Marisa Espinosa

Marisa Espinosa believes she was born a teacher.

For as long as she can remember, she knew she wanted to teach: she spent her teen years babysitting the neighborhood kids and nannying for her summer college jobs. She graduated from the University of CT with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education and went on to Saint Joseph University where she obtained her Masters in Education.

Marisa was teaching in her first classroom in New Haven, CT by the age of 23. She soon moved to a school in Old Saybrook, CT and taught there for 16 years.

In 2017, Marisa made the difficult decision to leave the classroom to pursue a dream that she had long hoped to follow: a career in one on one and small group education. Marisa had worked as a private tutor for all 17 years of teaching and found fulfillment and joy in working one on one with students.

It was in these moments that she found she truly had her “teaching moments”, “watched it click” and experienced firsthand what it meant to truly make a difference in the world. The relationships she formed, both with students and families were strong and she felt deep down that this was how she was meant to teach.

Marisa has been working full time now as a private tutor and educational advocate for parents since 2017 and can truly say she has found her niche. This is how Nurtured Learners was born.

Kelly Stalsburg

Kelly is a special education teacher in New Haven, CT. She specializes in teaching reading, math and executive functioning/organizational skills. Kelly has a Bachelor’s degree in Art Education and a Master’s degree in Special Education, with a concentration in Learning Disabilities. She is certified to teach grades K-12 and has teaching experience in both a K-8 school and a high school.

Kelly enjoys spending time with her dog.

Lori Dillon

Lori has been working in education for approximately 18 years. She has a BA degree in Psychology, is CT Certified K-6, and has a Masters and 6th Year Degree in Education. She currently works at Truman School in New Haven as the K-8 math coach for the school. Previously she taught 6th grade Math, English, Reading and Science in West Haven. Lori has been teaching curriculum that aligns with the Common Core State Standards and enjoys teaching students different strategies to enable them to reach their full potential.

Lori recently moved to North Branford and enjoys her new home with her husband, 4 boys and their dog.

Melissa Miller

Melissa is highly qualified with a diverse background. She is certified to teach Spanish and Bilingual/TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) in Grades K-12. She has a BS in Spanish, a Masters in Bilingual/TESOL and her Sixth Year in Education. She studied in Leon, Spain for a semester and Salamanca, Spain for a summer.

Melissa says, “I love the language and teaching Spanish has been my passion for many years.” When Melissa isn’t teaching, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. She also loves to read, travel, hike, bike and cross country ski.

Katharine Martorelli

Katharine Martorelli is thrilled to begin supporting students at Nurturers Learners. She is currently a sixth-grade Math and Science teacher at Jared Eliot Middle School in Clinton, CT. She holds a school administrator’s certification (092) and sixth year in Educational leadership. She completed her graduate work in Elementary Education at the University of New Haven. Katharine is also an avid swimmer and was a swim coach for the Valley-Shore Marlins in Westbrook for five years.

Mark Vail

Mark Vail has been working in education for 23 years.  He has an undergraduate degree in intermediate education, certifying him to teach grades K-8.  He has a Master’s degree in history education and a sixth year degree in literacy.  Mark is currently a seventh grade social studies teacher at Adams Middle School in Guilford.  He began his teaching career in New Haven where he taught sixth, seventh, and eighth grade social studies in a five year span.  He came to Adams in 2004 and taught eighth grade social studies for eight years.  For the last ten years, he has been in seventh grade.  For 15 years, he ran the debate club at Adams and his debate teams always performed well.  On two occasions, his debate team advanced to the state semi final round, debating once at the State Supreme Court and another at the LOB (Legislative Office Building). 

Mark lives in Guilford and enjoys playing tennis, hiking, and spending time with his family. Mark has tutored over the years and is qualified to work with students through Grade 8, in all areas. He will primarily be working with our middle school students.

Robyn Webb

Robyn Webb is a Pk-Grade 3 Computer Literacy Teacher working across curricula in Old Saybrook, CT. She has varied classroom experiences teaching kindergarten to third grade. She has years of experience in reading instruction utilizing multiple data pieces to drive instruction. She recently completed her 6th year program in The Foundation of Reading Literacy. Robyn sees the need for students to be taught in a multisensory approach incorporating the many new literacies utilizing 21st century skills. She works with the individual student’s needs while making connections in an enriching environment. In addition to the younger grades, Robyn has an expertise in tutoring pk-12 students, ELL students, and working with varied IEPs. She emphasizes organizational skills for test preparation while building consistent work habits. Robyn’s philosophy is partnering with families and schools to develop a personalized tutoring plan meeting students’ needs while building students’ confidence and active student engagement. Other qualifications include experience helping students raise scores in LAS Links test, experience working with students transferring from public-private schools, helping with the transition of high school to college and ensuring all ECE and AP options are equitable per transcript. In her free time, Robyn enjoys various outdoor activities with her 4 children.

Bernadette Bober

Bernadette Bober has been teaching for 19 years with that time mostly spent working with sixth grade and third grade. She graduated from UCONN, Storrs with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. After working in various schools she went back to school and received her Master of Arts in Elementary Education. Recently, Bernadette wrote and was awarded a grant and traveled to Finland to study their National Parks. The focus of this study was to explore the interconnectedness of forests and a person’s emotional well being. She is an avid hiker and trail runner with a deep love and gratitude towards the preservation of our forests.

Bernadette currently lives in Guilford with her husband and their two boys. As a family, they love traveling and being outdoors as much as possible.

Ben Werth

Ben has been working in education for 11 years. He has an undergraduate degree in History and a Master’s degree in Education. Ben has experience tutoring students in grades K-12 and is certified to teach grades 6-12. He has taught social studies in New Haven for the past 10 years and has actively been involved in tutoring K-12 students in math, science, social studies, and reading/writing. Ben was the Career/Hillhouse Boy’s Soccer Coach in New Haven for 5 years and still continues to coach youth soccer for his daughter’s team.

Jenna Brady

Jenna has always had a passion for learning and helping others.

Jenna is a Special Education Teacher in Cheshire, CT. She has been working as a teacher for 15 years. She obtained a Masters Degree in Special Education K-12 and has a Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis from Southern Connecticut State University.

Jenna began her career as a teacher in Orange, CT, and within the last 5 years made a transition to Cheshire. She has experience working with children in grades Pk-8. She spent several years focused on Reading instruction, Math Support and Discrete Trial Instruction.

Jenna is Trained and Certified in Wilson, Orton Gillingham, and SPIRE Reading Programs. She currently teaches students who qualify for special education services in grades 7-8.

Jenna currently resides in Madison, CT with her husband and two daughters. She loves spending time with her family and friends as much as possible. She enjoys outdoor activities, and traveling when possible.

Brooke Mazzarella

Brooke’s journey in education began in 2011 and has been marked by a commitment to fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment. Starting as a paraprofessional, she gained invaluable experience in special education, emphasizing the development of accommodations tailored to individual student needs. Her focus on organizational and executive functioning skills demonstrated her dedication to setting students on a path to success.

Transitioning to a 6th-grade English teacher role, Brooke continued her mission to create a positive learning space where students felt encouraged to take risks, showcase their creativity, and reach their full potential. Building strong connections with her students, she aimed not only to impart knowledge but also to instill a lifelong love for learning and reading.

With a BA in Advertising and Public Relations from Ithaca College and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction from UConn, Brooke’s diverse educational background enriches her approach to teaching. Her move to The Morgan School in Clinton in 2018 marked the beginning of a new chapter in her career within Clinton Public Schools.

At the high school level, Brooke broadened her impact by teaching 9th, 11th, and 12th-grade English, as well as AP Language and Composition. Here, she focused on honing her students’ writing skills, including the critical task of crafting college essays. Through her teaching, she strives to equip students with the essential skills they need for academic and personal success. She is excited to be a part of the Nurtured Learners team and to help students feel more confident in their abilities.

In her free time, Brooke loves spending time with her two children, traveling, and volunteering with the Animal Rescue Clinic at Mystic Aquarium.