Prep Talk
Welcome To Our New Faculty
Posted September 19th, 2015
Welcome to our new faculty! Below you will find an introduction and short bio on each new faculty member:
Mr. Daniel Liebsch – World History and Public Speaking: Mr. Liebsch will be teaching World History and Public Speaking during the 2015-2016 school year. He has an undergraduate degree in Government from Dartmouth College (1998) and a Masters Degree in History from LaSalle University (2011). He is a Philadelphia native and grew up attending parochial school in the city before attending Germantown Academy High School. While at Dartmouth, he was a four year varsity football player and member of an undefeated Ivy League Championship Team. After he settles in at the Prep, he would like to pursue coaching along with his teaching duties.
Prior to teaching, Mr. Liebsch worked on large software implementations across a number of industries around the world. “I’m looking forward to combining my professional experiences with my education to make my classes interesting for the young men at the Prep.,” says Mr. Liebsch. “Many of our students will have opportunities to pursue careers where an understanding of other cultures and their histories will garner them respect from their counterparts. I’ll do my best to help build that foundation.”
Mrs. Ronessa Acquesta – Precalculus, Honors Precalculus and Honors Economics: Mrs. Acquesta will be teaching Precalculus, Honors Precalculus, and Honors Economics. She earned a dual Batchelor’s degree at the University of Delaware in both Business Administration and Economics before returning to college to obtain her teaching certificate in Mathematics. Mrs. Acquesta has nine years of teaching experience from Williamstown High School where she taught a wide variety of mathematics courses ranging from Algebra I to Honors Calculus as well as Financial Literacy. Ms. Acquesta states that, “I couldn’t be more proud to be part of The Prep. I love being in a classroom and working with my students as they explore their new and prior knowledge; using it to incite wonder about the world around them.”
Mr. CJ Fleck ‘08 – World Literature, British Literature, Fencing Coach: Mr. Fleck ‘08 is a graduate of Sacred Heart University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in both political science and philosophy, as well as Villanova University where he earned a Master of Arts in political science. Mr. Fleck is also an accomplished fencing coach, as a former assistant coach at Sacred Heart University as well as various private fencing clubs. He was the Prep’s first Division 1 scholarship athlete in fencing. Mr. Fleck returns to the Prep after spending time teaching at Sacred Heart University. He will be teaching World Literature and British Literature while assuming the head fencing coach position. “I am truly excited to be returning to St. Augustine Prep and giving back the educational experience that I received,” he states. “I look forward to imparting life lessons through the consumption of literature’s great works, and hope to bring the fencing team to success.”
Mr. Charles (Chip) Hollowell – Algebra II and Honors Precalculus: Mr. Hollowell comes to us with seven years of teaching experience, most recently at Devon Preparatory School in Pennsylvania where he taught Geometry, Algebra II, Precalculus, AP Calculus, and AP Statistics as well as the math department chair. Prior to a divine intervention to become a math teacher, Mr. Hollowell spent 25 years in the consumer electronics industry as the Director of International Business Development and a Principle Engineer. He also served four years in the United States Marine Corps. Mr. Hollowell had this to say regarding his new position at the Prep.:
“In the teaching profession, my primary goal is to apply my extensive technical and business backgrounds, communication and collaboration skills, leadership and pedagogical knowledge to provide the best possible education to my students. I wish to impart to my students the importance of character quality, moral and ethical behavior, and the wisdom that I have gained from my life experiences. In return, I receive the personal fulfillment that comes with a successful career in teaching and mentoring students.”
Miss Elise Krogman – Physics, Honors Physics and Introduction to Computer Coding: Miss Krogman is a graduate of Drexel University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering. She will be teaching Introductory Physics, Honors Physics, and Introduction to Computer Coding this year. Miss Krogman is a South Jersey native and comes to us with prior experience teaching at the high school level, and as an SAT preparatory teacher with Kaplan Test Prep.
“I hope to bring practical examples from my engineering background into the classroom to inspire curiosity and a thirst for knowledge in science and technology as students begin preparation for their college careers,” Miss Krogman said. “I am excited for students to understand the relevance of the material learned in class and how it is being applied in the world around them.”
Mr. Dominic Puggi – Marketing and Honors Economics: Mr. Puggi will be teaching Marketing and Honors Economics for the 2015-2016 academic year. Currently, he is earning a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership from Northeastern University, and he obtained an M.B.A. in Finance and B.S. in Business Management from Thomas Edison State College. For the past five years, Mr. Puggi has served as a Project/Business Development Manager in the environmental industry.
“I am excited to share my academic and professional lessons learned with the students of St. Augustine Prep,” notes Mr. Puggi. “I believe that my business experience and commitment to grow as scholar-practitioner will be an asset to the students in my classroom. My goal is to help every student recognize and achieve his greatest potential personally, academically, and professionally.”
Mr. Thomas Broomell ’08 – Public Speaking and Freshman Soccer Coach: Mr. Thomas Broomell ‘08 will teach Public Speaking and coach freshman soccer in addition to his role as Assistant Athletic Director during the 2015-2016 school year. Mr. Broomell earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Virginia Tech. Prior to joining St. Augustine Prep as an Assistant Athletic Director last year, he worked as a Hotel Manager at Homewood Suites in Washington, DC.
While a student at Virginia Tech, Mr. Broomell worked as an Intramural Sports Manager, overseeing one of the most active intramural programs in the country with more than 13,000 participants per year. As a St. Augustine Prep student, he was a member of the football, baseball and track teams as well as a Big Brother. Mr. Broomell comments: “I am honored to be back at the place I called home during my high school years and welcome the opportunity to share my education and knowledge with my younger Hermit brothers.”