Cyprus Classical Academy Faculty & Staff

Michelle Wallick
Founder, CEO, Director, Teacher
     M.Ed. Educational Leadership, Concordia University
     Post Graduate Certification: Talent Development and Gifted Education, University of MN
     B.A. English; Math/Computer Science Minor, St. Catherine University
     Montessori (AMI) Diploma, Marion Montessori and Education Center

Michelle Wallick has a passion for education and has spent her entire career in the field. In 2005, when she was was unable to find a preschool for her daughter that understood the needs of young gifted learners, she decided to create one herself.  She founded a unique Montessori Preschool that included exposure to advanced material at an early age.  In 2009, Cyprus had a large class of advanced and gifted 4-5 year old students who already knew the entire kindergarten curriculum and more.  Michelle saw the great need for a school that allowed students to learn at higher levels and at a faster pace than traditional schools allowed. She founded Cyprus Classical Academy, a school for gifted elementary students that not only allowed each student to learn at a level and pace that was appropriate for them in each subject, but also addressed the unique needs and asynchronous development of young gifted learners.  Cyprus Classical Academy now offers an award-winning premium education for gifted elementary and middle school students in person and online.  

When Mrs. Wallick is not focused on her passion for Cyprus, she can be found spending time with her other passion - her family (husband, three kids, and adorable two year-old grandson.)

Karen Gainor
​Dean of Students, Head of English Department, Scheduling Director, Teacher
     PhD ABD Rhetoric & Technical Communication, University of MN
     M.A English Literature, University of MN
     B.A. English & Journalism, Marquette University

Mrs. Karen Gainor found Cyprus when looking for a preschool for her gifted sons in 2008. She spent one year as a Cyprus parent and daily volunteer in the classroom. Beginning in the Fall of 2009, she became a lead teacher in our elementary program and has been dedicated to Cyprus ever since. (Her older son is now a Cyprus and high school graduate, and her youngest son will become a Cyprus graduate in 2022.

Mrs. Gainor has many years of experience teaching writing, public speaking, group communication, technical communication and visual design at the college level, but finds some her most gratifying work to be teaching young children. Karen loves geography and learning about our country and the myriad of places in this world. She has several years of experience reporting for and editing a bi-weekly newspaper, loves journalism in all forms and believes that the type of questions good reporters ask can be wonderful guidelines for the type of questions all inquisitive minds should hopefully be asking. 

Mrs. Gainor has a passion for teaching and for Cyprus and looks forward to returning from her medical leave in the fall of the 2022-2023 school year.

Samantha Stoll
Advanced Mathematics Specialist, Language Arts, Lit/Comp/Pres, Beginning Spanish
     B.A. Math Education, St. Catherine University, Summa Cum Laude
     Teaching Licensure Grades 5-12 Math

Ms. Samantha Stoll has been a part of the Cyprus Classical Academy faculty since 2018 specializing in teaching advanced (high school and college level) math. She also teaches Language Arts and Literature Composition classes at all levels and has taught beginning Spanish. Her background includes teaching a broad range of students from kindergarten through college ages.
 
Ms. Stoll grew up in a small town in Wisconsin and attended a K-12 school with limited opportunities for gifted students. She was inspired by Cyprus Classical Academy’s mission to challenge students every day in order to help them grow to their full potential and wishes she had the opportunity to learn as much as Cyprus students do. She loves sharing her love of learning with her students! She is currently a member of Phi Beta Kappa (National Academic Honor Society), Pi Mu Epsilon (National Math Honor Society), and Pi Lambda Theta (National Education Honor Society).  ​

Jesse Williams
Science Specialist, Spanish Specialist, Mathematics, Physical Education
     B.S. Bioengineering; Hispanic Studies Minor, Montana State University
     Peace Corps, Paraguay

Mr. Jesse Williams grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho. During his pre-college years, he was accepted into several accelerated programs including PACE and took several Advanced Placement courses. He  attended Montana State University acquiring a Bachelor of Science degree in Bioengineering, a subset of the University’s Chemical Engineering program and a minor in Hispanic Studies. 

After college, Mr. Williams was accepted into the Peace Corps and served two and a half years as a Community Health Volunteer in Itapé, Paraguay. During his time in the Peace Corps, Mr. Williams taught health and English classes at local schools where he discovered his passion for teaching. After returning from the Peace Corps, Mr. Williams was a substitute teacher for his hometown school district in Idaho. Since then he has worked as a Junior Environmentalist with Hennepin County in the Twin Cities, and as a Data Analyst/Administrative Assistant in the Mercedes and SMP plants located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. 

Mr. Williams joined the Cyprus Classical Academy faculty in 2020, and currently is the Morning Meeting leader, and heads up the P.E. curriculum both on-site and online. Mr. Williams has always had a great love and appreciation for school throughout his life and is excited to pass on these sentiments to his students. 

Sydney Kuechenmeister
Elementary Teacher
     B.A. Elementary Education, Minor Psychology, University of North Dakota, Cum Laude

Ms. Kuechenmeister joined the Cyprus Classical Academy faculty in 2020 as an elementary level teacher.  She has wanted to be a teacher since she was in 3rd grade, so there was no question about what she should study in college. ​Ms. Kuechemeister always has a smile and adds a positive energy to the school! She is clearly passionate about teaching and about her students. She loves the outdoors and one of her favorite things is taking students on field trips!

Ashley Sodergren
Super K Teacher
     B.A. Elementary Education, Minnesota State University, Mankato 
     Elementary Teaching Licensure

Ms. Sodergren joined the Cyprus Classical Academy faculty in 2021 as an experienced early childhood teacher. She has worked in the public schools as a substitute teacher and as a Pre-K, Kindergarten Lead Teacher at a Montessori school. Ms. Sodergren is a passionate and dedicated teacher who cares about each and every student.  

​Ashley is a native Minnesotan. She grew up in Bloomington and now resides in Rosemount with her husband, and two young children. She likes to spend time with her family, watching football, going to baseball games, and binge-watching her favorite shows on Netflix.  

Shane Wallick
Advanced Language, Lit/Comp, Creative Writing, History, Logic
     M.A. Writing, Johns Hopkins University (Expected Graduation 2022)
     B.A. Creative Writing, Minnesota State University, Mankato   

Mr. W. earned a B.A. in Creative Writing and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Writing with a specification in Fiction from Johns Hopkins University, with an expected graduation in 2022.​ Shane studied under numerous successful, published authors including Chris McCormick and Sam Apple, and is currently working on his first novel.
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Mr. W has spent many hours immersing himself in history books since he was a young child. His love and extensive knowledge of the subject have persisted to the present day, making him an excellent teacher and resource for our precocious history buffs. 

Mr. W. has a passion for movies demonstrated by his extensive Blu-ray collection with over 1400 titles. In addition to watching movies, he has written, directed, and edited numerous short films and is currently working on a script for a feature film to be produced in 2023. Mr. W. has many years of experience working in education and has always wanted to be a teacher. He has a passion for writing and literature and is excited to share his accumulated experience and knowledge with Cyprus students this year teaching Logic at the college level, Advanced and Honors Language Arts, Creative Writing, and History. 

Mr. W. joined the Cyprus Classical Academy faculty in 2021, and has offered Cyprus students the benefit of not only his knowledge, but has also brought in Johns Hopkins University faculty to meet with his students about creative writing and being an author.

Yanli Feng
Chinese Specialist

Feng Laoshi graduated from Sichuan University in China where she studied pharmacy for 5 years. She moved to the US in 2013. While in college, she worked in a nearby elementary school as a volunteer teaching English and math. After coming to the United States, she taught in a Chinese immersion school for several years. Feng Laoshi believes that the best things for children's development are nurturing and teaching.

Feng Laoshi joined the Cyprus Classical Academy Faculty in 2017, and teaches Mandarin Chinese to Cyprus students enrolled in Chinese class with great success.  Cyprus students have moved on to high school having passed internationally standardized Chinese tests up to and including the HSK 3 and have been placed in high school classes in levels as high as Chinese 5.

Mr. Michael Phillips
Art Specialist, Early Elementary Music Specialist

Children's music artist and early childhood specialist, Mr. Michael, leads Cyprus Classical Academy's Art and Early Childhood Music Program with energy, enthusiasm, creativity, and fun!  

Mr. Michael's career has revolved around working with and sharing his music with children.  He has performed in the United States as a children's music artist for attentive audiences of young children and their families and recorded a children's music CD. He lived and worked as a first grade teacher and a music teacher at St. Stephens International School and as a first grade teacher at Kasetsart University Laboratory School in Thailand.  He also worked as the Deputy Head of Early Childhood Education for Modern Montessori International in Singapore.
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Mr. Michael joined the Cyprus Classical Academy faculty in the 2018-2019 school year, and is a beloved teacher to both online and on-site students.  He starts off our daily morning meeting in song with a reminder that "It's a Beautiful Day" every day!

Lachlan Fife
​Music Specialist
     D.M.A. Music Theory and Composition, The University of Texas at Austin
     M.M. Music Theory and Composition, Boston Conservatory at Berklee
     B.M. Music Theory and Composition, Boston Conservatory at Berklee
     A.A. Audio Engineering, Shoreline Community College

At the age of four, Dr. Lachlan Fife showed an innate aptitude for music by being able to quickly play  music he had just heard on the piano. By the time he was a teenager, he had gone far beyond learning to play several instruments to the composition of original ideas. Never wanting to pigeonhole himself to one genre, Dr. Lachlan's eclectic tastes reach beyond classical composition and performance into Jazz, rock, pop, country, and devotional music. Lachlan earned a Bachelors and Masters of Music from The Boston Conservatory where he studied with Larry Thomas Bell and Osvaldo Golijov. His first international recognition came in 2005 for his work "Medley Tipico," commissioned by the New England Conservatory Youth Philharmonic for their South America tour. That same year he also won the Roger Session's Memorial Award in Composition. In 2007, he studied abroad in France at the prestigious Fontainbleau Conservitoire. Lachlan has since devoted himself to the education and outreach of music and the arts. Earning his Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Texas at Austin, he has over 10 years experience teaching Classroom Music lessons as well as one on one lessons in piano, composition, voice, guitar. Lachlan has over 20 years experience as a Conductor of Choirs and Orchestra that range from elementary school to professional organizations.

"I believe all paths are possible; that there are several different ways to reach and fulfill one's personal goals. The only thing standing in the way is yourself. All people experience doubt or have fears about the future. It is the teachers who are the stewards of young people’s lives and I am thankful for the teachers who have affected my life in so many, positive ways. I believe it is my responsibility, and it is the reason why I teach, to reach students on a passionate level to inspire and motivate them to follow their paths, wherever they may lead, with the same dedication and care that was given to me by my teachers."

Dr. Lachlan joined the Cyprus Classical Academy faculty in 2021 and teaches Musicology Class. He is the Assistant Director of Cyprus School of Music and the Arts and teaches lessons for several instruments and voice.

Cyprus Classical Academy Administration

Mike Wallick
​Communications Director, Board Chair

Mike Wallick began his career in radio as an on-air personality and News Director. He eventually moved into restaurant ownership and multi-unit operations and remained in the field for the majority of his career. His favorite aspect of his work throughout his career has been working with people and ensuring an excellent experience with the businesses he represents.  Mike's goals as Communications Director are to enhance and keep a high standard of communication within the Cyprus community, actively promote the school, and solve any issues that arise to ensure a positive experience at Cyprus Classical Academy. Mike enjoys spending time with his wife, son and son-in-law, daughters, and grandson, and enjoys traveling.

Dan Gainor
Building and Technical Support

Lisa Robertson
PTO President

About Cyprus Classical Academy

​​It can be a challenge deciding what to do if your child is gifted and traditional schools are not a good fit.  The solution is to provide advanced and gifted students with ability-based education and a customized school schedule specifically designed to meet the unique needs of your each gifted learner.

Cyprus Classical Academy is an award-winning, ability-based school, in Burnsville, Minnesota and online world-wide that provides a premium, ability-based education that meets the needs of academically advanced through highly gifted students ages 4-14 years, in pre-k, elementary, and middle school. Cyprus students love to learn and need a faster pace of learning and higher level of academics than traditional schools and gifted programs can offer.  Cyprus Classical Academy students have customized school schedules and the opportunity for unlimited acceleration while maintaining an organized school structure and rigorous curriculum taught by highly qualified teachers and experts in their fields. Cyprus Classical Academy offers a unique and comprehensive education and places emphasis on building a strong community both on-site for in-person learning and online for distance learning.
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​Cyprus Classical Academy is a not for profit school which admits students of any race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, scholarship programs, and athletic, musical, artistic or other school-administered programs.