New Faculty and Staff

Paulo is excited to join the Overlake faculty as an Upper School social studies teacher. Paulo has a BS in Social Studies Secondary Education and has spent time teaching all over the US and world, including time in South Africa, Costa Rica, and most recently, Brazil! He believes that students should graduate with a knowledge of their country and the world they live and that education should accommodate people from all racial, ethnic, religious, cultural, and economic backgrounds. In his spare time, you might find him reading books about travelers or playing bass guitar.

No stranger to Overlake, Michael is joining our maintenance staff as our lead maintenance technician. Michael previously worked for Overlake in our facilities department as well as a sous chef for the kitchen, which would have him starting at 4:30am preparing to serve breakfast to the morning rush of students and teachers. Michael has also coached various sports at area schools, including football and track and field.

Nicole will be joining us for the first semester as a substitute in our english department, while one of our faculty is on leave. Nicole has experience teaching students from preschool through 8th grade, as well as college level courses. She also holds a Masters of Fine Arts in English and is pursuing a Masters of Teaching at SPU. She has recently been working at St. Thomas School as a humanities teacher and elementary instructional assistant. 

Originally from the Seattle area, Elizabeth Davis has moved from Orange County, California to join our development team this year. Elizabeth holds a Masters in Education and has wanted to work in a school setting for as long as she can remember. She brings experience in development and advancement from several nonprofit organizations in California as well as experience as a kindergarten teacher. Elizabeth loves everything about country music, she even met her husband while line dancing.

Laya is joining the Middle School faculty as a math teacher with a BA in Education with emphasis in Math and Science and a minor in Computer Science. She brings over 10 years of teaching experience. She likes finding fun and creative ways to convey the mathematical concepts to students and expand their understanding of the subject. However, her talents are not just limited to math. She also taught a Beginning French Elective class and is fluent in English, French, and Arabic.

Shea comes to Overlake with 13 years of experience as a theater teacher and a Master of Arts from Emerson College. Her teaching experience has taken her all over the country and world, including Ecuador and most recently, Kenya. While in Kenya, she lead a middle school drama program that grew exponentially over the 5 years she was there. She is trained in West African dances and also plays the clarinet.

Erika has a background as a Marketing Program Manager and Donor Engagement Coordinator. She also served with Young Life, which helped her develop a passion for people and communities. She is excited to get to know the students and walk alongside them through the year. When she’s not at work you might find her teaching a fitness class as a certified Bar Method Instructor.

Joanna is an Overlake alumna and is returning to teach Middle School English. Since graduating, she has pursued a BA in Italian and French Studies and is working to become a National Board Certified Teacher. She has also been teaching language arts and social studies at Inglewood Middle School for the last 5 years. Joanna has also worked to run the Natural Helpers program, which helps respond to students’ emotional needs and partners with school counselors to equip students to become caring and compassionate listeners.

Leslie bring 18 years of experience in education in roles, including teacher, principal, instructional coach, and college professor. Additionally, she holds a Masters in Arts and Humanities Education and has spent recent years exploring other opportunities, including working as the Housing Director at a university where she was able to learn Transcendental Meditation and Ayurvedic Health. She is excited to return to education full time in an instructional capacity.

Catherine is joining Overlake as one of our Upper School math teachers with a Masters in Teaching with Continuing Certificate Endorsements in Secondary Math, Physics, General Science, and Computer Science. She has taught math for over 20 years and even has experience teaching the physical sciences. She believes in a student centered learning environment built on relationships and trust. Her teaching experience isn’t limited to the classroom either, she has also coached soccer, been a ski instructor, and taught fitness classes.

Nidhi is joining Overlake all the way from Florida. She is currently pursuing a Master of Education in Private School Leadership and also has a Masters in Business Administration. She has a wide variety of experience in education, including college professor, head of school honor council, senior faculty member, and AP exam reader. In addition to her education related experience, she also brings experience in charitable advancement in the nonprofit industry and experience as a financial analyst. She is excited to help Overlake move forward and grow. In her spare time you might find Nidhi running, cooking, or listening to classical piano music.

Tara joins Overlake this year bringing a variety of experiences at nonprofit organizations, including World Vision, Northwest Harvest, and most recently, Bellevue Presbyterian Church, where she worked as an administrative assistant in the Family Life Ministries department. Tara attended Whitworth University and earned a degree in Journalism. On any given weekend, you might find her taking in the sunset in Kirkland, or watching Disney movies with her husband.

Damithia will be Overlake's Upper School yoga teacher. She has taught yoga for 20 years. Damithia holds certifications from the Hatha Yoga Center and Sound Discipline Trauma Informed Practices for Youth. In that time she’s lead yoga programs for adults, teens, and preschoolers. She also teaches trauma informed yoga at a youth detention facility.

Megan brings unique experience to the development team from the world of fashion, with a degree in Fiber Science and Apparel Design with a concentration in Product Design. Most recently she worked at Anna Maier Couture in New York where she was their Director of Operations. She oversaw all facets of the business from product development and fabric sourcing to human resources and financial planning. Megan is also obsessed with plants and slowly growing her collection. In her spare time she loves visiting any and all kinds of farms, botanical gardens, or arboretums.

Jessica is joining our food services team as a cashier. She brings lots of experience as a server and barista. She has even dabbled in latte art! 

Pauline is joining Overlake as a school counselor. She has counseled in high school and middle school in the greater Seattle area and has a Masters in Education in School Counseling. She also worked at Seattle Goodwill where she supported immigrant, refugee, and homeless adult learners transition into the workforce. During her time at Washington Middle School, she also helped facilitate a leadership group for girls of color.

Subha is joining Overlake in our tech department. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and a Masters in Systems Engineering. Subha describes herself as an Engineer by Education, Indian by Heritage, and an Interior Designer by Passion. She prefer beaches over mountains, road trips over flying and loves cheesecakes over ice creams. She’s back at work after a hiatus to spend time with her kids, and is excited to be part of this amazing community.

Delanie comes to Overlake from Ohio where she has over 10 years of practical teaching in math at the high school and college levels. She has a Masters of Education in Integrated Math, Science, and Technology Education. She also spent 3 years working for Boeing as a Systems Engineer which has given her hands on experience that is easily applied to the classroom. Delanie sees math as the language of the universe and knows that it is not an easy language to learn. She enjoys finding the fun in the puzzle of math and working to understand the world better through a mathematical lens.

Auzzie was born and raised in California before moving to the Pacific Northwest this year. He studied International Politics at Pomona College and also worked in the Admission Office and served as a Resident Adviser. Most recently, he was the Admission Assistant at a private San Francisco boys school. If he’s not watching Basketball games or Batman movies, you can find him listening to podcasts…usually about Basketball or Batman.

Teron comes to us from St. Louis where he was the graduate admissions counselor at Webster University. He also holds a Masters of Education of Human Services and brings educational experience ranging from coach to instructor to administrator. Teron has a true passion for giving everyone an opportunity to reach their full potential. On the weekends, you can most likely find Teron exploring all the restaurants Seattle has to offer.

Pamela is joining the Overlake kitchen staff as a cashier. She has been working at Stillwater elementary where she oversaw the cafeteria and processed all of the school library materials.

Jennifer has moved from Ohio to join Overlake. She has a Masters in Education in Independent School Leadership and a masters in Special Education. For much of her career she has worked with students with ADHD and learning disabilities which has given her the opportunity to ensure academic and social growth in students’ lives. She has dedicated her career to teaching learners of all types. She also took on a role as a founding member of her previous school’s team for diversity and inclusion and co-chaired their math department. She’s even dabbled in coaching, previously leading the ski team as well as the track and field team.

Sam is joining Overlake as our web administrator and brings a wealth of design and programming experience in games and animation. She bridges the gap between creative and technical sides of products. Sam has worked for companies in Las Vegas designing graphics for casinos, as well as UI/UX design work for various companies in the Seattle area. On the weekends she likes to play competitive Super Smash Bros Wii U with her husband and friends. Her main character is Zero Suit Samus and she’s excited to play Smash Ultimate this winter!

Karen is joining Overlake as the new Middle School Social Studies teacher. Previously, she taught 6th grade language arts, math, and history at the Manhattan Country School in New York. She also has MS in Elementary and Middle School Education and MA in Gender and Cultural Studies. In her spare time, she enjoys kayaking, hiking, and doing crossword puzzles.