Our Frontline

Faculty & Staff

Our carefully curated team of teachers are there for our kids day in and day out. The academic, emotional, physical and spiritual development of our students is done with a care and understanding that is second to none. These are the heroes at SES.

MEET THE TEAMMEET THE TEAM

Administration

Maria Niebuhr M.Ed. | Principal
(niebuhr@seseton.org)

Beth Tenbarge M.Ed. | Assistant Principal/Dean of Technology
(btenbarge@seseton.org)

Support Staff

Elaine Pearce | Accountant
(pearce@seseton.org)

Katy Rendon | Admissions Coordinator/Receptionist
(office@seseton.org)

Gina Groch M.A. | Marketing/Communications
(groch@seseton.org)

Kathy Clifford LPN | School Nurse
(clifford@seseton.org)

Nathan Morris | Facilities Manager

Santos Delgado | Groundskeeper

Preschool Teachers

Michele McFee B.S. | PreK-3
(mcfee@seseton.org)

Amanda Banning B.S. | PreK-4
(banning@seseton.org)

K-5 Teachers

Maria Crowley M.S. – Kindergarten (crowley@seseton.org)
Rachel Borkowski, M.A. – Kindergarten (borkowski@seseton.org)
Susan Boga, M.S. – 1st Grade (boga@seseton.org)
Dana Hilmoe M.AT – 2nd Grade (hilmoe@seseton.org)
Kathleen Brandi, MS – 3rd Grade (brandi@seseton.org)
Gretna Burger, B.A. – 4th Grade (burger@seseton.org)
Nichole Eastman M.A. – 5th Grade (eastman@seseton.org)
Dolores Martin M.Ed. – Substitute (martin@seseton.org)

Student Support Services

Charity Winter B.S. | Resource Teacher
(winter@seseton.org)

Lindsay D’Abrosca, M.Ed. | School Counselor, Liturg. Coord., Student Govt. Advisor
(dabrosca@seseton.org)

6-8 Teachers

Jamie Snyder B.S. | STREAM Coordinator/Life Skills/8th Grade Homeroom/Advisor
(snyder@seseton.org)

6-8 Teachers (continued)

Phil Miguel, Jr.. M.S. | Middle School Social Studies
(miguel@seseton.org)

Megan Van Wart, M.S. – Middle School Science
(vanwart@seseton.org)

Kelly Williamson, M.S. – Middle School Math
(williamson@seseton.org)

Michka Barham, B.S. – Middle School Math
(barham@seseton.org)

Ana Turino, B.A. – Middle School Language Arts
(turino@seseton.org)

Jen White B.S. | Substitute
(white@seseton.org)

Related Arts Teachers

Jeff Tenbarge B.S. | Physical Education/Athletic Director
(tenbarge@seseton.org)

Christina Grun | Art
(grun@seseton.org)

Fabiola Cole M.Ed. | Spanish
(cole@seseton.org)

Paul Desmarais, M.Ed. – Music/Band
(desmarais@seseton.org)

Teacher Assistants

Dagne Fuentes B.S., CDA | Teacher Assistant
(fuentes@seseton.org)

Cookie Kelly | Teacher Assistant
(kelly@seseton.org)

Sumaya Perdomo | Teacher Assistant
(perdomo@seseton.org)

Deb Silva | Teacher Assistant
(silva@seseton.org)

Marcy Quindlen | Teacher Assistant
(quindlen@seseton.org)

Christina Prieto | Teacher Assistant
(prieto@seseton.org)

Elizabeth Noonan | Teacher Assistant
(noonan@seseton.org)

Karina Rodriguez | Teacher Assistant
(rodriguez@seseton.org)

Faculty & Staff at St. Elizabeth Seton

These are the educators shaping the young minds that will lead tomorrow. Click on their photo for a bio of each.

Maria Niebuhr, M.Ed.

Principal

Mrs. Niebuhr was born in Long Island, New York and has been principal at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School since 2017. Mrs. Niebuhr has a Bachelor of Business Degree in Marketing from Hofstra University in New York and was formerly employed as a Vice President in sales and marketing for NatWest USA Bank. After receiving teaching certification from FGCU in elementary education, Mrs. Niebuhr went on to earn a Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership while teaching in the Diocese of Venice. Mrs. Niebuhr has served in Catholic Education since 2002 as a music educator, choir and theater director, and classroom teacher. When she’s not in school, Mrs. Niebuhr enjoys spending time with family and reading.

Beth Tenbarge, M.Ed.

Assistant Principal/Dean of Technology

Mrs. Tenbarge is our Assistant Principal and Dean of Technology, and she also teaches sixth grade Language Arts. She has been part of the faculty of St. Elizabeth Seton since the fall of 2001. As a member of our Seton family she has had the opportunity to teach fifth grade, a variety of middle school subjects, and serve for a number of years as our school librarian. Mrs. Tenbarge and her husband, Jeff, are committed to Catholic education and proud that both of their children are successful alumni of St. Elizabeth Seton.

Mrs. Tenbarge is a graduate of St. John Neumann High School, Naples, FL. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Secondary Education from Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts. She recently earned her Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education in Indianapolis, Indiana. Mrs. Tenbarge holds teaching certifications in Elementary Education (K-6) and Social Science (5-9).

Lindsay D’Abrosca, M.Ed.

School Counselor, Liturg. Coord., Student Govt. Advisor

Ms. D’Abrosca is originally from Cranston, Rhode Island. She is a product of Catholic education from PreK3 through graduate school. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Stonehill College in Communications and Religious Studies. She then went on to receive her Master’s degree from Providence College in School Counseling grades K-12. Ms. D’Abrosca strongly believes that Catholic education not only provides students the opportunity to educate their minds, but also their hearts and souls. “Our faith is what fuels our community!”

After finishing graduate school, Ms. D’Abrosca decided to escape the cold of New England and relocate to beautiful, sunny Florida! She spent the past four years living in Fort Lauderdale and worked as a Guidance and College Counselor at Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School. She joined the Seton community in August of 2021 and is excited to be working with elementary and middle school students in supporting their social and emotional well-being. Ms. D’Abrosca believes that during these early formative years, students learn the building blocks of education as the foundation for life.

Gina Groch, M.A.

Marketing/Communications Director

Mrs. Groch re-joined the Seton staff as Marketing/Communications Director in 2019-20. She has a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Notre Dame and a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree (double major in Computer Science and Marketing) from Temple University. She holds Florida Professional certification in Educational Leadership (All Levels), and K-12 Computer Science. She begins her 26th year in the Diocese of Venice, having retired as Principal of Saint Ann Catholic School in 2019, and as former principal of St. Charles Borromeo School in Port Charlotte. While previously at Seton, she served in a variety of roles including Assistant & Interim Principal, Admissions & Marketing Dir., and Tech. Teacher/ Coordinator. Prior to joining the Diocese, Mrs. Groch worked for Unisys Corp. as an instructor in the Schools & Government Division and ran her own small business computer company. She and her husband of 40 years have two children who attended Seton. She is dedicated to promoting the mission of Catholic education and grateful to be back at Seton.

Elaine Pearce

Finance Manager

Ms. Pearce is originally from Ontario, Canada, and moved to Florida 13 years ago with her two children. Prior to moving to Florida, she was a teacher at a community college and loved being involved in education. After moving to Fort Lauderdale in 2005 she became a business manager and accountant. Ms. Pearce relocated to Naples in 2017. She was very excited for an opportunity that merged education and accounting and became St. Elizabeth Seton’s school accountant in March 2018. Ms. Pearce enjoys meeting the school families and looks forward to getting involved with school activities. When not working with numbers, Ms. Pearce enjoys outdoor activities and spending time with family and friends.

Katy Rendon

Admissions Coordinator/Receptionist

Mrs. Rendon was born in New York but grew up in Colombia. She returned to the US and settled in Florida in 2009. She lives with her husband and two young sons who are students at our school. Mrs. Rendon has over ten years of experience working as an office assistant and serving others. She is fluent in Spanish and loves to interact with children as well as spend time with her family.

Kathy Clifford, LPN

School Nurse

Ms. Clifford is originally from Staten Island, New York and has been living in Naples since 1978. She has two daughters and five grandchildren. She retired from the Collier County Sheriff's Department. She was the previous Religion teacher at Seton and an instructional aide in Grades 1 and PK4. She is delighted to be the school nurse to help ensure the health and well-being of our students.

Michele McFee, B.S.

PreK-3 Teacher

Mrs. McFee and her husband, Shannon, have four daughters who graduated from St. Elizabeth Seton and St. John Neumann High School. They have a great love and appreciation for Catholic Education! She has lived in Naples most of her life but loves to travel and experience new places. Mrs. McFee received her Associate of Arts from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL and her Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. She holds teaching certification in both Preschool Education (Birth-Age 4) and Primary Education (K-3).

Amanda Banning, B.S.

Pre K-4 Teacher

Mrs. Banning is a Naples native and life-long member of St. Elizabeth Seton Church. She and her husband, Erik, both graduated from St. John Neumann High School. Mrs. Banning received her Bachelor’s degree in Child Studies and a minor in Music from Florida Gulf Coast University. She began working at Seton as a teacher’s aide, then as the second grade teacher before excitedly taking on the role as the PK4 teacher. When she is not teaching, she’s spending time with her family, friends or sweet pup, Colbie.

Maria Crowley, M.S

Kindergarten Teacher

Ms. Crowley has been teaching at Seton since 1990! She is originally from Quito, Ecuador and has two children who are both Seton alumni. She has a high school diploma from Cardinal Spellman Girl’s School in Ecuador and also from Miss Hall’s School in Pittsfield, MA. She has an A.A. degree in Education from Northern Virginia Community College, a BA degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education from George Washington University, and an MS degree in Varying Exceptionalities from Barry University. She holds Florida certifications in both Early Childhood and Primary Education. She is bilingual, being fluent in Spanish and English. Her philosophy is that “Childhood should be a journey and not a race”. She enjoys reading, quilting, painting, and gardening.

Rachel Borkowski, M.A.

Kindergarten Teacher

Rachel grew up in Wisconsin and attended Catholic schools from middle school through graduate school. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary and Special Education and a minor in Literacy at Cardinal Stritch University in Wisconsin. She also received a Master of Arts in Language and Literacy from Cardinal Stritch University. In addition, Rachel is a SMART Ambassador, and is currently pursuing Orton-Gillingham Teacher Certification. She has taught a variety of grade levels (preschool-8th grade) and worked as both a classroom teacher and Reading Specialist. In 2021, Rachel and her family moved to Florida, and she accepted the third-grade teacher position at Seton. For the 2022-23 school year, she is excited to join the Kindergarten team as Kindergarten teacher for our second K class and work with Mrs. Crowley. Rachel serves as a Co-Advisor for the Home and School Association Board and loves being part of the St. Elizabeth Seton School community. She is the oldest of three siblings, and in her free time, enjoys dancing, hiking, reading, cooking, volunteering, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends. Her personal goal is to educate students and support their academic, spiritual, emotional, and physical development through individualized and faith-based instruction.

Susan Boga, M.S.

1st Grade Teacher

Mrs. Boga and her family recently moved from New York to Florida. She has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from Iona College and a Masters Degree from Concordia University in Special Education. Mrs. Boga holds 3 teaching certifications: Early Childhood through Grade 2, Elementary Education K-6, and Special Education K-12. We are looking forward to her joining our school faculty and bringing her experience and gifts to our students in 1st grade. We also welcome Mrs. Boga’s son George to Seton who will be joining us in Kindergarten.

Dana Hilmoe, M.A.

2nd Grade Teacher

Mrs. Hilmoe is originally from Long Island, New York, but spent most of her life in Hagerstown, Maryland. She is the product of Catholic Education having attended St. Mary Catholic School and St. Maria Goretti HS in Hagerstown, MD. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Social Work from Shepherd University in Shepherdstown, West Virginia.
She and her husband, Monte, have been married for thirty years and have four children who all attended the same Catholic schools she attended. After being a stay at home mom for fourteen years, Mrs. Hilmoe returned to school and obtained her Master of Arts in Education from the University of Phoenix in 2006. She is a certified Clinical Educator facilitator, Seesaw Ambassador and certified catechist. She taught at St. Mary Catholic School for ten years as the Kindergarten teacher, then one year in public school teaching third grade.
Mrs. Hilmoe moved to Naples in July 2018 and accepted the position of second grade teacher at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic School. She feels very blessed to be part of the staff and to work with the children and their families.

Kathleen Brandi, M.S.

3rd Grade Teacher

Mrs. Brandi was born and raised in CT. She received a B.A. in Business and Economics from Albertus Magnus College and a M.S. in Elementary Education from Southern Connecticut State University. She and her husband Neal have been married for 30 years and have one daughter, Olivia. When Olivia went to school, so did Mrs. Brandi in order to obtain her M.S. degree in Education. She taught for 11 years at St. Rita School in Hamden, CT. Mrs. Brandi relocated to Naples last year and we are excited she will be teaching our 3rd Grade class for the 2022-23 school year.

Gretna Burger, B.A.

4th Grade Teacher

Mrs. Burger joined the Seton faculty as 4th grade teacher in 2021. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Special Education at Erskine College in South Carolina. She worked as an educator for Delta Air Lines for 16 years and received her certification in Instructional Design in partnership with the University of Georgia. Her love for learning and teaching in the classroom continued into elementary education where she received her Early Childhood certification through edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment) from the Georgia Teaching Academy for Preparation and Pedagogy (GaTAPP). She previously taught 4th and 5th Grade at St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Atlanta, GA. Mrs. Burger was raised in Miami, FL and currently resides with her husband of 27 years in Ave Maria, FL.

Nichole Eastman, M.A.

5th Grade Teacher, H.A.S.A Advisor

Mrs. Eastman is a Naples native and has been a teacher for 20 years. She has served in several educational roles including third and fourth grade teacher, school media specialist, resource, enrichment, school-wide program initiatives, Seton admissions, and now is the fifth grade teacher. She studied at the University of South Florida and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education in 2001, and her Master of Arts degree in Library and Information Science in 2003.
Mrs. Eastman is married and has two children who attend Seton. She is the staff liaison for the Home and School Association. She and her family take an active role in fundraising for the school and church. Mrs. Eastman spends her personal time with family engaging in a variety of activities including boating, fishing, & barbecuing!

Jamie Snyder, B.A.

STREAM Coordinator/Life Skills/8th Grade

Mr. Snyder is taking on a new role for the 2021-22 school year while continuing to work with our middle school students. He will continue as our 8th grade homeroom teacher/advisor, and will teach middle school Life Skills classes. Mr. Snyder will also direct and coordinate our new STREAM/Robotics program that will be part of the curriculum for all grade levels. This is his 5th year at Seton and 7th year in the Diocese having taught LA and Social Studies at Seton and English and Social Studies for two years at St. John Neumann HS. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from the University of Akron in Ohio where he also played college basketball. He enjoys participating in sports of all kinds. His son Carter is a Seton student.

Ana Turino, B.A.

Middle School Language Arts

Mrs. Turino holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education from Nova Southeastern University and taught at South Miami Community School before moving to Naples. Most recently, Mrs. Turino served as an Academic Mentor for Friends of Children Forever, where she tutored students in all subjects. She is passionate about education and looks forward to joining the middle school team. In addition to Mrs. Turino, we welcome her three children, Ariana, Chloe, and Michael in 6th and 8th grade.

Phil Miguel, Jr., M.S.

Middle School Social Studies, 6th Religion, 7th Writing

Mr. Miguel has been a member of the Seton family since the beginning of the 21-22 school year. He and his wife, Jennifer, moved to SW Florida after visiting the area for many years. He holds a BA in Political Science and a Master of Science in Secondary Education from Indiana University. Mr. Miguel has over twenty-six years of teaching experience, all at the middle school level. Before coming to Seton, he taught English and creative writing at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Fort Wayne. He has coached football at various levels from the start of his teaching career. He has also coached several academic super bowl teams. Mr. Miguel and his wife have three adult sons, Stone, Jack, and Chase, and a daughter-in-law, Rachel.

Megan Van Wart, M.S.

Middle School Science

Mrs. Megan Van Wart joined the St. Elizabeth Seton faculty in the Fall of 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Movement Science and a Master of Science in Sport Psychology from TCU. Prior to being a teacher, she worked as an athletic trainer at both the college and high school level. Mrs. Van Wart teaches middle school Science. She is passionate about hands-on experiences in Science. Middle school students hold a special place in her heart and she loves the opportunity to help foster self-confidence, responsibility, and a love for learning for this age group. When she’s not teaching, she loves to read and participate in outdoor adventures.

Kelly Williamson, M.S.

Middle School Math, 8th Religion

Miss Williamson grew up in Bonita Springs, FL. She is a product of Catholic education having attended Saint Ann Catholic School in Naples and Bishop Verot Catholic High School in Fort Myers. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience from the University of Miami and integrates her love of the sciences with her passion for sharing the word of Christ in Catholic education. Following the words of Saint John Paul II, “Faith and reason are like two wings on which the human spirit rises to the contemplation of truth; and God has placed in the human heart a desire to know the truth—in a word, to know himself—so that, by knowing and loving God, men and women may also come to the fullness of truth about themselves.”

Michka Barham, B.S.

Middle School Math

Ms. Barham is an experienced Florida certified middle school math teacher and has her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education from the University of Central Florida. Ms. Barham will teach 6th and 8th grade on-level math and 8th grade Honors Pre-Algebra. We are happy to welcome her to the Seton family where she will bring her love of teaching and math to Seton students.

Charity Winter, B.A.

Resource Specialist

Mrs. Winter is our Resource Coordinator and is certified in elementary and exceptional education. She is also our 7th grade writing teacher, grade-level math teacher for 7th grade, and the middle school drama teacher. Mrs. Winter has taught at Seton since 2006. She grew up in Missouri and Daytona Beach, FL and attended Mainland HS in Daytona and UCF. Previously, she taught second grade in Daytona Beach, grades K-3 for emotionally disabled students in Lake Mary, and third grade in Immokalee. She started teaching in 1997. She is married and has one son.
She believes every child can learn and every child has a talent they can use to contribute to their class and community; they just need the opportunity to do so. Mrs. Winter is very passionate about teaching and tries to be creative when planning for students so they will be as excited about school as she is.

Jeff Tenbarge, B.S

Athletic Director/P.E. Teacher

Coach Tenbarge has been teaching at Seton since 1998. He has been serving as the Physical Education Teacher and Athletic Director. Coach Tenbarge grew up in Evansville, Indiana. He attended Wabash Valley College, where he received his Associates in Science degree while also playing baseball. After graduating from Wabash Valley, Coach Tenbarge attended the University of Evansville and also played D1 baseball. After spending one year at the University of Evansville, Coach Tenbarge was drafted in the 6th round by the Houston Astros, where he played two seasons of Single A professional baseball. Coach Tenbarge is married to his wife Beth and they have 2 children, Sarah and Tucker. When Coach Tenbarge is not at Seton, there is a good chance you will find him playing golf or umpiring High School baseball.

Fabiola Cole, M.Ed.

Spanish Teacher

Sra. Fabiola Galarraga-Cole joined Seton in 2017. She attended John Carroll University and received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish and earned her Master of Education with a concentration in Latin America and International studies. She also attended the Universitat de Valencia in Valencia, Spain with the University of Virginia study abroad program, and has traveled throughout Spain, South and Central America. Before joining SES, she taught Spanish for eight years at Cardinal Pacelli School in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is a member of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Spanish Honor Society. She organizes the Spanish Spelling Bee Competition, the Latin Zumba Fiesta and SES Talent Show. She is also the Yearbook and Spanish Club Advisor and taught 6th Grade Social Studies. Sra. Cole loves teaching Spanish and introducing students to the wonderful and colorful Latin American culture.

Christina Grün

Art Teacher

Groundskeeper

Mr. Delgado has served the Seton community since 2014 by keeping our grounds clean and well kept, as well as assisting with numerous tasks to keep our buildings well-maintained. Prior to joining Seton, Mr. Delgado worked with Crawford Landscaping for several years.

Nathan Morris

Facilities Manager