Faculty and Staff
Alexus Allen
Director of Admissions, Director of Development, Events Coordinator, Registrar, Administrative AssistantAlexus is an alumni of Mount Zion and graduated from University of New Hampshire at Manchester with a B.S. in American Sign Language/English Interpreting. She helped run MZCS’ open houses for many years before stepping in to the position of Director of Admissions. Her favorite thing about MZCS is the supportive community. Outside of school, you will find Alexus spending time with her family or her husband’s family, including her brother Jonathan (MZCS Class of 2021), or close friends.
Karla Biel
5th Grade TeacherKarla is a graduate of Texas Woman’s University with a Bachelors of Science in Communication Sciences and a Masters of Science in Education for Hearing Impaired. She has been teaching in various grades from preschool through high school for over 20 years. One of her favorite parts of being at MZCS is seeing God work in and through the students, staff and commUNITY-”God is on the move!” In her free time you will find Karla running, relaxing by the water, or playing games with the family. Karla has been happily married to Kenneth since 1999 and they are proud parents of 2 sets of twins; Kaden & Kirsten (graduated high school in 2021) and Abigail & Allison (class of 2024).
Katie Carminito
Middle School Math Teacher, Middle School Team LeaderKatie Carminito has a Masters of Education degree. She taught as a 6th grade math teacher at Georgetown Middle/High School in Georgetown, MA from 2004 to 2009. She took some time off from teaching to be home with her three boys who currently attend MZCS. She has been teaching middle school at MZCS since 2017. Her favorite thing about MZCS is the close community and the love for God that she sees in her co-workers and administration. When she is not working she loves to be at her family cottage in Alton Bay, NH.
Laura Casoni
Guidance CounselorLaura Casoni received her B.S. in Counseling at Clarks Summit University. She worked in many school systems through the Scranton Counseling Center in Pennsylvania. She is here to support our teachers to create a workable classroom environment, advocate for our students and parents, and implement tools to help our students succeed academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. Although she was born in Pennsylvania, Laura grew up in Connecticut near the ocean. Her husband brought their family of 5 back to his childhood neighborhood in Manchester and currently resides there. When Laura isn’t at school, she goes on adventures with her three children and husband. She enjoys kayaking, snowboarding, and baking. It is a pure delight for her to walk the halls at Mount Zion and see all the smiling faces.
Cheryl Casoni
Kindergarten TeacherCheryl has a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from
Southern New Hampshire University. Prior to coming to Mount
Zion she was a reading teacher for kindergarten through fifth
grade for six years. Her favorite thing about Mount Zion is
being able to integrate her faith into her teaching. She enjoys
spending time with her husband, Bob, five adult children,
daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and three grandchildren. Outside
of work she enjoys kayaking, hiking, and biking with her
husband.
Jessica Clater
LibrarianJessica Clater loves children’s books and seeing imaginations sparked by powerful stories. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree and is currently writing her first upper elementary fiction book. She has one child at MZCS, class of 2031. When she’s not reading books in the MZCS “Lion-brary,” she enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her family.
Beth Cook
4th Grade Co-TeacherBio coming soon 🙂
Matt Daniels
High School Bible and Economics Teacher, High School ChaplainMatt is currently the pastor of Outreach and Discipleship at Londonderry Christian Church and was a full time youth pastor for over 15 years. His favorite thing about MZCS is helping high school students form a lifelong love of God and his word, and helping students begin to make their faith their own. Outside of work, you’ll find Matt spending time with his wife Shannon, daughter Izzy, (MZCS class of 2034) or golfing with friends.
Gloriana Demers
Art TeacherBio coming soon!
Lisa Duffy
1st and 2nd Grade Teacher, Primary and Elementary Team LeaderMrs. Duffy holds a BA in Psychology, a JD, and an M.Ed in Early Childhood Education. She has taught preschool through high school, and loves being part of the collaborative and supportive MZCS community. Spending time with her husband, family, and Jesus brings her joy outside of school.
Helen Glasier
Middle School Technology TeacherHelen Glasier has been with Mount Zion since 2015. She received a BA in Ed. from Colorado Christian University and a Masters from Lesley University. Mrs. Glasier is the MS technology teacher. After working for years in the public school sector, she loves the opportunity to integrate her faith in her teaching. She has an amazing husband and together they have 2 grown daughters. She is delighted to now have two sons-in-law and is enjoying being Nana to five grandchildren! When she is not snuggling grandchildren she enjoys a new hobby of pastel painting.
Andrea Hamlin
Head of SchoolsAndrea has been with MZCS since 2017, educating since 2008, and is thrilled to now be supporting students, parents, and staff through her new role as Head of School. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education and a M.Ed. in Special Education. A transplant to NH from PA, she loves being by the water and spending time with her husband and children (MZCS graduating Classes 2028 and 2030). Andrea finds joy in the close-knit community at MZCS and is thankful to have found a school where her children can be so lovingly challenged and nurtured.
Adalia Johnson
Middle School Bible Teacher, Elementary and Middle School ChaplainAdalia is passionate about equipping the next generation to
know God and discover their identity in Christ. She holds a
Bachelor’s degree in Global Studies: children & youth in crisis
with minors in theology and Christian studies. She currently
serves as a children’s pastor at her local church. Adalia enjoys
exploring new places and trying new foods with her husband.
She is excited to join the MZCS team and looks forward to
working alongside families and students to cultivate life-long
faith.
Jodi Lefort
Office ManagerJodi is a graduate of UNH Manchester with a Bachelor’s in Sign Language Interpretation. Her two children are graduates of Mount Zion, Class of 2016 and 2021, and her husband served on and chaired the board for several years. Jodi loves many aspects of Mount Zion–the amazing faculty and staff who pour their hearts out each and every day; the open-door policy of administration; that it is a place where students names and stories are known and where kids get to be kids; but mostly that Mount Zion seeks God’s direction and has a history of being dependent on Him. Outside of Mount Zion, Jodi loves spending time with family and friends.
Beth Papia
Middle School Humanities TeacherBeth graduated from Gordon College with a B.S. in Elementary Education and has been a part of Christian Education for over 30 years. She loves the enthusiasm for learning and the Lord here at MZCS. Worshiping the Lord in song and on the piano is a favorite pastime as well as cheering for the Patriots. Married to Larrie for 40 years, they enjoy, most of all, spending time with their 2 children and their spouses and 8 grandchildren.
Robynne Pigeon
Preschool TeacherMrs. Pigeon studied Early Childhood Education at Castle College and Liberty University. She has taught preschool and kindergarten since 1996 in both private learning centers and Christian schools and has spent many years volunteering for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire with her husband, Jamie, and daughter, Katie (2020 MZCS alumni). She particularly appreciates the supportive and loving Christian community at Mount Zion. Mrs. Pigeon works diligently at designing a classroom environment that is a fun, creative and hands-on place to learn. Changing her themes and centers every month keeps her classroom an inviting and engaging place to learn. In her free time, Mrs. Pigeon enjoys gardening, cooking, crafting, painting, drawing, and spending time with her family.
Emma Platte
Middle School Science TeacherEmma, Mount Zion alumni class of 2019, has rejoined the
MZCS family this year and is excited to be teaching middle
school science. She has taught preschool for the past two
years and is on course to graduate with honors through NHTI
in her associate’s program in early childhood education this
fall. After she graduates, she plans to pursue a bachelor’s
degree in middle school science. She loves all things science,
and Mount Zion’s approach to discovering God’s creation and
sharing it with others. Emma enjoys playing music, relaxing
outdoors, and spending quality time with her husband and
stepdaughter. She is expecting her first biological daughter in
September and could not be more thrilled to expand her family.
Chris Rodrigues
High School Humanities TeacherChris studied at Saint Anselm College, receiving a B.A. in
Philosophy, a B.A. in German and certification in Theology. He
first started working with students in special education before
classroom teaching and has been in education since 2018. A
lifelong lover of literature, Chris is astutely aware of the
meaning and value that can be derived from carefully mining
written works of art. His favorites to enjoy are poetry, short
stories, and Greek and Roman philosophy. When not in the
classroom, Chris is an avid practitioner of several martial arts
including Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu which he helps to teach.
The special attention given by MZCS to developing student
character within a Christian worldview is remarkable and is what drew Chris to this community.
Dorothy Rodriguez
Middle and High School Spanish Teacher, High School Team LeaderSra. Rodríguez has been part of the MZCS family since 2012, and has been teaching for over 30 years. She has a B.A. in Education from the University of Puerto Rico, where she grew up, as well as an M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Massachusetts. Having grown up bilingual, she particularly enjoys sharing her love of the Spanish language and hispanic/latino culture with people of all ages. She is a long-time member of Trinity Baptist Church in Nashua, NH. In her free time, Sra. Rodríguez enjoys reading, hiking, learning new languages, exploring new places, and spending time with her husband and their 4 adult children and their families.
Julia Sanders
High School Math TeacherJulia Sanders has been teaching high school mathematics since
2009 and has a Masters degree in Mathematics Education from
Rivier University. She loves the joy of seeing students at
MZCS connect with their peers, teachers, and God. Outside of
school, she loves to garden, hike, go to the lake or beach, and
spend time with her husband and two kids. Having grown up
living in different countries throughout her childhood, she also
enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures.
Lisa Seward
FinanceLisa has been a part of the Mount Zion community since her oldest daughter (class of 2011) entered as a freshman. She also has two more children who attended Mount Zion, and her youngest will graduate in 2025. The thing Lisa loves most about MZCS is that the teachers really invest in their students and give their utmost to see them prosper educationally, relationally, and spiritually. In her spare time, Lisa enjoys being outside in nature, gardening, arranging flowers, and making decorative chalkboards. Lisa serves on the Spiritual Committee and the Mount Zion School Board. She and her husband and children live in Goffstown and enjoy the beauty of NH by trying to take lots of walks with family and friends.
Tim Shine
Athletic DirectorTim is a 20 year military veteran who was an F-15 and F-22 Crew Chief and aircraft maintenance instructor. He has a B.S. in Professional Aeronautics from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. His favorite thing about MZCS is that they encourage students to show Effort & Risk and allow them to climb trees at school and be kids. He loves playing basketball with his sons Mason, Bradey (MZCS class of 2022), and Mac, hiking with his wife, and hunting.
Briana Simoneau
3rd Grade TeacherMrs. Simoneau has a bachelor’s degree in child development with a focus in education from the University of New Hampshire. Her favorite thing about MZCS is watching her students worship, pray, and grow closer to Christ. She loves spending time with her family at the beach and taking trips to Disney.
Jason Soukup
P.E. TeacherMr. Soukup is passionate about bringing joy, wellness, and community to families in New Hampshire. He graduated from Western New England University with a Bachelors of Science in Finance and a Masters in Healthcare Administration, and worked within the healthcare arena for over 20 years. In recent years, he has led several groups towards better physical, emotional and spiritual health through the startup of several unique fitness initiatives. He started a non-profit CrossFit gym that was missionally focused within the community (for which he holds a CrossFit Level 1 Certification as a trainer); he advocates for bicycle infrastructure and other active modes of transportation within the city of Manchester through his work with ManchesterMoves. During the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, he became best known as “Mr. Jason”, the fearless leader of the Bike Bus, along with his dog Maple, which has also brought joy, community and wellness to many of our students at Mount Zion. Mr. Soukup enjoys physical activities outdoors, especially with his wife Betsy and three kids (MZ classes of ’29, ’31, ’34).
Kristen Stuart
Principal, High School Science TeacherKristen has a BA in Hebrew and English and an M.ed in Secondary Education. She has been working in education for almost 30 years–first in the classroom and then in administration. Her heart is for students, growth, and Jesus, and Mount Zion is a special place where those three things come together. She loves to read and spend time with family and friends, especially near the ocean.
Tara Swist
4th Grade Co-TeacherTara Swist has her Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Gordon College. She has taught in both private and public school, as well as homeschooled and graduated her five adopted children. Currently, she serves on staff at Raymond Baptist Church as the Children’s Ministry Director. In her spare time, Tara enjoys spending time with her husband, Ken, serving with him on the worship team, traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Jess Therrien
Office StaffJess is a graduate of Lincoln Christian University. She graduated with a degree in Bi-vocational Missions and a TESOL Certification. She works alongside her husband, Marc, and in-laws for workcampNE. Jess started working in the MZCS office in 2019. There are many things she loves about MZCS, but one that really stands out is the teaching staff. Her three children, Judah, Ava, and Lydia, attend MZCS, and she is constantly amazed by how well the teachers love and care for them. She also loves how they challenge them academically while helping them grow in their love for God and people. Outside of school, you’ll find Jess being an all sports mom, and hanging with family and friends. She also enjoys playing volleyball, going to shows, and watching funny TV shows with her husband.
Marc Therrien
High School Worship Arts and Digital Media TeacherMarc works full time in ministry with the missions organization workcampNE. He’s also the Creative Arts Pastor at Londonderry Christian Church. Marc has been a worship leader for over 10 years and directs all of the media of wcNE; and he uses the skills and knowledge from making many mistakes in both to help guide the MZCS students in Worship Arts and Digital Media. Marc loves to play sports, music, be out in nature, go to concert date-nights with his wife, and coach his kids. His favorite thing about Mount Zion is the amazing groups of students he gets to interact with each year. Marc is on the board at Mount Zion, his wife works in the office, and he also has three children in the school, Judah (class of 2029), Ava (class of 2032), and Lydia (class of 2034).
Ken Therrien
Facilities ManagerKen is new to MZCS starting this year, and is looking forward
to his new role as Facilities Manager. He has a B.S. in
Business and a M.Ed. in Education/Human Resource
Development, spending the better part of his career training
and developing leaders in the corporate setting. A native
Granite stater, he loves serving servants, serving Jesus! Ken is
married to Marcia with 2 adult/married children. His son, Marc
and daughter-in-law Jess are both MZCS staff and their 3
children attend MZCS (Graduating Classes 2028, 2031, 2033).
Ken serves as a director of workcampNE, a non-profit Christian
organization that seeks to grow students’ faith by connecting
service to families in the form of home repairs with the Gospel message.
Bobbi Townsend
Movement and Motion Teacher, Volunteer CoordinatorBobbi has been involved with Mount Zion since 2014, first as a parent and then as a teacher. She graduated from the University of Arts with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts. She has taught dance for many years and competed for over 10 years before having her three kids, Lilla (Class of 2028), Emmi (Class of 2030), and Adi (Class of 2032). Bobbi’s favorite part about Mount Zion is the caretaking nature of the community.
Ron Townsend
Music TeacherBio coming soon!