Faculty & Staff
Michele Daly
Lead Educator
Michele loves learning and sharing what she’s learned, which is why she became a teacher. Her formal education focused on psychology, elementary education and special education. In addition to her BA and MA degrees and a multiple subject teaching credential, she completed coursework to become a reading specialist and Waldorf training for kindergarten and the lower grades. She is also a certified teacher of infant massage. Her favorite way of learning is from her students, because their minds and hears are open. She believes a successful learning community requires curiosity, kindness, , and collaboration, as well as gratitude and a celebration of differences. A few of her favorite mentors are Leo Buscaglia, Anthony de Mellow, Masanobu Fukuoka and Prem Rawat - fellow explorers who value loving, living and creating with peaceful hearts. Michele prefers birdsongs to Tweets, Lincoln Logs to being LinkedIn and face-to-face contact to Facebook. She loves laughter (the more the merrier_), reading, nature, writing and chocolate, although not necessarily in that order.
Audrey O’Donnell
Educational Facilitator/Spanish Educator
Audrey is a recent graduate from the University of Tulsa with a BA in English and minors in Psychology, Creative Writing, and, after studying abroad in Argentina, Spanish, where she also earned her CELU certification of fluency. She has worked with children in many capacities: as a camp counselor, nanny, tutor, and creative writing workshop leader. She believes each child is special and strives to help create an environment in which they feel supported to be their best selves. In addition to joining UP Academy this fall, Audrey will be earning an MS in Human-Canine Life Sciences from Bergin College with the eventual goal of working in service dog training and placement. Her work here and her pursuit of her master’s will aid her in melding her passions for children and dogs.