Leadership - Stanza Academy

Stanza Academy

Meet Our Team

At Stanza, we believe students should have the right to love learning. The quest for knowledge, understanding, and new skills should be exciting and engaging! Our amazing team of experts and educators work together towards the same goal: to deliver a personalized education, tailored to our students’ unique strengths, interests, and goals.

Average years’ experience for Stanza educators

Of Stanza instructors hold a master’s degree or higher

Of Stanza staff have practical experience outside education

Christine Kasitz, Ph.D., Head-of-School

Dr. Christine Kasitz is an educator with experience as a math interventionist, principal, education technology manager, and online school superintendent. She has a B.S. in ceramic engineering from Missouri Science and Technology, a M.S. in educational and instructional technology from National University, and a Ph.D. in education with an emphasis in instructional design for online learning from Capella University.

Guy Fregault

Guy Fregault lived in Guatemala for several years and began teaching in California in 1994. He has taught students at public and private schools, and has experience as a bilingual educator. He taught online at Mission Academy from 2017 to 2020. Fregault has a B.S. in mathematics and a M.S. in education with emphasis on second-language acquisition from the University of Southern California, a Clear Teaching Credential, and a law degree from Laval University, Quebec City, Canada.

Laura Lothyan

Laura Lothyan has been an educator for more than 15 years, and she believes that all students can succeed. Throughout her career, she has focused on helping at-risk students feel valued and capable of writing their own future. At the heart of her teaching philosophy is a focus on social justice and diverse teaching methods, educating students to be citizens of the world they seek to change. Lothyan has a B.S. in social science from Portland State University, a M.A. in teaching from Lewis and Clark College, and a post-graduate Certificate in Urban Education.

Adriana Sanchez, Family Support Assistant

Adriana Sanchez loves to support families through the school admissions process. As a mother, she understands that finding an educational program that "fits" your child is important. Adriana's career has focused on customer service in various industries but she has found a love of education. She is currently working on her bachelor's degree with the goal of becoming a teacher. She is often supporting Stanza students with their homework.

Megan O'Reilly Palevich, Executive Director

Megan O’Reilly Palevich, M.Ed., visionary educational leader, has been a teacher and administrator in the public and private sectors for nearly 30 years. Her rich and varied experience in PreK-12 education includes curriculum design, signature innovative program development, technology integration, and personalized professional development for educators. Mrs. O’Reilly Palevich has won awards for innovation in science education from CESI and in social studies education from Facing History and Ourselves. She regularly speaks nationally about topics such as gifted education, blended learning, online learning, and more. Mrs. O’Reilly Palevich earned her B.A. from Rosemont College in Elementary Education and Psychology, and her M.Ed. from Cabrini University in Educational Leadership with completion of the K-12 Principal Certification Program.

“As a parent, I love it when my children tell me something that they are studying in school that really excites them. That fire in their eyes that sends them crawling all over the Internet to find out how new vaccines are made and the science behind it or learning 20th century history by researching the invention, life, and legacy of the VW Bug or creating an app for local homeless teens to find resources and get help. At Stanza, our main goal is to support our students in owning their own education.”

– Dr. Christine Kasitz, Head-of-School

Find Your Plan A