Our Team

Michelle is a Colorado native and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Metropolitan State College with a minor in Reading, and she earned her teaching credentials in 1994. She has 17+ years of experience in education. Michelle has been with Accelerated Schools since 2012 in many different positions, including in the classroom, enrolling students, and on the admin team. She recruits and enrolls new students and provides academic and behavioral support for students and parents. When she is not at school, Michelle enjoys studying genealogy and traveling.

Evan Simpson is a Colorado native and received his Bachelor’s in English Education from Colorado State University in Fort Collins. He has worked as a youth counselor and mentor for traditional schools as well as outdoor education programs and is now in his fifth year of classroom teaching. As Dean of Students, his goal is to create the best possible learning environment for our diverse body of learners. He works to have students engaged in their own education by helping them find their passions and interests.

Julia Potocnjak-Overn earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from The University of Texas-Pan American in 2012. As a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) undergraduate research scholar, she conducted research in Systematics, Evolution and Biodiversity, placing runner-up at the 2011 Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting. Following a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), she was accepted into the PhD program in Integrative Physiology and Behavioral Genetics at The University of Colorado Boulder in 2020. She published research in Current Microbiology (2014) and presented transcriptomic analysis at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) meeting, receiving a Figueroa Family Fellowship in 2021.

At CU Boulder, Julia served as Outreach Committee Chair for Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), taught Anatomy & Physiology and Biostatistics. She has taught at Fusion Academy, September School, and Brightmont Academy. Currently, she is a science teacher at Accelerated Schools, grant writer for Greater Denver CARES Mentoring Movement.

Kyle was raised in Houston, Texas, and moved to Colorado to attend undergraduate school at the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2009. He graduated from CU in 2013  and completed a Master's degree at the University of Denver in 2016. Currently, Kyle supports students and thier families throughout their school career as an Enrollment Counselor/Educational Recruiter and High School Instructor at Accelerated Schools. 

In his free time, Kyle loves spending time outdoors in nature, hiking with his dogs in the warmer months, snowboarding in the winter months, and attending live music concerts. He am also an avid Houston sports fan (Go Texans, Astros, Rockets!!!).

Jessica Machetta has a B.A. in English with minors in journalism and French from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Mo., an HBCU founded for black Civil War veterans who were turned away from seeking an education just up the road at the University of Missouri. This belief, that everyone deserves an education, is what drives her passion to teach children from all backgrounds and with all ability levels. After two decades as a boots-on-the-ground reporter, she decided to bring her life's experience to the classroom, where she can inspire students to learn anything they set their minds to. She has also tutored ESL students for several years and loves to connect with people from all cultures and walks of life. She speaks French fluently and bits and pieces of several other languages. She has experience teaching K-12 and loves the diversity of students that make up the Accelerated Schools community.

Kate Oh has always wanted to experience traveling around the world and living in different countries. As soon as she received a Bachelor's in International Affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder, she decided to go back to South Korea to become a bridge between Korea and the US to help promote Korean brand products to the US. She started teaching English to students and adults to communicate and write essays and business letters.

Later, she played a central role and took a leadership role in marketing and establishing a business partnerships in different sectors, such as Information Technology and Biotechnology. She has taught ESL for over 20 years and has always had a passion for education. She transitioned her career to work in International School in South Korea in 2010. She also earned her leadership in International School Marketing, Admissions and Recruitment, Business Management; Strategic Planning; Accreditation Processes; Exchange Programs; and Community Outreach.

Debby has a Masters in Education from Framingham State University in Massachusetts. Debby started her teaching career in Fairfax, VA, where she worked for 13 years as a Kindergarten, First, and Second-grade teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools. Debby was the Science Lead teacher at Flint Hill Elementary in Vienna, VA, where she helped her school become a Green School. Debby moved to Denver in 2013 and recently left Denver Public schools, where she worked as a First Grade teacher for three years.

Josh Warren is a dedicated math educator with over a decade of classroom experience and a lifelong passion for teaching. He began tutoring mathematics at the age of 14 and has carried that enthusiasm into a teaching career. Before entering education full-time, Josh worked as a software designer. Originally from Houston, Texas, he relocated to Colorado only a year and a half ago, embracing new opportunities both personally and professionally. Outside of the classroom, he recently fulfilled a long-held dream of developing a mountain home on a river lot with his partner of over 20 years.

Craig is a skilled tradesman with over 21 years of experience in new home construction. He spent 13 years serving as Facilities Manager at Bear Creek Church in Lakewood, Colorado. Craig also worked with special needs students twice a week from the local High School by offering a Community Living course, which helped to prepare the students for living independently.

Kayla is a Colorado native and earned a Bachelor of Psychology degree from Metropolitan State University and a Master’s Degree in Child and Adolescent Development from Capella University. Prior to joining Accelerated Schools in November 2022, Kayla provided in home therapy to children as an RBT. Kayla has a wide range of roles at Accelerated Schools, including day to day finance operations such as Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable, updating social media for the school, and many other administrative duties. She is also responsible for maintaining office and classroom supplies and equipment.