As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, we want to recognize the hard-working educators at Quest Kids Academy (QKA). QKA provides a supportive educational setting for children and teens with autism and other developmental disabilities. These dedicated teachers work closely with families to create personalized education plans for each student, ensuring every child receives an effective and enjoyable educational experience. Let’s meet the extraordinary teachers who make QKA such a special place.
Erin Hennessy
Erin has dedicated her career to empowering students with disabilities, drawing compassion from her high school experience as a nanny for a child with a traumatic brain injury. With over eight years of experience as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT), she transitioned into teaching at QKA in 2022. Erin works tirelessly to ensure that her students receive personalized instruction tailored to their goals and needs. Through the work-study program and specialized classes in employment skills, cooking, inventory management and financial literacy, she equips her students with the tools they need for success in the workforce.
What is your favorite part of Teacher Appreciation Week? “My absolute favorite part of Teacher Appreciation Week is handwritten notes from students or families that say individual things about me that they appreciate or about the class that they like. I have a whole memory box under my bed of all of the gifts I’ve been given over the years by students.”
Marylou Torres
Marylou is the reading teacher at QKA, and her passion for helping kids shines through in everything she does. Her focus on flexibility and differentiation allows her to create personalized learning experiences that prepare her students for success. Whether changing her lesson plan on the spot or separating groups to focus on specific needs, Marylou does what is necessary to help her students thrive academically and personally.
Memorable moment at QKA? “For me, it’s when I see my students move forward into another grade level because here, it doesn’t have to always be that way. They can come back next year and still be in the same group. And when you see our younger kids move up, that is like, ‘Okay, I did my job,’ especially because I’m the reading teacher. So, when I started here, a couple of kids didn’t know how to read or weren’t even speaking, but they also had therapy here after school. So, once I see them actually [moving up], responding, and reading and comprehending what I’m reading to them compared to their first year here, not speaking, not sitting, not having a routine, that’s a joy.”
Marylou Torres
Marylou is the reading teacher at QKA, and her passion for helping kids shines through in everything she does. Her focus on flexibility and differentiation allows her to create personalized learning experiences that prepare her students for success. Whether changing her lesson plan on the spot or separating groups to focus on specific needs, Marylou does what is necessary to help her students thrive academically and personally.
Memorable moment at QKA? “For me, it’s when I see my students move forward into another grade level because here, it doesn’t have to always be that way. They can come back next year and still be in the same group. And when you see our younger kids move up, that is like, ‘Okay, I did my job,’ especially because I’m the reading teacher. So, when I started here, a couple of kids didn’t know how to read or weren’t even speaking, but they also had therapy here after school. So, once I see them actually [moving up], responding, and reading and comprehending what I’m reading to them compared to their first year here, not speaking, not sitting, not having a routine, that’s a joy.”
Anita Fisher
When the transition to virtual learning presented unexpected challenges, Anita rose to the occasion with resilience and determination. With support from Quest and positive feedback from parents, she quickly found her rhythm and has discovered her love for lesson planning and specialized teaching over the past 3-4 years. From community outings to pre-employment skills, Anita’s students learn functional math, financial literacy, social skills and independent living skills.
Memorable moment at QKA: “The first time we went to Second Harvest, I would say. You never know how your kiddos are going to do. You prepare as much as you can for going out into the community, but seeing them out there and working hard, they handled it so well. They were focused, and they took direction. Some of them needed a little extra prompting. But they worked through that, worked the whole time and impressed many people there. I could tell they appreciated our help, and the students felt proud of what they did, too.”
Camilla Blanco
Camilla initially went to school to become an attorney working for child advocacy, which led her to teach through volunteerism. Now, she is in her first year as a passionate math educator who believes in the power of education for social justice. From teaching foundational math skills to applying math to real-life experiences, Camilla makes math fun and exciting for all learners at QKA.
Memorable teaching experience: “We were doing bingo, and I saw a student work on a behavioral goal through a math activity. We were doing multiplication bingo, and it was hard. He’s been working hard to memorize it, to get quicker with the facts. And we got to a point where he didn’t get bingo, but he got all his responses correct. His peer called out bingo, which is usually an adverse situation for him. At that moment, he tolerated his friend and peer winning, and his response was just simple, like, ‘Oh man, that was a good game.’ So that was a win because we got to see two different types of goals met through one activity.”
Camilla Blanco
Camilla initially went to school to become an attorney working for child advocacy, which led her to teach through volunteerism. Now, she is in her first year as a passionate math educator who believes in the power of education for social justice. From teaching foundational math skills to applying math to real-life experiences, Camilla makes math fun and exciting for all learners at QKA.
Memorable teaching experience: “We were doing bingo, and I saw a student work on a behavioral goal through a math activity. We were doing multiplication bingo, and it was hard. He’s been working hard to memorize it, to get quicker with the facts. And we got to a point where he didn’t get bingo, but he got all his responses correct. His peer called out bingo, which is usually an adverse situation for him. At that moment, he tolerated his friend and peer winning, and his response was just simple, like, ‘Oh man, that was a good game.’ So that was a win because we got to see two different types of goals met through one activity.”
Sonja Gspurning
With a background in science and a passion for education, Sonja found her calling as a science teacher at QKA. Through hands-on experiments and activities, she brings the magic of science to life in her classroom, inspiring curiosity and exploration in her students. From space exploration to Earth Month celebrations, she creates memorable learning experiences that spark a love for science in every student.
What is your favorite thing about QKA?
“My favorite thing about QKA is just the people that work here; we all have the same goal of wanting to give these kids a safe space to come every day where they can have fun, learn, grow and be the best versions of themselves that they can be and eventually go out into the world and make a difference.”
Tatiana Picon
As a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst in training, Tatiana brings her passion and experience as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and general education teacher to her work at QKA. She was promoted to her teaching position in September and appreciates the ability to focus on teaching life skills and vocational tasks to students with various goals and needs. From relearning structure to preparing for independence, she celebrates every milestone with her students, fostering a classroom culture of inclusion and empowerment.
An example of collaboration between colleagues: “We are an ABA-based school, so whenever there are moments of behavior, we work through it together with the student, and then afterward, we collaborate by speaking about what happened. We discussed what could be better for next time and what could have changed, basically trying to figure out the function of what occurred so we could redirect the student appropriately. It comes back to the foundation of what we do in this specific classroom, being able to help [students] advocate for themselves without those challenging moments.”
Tatiana Picon
As a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst in training, Tatiana brings her passion and experience as a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) and general education teacher to her work at QKA. She was promoted to her teaching position in September and appreciates the ability to focus on teaching life skills and vocational tasks to students with various goals and needs. From relearning structure to preparing for independence, she celebrates every milestone with her students, fostering a classroom culture of inclusion and empowerment.
An example of collaboration between colleagues: “We are an ABA-based school, so whenever there are moments of behavior, we work through it together with the student, and then afterward, we collaborate by speaking about what happened. We discussed what could be better for next time and what could have changed, basically trying to figure out the function of what occurred so we could redirect the student appropriately. It comes back to the foundation of what we do in this specific classroom, being able to help [students] advocate for themselves without those challenging moments.”
Ally Warner
With a background in behavior analysis applied to education, Ally transitioned to the role of a virtual teacher during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the sudden change, Ally embraced the opportunity to apply the principles she had researched in grad school practically. With four years under her belt at QKA, she thrives as an early interventionist. Ally teaches fine motor skills, social skills and work stamina, all tailored to each student’s needs. Whether facilitating math and reading remediation or reinforcing positive behaviors, her commitment to data-driven instruction ensures that every student receives the support they need to excel.
QKA Culture:
“I’m just grateful to be with a school, company and team that cares for each other, appreciates what we do and puts in the hard work to help our students succeed, grow and learn. It makes waking up every day and coming to work worth it.”
Melissa Lopez
Melissa’s professional journey at Quest began as a supporting therapist at Quest Kids Therapy Center in 2011. Her impactful client work led her to QKA in 2016, where she started as an Assistant Director. Her dedication and commitment to QKA’s mission, fueled by her passion for education, propelled her to the role of Program Director in 2018. Today, she leads with unwavering grace and determination, overseeing the day-to-day operations and supporting the QKA teaching team. Her background in applied behavior analysis (ABA) and her passion for education have allowed her to guide her team with expertise and passion, ensuring growth opportunities.
Favorite thing about QKA:
“I enjoy working alongside our team to help our students acquire skills that will help them become more independent overall. The drive, determination and care our team brings daily make it an amazing team! I truly admire my colleagues’ patience, persistence and commitment to our students—they show up every day and put in the hard work despite challenges. Thank you, QKA team, for ALL that you do!”
Melissa Lopez
Melissa’s professional journey at Quest began as a supporting therapist at Quest Kids Therapy Center in 2011. Her impactful client work led her to QKA in 2016, where she started as an Assistant Director. Her dedication and commitment to QKA’s mission, fueled by her passion for education, propelled her to the role of Program Director in 2018. Today, she leads with unwavering grace and determination, overseeing the day-to-day operations and supporting the QKA teaching team. Her background in applied behavior analysis (ABA) and her passion for education have allowed her to guide her team with expertise and passion, ensuring growth opportunities.
Favorite thing about QKA:
“I enjoy working alongside our team to help our students acquire skills that will help them become more independent overall. The drive, determination and care our team brings daily make it an amazing team! I truly admire my colleagues’ patience, persistence and commitment to our students—they show up every day and put in the hard work despite challenges. Thank you, QKA team, for ALL that you do!”
