Royalmont Academy Staff
Mrs. Veronica Murphy
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Mr. Chris Willertz
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Royalmont Academy's teachers and staff are dedicated to creating a faith-filled environment each and every day. True to our mission, each staff member takes the education and formation of each student to the next level, always in His name. Our team prides itself on working closely with parents and each other to achieve a learning experience second to none. Each feels called to be at Royalmont and to continue to pave the path to the future through our program of Integral Formation. If you feel called to join our team, check out our available positions here.
Expand a section to read staff member's biography.
Expand a section to read staff member's biography.
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My husband, Jerome and I have five children, who attended Royalmont Academy for a combined 13 years. This is my fifth year teaching Spanish at Royalmont. I currently teach grades prek 4-5th grades. I have Bachelor of Arts degrees in Spanish and International Studies with a focus on Latin America from The Ohio State University. While at OSU, I also studied abroad in Toledo, Spain at La Fundación José Ortega y Gasset. God calls us to love our neighbor. I think learning a foreign language actually helps us do that. We gain insight and appreciation of cultures and people when we learn foreign languages. For me, studying Spanish helped connect me to my paternal Grandmother and Grandfather. Some of my fondest memories are speaking Spanish with my abuela. One Bible verse I strive to live by is Romans 12:12- Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer.
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Mrs. Boon and her husband, Brian, have four children: Emma (RA grad ’12), Michael (RA grad ’15), Kate (RA grad '16 Grade), and Max (RA 5th Grade). The Boons joined Royalmont Academy in 2004 and Mrs. Boon became the 2nd Grade Formator in 2011. Mrs. Boon is a graduate of Penn State University, graduating with distinction with a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Minor in Business. She has also completed coursework toward a Master’s Degree in Special Education at Duquesne University. Mrs. Boon has taught in Kindergarten through 4th Grade classrooms in both Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. She also home-schooled her daughters when they were in Kindergarten. Mrs. Boon is a Certified Catechist in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, and an Accredited Instructor for the Institute for Excellence in Writing (IEW). Mrs. Boon serves on Parish Council and is the Baptism Class Coordinator at St. Philip Parish in Morrow, where Mrs. Boon & her family were named the Knights of Columbus Family of the Year for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati 2015. Mrs. Boon’s favorite hobbies include reading a good book, gardening in the summer, walking her neighborhood, and early morning bird watching while drinking coffee on her patio. Her favorite Bible verse is 1 Thes. 5:16-18: “Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.”
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Miss Bozsik is a part of the Campus Ministry team here at Royalmont Academy. Originally from Akron, Ohio, shecame to Cincinnati in July 2014 after finishing her bachelor’s degree. Her favorite Bible verse is: Matthew 14:28-29 “And Peter answered him, ‘Lord, if it is you, bid me come to you on the water.’ He said, ‘Come.’ So Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water and came to Jesus.”
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Stay tuned.
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Mrs. Amelia Clark graduated with a Bachelors in Music–Education in 2003 from Bowling Green State University. She has worked as a substitute and lead teacher in the early childhood education field for the past 10+ years at preschools, daycares, and private preschools in Cincinnati. Most recently, she has worked with Clermont County Educational Service Center as a paraprofessional Aide and helped with the Language Arts lessons with the middle school and high school students there. Mrs. Clark is positive she will have a joyful year teaching and learning at Royalmont Academy.
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Mr. Robert Crawford is from Mt. Healthy, OH. He attended St. Xavier High School and is now a graduate of Xavier University, Class of 2017, where he earned a double major in Classics and Vocal Music, with a minor in Philosophy. He studied the ancient Latin and Greek languages in the Honors Bachelor of Arts Program and also studied Music and Vocal Performance, singing in numerous ensembles, and is currently singing for the St. Peter in Chains Cathedral Choir in downtown Cincinnati, OH. Mr. Crawford enjoys listening to music, singing, watching and reviewing movies, and taking his dog to the dog park. He is recently engaged to be married and is excited to get started as a Formator at Royalmont Academy this fall.
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Stay tuned.
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Mrs. Ford joins the Royalmont team in 2017 as a preschool aide. She graduated from Miami University with a bachelor's in Early Childhood Education and earned her master's degree in Education with a Reading Endorsement from Walden University. Mrs. Ford taught kindergarten and first grade before she had the pleasure of staying home to raise her three children. The Ford family joined the Royalmont community in 2012. Mrs. Ford is very excited to be a part of the Royalmont preschool team.
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Mrs. Christine Gladden graduated from Xenia High School, Xenia, OH, in 2009 and from the University of Cincinnati in 2013, with a Bachelor’s degree in Education, with a focus on Math and Social Studies. From 2013-2016, she taught a combination of Math and Social Studies at Royalmont Academy to grades 5-10. For the 2016-2017 school year, Mrs. Gladden taught Math at Van Buren Middle School in Kettering and is now back at Royalmont to teach Social Studies. She is extremely excited for the start of all of her classes, especially continuing to serve as the 8th grade Homeroom Formator!
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Stay tuned
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Mrs. Haenni’s experience in retail management and as Royalmont Academy Parent Association President led her to her position, for the last 11 years, as Administrative Assistant and Admissions Coordinator. She has been very active in volunteer and apostolic positions while raising her family, including her position as past President of the Catholic girls club at Royalmont called “Challenge.” Mrs. Haenni and her husband, Mark, have two sons, both Royalmont graduates, a daughter who is a senior at Royalmont Prep High School and an 9th grade son at Royalmont.
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Mrs. Susan Hart brings 16 years of experience in academic settings, working 10 years in the Oak Hills Local School district, 4 years as a preschool teacher for Head Start, and 2 years as an Intervention Specialist. Her degrees include a B.A. in Communications Art from the College of Mt. St. Joseph and a Masters of Special Education from Xavier University with a Reading Endorsement. Having experience working with a blended classroom and differentiating instruction, she feels equipped to teach the 3rd and 4th grade combined class at Royalmont Academy. Her son, Michael, will be entering 9th grade, they live in College Hill and are members of St. Ann's of Groesbeck. Through Compassion International, their family sponsors Emile, a girl from Nicaragua. Mrs. Hart's favorite scripture is Matthew 6:33 – “But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you."
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Mrs. Hughes is the first grade formator. She was instrumental in establishing and licensing Royalmont’s Preschool Program in 2000, when the school moved to Mason. Mrs. Hughes is a graduate of the University of Dayton with a B.S. in Education, specializing in Kindergarten, and taught preschool for eleven years in Cincinnati before coming to Royalmont. She was a Girl Scout leader for eleven years and a Sunday School Director at her parish. She and her husband, Tom, have three children. Her favorite Bible verse is 1 John 3:23: “And his commandment is this: we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another just as he commanded us.”
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Mrs. Hefferan was born and raised in Mexico City very close to Our Lady of Guadalupe Basilica. She attended an all girl Catholic School where she earned her diploma in teaching English as a Second Language. She then received her bachelor's degree in Marketing from ITESM-CEM (a very prestigious university in Mexico). She was blessed to be able to continue teaching while attending college. Mrs. Hefferan has taught several elementary classes and became a teacher trainer teaching subjects like speech, audiovisual aids, and teaching methods. She worked at Unilever as a brand manager until her husband was transferred to Cincinnati, Ohio. Having three daughters, she became a full time stay-at-home mom and a part-time Spanish teacher. She volunteered teaching Spanish at some after school programs at St. Michael's, St. Susanna, and Wyoming. She worked for International Language Plus from 2004 to 2015 as a Spanish teacher and translator. Being at Royalmont Academy is a privilege that allows her to help students learn her native language as well as some aspect of the Latin American countries. Her favorite religious quote comes from Our Lady of Guadalupe: "Am I not here, I, who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not the source of your joy? Are you not in the hollow of my mantle, in the crossing of my arms? Do you need anything more? Let nothing else worry you, disturb you."
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Mrs. Kelczewski is Royalmont’s full and half-day, three and four-year-old program Formator. A graduate of Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts, Mrs. Kelczewski earned a B.S. in Education with a major in Special Education. Her professional experience includes teaching special needs elementary students, multi-handicapped students in a clinical setting, and 5th grade elementary students in Greece. Mrs. Kelczewski joined the faculty in March of 2008. She and her husband have four children. Her favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
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Mrs. Karen Kinross earned her BA in Psychology from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY and an MA in School Psychology from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. She and her husband lived in San Diego for 7 years where she served as the School Psychologist at the Winston School and the Solana Beach School district both located in Del Mar, California. She relocated to Cincinnati and served as the School Psychologist and counselor at the Cincinnati Hebrew Day School and St. Susanna Catholic School. She and her husband Todd have 4 children (ages 10-20). She enjoys photography and has photographed area sports teams since 2007. She has photographed Royalmont teams and First Communion classes since 2013. She is very excited to help grow the Royalmont family in her role as the Admissions Director.
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Mrs. Kristin Lieb joined the faculty in the spring of 2008 teaching physical education, Mrs. Lieb became a Kindergarten Formator at the start of the 2008 school year. She graduated in 1992 from Xavier University with a B.S. in Elementary Education and Montessori Education. Mrs. Lieb taught in private elementary and Montessori schools in Illinois and Florida for five years before moving to Cincinnati in 1998. Before coming to Royalmont, she served as a substitute teacher at her parish’s school, St. Susanna. She and her husband, Eric, live in Mason and have three sons: Ryan (University of Cincinnati), Andrew and Benjamin (RA grads 2014) Her favorite Bible verse is Matthew 19:26: “But Jesus looked at them and said to them: ‘With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
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Stay tuned.
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Stay tuned.
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Father Kevin McKenzie is a Catholic priest and a member of the congregation of the Legionaries of Christ. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he is the third of nine children. He began following God’s call to the priesthood at the age of twelve and was ordained in 2013. He has spent much of the last 14 years in youth work , first in Connecticut and New York, then later in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky. He loves writing, reading, preaching, teaching, ice hockey, helping run boys’ summer camps and weekend retreats, guiding pilgrimages, art history, soccer, running, climbing mountains, hiking, cycling, fishing, story-telling, peanut butter cups, photography, cooking, the spiritual life, and above all, being a priest. One of his favorite Scripture verses is John 1:14: “And the word became flesh, and dwelt among us.”
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Dr. Edward Mulholland was born in the Bronx, New York. He earned his master’s degree in classics from the University of London, England, and received both a licentiate and a Ph.D. in philosophy from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. Dr. Mulholland was the first director of National Consultants for Education, now know as Regnum Christi Education (RCE). From 1996-1998 he served as the head of the Humanities Department and the dean of the Journalism School at the Centro Universitario Francisco de Vitoria in Madrid, Spain. From 1998-2005, he was Professor of Philosophy at Our Lady of Thornwood Education and Training Center in Thornwood, New York and Professor of Classical Languages at the Center of Humanities in Cheshire, Connecticut, both centers of formation for the Legionaries of Christ. From 2005-2011 he headed the Departments of Catholic Formation and Classical Languages at Pinecrest Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. He is currently in his third year as Asst. Professor of Modern and Classical Languages at Benedictine College in Atchison, KS. He is a frequent contributor to the blog of the Gregorian Institute.
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Veronica's education experience began by teaching music and art at St. Rita School in Dayton. That soon expanded to teaching religion and earning a Master of Theological Studies. After a successful term as Technology Coordinator, writing grants for technology, equipping labs, and helping teachers find solutions, Murphy was promoted to vice-principal. That position involved maintaining the Catholic identity of St. Rita’s, overseeing the school curriculum, evaluating teachers, implementing the discipline plan, and developing a crisis management plan.
Murphy earned her principal licensure and MS in Educational Administration in 2006 and became principal at St. Rita in 2008. In addition to managing faith formation, academic programs, and budgets, and fostering the professional development of teachers, she also worked with a consolidation taskforce and subcommittees from Precious Blood and St. Rita to merge the schools into Mother Brunner Catholic School. Mother Brunner’s success as a merged school can be attributed to Murphy’s leadership as principal, building teamwork in the school, and preserving the vision developed for the new school by the strategic taskforce. Veronica and her husband, Bruce, are practicing Catholics and members of St. Maximilian Kolbe parish in Liberty Township. They reside in West Chester and Bruce works for AK Steel. They enjoy time with their extended family and recharge with invigorating hikes and contact with Creation. “I know God has great plans to grow this school and I am happy to be part of making this happen.” |
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Mrs. Michelle Pitstick is our Seventh Grade Homeroom Formator. She teaches Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, and STEM to 7th – 12th graders. She, her husband Greg, and their family have been a part of the Royalmont community since 2000. Three of Mrs. Pitstick’s children are 8th grade graduates of our school, all having started at Royalmont when they were three years old. Being very familiar with our upper school and its math program, she heroically jumped in as Guest Formator a few years ago when Mrs. Melanie Wieck became ill and was called home to Our Father in Heaven. Mrs. Pitstick has a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Purdue University. After graduating from college, she worked for Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) doing systems consulting for companies such as Kroger, Delta Airlines, Hallmark, LTV Steel, and Chicago Northern Trust. She was inspired to become an engineer by her high school piano teacher, Sr. Mary Ann Miles, at Immaculate Conception Academy in Oldenburg, Indiana. Mrs. Pitstick’s favorite prayer is “God grant me the serenity to accept things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
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Mrs. Puglielli teaches Earth and Space Science, Physical Science, and Anatomy and Physiology in grades 7-12. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Biology and Psychology and a Master’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Science Education. She also holds a professional teaching license from the State of Ohio. Before coming to Royalmont, Mrs. Puglielli taught science for 9 years in Pittsburgh at Hopewell Junior High School as well as classes at the Community College of Beaver County. She and her husband have 4 children all graduates of Royalmont and one in the 6th grade. This is her 7th year teaching at Royalmont.
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After attending Catholic grade school and high school in Dayton, Mr. Roalef began studies at the University of Dayton. It was there that he felt the calling to become an educator. He then transferred to Don Bosco College, earning his Bachelor’s degree. He did further studies in education at Wright State University and did graduate studies in Theology at the Pontifical College Josephinum. He began teaching in 1977 and has been an educator ever since, as a teacher, Director of Religious Education, camp director, and youth minister. Mr. Roalef attends Incarnation Parish in Centerville and is a lay member of the Salesians of St. John Bosco. His favorite Bible verse is John 14: 2b-3 “I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
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Mr. Jacob Rodeheffer is a native of Mountain View, CA. Since an early age he has been excited by the power and beautiful patterns to be found in the world of numbers, which led him to study physics, engineering, computer programming, and mathematics, earning a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering and a Master’s in Mathematics. Born a Catholic and educated in Catholic school grades 1 through 12, he learned about what his faith really meant to him during challenges in college, and has been learning more ever since. Initially considering a career in Engineering, Mr. Rodeheffer settled on education as his favored way of spreading goodness to others. He enjoys board games, learning, talking about big ideas, and backpacking in the great outdoors-one of his favorite places for meeting God.
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Mrs. Ryan, a Cincinnati native, graduated from Edgecliff College with a degree in Art and a minor in Theology, History, and Philosophy. She is currently one class away from obtaining a Master’s in Art. Mrs. Ryan has been teaching history, art, and art history for twenty-five years. Before she was called to be a lay teacher, she was a teacher in religious life as a Sister of Mercy. She also studied painting in Florence, Italy. She has extensive experience working with children and has established an amazing art program here at Royalmont. Mrs. Ryan has been Royalmont's Art formator since we opened over 22 years ago!
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Mr. Schlotman is native to the Cincinnati area where his love for Our Lord and His Church begin when he was a very young boy as he followed the example of his loving parents, pastors, and teachers. He first heard the call to be an educator when he was just 6-years-old and began volunteering as a teacher’s aide for a preschool religious education classroom. In high school, Mr. Schlotman was the president of a nationally recognized mentorship program at Roger Bacon High School that worked with inner city children. After high school Mr. Schlotman went on to student Elementary Education at Miami University and graduated Magna Cum Laude. He also earned his Master’s in Educational Leadership from Miami and holds licenses as a teacher and principal for grades preschool through high school. Mr. Schlotman has been a formator at Royalmont for 17 years. He has also served the school community as Grade School Principal, Dean of Formation, Dean of Students, and Director of Operations. Mr. Schlotman’s career history also includes 3 years at Mount Healthy Public Schools and 8 summers as Program Director, Head Counselor, and Camp Director at Timber Ridge Camps in West Virginia. Mr. Schlotman enjoys visiting cathedrals, Catholic monasteries, and national parks. Favorite Bible Verse- 1 John 3:16. “This is how we know what love it: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for each other.”
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Dr. Smith graduated with her Ph.D. in English literature from Miami University in 2016, and with a Bachelors in medieval studies from Denison University in 2008. She has done a great deal of work on the use of fables in the Middle Ages, in particular their role in the rise of literature and the book; you can check out some of her work on the topic at https://www.questia.com/library/journal/1G1-436542100/readership-the-fables-of-the-elegiac-romulus-and and https://www.amazon.com/Elegiac-Romulus-Aesops-Fables-Intermediate/dp/1940997194/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1500007744&sr=8-2&keywords=greta+smith. She has taught for the past ten years at Miami University, and for five at Southern State Community College. She loves to run and ride her bike, and anything else that allows her to enjoy God’s creation. Dr. Smith runs a small family farm with her husband and daughter, where they have chickens, goats, sheep, cows, and horses.
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Coming soon...
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Beth Weber was raised in a small town in NY, graduating from Clarkson University in upstate NY in 1997 with a B.S. in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering. She earned her Ohio Professional Engineers license in 2001 and worked for 7 years as an engineering sales rep. in the water and wastewater industry, working with design engineers and municipalities on all phases of design projects. She then was blessed to stay at home with her and her husband Chris' seven children for the past 12 years to focus her time on family and community service, which centers around feeding the hungry and pro-life causes. She thinks it is amazing how the Holy Spirit works with this opportunity to serve at Royalmont as she will utilize the skills developed over the last 19 years as a professional Engineer and mother.
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Coming soon...
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Mrs. Jessica Zoeller is in her sixth year of teaching after graduating from Norther Kentucky University with a Bachelors in Secondary English Education. Most recently, she worked at The Children’s Home of Cincinnati with 4th and 5th grade students as their case manager. She previously taught in Virginia at Saint John Paul the Great Catholic High School and Newport Central Catholic in Kentucky. She and her husband have two daughters, 3 months and 3 years old. Mrs. Zoeller will be the 6th grade homeroom formator and will teach 5th & 6th grade Language Arts, Social Studies and Theology. She is thrilled to be joining the formators at Royalmont Academy and looks forward to becoming part of the Royalmont community as a whole.
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