Faculty

Ms. Wilson was born and raised in Clearwater, FL.  She is a product of the Diocese of St. Petersburg and attended St. Cecelia Catholic School and Clearwater Central Catholic High School. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education as well as her Master's in Educational Leadership from Saint Leo University.  Ms. Wilson has been teaching and leading in the Diocese of St. Petersburg since 2002.  She taught for 14 years in the classroom, was an assistant principal for 4 years, and is now principal at Sacred Heart. Catholic education holds a special place in her heart.  Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, going to Disney, reading, and shopping!

M.Ed in Educational Leadership, St. Leo University 

B.A. in Elementary Education, St. Leo University

Mrs. Coy was born and raised in upstate New York and is a product of the Archdiocese of New York. She received her Bachelors of Science in Elementary Education and Masters of Education in Educational Leadership from The University of Tampa. Before coming to Sacred Heart in July 2021, Mrs. Coy taught in Pinellas County Schools and most recently in the Diocese of St. Petersburg at Guardian Angels Catholic School. Outside of school, Mrs. Coy enjoys spending time with her husband, three beautiful daughters and their family dog.

M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, The University of Tampa

B.S. in Elementary Education, The University of Tampa

Mrs. Contreras is a Venezuelan national. She has lived in Pinellas Park, Florida for 10 years. She is married and has a beautiful daughter. She completed university studies in Venezuela where she obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting and in Tampa, Florida, where she received an MBA in Accounting. She has currently been working at SHCS since 2020 and holds the position of Bookkeeper/Director of Admissions. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and loves sunsets on the beaches of St. Petersburg.

Mrs. Alicia Gonzalez is first generation, born and raised, from New Orleans, Louisiana.  Her family is from Cuba.  She and her husband and daughter came to Clearwater, FL. after Hurricane Katrina in 2006.  She also has 2 sons that were born here in Florida.  Mrs. Gonzalez received her Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education from Loyola University in New Orleans and has a Master's in Educational Leadership from Saint Leo University.  She taught and was part of the Administration within the Diocese of St. Petersburg since 2007.  She is currently the Resource Teacher at Sacred Heart.  Outside of school, she enjoys spending time with her family, exploring Florida and all its beautiful beaches, cooking, dancing, and listening to jazz.

Mrs. Vega has been teaching in Catholic schools around the Tampa Bay area since 2018. Originally from upstate New York and raised in Tampa, Florida, she has a Bachelor's Degree from USF in Behavioral Healthcare. Mrs. Vega loves traveling and discovered her love for teaching when living abroad as an English Teacher in South Korea. She is passionate about early childhood development, and strives to create a structured, but fun atmosphere in her classroom and encourages harmony among her students. She now lives in St. Petersburg with her husband and 2 tiny dogs. 

Mrs. Prince is originally from Utica, New York, where she attended school at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School. Her family moved to Florida in 1978 to get away from the snow and cold.  She went to high school at Hollins High School. Mrs. Prince has an Associate of Arts degree from St. Petersburg College.  She has a Bachelor's of Arts degree,in Elementary Education, from the University of South Florida.  Mrs. Prince began her teaching career in 1994.  She has been teaching in the Diocese of St. Petersburg since 2000.  Mrs. Prince has been at Sacred Heart since 2007, where she has taught first and second grades. Mrs. Prince met her husband of 29 years while working at McDonald's on St. Pete Beach.  They have a daughter, Valerie, who attended Sacred Heart from PreK-8th grade.  Valerie is a student at Clearwater Central Catholic High School.  Mrs. Prince enjoys reading and going to Disney theme parks.

Mrs. Gariepy is originally from West Point, New York, however, she calls Saint Petersburg, Florida her home since she has lived here for over 30 years. She graduated from Hollins High School, from University of South Florida with a bachelor's degree in communication sciences and disorders, from University of South Alabama with a master's degree in Hearing Science, and from University of Florida with a doctorate degree in audiology. Mrs. Gariepy began her professional career as a pediatric audiologist. She worked at John Hopkins All Children’s Hospital for 11 years, then left to start a family through adoption. After staying home for a few years when her children were young, Mrs. Gariepy decided to change careers and become a Catholic school teacher. She has been teaching since 2017 and has taught second grade at Sacred Heart Catholic School since 2019. Mrs. Gariepy is currently enrolled at Saint Leo University working on a master’s degree in Reading. She has two endorsements on her teaching license, English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) for Kindergarten through 12th grade and Reading for Kindergarten through 12th grade. Mrs. Gariepy is happily married to her husband Marc, and together they have 5 children who are all adopted from Russia. Outside of school, Mrs. Gariepy loves to spend time with her family, read, craft, and travel to Italy. 

Ms. Vaught was raised in the Midwest and originally became a hairstylist. She moved to Florida to escape the snow and discovered her passion for teaching. She graduated from St. Petersburg College with her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education with endorsements for ESOL and Reading. She has been with Sacred Heart Catholic School since 2015 and teaching 3rd grade since 2019. She has two daughters that she is very proud of. The oldest is a nursing student and her youngest was at Sacred Heart from VPK through 8th Grade. When Ms. Vaught is not driving her daughter all over town for her many activities, she likes to go to the beach, read, enjoy Disney and especially spending time with her family.

Mr. Gunnin is the 5 th grade teacher at Sacred Heart Catholic School. He has exclusively taught 5 th
or 6 th grade throughout his time at Sacred Heart. He graduated from The University of South Florida with
a degree in Education. He is certified in both Elementary Education and Exceptional Student Education.
In addition to both of those certifications, Mr. Gunnin also has endorsements in Reading and English for
Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
 

On the weekends, Mr. Gunnin and his family attend Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where his
wife and him direct the Music Ministry. When Mr. Gunnin is not working, he enjoys spending time with
his family outside, whether it be fishing, biking, playing sports, etc. He also enjoys playing the various
instruments at home and completing projects around the house.

Sister Mary Ann, SSND  (School Sisters of Notre Dame) is a native of Saint Petersburg. Sister attended Saint Joseph’s Catholic School, Most Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School, Notre Dame Academy (now Saint Petersburg Catholic High School), and Saint Petersburg Junior College (now Saint Petersburg College) before entering the convent. Sister Mary Ann has taught Middle School in Baltimore, Tampa, Saint Petersburg, and has been at Sacred Heart since 2007. Her interests include reading (especially the Bible), spending time with her brothers, gardening, astronomy, taking long walks, and dumpster-diving.

Kasie Cavanagh, a dedicated fur baby mom and military wife, is thrilled to join Sacred Heart as the Art Teacher and Theatre Director. With over 20 years of experience, Kasie is a multidisciplinary artist, excelling as an educator, performer, director, choreographer, visual artist, and writer. She founded NY*Stage Productions in Clearwater, FL, and holds an A.A. in Early Childhood Education and a B.A. in Family Life Education from American Military University.

Kasie’s journey began on Long Island, NY, in a family of Juilliard graduates. She transitioned seamlessly from performing to teaching, having worked at St. Cecelia School, taught teen mural classes at Dunedin Fine Arts Center, and enjoyed Zumba. Her extensive professional credits include roles at The Forrestburge Playhouse, Disney’s MGM Studios, Universal Studios, and various promotional TV commercials. She has also judged talent competitions, instructed Florida Citrus/Capitol One Bowl cast members, and worked with the Broadway Theatre Project.

A published author and award-winning choreographer, vocal and acting coach, and visual artist, Kasie has received numerous accolades, including Gold and Platinum Awards, Top/High Score Awards, and more. Her students have earned Access Broadway Scholarships and various prestigious awards.

Mrs.Dalia Gibson was born in Lithuania. She graduated from Lithuanian Academy of Music and Theater with Choral Conductor and Pedagogy/piano study degree. Mrs. Gibson taught Piano, Recorder, Solfège at M.K.Ciurlionis School of Art and General music at DruskininkaiHigh School for two years in Galway, Ireland. Mrs. Gibson has also performed with Chamber Music in Holland, Poland and France. In 2003, Mrs. Gibson joined the Sacred Heart Catholic School community, and has taught Music for 13 years with Morning Star School. She also became the Children's Choir Director at St. Cecilia Church in 2010. Mrs. Gibson loves to spend time with family, cooking, reading, knitting and traveling to Europe.

Mrs. Beving was born in Jesup, Iowa, attended 12 years of parochial school, and graduated from a business college in Waterloo, Iowa. She lived in Iowa, Colorado, California, Texas (her favorite) and Florida. Linda has two children. Jason, who is married to Nikki and they have her oldest grandson, Zayne. Jason and Nikki live in New Mexico. Zayne lives in North Carolina. Zach is her youngest son who is married to Malia. They have two children, Zoey and Owen, who attend Sacred Heart Catholic School. Mrs. Beving enjoys reading, doing puzzles, crocheting and working in her yard. Her favorite food is Tex-Mex. Mrs. Beving has worked for Sacred Heart Catholic School since February 2018.