Alliance for Catholic Education
St. Petersburg
Life in the City
Welcome to the Sunshine City - St. Pete! With an average of 361 days of sunshine a year, the Tampa Bay is an amazing home for the ACE Teaching Fellows. Our teachers are blessed to serve communities in the vibrant city of Tampa. Just across the bridge, you will find our home nestled in Pinellas Park, a peninsula between the Tampa Bay and the Gulf. Community life is a blast in St. Pete, featuring lots of cute coffee shops downtown, nature walks on the lookout for Florida wildlife, and lots of trips to all the nearby beaches!
ACE St. Petersburg
Lauren Barry
Cristo Rey Tampa
HS Math
Katie Hartnett
Tampa Catholic
HS Social Studies
Aidan Healey
Corpus Christi
MS Language Arts
Sarah VanFleet
Tampa Catholic
HS Science
John Zepf
Tampa Catholic
HS Social Studies
Hometown
Stoneham, MA
Undergraduate Institution
University of Notre Dame
Undergraduate Studies
Major: Mechanical Engineering
What is the one thing that you love most about your ACE school? Why?
One thing that I love most about my ACE school is the students! The kids at Cristo Rey Tampa are amazing. From their beautiful reverence at mass to all of the many times they had me laughing, the kids made my first year of teaching so special. I've been able to get to know most of the students at our school, and I feel so blessed to have been welcomed into their community.
Hometown
Hingham, MA
Undergraduate Institution
Boston College
Undergraduate Studies
Major: History
Minor: Business
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE teacher?
I hope to grow in my faith, and become a more mature, loving and authentic person.
Hometown
Raleigh, NC
Undergraduate Institution
University of North Carolina, Wilmington
Undergraduate Studies
Major: English Literary and Cultural Studies
Minor: Business
How do you hope to grow in your experience as an ACE teacher?
I hope to grow in confidence as an educator and community member. Going from a college student to a full blown teacher is a big leap, but ACE has given me the tools to take on challenges and succeed at them. It's a hard program, but I believe I will come out of it as a strong educator and young professional.
Hometown
Williamsport, PA
Undergraduate Institution
Villanova University
Undergraduate Studies
Major: Biological Sciences
Minor: Humanities, Theology, and Global Health
What is one of your favorite memories from your first year in ACE Teaching Fellows?
One of my favorite memories from my first year of ACE was praying a Rosary with my 9th grade students on Holy Thursday. Each 'Hail Mary' was dedicated to a student in our class, and the students were sweet enough to add an extra Hail Mary for me.
Hometown
Bedford, NY
Undergraduate Institution
Xavier University
Undergraduate Studies
Major: History
Minor: Secondary Education
If you had to pick one word to describe your ACE experience thus far, what would it be? Why?
Fulfilling. ACE is so much more than just developing yourself as a teacher. ACE's emphasis on community, spirituality, and developing rapport with students has made my experience more fruitful than I could have imagined.