disorders from University of Wisconsin Whitewater. She taught at an alternative high school for two years before taking time off to raise a family. Alicia taught at Open Wings for three years before moving into the position of Executive Director. She loves that at Open Wings we have the ability to provide hands on, individualized instruction to our students and to work closely with families.
Brooke Kainrath
Social Work Intern
Delaina Kuzelka
Drama Teacher
I’m proud of the work I do at Open Wings. Supporting classrooms and being a positive role model for the student community is something that I am passionate about and the environment that Open Wings provides allows for that. With my background in the theatre arts, I bring my knowledge about empathy, relationships, and teamwork to the students and team.
Delaney Leber
SEL Coordinator
My name is Delaney Leber and I am a graduate from Carthage College in 2017 with a Bachelor's Degree in Social Sciences with an emphasis in Psychology as well as Education and Spanish. This will be my 5th year as a part of the Open Wings community. I am very honored to be at a place that really focuses on students learning in a way that best supports them and makes sure they know that they are always welcome at school. What I truly enjoy the most is the overall atmosphere of the school; the kindness, caring, and understanding nature of not only the educators, but the students and their families as well.
Amanda Leonard
Teacher
Naomi Petravich
Teaching Associate
Naomi worked for OW on and off starting 2014…this school year marks the start of her 5th year. Received bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies from UW Stout with concentration/special certificate in autism spectrum disorders. Mrs. Petrovich is mother to 4 biological and adopted children. Prior to being a Wisconsin native, she was born and raised in California
(snow = 
).
Kristi Rademaker
Teacher Associate
Hi, I'm Kristi Rademacher. I've worked in special education and alternative schools for ten years in the Twin Cities. When I moved to Kenosha and found Open Wings, I knew I had found the right place. I love Open Wings because it truly celebrates each student in their creativity, individuality, and empowers them to have their own voice. I've been here for three years now and I love unicorns, narwhals, and a stuffed cat toy named Hedgie (it's a hedgehog) and his many outfits which reside in my classroom.
Rachel Robinson
Teacher Associate
My name is Rachel Robinson, and I am excited and honored to have joined the Open Wings family as a teacher associate this fall. I graduated from the University of Wisconsin Parkside in the spring of 2023 majoring in Psychology and minoring in Sociology, with a focus on Child Life and child development. I have worked with both neurotypical and neurodivergent children in many different settings over the last seven years. I am excited to give back to this incredible school because it provided such an amazing opportunity for my brother who was a student here at Open Wings. I love working with children, and I especially love providing a safe place for children, who might otherwise be left behind. I want them to be seen, heard, and encouraged to discover the beauty that they themselves bring to this world.
Ciara Ross
Teacher Associate
Anthony Rowe
Teacher
I was a public school teacher for 27 years. I spent most of those years in Winnetka, Illinois, where Dr. Kim Hufferd-Ackles was once my assistant principal. After I retired, I knew I wanted to continue teaching, but I didn't know where until Kim invited me to visit Open Wings. After a couple of visits, it became clear that Open Wings' mission closely aligned with my own beliefs about teaching children, and the Open Wings community drew me in. After teaching virtually at Open Wings Online for the previous three years, this is my first year back in person.
Kimberly Sabisch
Teacher
After earning my Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies, I spent the next two decades homeschooling my four children, and during that time, I realized that I enjoyed teaching as much as I always loved learning. Involvement in a community academy gave me experience in directing dramas and publishing newspaper editions and yearbooks with student staff. Then, I opened my classroom for writing and reading instruction for students of all ages. As a writing instructor, I help mostly middle and high school students find ways to express themselves creatively and academically. As a reading specialist for emerging readers, I see children gain self-confidence as they acquire reading and writing skills. No matter my specific approach or audience, my fundamental goal is always to provide an environment of trust and joy so that students can get curious, take risks, and be successful in their education. In Social Studies, we begin to understand the value of every single person within their communities, and I am thrilled to be able to share this adventure with the Upper School students.
Mikah Steitz
Teacher
My name is Mikah Steitz, and this is my second year teaching at Open Wings. I grew up in Michigan and graduated from Central Michigan University with a degree in Elementary Education in 2019. I moved to Kenosha to attend the Living Light School of Worship in 2019-2020, and began working at Open Wings the following school year. As a new teacher, I consider it such a privilege to learn from the amazing students and staff at this school!
Tammy Stuebner
Teacher
Tammy earned a BA in Elementary Education and has experience teaching at a public elementary school. After taking time to school her children at home and teach various subjects at their homeschool co-op, she is excited to join Open Wings with a renewed enthusiasm for nurturing student growth. It is a privilege for her to guide and encourage students in their educational journeys. She looks forward to celebrating each accomplishment along the way.
Jazzy Thomas
Teacher Associate
Nikki Vicicondi
Teacher Associate
In 2019, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a Bachelor of Science degree in molecular biology. I planned to attend medical school throughout the entirety of my college career but upon graduating, I quickly realized that this was not the path for me. Feeling quite lost and unsure of my future, Ms. Uhwat introduced me to the incredible world of Open Wings Learning. What was supposed to be a temporary filler while I figured out my purpose, quickly became something that will forever be an integral part of my life. I dove head first into a place that forced me to view the world in a much different, more accepting way, and my own life was much happier because of it. I spent my first two years in person with the lower school but transitioned to online after Covid due to a long commute and wanting to spend more time with my sweet pit bull pup, Nala-who very happily greets our online students every morning!
Zach Wilson
Teacher Associate
My name is Zach Wilson. I graduated from UW-Parkside with a bachelor's in Psychology and Neuroscience. During college I studied abnormal behavior, human development, and brain anatomy and presented brain science research across Wisconsin and California.
Every day when working with my students, I use my experience I obtained from working in a rehab facility and an ER with special needs adults. No matter if yesterday was a great or a challenging day, it is my focus to start fresh and make today even greater.
