New teachers, athletic director, elementary counselor excited for 2021-22 school year

Holyoke School District has welcomed 10 new teachers, a new athletic director and a new elementary school counselor for the 2021-22 school year.

New additions to Holyoke School District this year include Chasta Borland, fourth grade; Dani Brandt, elementary special education; Kaylee Duvall, fourth grade; Sharlene Gordon, sixth grade; Kali Hines, high school science; Logan Hines, elementary school counselor; Elizabeth Hutches, high school English language arts; Corey Koberstein, athletic/activities director; Sarah Korpan, kindergarten; Emily Krogmeier, elementary music; Heather Pelle, second grade; and Hannah Peterson, JR/SR high science.

Chasta Borland

Borland will be teaching fourth grade. She is a graduate of Aurora High School in Aurora, Nebraska, and she graduated from York College in York, Nebraska, in 2014. She majored in elementary education and has an endorsement in special education. She earned her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in early childhood education from the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

She worked three years as a special education teacher at Perkins County JR/SR High School in Grant, Nebraska, and four years in Wray as a first grade teacher.

She grew up in Clay Center and Aurora, Nebraska, loves small towns and enjoys being able to walk around Holyoke without any danger. She is also happy to be near her husband’s family. Jason works at NAPA, and they have a 2-year-old son named Hudson. Their daughter Annie, 14, and son Aaron, 12, live in Fruita.

She said she is looking forward to being in the same school system as Hudson, and she hopes to bring ideas to keep staff and student morale high.

She is excited to teach social studies and math to the fourth graders and enjoy her time with them. She and her family are members of Holyoke Church of Christ. She is currently training for a half marathon and enjoys working out and traveling in her free time.

Dani Brandt

Brandt will be an elementary special education teacher and the assistant coach for the high school girls swim team.

She graduated from Holyoke High School in 2016 and earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary and special education from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Arizona, in December 2019. She completed her elementary student teaching at the fourth grade level in Holyoke Elementary School and her special education student teaching at Holyoke JR/SR High School. She also was an elementary special education teacher in Haxtun from January 2020-May 2021.

Having grown up in Holyoke, she said she is glad to be able to come back and teach. She loves the school system and how staff members value everyone individually. She added that there’s a great sense of community in the school, and she’s excited to get involved with the swim team again.

She looks forward to building relationships with students in the community, and she is excited to give back to the school that she said helped her every step of the way in her education.

Brandt is eager to bring all of the strategies and techniques she’s learned to the school and be an asset.

She said she loves the friendly people of Holyoke. “It’s a place that really values families,” she added. “It’s a safe place for so many people. It’s comfortable and welcoming.”

In her free time, she likes to play piano, work on jigsaw puzzles and be with her family. She attends First Christian Church, teaches swimming lessons and is a lifeguard during morning lap swim.

She is the daughter of Jerry and Debbie Brandt of Holyoke, and her sister Jes-c French and brother AJ also live in Holyoke.

Kaylee Duvall

Citing a desire to get back to the small-town feel and caring type of community where everyone knows one another, Duvall is excited to return to her hometown to teach fourth grade in the same classroom where she attended fourth grade as a child.

She is a 2016 graduate of Haxtun High School, and last December she graduated from the University of Wyoming with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and minors in early childhood education, honors and English language learner education.

Duvall completed her student teaching at Beitel Elementary School in Laramie, Wyoming. She has worked as a teacher’s aide and substitute teacher in Haxtun and has taught vacation Bible school in Holyoke.

She and her husband Nicholas, who is a gunsmith and does machine work, have a 7-month-old daughter, Evalynne, and they are excited to be close to their family. Duvall’s parents are Jeff and Tricia Michael of Holyoke.

She is excited to meet her students and gain new experiences as a teacher in helping them develop and grow. She hopes to bring a lot of positive energy and new teaching styles and strategies to the classroom.

In her free time, Duvall enjoys watching her brother race sports mods. She also loves outdoor activities like camping, kayaking and riding four-wheelers. She added that she would like to get back into youth ministry, which is something she’s always done and enjoyed.

Sharlene Gordon

Having grown up in Eaton, close to Greeley, Gordon said it took her a little while to get used to the quiet small-town life, but now she said she wouldn’t live anywhere else.

She will be teaching fifth and sixth grade math and sixth grade reading.

After graduating from Eaton High School in 2006, she attended Aims Community College in Greeley for two years, where she was a math tutor. She then graduated with a 4.0 GPA from Grand Canyon University last October, earning her bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

For the last three years, Gordon has worked as a substitute teacher and paraprofessional in Holyoke schools. She has been a long-term substitute teacher for both fourth grade and second grade classes, finishing the year as a sub for first grade. She was also an ESL teacher at Phillips County Family Education Services, and she said she may want to get involved with their activities again.

She completed her student teaching in fourth grade in Holyoke. She really enjoyed being a substitute teacher, which led her to get her teaching degree.

“I’m excited to meet my class and help them grow on their educational journey,” Gordon said, adding that she is looking forward to having her own classroom and teaching math, which is her favorite subject.

She said she really enjoys the elementary school age group. She wants to bring a lot of energy and creativity to her classroom and make sure each student gets one-on-one attention. She noted that she knows the fifth graders from having completed her student teaching when they were in fourth grade, and she’s excited to have the chance to be with them again.

Gordon’s hobbies involve being outdoors with her family. She likes paddleboarding, camping, hunting and fishing. She added that she would like to get involved with Girl Scouts and help with community sports in the future.

Her husband Andy owns Gordon’s Upholstery and Paint in Paoli. They have three daughters, Emma, 11; Chloe, 9; and Montana, 8; and three sons, Wyatt, 6; Korbin, 4; and Coral, 2.

Kali Hines

Hines is eager to get to know the students and the school culture and meet all of the staff members she’ll be working with as she takes on her new role as high school science teacher. She will be teaching physics, biology and physical science.

After graduating from Burlington High School in 2008, she graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2012, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 7-12 math education and K-12 physical education. She tutored at the university, was a member of the math honor society and was physical education student of the year in 2012. She earned her master’s degree in math and science education in 2017.

She completed her student teaching at Mountain View High School in Loveland and taught math and computer science at Widefield High School in Colorado Springs for nine years.

She said she and her husband Logan, who will be the Holyoke Elementary School counselor, both grew up in Burlington and knew they wanted to live in a small town. They visited Holyoke, and Hines said she really enjoys the positive atmosphere of the school, noting that everyone has been kind and welcoming.

She really likes to teach kids that learning is a lifelong skill, and she looks forward to sharing her love of learning with her students.

In her free time, Hines likes playing with their 3-year-old son, Archie. She also enjoys running, reading, crafting, playing golf and going to the library.

Logan Hines

Hines joins wife Kali and son Archie in Holyoke, where he is excited to get to know the students and families in the community. He will certainly have the opportunity to do so in his roles as elementary school counselor and assistant high school football coach.

A 2007 graduate of Burlington High School, Hines echoed his wife’s comments about wanting to live in a smaller community to raise a family. He added that Holyoke is very clean and everyone has welcomed them to the community and has treated them well.

After graduating from Hastings College in Hastings, Nebraska, in 2011 with bachelor’s degrees in psychology and history, he went on to earn his master’s degree in school counseling from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, in 2014.

He has worked as a school counselor for the last four years at Fremont Elementary School in Colorado Springs. Hines said he filled many roles in that position, and he will bring flexibility and a willingness to do whatever is needed to benefit students in the Holyoke school system to his role as elementary counselor.

He enjoys playing golf, fishing and watching sports in his spare time. He and his family attend Zion Lutheran Church.

Elizabeth Hutches

Hutches is a familiar face at Holyoke JR/SR High School, where she was the long-term substitute English language arts teacher, taking over Clark Ginapp’s classes last January.

She said the semester she taught was amazing, and she really enjoyed getting to know the students. She is happy to have the opportunity to be with her students for the whole school year and looks forward to seeing how much they’ve grown. She added that it’s great to be a part of their journey and help them get to their goals.

Hutches said she wants to teach students that English applies to every class they take, and she hopes to help students find their voices, noting that some might not consider themselves writers but will discover that they are.

She will be teaching creative writing, contemporary literature, journalism and three ninth grade English I classes.

 She is also part of the seminar team for the senior class, a role she had last semester when they were juniors.

“They are an amazing bunch of kids,” she said.

Hutches graduated from Carson High School in Carson City, Nevada, in 1995, which is where she grew up. She graduated from Colorado State University in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in journalism. She will be enrolled in the Alternative Teacher Licensure Program through Northeast Colorado BOCES.

She started substitute teaching in August 2020 and said she wanted to be a helpful part of the community. This led her to discover that she really enjoys being in the classroom.

She has a daughter, Traeli, who graduated from HHS in 2020 and is currently a sophomore at CSU majoring in biochemistry. Hutches also has two boys at home, Jaxson and Kai (Siep), who will be juniors at HHS this fall.

Hutches helped with prom and post-prom last year, and she hopes to be more involved in extracurricular activities this year, seeing her students in a different format like at their sporting events.

Outside of school, she likes reading, traveling, movies, live music and powerlifting.

Corey Koberstein

Koberstein has hit the ground running in his roles as athletic/activities director, small vehicle coordinator and industrial certification coordinator.

He updates the Holyoke Dragon Athletic and Activities Facebook page promoting activities and sharing results. He also keeps the athletics and activities page on the school district’s website current with upcoming events to ensure community members are aware.

He graduated from HHS in 2001 and from Doane University in Crete, Nebraska, in 2005, earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in computer science.

He has been HHS track coach for the last six years, coached junior high girls basketball and volleyball last year, and has been involved with city recreation volleyball and girls basketball programs as a coach for eight years.

Over the course of his time as a coach, he said he has learned new techniques of working with kids, and he’s excited to share these techniques with coaches and other activity sponsors to help kids succeed. In doing so, he seeks to promote inclusiveness across all school programs.

He looks forward to going to the athletic competitions and other activities this year, adding that he really enjoys watching kids get better and achieve something they didn’t think they were capable of doing. He has a passion to accomplish this goal across all sports and activities, and his job will give him the opportunity to do it.  

“I remember the pride and excitement I had to compete, and I want to build that up so every kid feels that way,” he said.

His wife Chelsea is a registered nurse at Sedgwick County Health Center. They have three daughters. Ava will be a freshman, Farrah will be in fifth grade, and Genni will be in fourth grade.

Koberstein enjoys spending his free time with his family and helping his daughters with their 4-H animals. He is the son of Ron and Claudia Koberstein of Holyoke.

Sarah Korpan

Korpan will be teaching kindergarten this year. She is no stranger to the area, having graduated from Perkins County JR/SR High School in 1995.

She earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education with an emphasis in reading from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with emphasis in English as a second language from Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona. She then earned an administration certification with emphasis in assessment from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

She taught fourth grade at Trinity Catholic School in Protivin, Iowa, for one year. She was then a literacy coach, teaching literacy to second, third and fifth graders for five years in the Cartwright School District in Phoenix, Arizona.

She worked as a staff development specialist, doing grant work and teacher training, at Educational Service Unit 13 in Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

Korpan was a staff developer and interventionist for three years in Belvidere School District for three years and an ESL teacher in North Boone School District for seven years. Both of these jobs were in Illinois.

She moved back to Grant, Nebraska, in March 2020, working remotely for the remainder of that school year. She then took a leave of absence from her position in North Boone School District for the 2020-21 school year, at which point she decided to stay in the Grant area.

She said she feels there’s a better quality of life in the country, and her family farm is in the western part of Perkins County, Nebraska. She pointed out that everyone has been so nice in Holyoke and there is a very welcoming environment in the school. “That’s why you move back to the country,” she added. She really appreciates that welcoming environment and wanted to say, “Thank you, Holyoke.”

She said kindergarten is such a sweet and special age that bridges the worlds of home and school. “The promise of the future is in front of you every day,” she added.

Korpan went on to say that her work as a specialist in literacy will help her take students from whatever skill level they’re displaying, find out their strengths and help them work toward their next steps in learning.

She has two daughters, Selah, 15, and Meila, 8, as well as one son, AJ, 6. Outside of school, Korpan likes to spend time with her family, go to Lake McConaughy and help her kids with their bucket calves.

Emily Krogmeier

The new elementary music teacher and head coach of the high school girls swim team will be Krogmeier, who was born and raised in Holyoke and graduated from HHS in 2017.

She graduated from CSU last May, where she majored in music education. She was in CSU marching band for two years. She completed eight weeks of student teaching at Douglass Elementary School in Boulder and eight more weeks at Louisville Middle School in Louisville.

“I love how supportive everyone is,” Krogmeier said of Holyoke. She said staff members and others have asked her to let them know if she needs anything, which she said has been really amazing.

She noted that Marcia Dalton, who retired at the end of last school year, really inspired her to go into music education and to come back to Holyoke to teach.

Krogmeier is looking forward to being able to make music with her students this year since COVID-19 curtailed some of that experience last year. She said she is also ready to bring fresh ideas to the classroom and expand students’ musical horizons in terms of instruments.

She said part of the reason she returned to Holyoke was to be closer to her family, including parents Ernie and Steph, and siblings Amy, Ryan and Elise, who will be a junior at HHS.

Krogmeier is involved at St. Patrick Catholic Church. She loves spending time with friends and family and reading, and she recently began cross-stitching.

Heather Pelle

Pelle will be teaching second grade at Holyoke Elementary School, and she looks forward to creating a fun, safe and welcoming learning environment for her students.

Born and raised in Holyoke and a 2011 graduate of HHS, she earned her bachelor’s degree in marketing from CSU in 2015 and is currently enrolled in the Alternative Teacher Licensure Program through Northeast Colorado BOCES.

She has worked in marketing for the past six years, owning her own marketing company for the last four, where she worked with graphic design and social media.

She noted that she has a passion for working with kids, and after living on the Front Range, she and her husband Broc, who works as Phillips County emergency manager, feel that Holyoke is their home and a great place to raise kids. They have a daughter, Hailey, who will turn 3 in September, and son, Tyson, who turned 1 in July.

Pelle is the daughter of Jill and Clyde Duester of Holyoke. She wants to make a positive impact in her hometown, where she said everyone cares about and rallies around each other.

She is eager to meet her students, build connections with them and help them enjoy school and learning. She recalled that certain teachers really influenced her in school, and she hopes to be one of those teachers for her students.

In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, going to Lake McConaughy and Enders Reservoir and being involved with Zion Lutheran Church.

Hannah Peterson

Peterson will be teaching JR/SR high science and will be the assistant junior high volleyball coach.

She said she likes small schools and the coaching and other opportunities that are available to get involved with through the school. She added that she feels she will be really supported in teaching science.

She grew up in Roggen and enjoys the small-town feel of Holyoke. She graduated from Weld Central High School in Keenesburg in 2018. She earned her bachelor’s degree in biology from Western State Colorado University in Gunnison in 2021, where she played women’s ice hockey and was a member of the chemistry club. She completed her student teaching at Merino High School.

Peterson said she will bring a willingness to be really involved and provide hands-on experiences for her students. She is looking forward to teaching a forensics class, which involves evaluating crime scenes.

Her husband Trent is an ag teacher in Brush, and they enjoy fishing, walking their dogs and being outdoors.