Our Teachers
John Moscatiello
English, History, and Spanish
John Moscatiello is the founder of Marco Learning. He has been a teacher, tutor, and author since 2002. His career began at the Princeton Review, where he taught the SAT®, ACT®, SAT® Subject Tests, AP® Exams, ISEE®, SSAT®, SHSAT®, GRE®, GMAT®, LSAT®, MCAT® Verbal, and TOEFL®. John has trained hundreds of teachers, written content for 13 test preparation books, and worked as a college admissions consultant. He starred in more than 200 educational videos for the Princeton Review’s SAT®, ACT®, and GRE® self-paced courses. John’s academic career began as a Spanish major at NYU, where he used AP® credits to graduate a full year early. He then pursued graduate degrees in history from Fordham and Notre Dame, where he taught undergraduate students. He was a Fulbright scholar to Spain in 2012. John’s academic work has been published in both English and Spanish.
Alayna Vernon
Psychology
Alayna Vernon is the daughter of a college professor and middle school math teacher, so it is no surprise that Alayna has chosen to be involved in the education industry. Alayna has been a tutor for the past 14 years and an instructor for the past 5, specializing in math, science, and language arts subjects for high school students. In her senior year at the University of South Florida, Alayna was invited to teach at the Princeton Review, where she taught test preparation for the SAT®, ACT®, PSAT®, AP® Exams, SSAT®, GRE®, and GMAT®. Alayna has also been seen on-screen as a life-style model for the last 10 years and enjoys marrying this passion with that of teaching. Alayna brings her love for her students and her perspective as a mother of four with her every moment that she teaches, whether it is in the classroom or on the set of Marco Learning.
Tom Richey
History and Government
Tom Richey has been teaching AP® courses for 11 years. Since 2012, he has been helping students prepare for the AP® U.S. History, AP® European History, and AP® U.S. Government and Politics exams through his YouTube channel. He has published over 300 videos, helping students with both exam content and writing. Although initially focused on helping students prepare for exams, Tom has recently focused on helping teachers understand the requirements of the exam, with a knack for breaking down labyrinthine guidelines into plain English. He completed graduate coursework in history at Clemson University and he and his family still call Clemson home over a decade later. When he’s not teaching, Tom enjoys playing guitar, taking walks, and making an occasional meme.
Katie Upton
English Language
Katie Upton has been teaching for 15 years, helping students become college and career ready. She has taught English courses ranging from 7th grade English Language Arts to Composition I at the college level. In the past three years, she has quickly become an expert in AP® Language and Composition and a leader of the AP® Capstone program. Katie has a plethora of experience in educational professional development. She has led professional development at the building, district, area, and even global level, focusing on helping teachers blend 21st century learning with educational practices that have stood the test of time. Beginning her career in Oklahoma, Katie has also taught in Kansas and now calls Texas her home. A former basketball coach herself, Katie spends her free time cheering on her two boys in all that they do and supporting her husband, a head girls’ basketball coach.
Heather Garcia
English Literature
Heather Garcia has been teaching since 2004, and has taught English courses ranging from 9th grade remedial to AP® English Language and AP® English Literature. She has taught public speaking, Dual Enrollment Skills for College Success, and has also taught English Composition at Florida Gulf Coast University. She is a professional development leader in her district, running annual new-teacher trainings and is now the Curriculum and Instructional Specialist for her district for grades 6-12. She has been an AP® Reader and was a presenter for AP® English Literature at the 2019 AP® National Conference in Orlando, and her specialty is helping students build their skills in analytical reading, critical thinking, and insightful writing. Heather has a BA in English, and an MA in English, and an MA in Writing. She lives in Florida with her husband and two young children, and spends her spare time (LOL) writing young-adult fiction.
Emily Glankler
World History
Emily Glankler has taught almost every Social Studies course over the past nine years from 6th grade World Cultures through AP® U.S. History but her favorite course to teach is AP® World History. She has taught AP® History courses at both private and public high schools in Austin, Texas and she was the team lead responsible for bringing AP® World (and building the curriculum from scratch) to the last two high schools where she has taught. Emily has also led professional development within Austin ISD as an Instructional Coach as well as presenting to an audience at SXSW EDU about incorporating current events into the core curriculum. She has a B.A. in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.A. in History from Texas State University. In addition to teaching full time, Emily also writes and produces a history podcast called Anti-Social Studies that is used by teachers and students in history classrooms around the country. She lives in Austin with her husband and son and somehow finds time to also perform Improv comedy.
Danny Sanchez
Human Geography
Danny Sanchez has been a teacher and tutor for the past 18 years. He has taught a variety of courses including: US History, World History, Holocaust Studies, and the History of the Vietnam War. For the last 12 years his academic focus has been AP® Human Geography. He has helped his students at Jensen Beach High School exceed the global and state pass rates every single year he has taught the course. His Instagram account, @thehumangeoguy, is the most followed account that focuses on AP® Human Geography content. Danny is a graduate of Florida International University where he majored in Social Studies Education.
Jacob Clark
Human Geography
Jacob Clark has been involved with high school social studies since 2007, teaching History, Economics, Government, and Geography classes during that time. His teaching passion and academic interest is AP® Human Geography, a course he has taught the past 12 years, during which his students’ pass rate far exceeded the state and national averages. He has served as an AP® Reader for the past seven years. Jacob also leads a campus-based tutoring program designed to produce National Merit Scholars. Since 2010, he has had a hand in helping over 100 students earn National Merit recognition from Clear Springs High School. An avid golfer and coach, Jacob can frequently be found on the links when away from work. Jacob attended Ball State University and Bowling Green State University, where he studied History and Education. He currently resides in Houston, Texas.
Michelle Lindsey
English Literature
Michelle Lindsey has been teaching high school for over 10 years. She has taught or currently teaches a variety of courses including Debate, Speech, Intensive Reading, 9th- 11th English- both Honors and Remedial, AICE Literature, AP® Seminar, AP® Research, and now AP® Literature. She has been a presenter at the FCTE conference for Florida English teachers and is now the head of the English department for her high school. She has a BA in English and an MA in Writing. She spends her free time hiding from the Florida heat reading books or writing fiction while enjoying the company of her two fur-babies.
Caitlin Flanagan
Statistics
Caitlin Flanagan is a high school math teacher at North Andover High School in Massachusetts. She has been teaching AP Statistics for almost fifteen years, has coached varsity softball for ten years, and is a new teacher mentor in her district. Caitlin has her B.A. in Mathematics, M.A.T. in Mathematics, and her C.A.G.S. in Educational Leadership. She has worked with AP Statistics students and teachers all over the world and has also served as an AP Reader for many years. When she’s not teaching Stats or coaching, Caitlin is having fun with her wife, Megan, their daughter, Shea, and their pup, Tuck!
Ian Tiedemann
Economics
Ian Tiedemann teaches history and social science courses at the high school level, including AP® Microeconomics, AP® Macroeconomics, and AP® European History. He is also the advisor to his school’s Model UN club as well as an Economics club that competes in several subject-based competitions. Ian is devoted to his continued professional development; he has participated in programs all over that world that have helped him build content knowledge and lesson plans to share with his students and colleagues.
Jordan Dischinger-Smedes
Environmental Science
Jordan, or Mr. Smedes if you follow him on YouTube, has been teaching AP Environmental Science for the past seven years and grading exams for the College Board for the past three years. During the COVID pandemic he started a YouTube channel to help students get ready for their at home exams and more recently he’s also branched out into TikTok (mostly to watch John roasting AP exams.) You can find him on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram by searching for “apesvseverybody”. When he’s not teaching or YouTubing, he enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, biking, and cooking.
Liz Severson
Psychology
Liz Severson has been teaching AP Psychology in northeast Wisconsin since 2006. Liz has a passion for all things psychology and is constantly (obnoxiously) applying its concepts to the world around her. Teaching psychology to teenagers is especially exciting because their naturally curious and questioning minds thrive with the content. Liz has a B.A. in Broadfield Social Studies Education and an M.Ed. in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership; additionally, she has been an AP reader for the CollegeBoard. When she’s not teaching, Liz can be found chasing her toddler son at a variety of sporting events and cheering on her teenage daughter and coach husband.
Timm Freitas
English Language and Literature
Timm Freitas has been an active AP® English Language and Literature teacher for over 13 years. He has consulted with the College Board and is the co-author of the AMSCO textbook for AP® English Language. He is also the founder of the YouTube channel The Garden of English.
Andrew Spiece
Computer Science
For 17 years now, Andrew Spiece has been a noteworthy leader in the Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education space. You may know him from his work as a Team Leader for FIRST Robotics Team 68, but Andrew can also be credited with contributions to Computer Science Education and the Microsoft Philanthropies TEALS Program. Andrew has been honored with the 2016 Woodie Flowers Finalist Award for his contributions to the FIRST Robotics Community in Michigan. He holds a Masters in Education where he studied instructional Technology and currently resides in Fenton, Michigan.
Kristin Shapiro
Environmental Science and Biology
Kristin Shapiro received her undergraduate degree from Austin College, in Sherman, Tx and her graduate degree in Biology from Texas A&M University at Commerce. She is currently pursuing her doctoral degree in Gifted Education. She has been a teacher for the past 13 years. For the first 10 years she taught AP Environmental Science and AP Biology in Plano, Texas. For the past three years, Kristin has taught in southeastern Colorado at Florence Junior Senior High School where she teaches AP Environmental Science, Dual-Credit Biology, 9th grade Biology, and is the Gifted and Talented Coordinator. In addition to teaching, Kristin works as a consultant for the National Math and Science Initiative, College Board, and presents at trainings across the US. In her free time she enjoys hiking, gardening, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Corinne Lindemann
Chemistry
Having grown up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Corinne was predestined for a career in science. After receiving her Master’s in chemistry, she decided to step away from research to instead pursue a career in education.
In the last decade, Corinne has taught chemistry at every level, from 8th grade physical science to undergraduate general chemistry. She’s passionate about making chemistry understandable and working with students and teachers across the globe.
A former AP student turned AP teacher and tutor, she’s excited to join the Marco Learning Team for the Jumpstart program.
Traci McKinney
Psychology
After nearly a decade in the mental health treatment field, Traci has spent the past two decades within the classroom. Exploring the human psyche in AP Psychology helps her students understand where we’ve been, who we are, and contemplating various pathways to our future. Utilizing the invaluable insights gained to positively impact individuals, and thereby society, is Traci’s goal. She loves to explore our vast globe from all perspectives with scuba diving, skydiving and paragliding.
Sarah Vatland
Environmental Science
After spending years leading environmental initiatives in East Africa, Sarah moved back to the United States to pursue a degree in her field of passion–Environmental Science. Sarah received a MSc in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from University of California at Berkeley. She has been espousing her love for the science behind environmental problems since then. For the past 9 years, she has been teaching AP Environmental Science at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, leading hundreds of students to successfully pass their AP Exam. Additionally, as an AP Reader for the College Board for the past five years, Sarah has learned many tips and tricks to help her students be more successful on the AP Exam–from reading the question more carefully to training students how to fully answer the questions being asked. Sarah is an enthusiastic lifelong learner and enjoys sharing with her colleagues and students her love for environmental science.
Joshua Kaspar
Biology
Gina Ruiz-Houston
Physics 1
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