Kindergarten

Danita Jones

Hi, my name is Danita Jones. I have worked as a Special Education EA and as a Kindergarten teacher. I grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota. I received my B.A. degree in Elementary Education from North Central University. Prior to coming to Excell I taught preschool for almost two years. For fun, I enjoy trying new foods, shopping, reading, Zumba, and spending time with family and friends. I am very excited to be working with the smart, and talented students at Excell Academy this year.

Amanda Walters

Hannah Pardun

First Grade

Kula Giddings

Hi, my name is Kula Giddings. I was born in Liberia and came to the United States at the age of 4. I’ve lived in New York, Rhode Island, and Minnesota. I received my Bachelor’s in Elementary Education from St. Cloud State University in 2011. After graduating, I worked as a learning instructor, at a center for learning, to adults with learning and developmental disabilities.

I currently teach 1st grade at Excell Academy. Teaching is Fabulous! I look forward to meeting my new students and their family this upcoming year!

Katy Yelle

Mrs. Katy Yelle grew up in Annapolis, MD and is a graduate of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA. After graduating college she spent 2 years serving as an AmeriCorps*VISTA in North Charleston, SC at Chicora Elementary School. She loved the school so much she decided to work there full time coordinating special programs and community involvement at the school. She spent her last two years in Charleston establishing a district-wide AmeriCorps literacy program while earning her Master’s in Public Administration. Since she was a little girl Mrs. Yelle always dreamed of being a teacher, these experiences convinced her it was time to start….Teaching is a dream come true, and she is SO excited to be at Excell! She can’t believe how much the time has flown since she started teaching at Excell in 2013.

Mrs. Yelle lives in St. Paul with her husband, Matt, and her cat, Elsie. She loves playing games, doing puzzles and reading in her free time.

Alyssa Bestul

Second Grade

Sarah Sen

Sarah Kempf

Ms. Kempf was born in the Twin Cities and has lived in the Twin Cities her entire life. She received her BA in Geography from the University of St. Thomas and her teaching license and MA in Elementary Education from the University of St. Thomas. As an undergraduate at the University of St. Thomas, Ms. Kempf worked in the St. Thomas Child Development Center. After graduating from the University of St. Thomas with her BA she worked at St. Paul’s Childhood Center in St. Paul as a preschool teacher for a few years before accepting a job with Saint Paul Public Schools. Ms. Kempf worked for Saint Paul Public Schools for 8 years as a Teaching Assistant while she completed her teacher licensure/MA program in Elementary Education.

When Ms. Kempf is not teaching her rock star kindergartners, she can be found playing violin in the St. Paul Jewish Community Center Symphony Orchestra, playing guitar, trail running, Olympic weightlifting, volunteering at the Animal Humane Society, and cheering on her beloved Chelsea FC.

Third Grade

Amy Vanderlin

Adrienne Lee

Fourth Grade

Riki Baker

Third Grade is the best grade! I absolutely love this age group and love learning with my students every year. Learning is my favorite! I have a lot of degrees to prove it: Architectural Drafting & Estimating, Spanish, Construction Management, ESL teaching, and Elementary Education. I took some interesting routes to get where I am, including eight years in the military, but feel so very fortunate to have found my home at Excell. I love coming to “work” every single day. We have a great staff family who cares very much about our students. When I am not at school, I am home with my other wonderful family. I live in the area with my husband and three children. My youngest is currently a student at Excell as well!

Rashidah Fuller

Fifth Grade

Amber Olson

Welcome to Fifth Grade!

My name is Amber Merrigan and I am thrilled to be back for another exciting year at Excell Academy. I am originally from Minnesota, but have lived and taught in many other states including Iowa, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and Hawai’i. I went to college at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa where I received my Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Music. I am grateful to have a job where I get to learn something new each day.

Elyse Lewis

Sixth Grade

Angela Hillestad

Hi, I am Angela Hillestad and I have been teaching 6th grade at Excell Academy since 2011. I love working at Excell because we have an amazing school culture where teachers and students all strive to do their best.

I grew up in North Minneapolis and attended Patrick Henry High School. I have a master’s degree in Education from the University of Minnesota. My husband, Scott and I have two children, Sydney and Flynn. We enjoy hanging out with our kids, playing outside and watching movies.

Seventh Grade

Middle School Math

Kip Sneen

Kipton Sneen was born in the Twin Cities and has lived his entire life in Minnesota. He has a BS in Elementary Education with a Specialty in Mathematics and a BA in Painting and Drawing from Bemidji State University. His interests include exercise, movies and martial arts. His values include hard work, strength, persistence and a mentality of improvement.

Eighth Grade

Middle School Language Arts

Beth Mueller

Hi, I am Beth Mueller and I teach 7th and 8th grade Language Arts. I grew up in Brooklyn Park and graduated from Park Center. I earned my bachelors degree in Communication Arts and Literature (grades 5-12) from Minnesota State University, Mankato in 2005. I taught in the Anoka-Hennepin District for four years at Crossroads Alternative High School-West Campus in Champlin before coming to Excell Academy in 2010. I earned my K-12 Reading Specialist Endorsement in August of 2011. I also completed my Curriculum and Instruction Master’s Degree from Concordia University, St. Paul in May of 2012. I am married to Chad and have two sons, Owen and Dominic.

Excell Academy

Doing Whatever it Takes

Classroom Teachers