Our faculty and staff are talented and gifted individuals who are dedicated followers of Christ specifically called to fulfill the mission of Oasis Christian Academy. The OCA faculty and staff are spiritually mature believers called to serve, and equipped by God with hearts for furnishing instruction to and cultivating the hearts of our students in order to best prepare them to impact the world for Christ upon leaving OCA.
Our faculty bring a wealth of expertise and educational knowledge to our academy. In addition to maintaining educational certification with ACSI, 100% of our faculty have a bachelor's degree, 15% of our faculty have a master’s degree, over 60% have been teaching for 5 years or more, with over 50% of those teachers teaching for 10 years or more.
"…but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher." - Luke 6:40 (NIV)
Early Education
OCA offers a half-day, five day a week Early Education preschool program for three-year-olds & a program for four-year-olds through VPK. Our goal is to nurture and encourage every child's positive self-image in an atmosphere of love and caring by focusing on essential childhood developmental areas through a domain-based environment. This practice, encompassed in a Christian setting, provides the backdrop for an early education curriculum that offers opportunities for each child to grow in the awareness of the love of God as we partner with parents. Our fully accredited preschool program offers a low student to teacher ratio and small classes where children can explore, develop, and interact with other children in a fun, structured setting.
Angela Moates
Early Education Instructor
Angela teaches our littlest students, and her room is cheery and full of fun. Her love for her students is evident, and her calm and patient demeanor is perfect for our 4-year olds.
Tiffany Collier
Early Education Instructor
This is Tiffany's first year with us, and she is so important to our mission. Her passion for early education allows us to continue to expand our EE program, and share God's love with our students.
Nicole Mascioli
K3 Instructor
This is Nicole's first year at Oasis. She is doing an awesome job taking care of our morning daycare students. We are blessed to have her as part of our EE staff.
Elementary
Our elementary school program anticipates big changes in the lives of our "cubs." Our students come to Kindergarten inexperienced, but with limitless potential. Later, when they graduate from fifth grade, our goal is to produce more self-sufficient adolescents capable of navigating middle school. During these formative years at OCA, we want to partner with parents to further the development of these students spiritually, intellectually, physically, emotionally, and socially as they begin to discover who the Lord wants them to be.
Samantha Wilson
Kindergarten Instructor
This is Samantha's seventh year with OCA and her sixth year in Kindergarten after teaching 4th grade for us previously. Her quiet and gentle spirit provides an atmosphere where our kindergartners can learn in a stress- free environment. Her classroom is relaxed, yet structured.
Tonya Smith
Kindergarten Instructor
Tonya brings enthusiasm and energy to an environment where young minds can respond in kind. Kindergarteners are active and curious; Mrs. Smith responds with structure and substance that allows our students to explore in an organized environment.
- B.S. Elementary Education (Warner Southern University)
- ACSI Certified
- 15 years of teaching experience
- 14 years at OCA
- Classroom wishlist
Louan Bagley
1st Grade Instructor
This is Louan's fourth year with OCA, and we are excited to have her as part of our OCA family. Her organized structure combined with her genuine love and care for her first-graders provides an excellent environment for students to thrive.
- B.S. Education (Georgia College)
- Master's in Literacy (Walden University)
- State Certified in Primary Education
- State Certified in Elementary Education
- ACSI Certified
- 30 years of teaching experience
- 6 years at OCA
- 2018 Commitment to Excellence Award recipient
- 2019 Commitment to Excellence Award recipient
- Classroom wishlist
Sarah East
2nd Grade Instructor
This is Sarah's first year at OCA. Sarah is a creative teacher who wants all children to be successful learners. She uses varied teaching methods to help her students reach their full potential. Her classroom is a happy place and we are so blessed to have her on our second-grade team!
Sujette Lunsford
2nd Grade Instructor
This is Sujette's first year at OCA. With her calm teaching style, she has created a beautiful classroom environment that is encouraging and adaptive to the varied needs of students. Our second-graders are blessed to have her!
Stacey Clark
3rd Grade Instructor
Stacey's meticulous attention to her classroom environment and lessons allows for a seamless flow in an already vibrant educational environment. Her genuine desire to see all her students succeed is evident in her accepting and supportive manner. Stacey's classroom is as exciting as it is varied.
- B.S. Elementary Education (Brenau University)
- ACSI Certified
- 20 years of teaching experience
- 13 years at OCA
- 2015 Commitment to Excellence Award recipient
- 2019 Commitment to Excellence Award recipient
- Classroom wishlist
RaQuel Love
4th Grade Instructor
This is RaQuel's first year at OCA. She is a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher and her 4th graders are encouraged to reach their full potential through a variety of teaching methods and approaches. We are so glad to have her as a part of OCA!
Danielle Grimes
5th Grade Instructor
This is Danielle's first year at OCA. Her classroom is an exciting place, with hands-on experiences and challenging lessons. Danielle encourages our 5th graders to work to their full potential through a variety of teaching strategies. We are blessed to have her at OCA!
Claire Madrigal
5th Grade Instructor/ 6th Grade Literature
This is Claire's 4th year with us, and we are thrilled to have her teaching in our 5th-grade classes, along with 6th grade literature, and yearbook . Her classroom is exciting, varied, and full of activity.
Michael Conway
Elementary PE Instructor/ Cross Country Coach
This is Michael's fourth year with us, and he is so important to our mission. His passion for students allows us to continue to expand our elementary program, and his love for God's Word is evident in each of his classes.
Nicole Mascioli
Elementary Music Instructor/ Fine Arts Assistant
Nicole has a multifaceted background in Fine Arts. She has been leading and assisting in drama classes, stage managing, directing, music directing, and choreography for over 14 years. She also holds a certification in early childhood education and loves her work at the preschool as well.
Secondary
The years students spend in the secondary division is a pivotal time in their lives. This period of life is full of significant changes as they transition from children to young adults focusing on preparing for adulthood. We at OCA want to guide our students through these years as smoothly as possible; we deeply desire to partner with parents to undertake this walk together. The process that begins in middle school culminates at graduation, with our students stepping out into the world as well-adjusted individuals prepared to live the life to which the Lord calls them.
Melissa Carr
6th Grade Bible/ Middle School Science
Melissa's classroom reflects her love for learning and her desire for her students to succeed is evident in the way she is continually exploring new avenues of education. Her classroom is busy and alive with excitement to learn.
- B.S. in Elementary Education (University of South Florida)
- State Certified
- ESOL Certified
- ACSI Certified
- 17 years of teaching experience
- 8 years at OCA
- Rated top 30% Reading and Language Arts teacher in the state of Florida
- 2016 Pam Gall Award for Superior Achievement recipient
- 2017 Commitment to Excellence Award recipient
- 2019 Ace of Initiative Award recipient
Edward Chen
Secondary Math
Edward is dedicated to teaching students how to calculate and how to increase their understanding of mathematical principles that God created. We are so thankful to have him with us.
Tiffany Clark
7th Grade Bible/ Secondary Math
This is Tiffany's second year with us. Her genuine desire to see all her students succeed is evident in her accepting and supportive manner. We are excited to have her here at OCA!
Michael Conway
6th Math & Science/ 9th Bible/ HS Computer Science & Coding
This is Michael's fourth year with us, and he is so important to our mission. His passion for students allows us to continue to expand our academic programs, and his love for God's Word is evident in each of his classes.
Michael Ferguson
11th Grade Bible/ High School English
This is Michael's fifth year teaching with us, and we are excited to have him with us here at OCA. His love for teaching and for his students is evident in his enthusiastic classroom environment.
- B.S. Health/Physical Education-Recreation with a minor in History (Southwestern Oklahoma State University)
- Certified with the Florida League of Christian Schools
- FLOCS teaching endorsement
- 23 years of teaching experience
- 5 years at OCA
- 2019 Life Saver Award recipient
- 2021 Commitment to Excellence Award recipient
Matthew Goodwin
High School History
Matthew is an avid historian and loves to share his knowledge of history. He has 2 years of educational experience that includes teaching at Lakeland Christian Preparatory and Inspire Academy. We are excited to have Matthew with us at OCA.
Michael Gorman
High School Science & Bible 11
This is Michael's first year with us. He spent the last year as a Bioscience Intern supporting multiple programs of new medicine research. We are thrilled to have him here at OCA!
Jordan Harmon
12th Bible/ High School Spanish
This is Jordan's fourth year with us, and we are so happy to have him with us. His experience as a youth pastor has proven invaluable as he serves as our Bible teacher for our Seniors.
Kim Heath
8th Grade Bible/ Middle School Language and Literature
Kim is responsible for teaching language to our middle school students. Kim tutors young readers in the Barton Reading system and is vital in the organization of our Middle School; she is vital to our success, and we appreciate all that she does.
Jayne Kennon
6th Bible & Language/Middle School History
This is Jayne's second year with OCA, and we thrilled to have her with us. Her love for her subjects is evident in her classes, and her students appreciate her calm and gentle demeanor.
Bobby Walker
Fine Arts Instructor
This is Bobby's fourth year with us, and he is so important to our mission. His passion for music allows us to continue to expand our fine arts program, and his love for God's Word is evident in each of his classes.
Daniel Sousa
Secondary PE Instructor/ Weight-training/ Football Coach
Daniel Sousa has a commitment for teaching students the importance of having physical fitness and teaching them sportsmanship in all aspects of physical education. We are thrilled to have Coach Sousa on our team!
Matt Zurowski
6th Grade Literature/10th Grade Bible/ Financial & Computer Science Instructor
This is Matt's second year with us, and we are thrilled to have him as part of our high school teaching division. His classes are exciting and varied as he dives deep into the Word of God with our students.
Support Staff
Our support staff is invaluable to the Academy. We couldn't do what we do, or be who we are without them.
Jenna Clark
EE Aide
This is Jenna's second year with us, and we are excited to have her with us. Her nursing degree is a vital asset on campus, and her attentiveness to and care of our students is highly appreciated.
Juan Colòn
Custodial
This is Mr. Juan's 2nd year at OCA, and we love having him with us. He devotes his time and energy to making sure that we have a spotless environment for educating. He does a wonderful job!
Sharleen Giles
Elementary Enrichment Aide
Sharleen provides a wonderful atmosphere for learning. Her genuine care for each student along with her desire for those students' to succeed translates well to our varied ages at OCA.
Kirsten Lambay
After-care Director/ Lunchroom Aide
This is Kirsten's 1st year with us, and we are so happy to have her with us. Her background in early childcare is vital to the success of OCA, and her love for our students is evident in her kindness and care of them..
Amity McGee
Custodial
Amity is an integral part of OCA. She is always on-hand and ready and willing to help with anything that needs to be done on campus. She spent fifteen years in law enforcement before coming to OCA in 2013, and we value her experience.
Whitney Muniz
Reception
This is Whitney's third year and she is critical to the organization of OCA. She fills our much-valued Assistant Office Manager role keeping everything organized.
Martha O'Quinn
Reception
Martha serves at the front desk as our primary receptionist; before coming to OCA, Martha worked as a Deputy Clerk for Polk County for 38 years. She is always greeting everyone with a smile. Martha also serves as our informal decor coordinator. She is always quick to decorate to celebrate an employee's special day or remind us all of the upcoming events by decorating her front desk.
Margarita Rosa-Bushman
After-care Aide
This is Margarita's 1st year with us and we are excited to have her serving in our aftercare department. Her patient and genuine care for students shines through in her interactions and care of them after school.
Joel Zaila
Full-time Substitute
Joel is fantastic at being flexible with the many dynamics of being a full-time substitute teacher. He graduated from Warner in 2021 with a BA in Biblical Studies. He also had experience substituting at Victory Chirstian Academy.