New Faculty and Staff

On opening day, we welcomed many new faces: freshmen, transfer students, international students, and several new faculty and staff members to the team. A warm welcome to all who have joined our learning community!

Mrs. Lori Fenton

is a welcomed addition to the front office staff as our new administrative assistant for student services. Prior to joining Pope Francis, she served as an assistant to the dean of the business school at a local university where she brought over 18 years experience as a legal assistant. Mrs. Fenton is a graduate of Southwick High School, Southwick, MA and Holyoke Community College, Holyoke, MA where she earned an associate degree in business. She resides in Feeding Hills with her husband, Tom. They have two children, Colin CHS ’10 and Jenna.

Mr. Kevin Kopec

is a familiar face at Pope Francis. Having served as a substitute teacher at our school in the past, we are pleased that he is able to join our math department full-time this year. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and biology from American International College, Mr. Kopec began a career in the biotech field learning new techniques in biological research and mathematical analysis of experimental designs. He shifted his career focus to include teaching after completing an immersion Master of education program at the University of Massachusetts. He has since completed postgraduate coursework in mathematics extension from Lesley College and in physics from American International College. Prior to joining Pope Francis Prep, Mr. Kopec taught math and robotics within the Springfield public school district and as an adjunct professor for American International College. Mrs. Wendy Harrington

joins the Pope Francis Prep team as our marketing and social media manager. With a B.A. from California State University, Fullerton, a background in education, and a passion for photography and design, Wendy is a perfect fit for this part-time role. Wendy is married to our head of school, Dr. Paul Harrington, and they have a five-year-old daughter, Grace, and a cocker spaniel mix named Simba. When not on campus capturing “a day in the life” Wendy enjoys cooking, gardening, volunteering at Grace’s school, and visiting family and friends in California.

Ms. Susanne Markus

joined Pope Francis Preparatory School as a French teacher in August 2018. She holds a B.A. degree in French and Education from Wells College, Aurora, NY. She spent one year of her four years at Wells College at the l’Université de Strasbourg, in Strasbourg, France. After her studies at Wells College, Ms. Markus completed graduate work at S.U.N.Y. Albany in French literature, and she obtained a teaching certificate from the state of New York. In addition, she holds certification from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and she obtained certification for Spanish at Elms College, Chicopee, MA. Her teaching career encompasses having taught French and Spanish for 20 years at Ludlow High School, Ludlow, MA.

Ms. Markus is multi-lingual, speaking not only French and Spanish but also her native Hungarian and a basic level of German. In addition, she has traveled and lived abroad in Europe for extended periods. She looks forward to share her enthusiasm for foreign languages with her new students at Pope Francis Preparatory School.

Mr. Daniel Fenton

joins the institutional advancement team as the new development director. A native of Westfield, MA, Mr. Fenton is a graduate of Cathedral High School followed by receiving both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from American International College. His professional experience working in social services and college athletics will prove to be a strong foundation for leading the School’s efforts in securing support from alumni, parents, friends, corporations, and foundations. Mr. Fenton takes pride in his own Catholic education and hopes to share his enthusiasm for the continued growth of Pope Francis Preparatory School with a variety of constituency. His knowledge of strategic planning and cultivation of relationships now brings excitement to the Pope Francis community. In addition to his responsibilities to institutional advancement, Mr. Fenton, a former collegiate athlete, serves as the head varsity baseball coach and junior varsity hockey coach for Cardinal athletics. Mrs. Carol Lisella has returned to her roots as our new religious studies faculty member. She began her teaching career over 10 years ago teaching religion at our legacy school, Holyoke Catholic High School. She holds a bachelor of arts degree in business management from Springfield College and a master of applied theology from Elms College. She resides in Connecticut with her husband Anthony and their German Shepard, Jackson. They have two grown children, Jennifer and Tony. She loves the outdoors and traveling to Vermont and especially to Colorado to visit their daughter. She is thrilled to be back “home” at Pope Francis Prep and notes that she enjoys passing her love of God and being witness to students growing in their relationship with God and each other. Ms. Laura Coulombe is the new School Media and IT Specialist. She received a bachelor’s degree in computer information technology from Elms College and a master’s degree in communications and information management from Bay Path University. Prior to joining PFPS, she spent ten years teaching graphic and web design at Elms College and five years working for a local web design company. In her spare time, she can usually be found doing various artistic hobbies such as sewing, pottery or drawing. Dr. Daniel McGlathery

joined Pope Francis Preparatory School as the Latin teacher in August 2018. Previously, he taught Latin, Greek, and Classics for five years at the college level and for the past 17 years at another Roman Catholic college preparatory school in Massachusetts. He holds an A.B. in Classics from Princeton University and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Classical Studies from the University of Michigan. He has also studied at the American Academy in Rome and American School of Classical Studies at Athens. He is a member of the National Greek Exam Committee and an experienced advisor for Model United Nations and Classics Club. He served on the international Faculty Advisor Discussion Panel at the Harvard Model United Nations Conference in 2015. His mentorship is evident as one of his former students recently won both the National Greek Exam Scholarship and the National Latin Exam Scholarship. He is a Cardinals baseball fan - both of

St. Louis and now, Pope Francis Preparatory School! Mrs. Meaghan Gadbois

joined our math department in August 2018. She is a graduate of Greenfield High School, Greenfield, MA and Westfield State University. Meaghan currently resides in Westfield with her husband Barry, their daughter Abigail, and their dog, Mackey. When she’s not teaching or learning, Meaghan loves to travel. She enjoys the company of her family and spends her

summers at Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. Mrs. isabel Marcheselli

joins Pope Francis Prep as our Spanish teacher. Originally from New York, she earned a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and French from Cornell University and a master of arts in education from Teachers College, Columbia University. She has taught language and music to students at both the elementary and secondary school levels. She resides in Westfield and serves as the music minister at Holy Family Church in Russell, MA.