Cyprus Classical Academy Faculty & Staff

Cyprus Classical Academy Administration

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 dedicated her career to advancing education and creating enriching, specialized learning environments. In 2005, when she sought a preschool for her daughter that could meet the unique needs of young gifted learners, Michelle took the initiative to build one herself. She founded a distinctive Montessori-inspired preschool that introduced advanced concepts to students early on.
By 2009, Michelle recognized a growing need for an educational model that allowed gifted young students to progress beyond the limits of traditional schooling. In response, she founded Cyprus Classical Academy—a school tailored to gifted elementary and middle school students that provides individualized, accelerated learning in each subject and addresses the unique needs and asynchronous development often seen in gifted learners. Today, Cyprus Classical Academy offers an award-winning, premium education for both in-person and online students. When she’s not focused on her work at Cyprus, Michelle enjoys time with her family—her husband, three children, and grandson.

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Ms. Julie Shipway
Executive Assistant

Julie became the Administrative Assistant for Cyprus Classical Academy in the summer of 2012. She organized and systematized our administration and was integral to the success of the accreditation of our Montessori preschool program during her first two-year tenure.  

After working for five years as a legal assistant in downtown St. Paul, she returned to Cyprus from 2019-2021 as our Admissions Specialist, assisting families through the process of enrollment as well as supporting our school through marketing, recruitment and retention efforts.   

In the summer of 2021 she had to leave us again temporarily to give birth to her second daughter and spend more time with her growing family.  She is so excited to be back for what we affectionaly refer to as her 'third stint," coming home once again to Cyprus as our Executive Assistant.

Julie’s favorite hobby is singing and she is currently a cantor at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis.  She is also loving raising her two daughters, Isabella and Lily with her husband Patrick.   

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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.

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Cyprus Classical Academy Faculty

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Ms. 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).  ​

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Mr. 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. 

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Mr. Shane Wallick (Mr. W.)
Advanced Language, Lit/Comp, Creative Writing, History, Logic
     M.A. Writing, Johns Hopkins University (Expected Graduation 2025)
     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.

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Ms. Maria Barnard
Super K/Elementary Teacher

Ms. Barnard

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Ms. Nicole Schuette
Online Elementary Specialist
     M.S. Elementary Education: Reading, Minnesota State University, Mankato
     B.S. Elementary Education Winona State University, Winona​

Ms. Schuette began teaching elementary students online at Cyprus Classical Academy in the fall of 2023. Ms. Schuette's teaching journey began during her high school years at an after school program. Over the years, she gained valuable experience through clinical practices and held a position as an elementary teacher for several years.
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Ms. Schuette grew up in Owatonna, MN where she resides to this day. In her free time, Ms.
Schuette enjoys spending time with family and friends, being outside, helping on her
boyfriend’s family farm, crafting, shopping, reading books, and watching movies.

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Ms. Estefany Ringeisen
Early Elementary Teacher, Spanish Teacher

Ms. Ringeisen

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Ms. Rebekah Novinger
Music Specialist, Private Piano & Voice Lessons

Ms. Novinger graduated summa cum laude from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Film Scoring and Composition, along with a minor in Conducting. She has been recognized for her talents with awards such as the John Bavicchi Memorial Scholarship and the Rick Applin Award for excellence in fugue writing. She brings a wealth of experience in both piano and voice, developed through years of teaching and performance. Her passion for working with young musicians and her dedication to fostering their growth make her an excellent addition to our teaching staff.

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Ms. Nancy Boegeman (Ms. B.)
Early Education Specialist, Supervising Teacher
     M.S. Educational Foundations, University of Minnesota
     Post Grad Certification: Early Childhood and Early childhood Family Education licensures, Crown College
     Educational Specialist Licensure, Hamline University/St. Thomas University
     B.S. Elementary and Middle School Education, Montana State University​

Nancy Boegeman lives in Prior Lake, Minnesota, with her husband Tom. They have four grown children – three daughters and one son – who also reside in the area. Nancy is originally from Montana and started her career teaching first and third grade in Texas. She later moved to Minneapolis to be closer to her parents and extended family.
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Throughout her career, Nancy held various positions within the Bloomington Public Schools, including Kindergarten Screening Specialist, Early Childhood Family Education Teacher, and Early Childhood Teacher. Afterward, she relocated to Prior Lake, where she taught in ISD 194 Lakeville Public Schools for 25 years. Nancy is now part of the Cyprus faculty and finds fulfillment in her role as an educator. She particularly enjoys getting to know each child, tailoring their education to their individual needs and interests, and fostering their love for learning.

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Karen Gainor
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. Both of her sons have graduated from Cyprus.

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. 

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Mr. Thomas Mercier
Online Physical Education
     B.S. Recreation, Pars and Leisure Studies, University of MN

Mr. Thomas Mercier began teaching online physical education at Cyprus Academy in the fall of 2022.  he has a long history of working with youth programming. His approach to online physical education is based on his rich mix of professional experiences of working with kids in various settings and also his personal experience with trying to remain active and fit while working in sedentary environments. Mr. Thomas has the professional goal of developing lifelong recreation habits that promote health and wellness in those he works with.

Outside of teaching at Cyprus, Mr. Thomas is primarily a stay-at-home parent who also works for the Mayo Clinic Health System part-time. He and his family are avid lovers of connecting with nature in a multitude of ways, and his kids can even boast of having traveled to over half of the National Parks. Mr. Thomas loves to bike, take walks and hikes, and camp. Also, Mr.Thomas has always had a knack for picking up information about science and the natural world and possesses a ridiculous amount of random information that he geekily loves to share whenever possible.