Faculty & Staff – Queen of Peace Catholic School

Father Nicholas Nelson

Pastor | President

- - B.A. Accounting and Philosophy University of St. Thomas and St. John Vianney Seminary 2009.
  - S.T.B. from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas and the North American College 2012.
  - John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family 2012-13

Father Nick was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Duluth in 2013. He was the Associate Pastor at Immaculate Conception, Crosslake, MN, from 2013-2015, and Associate Pastor at Blessed Sacrament in Hibbing, MN, from 2015-2017. He was the pastor at St. Mary’s, Holy Cross, and St. Martin’s parishes, in Cook, Orr, and Tower, from 2017 to 2021. Fr. Nick is currently the Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Duluth. He has been at Queen of Peace school and parish since the summer of 2021. Fr. Nick has long had a desire to be a part of a classical Catholic education. He is beloved by our school community, and he is very at home in his role as president of Queen of Peace Catholic School.

Fr. Nick also serves on the board of Mater Dei Apostolate, in Duluth, which is a hybrid education program for Catholic high schoolers.

Email: fr.nicholas.nelson@duluthcatholic.org
Direct: 218-879-6793 ex. 15

Mrs. Melissa Marti

Principal

Bachelors of Science in Education – University of Wisconsin, Superior, WI Major: Elementary Education (Grades 1-8) Minor: Junior High Language Arts

Mrs. Marti is our principal. She is a parishioner at Queen of Peace and earned her bachelor’s in elementary education from UW Superior. Mrs. Marti has significant experience in Carlton County public schools, including special projects with PAINT, the “Perpich Arts Integration Network of Teachers,” to bring visual art into other subject area classrooms. Mrs. Marti is currently completing her Master’s Degree in Catholic Studies with the University of Mary. She has traveled to Rome to enrich her own faith and understandings, and she is motivated by a love of literature and cultures.

Email: principal@queenofpeaceschool.org

Mrs. Karin Sabyan

Vice Principal | Pre-grades Program Director

Master of Arts – University of Loyola Marymount, Los Angeles, CA (in progress)
Certificate in Catholic Institutional Leadership – University of Loyola Marymount, Los Angeles, CA
Bachelor of Science – St. Mary’s University, Winona, MN Major: Business

Mrs. Sabyan is our Pregrades Program Director and Vice Principal. She began working with children in 2002 and began working at Queen of Peace in 2011, under the tutelage of Sr. Therese Gutting. Mrs. Sabyan’s pre-kindergarten program has thrice been awarded the 4-Star top quality designation by Parent Aware. She became director of the entire three-year Pregrades Program at QPCS – including first-year pre-kindergarten, second-year pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten itself – in 2019. She earned her certificate in Catholic Institutional Leadership from Loyola Marymount and is currently completing a Master’s Degree in the same field, also from Loyola Marymount. Mrs. Sabyan is active in the Queen of Peace community as chairperson of the Fundraising Committee, Captain of a Best Christmas Ever team, and previously as a member of the QPCS School Advisory Board. She is active in the greater Cloquet community as a board member for the Cloquet Education Foundation and in a variety of other volunteer initiatives. She has served as ECFE Advisory Council President, and PTA President in Cloquet, as well.

Email: ksabyan@queenofpeaceschool.org

Ms. Sarah Bisel

Pre-Kindergarten Assistant

Ms. Bisel is an alumnus of Queen of Peace Catholic School and a graduate of Esko High School, where she was a National Honor Society member and took post-secondary coursework. She attended the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, and studied Elementary Education. Ms. Bisel has been a pillar of the pre-kindergarten team since 2016. She takes a lead role in our After School Club extended care program, and she is one of our main summer care staff members as well.

Ms. Amanda Hakamaki

Preschool Assistant

Ms. Hakamaki is a graduate of Cromwell high school. She came to Queen of Peace in the 2020-2021 school year, and has made herself a highly appreciated member of the team for her caring spirit and her attention to professional detail. Ms. Hakamaki is a student at the University of Wisconsin, Superior, where she is working toward an Education degree with a minor in Special Education.

Mrs. Anne French

Preschool Aide & Physical Education

Associate of Arts- Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
Bachelor of Arts- University of MN Duluth Major: Psychology
Chemical Dependency Counseling Certificate-Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College
MN Board of Behavioral Health and Therapy-Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor

Mrs. French joined Queen of Peace Catholic School preschool staff in 2021 with a passionate desire to support Catholic education. She is blessed with 2 amazing children and a wonderful husband. Mrs. French’s background is in counseling individuals struggling with substance use disorders. She has her Bachelor of Arts degree from UMD, certificate for substance use disorder counseling from FDLTCC and is a LADC. Much of Mrs. French’s time is enjoyed by homesteading with her family on their ranch with their Scottish Highland cattle, Holstein milk cow, horses and cat. She loves gardening, canning, landscaping, showing/riding horses, cooking, baking, hunting and running marathons.

Email: afrench@queenofpeaceschool.org

Mrs Katie Borden

Preschool Lead

Mrs. Parks

Kindergarten Teacher

Bachelor of Arts – Bemidji State University, MN
Major: Early Childhood Education & Elementary Education

Mrs. Parks is originally from Nashwauk, Minnesota, and teaches kindergarten at Queen of Peace. She completed her BA in early childhood and elementary education at Bemidji state university and has been teaching various grade levels for the past five years. Mrs. Parks joined the QPCS faculty this school year.

Email: jparks@queenofpeaceschool.org

Mrs. Pamela Hagen

First Grade Teacher

Bachelor of Arts – College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, MN
Major: Elementary Education

Mrs. Hagen teaches 1st grade at QPCS and is one of our community’s most cherished teachers. Her classes have become famous for the dynamically engaging themes and for the activities she plans. Mrs. Hagen herself is known for the love that she shows to the students and the families in our school. She graduated from the College of St. Scholastica with honors, where she earned her degree in Elementary Education. Before coming to Queen of Peace, she worked for sixteen years at Homecroft elementary school, in Duluth, as an Early Childhood teacher, and as a first and second grade teacher at Homecroft before that.

Email: phagen@queenofpeaceschool.org

Mrs. Diane Evander

Second Grade Teacher

Ms. Ksenia Doyle

Third Grade Teacher

Bachelor of Arts – St. Mary’s University, Winona, MN
Major: Elementary Education K-6

Ms. Doyle hails originally from New Prague, Minnesota, and teaches third grade at Queen of Peace. Ms. Doyle completed her BA in elementary education at St. Mary’s University in Winona 2018 and worked in the Shakopee public district the following year. However, she grew up with a Catholic school principal for a mother, and she attended Catholic school throughout the years of her own education, so she was eager to take up the work of Catholic education herself, when she became a teacher. She joined the QPCS faculty at the 2019-2020 school year. Ms. Doyle is a warmly energetic teacher and brings a rigorous understanding of methodology to her lesson planning. Literacy and special needs are also core focuses in Ms. Doyle’s education and experience set.

Email: kdoyle@queenofpeaceschool.org

Ms. Katarzyna Wazny

Fourth Grade Teacher

Mrs. Dyana Gatica

Fifth – Eighth Grade Science Teacher

Bachelor of Arts – College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, MN
Major: Biology with a Specialization in Secondary Education
Teacher Certifications:
Minnesota Life Science Teacher Licensure, Grades 5-12
California Clear Single Subject Credential – Biological Science

Mrs. Gatica is our 5-8 science teacher. Mrs. Gatica is a College of St. Scholastica graduate. She spent 10 years building her family in California and teaching in public and charter schools there. She has a wonderful excitement for her subject, inspired by a rich variety of practical experiences with the natural world, from time spent on her uncle’s farm in Cromwell to time spent in Australia studying the Great Barrier Reef. Her experiences, work ethic, and academic strength are great gifts to our young QPCS scientists.

Email: dgatica@queenofpeaceschool.org

Mrs. Sarah Zinter

Humanities

Maestra Ganley

Spanish Teacher

Elementary and Middle School Spanish Teacher
B.A.A. K-12 Teaching Spanish
Coaching Minor

Maestra Ganley just graduated from the University of Minnesota Duluth in 2022. During her Sophomore year in college, she spent two months in Bilbao, Spain. The experience of being immersed in the language and culture drives her passion for sharing the Spanish-speaking world with her students.

Email: cganley@queenofpeaceschool.org

Mr Rafal Adamski

Schola

Mrs. Claire Miller

Special Education Teacher

Mrs. Brea Schminski

Title 1 Support Teacher

Mr. Kevin McGrath

Catechism Teacher

Bachelor of Arts – History, Providence College
Master of Arts – American History, Providence College

Kevin comes to Queen of Peace following a thirty-nine-year career in military and civil aviation and management. Born and raised in Rhode Island, he received his BA in History and MA in American History from Providence College. During his time in Rhode Island, he worked as a newspaper journalist and writer. In military and corporate settings Kevin has spent many hours instructing professional development in both the cockpit and classroom. Kevin, his wife Debra, and son Jack live in Cloquet and are active members of the Queen of Peace parish. He has also served for many years as Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 171 in Cloquet, dedicated to developing strong character, good citizenship and physical fitness in young men. A lifelong writer, Kevin is eager to combine his love of learning and literature to assist in the intellectual and spiritual development of students at Queen of Peace and at Mater Dei, where he teaches composition and rethoric.

Email:

Mr. Brian Meisner

Development Officer | Physical Education Teacher

Bachelor of Arts – The College of St. Scholastica
Major: Communications
Minor: Management
Completed: Advanced Level 4 USA Hockey Coaching Education Program, 2002
Completed: 2 courses from Classical Academic Press’s Classical University, 2019
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certified – Purdue University Six Sigma Program, October, 2019

Mr. Meisner is our Physical Education teacher. He is also an alumnus of this school himself. Mr. Meisner graduated from the College of St. Scholastica, and, before coming to Queen of Peace, he distinguished himself for 25 years as a hockey coach for Division I, Division III, United States Hockey League, North American Hockey League, High School and youth, in Alaska, Texas, Connecticut, Long Island, Iowa, Montana and Minnesota. He led the Minnesota Wilderness to the 2015 National Championship where they won the Robertson Cup. He was Coach of the Year, 2001-02 and 2002-03.

As Development Officer for our school and parish, Mr. Meisner’s number one project is to build relationships within our greater Queen of Peace community, so that this educational Catholic mission is supported sustainably for the next 100 years…and beyond.

Email: bmeisner@queenofpeaceschool.org
Direct: 218-879-8516

Mrs. Amy Kunze

Office Administrator

Mrs Kunze is our all-star office administrator. She runs almost everything that happens here behind the scenes. If you have a question, she has got the answer.

Email: akunze@queenofpeaceschool.org
Direct: 218-879-8516 ext. 18

Mr. Loran Wappes

IT coordinator

Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota

Loran is a rocket scientist. He received his Bachelor’s of Electrical Engineering from the University of Minnesota before beginning his career in the space program at General Dynamics in San Diego, where he worked on the research and development of an innovative power distribution system for the International Space Station under contracts with NASA. In other projects, Loran worked on the research and design of an all-electric rocket engine gimbaling system for heavy-lift launch vehicles. His work also included avionics circuitry design on the Atlas launch vehicles. During his time living in San Diego, Loran began to pursue a Masters of Science in Electrical Engineering at San Diego State University. With two young children at the time, he and his wife, Connie, escaped from San Diego and moved to Cloquet, where Loran became the first Chief Information Officer of Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Since his retirement in 2019, Loran has enjoyed substitute teaching at Queen of Peace Catholic School and teaching enrichment programs focused on electricity and computer programming. He also plays volleyball and has coached at the high school and collegiate level. Most importantly, he loves spending time with his grandchildren.

Ms. Julia Bisel

Custodian