This fall, new faculty and staff have joined the UPrep community. The expertise and verve they bring to our school are remarkable. Below, we share a bit of their stories with you.

Chance Hohensee, Upper School Math Teacher, previously worked as a long-term substitute math teacher at Lincoln High School in Seattle. He’s also been a statistical research associate at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. He earned a BA in economics and an MA in teaching from the University of Washington and a MA in economics from Hunter College. When you meet Chance, ask about his bike.

Alban Howe, Upper School Math Teacher, has been a math teacher at The Bush School and at Takoma Academy in Maryland. He’s also been a substitute math teacher at UPrep and Forest Ridge and a math tutor in Seattle. He earned a BA in mathematics and Spanish from Walla Walla University. When you meet Alban, ask him about pipe organs.

Kate Kerkering, Upper School Science Teacher, previously worked as a substitute teacher at UPrep and Seattle Public Schools. She has served as an intern biology teacher at West Seattle High School and was a research study coordinator at the University of Washington’s Virology Research Center. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature from Columbia University, an MA in teaching from University of Washington, and an MD from the University of Washington Medical School. When you meet Kate, ask her about her music.

Mike Kim, Upper School English Teacher, worked as a long-term substitute teacher at Garfield High School in Seattle. He’s also been an LSAT instructor and a virtual teaching assistant at Kaplan. He earned a BA in economics and Spanish at Claremont McKenna College, an MA in teaching from the University of Washington, and a JD and an ML in laws of taxation from the University of Washington. When you meet Mike, ask about his Guinness World Record.

Isaac Meyer, Upper School History Teacher, previously taught at The Northwest School and was formerly a part-time faculty member at Bellevue College. He also was an associate translator at Nintendo America, translating technical documentation from Japanese to English. He earned a BA in history at Wesleyan University, and an MA in international studies (Japan) from the University of Washington. When you meet Isaac, ask him about his most recent trip to Japan.

Mike Montanari, Middle School Science Teacher, has taught middle school science at College Place Middle School in Edmonds. He has also taught at the Maplewood Parent Cooperative and at Holy Rosary School in Edmonds. He earned a BS in earth science with a minor in secondary education at Framingham State University, and an MA in marine affairs at the University of Washington. When you meet Mike, ask about his woodworking hobby.

Michael Nevárez, Middle School Theatre Teacher, previously worked as a theatre arts instructor and theatre department chair at Encore Junior/Senior High school for the Arts in Hesperia and Riverside, California. He has more than 20 years of acting experience and more than 10 years of directing experience. He earned a BFA in theatre (acting and original works) from Cornish College of the Arts. When you meet Michael, ask him about Shakespeare, movies, and TV shows—especially horror movies and shows. 

Morena Orué, Middle and Upper School Spanish Teacher, has been a Spanish teacher at St. Thomas School and Riverdale Country School in New York City. She has also worked in arts education at various places in New York City, including at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and the Rubin Museum of Art. At City College of New York, she earned her BA in romance languages and her MA in Spanish language and literature. When you meet her, ask her about Pro Latina Press, the independent publishing house she cofounded to give more visibility to Latinx writers in the U.S.

Neriya Paavalar, Marketing and Communications Intern, is currently a sophomore at the University of Washington, where she is working toward a double major in communications and law, societies, and justice. She’s also participated in Girl Up, a girl-centered leadership development initiative, and she raised more than $2,000 to supply women’s products to communities stricken by Hurricane Harvey and COVID-19. When you meet her, ask about how she got her last name.

Kerri Scott, Middle School Math Teacher, has previously worked as a full-time substitute teacher at Hazel Wolf, a K–8 E-STEM school, and as a math tutor at Montlake Elementary School, both in Seattle. She was also a software engineer at Boeing in Huntington Beach, California. She earned her BS in computer science at California State University, Fullerton, and her MA in teaching, secondary school, at the University of Washington. When you meet her, ask her about her previous career.

Read more about UPrep's Faculty and Staff.