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Learning Liftoff Contributors

  • author angela stigelerAngela Stigeler

    Angela Stigeler is a writer for K12. She's also the author of the long-standing recipe column Thyme Out, which appears weekly in The Caledonia Argus, her hometown newspaper. With over a decade of professional writing experience covering food, education, and local news, she brings a wealth of experience to Learning Liftoff. When she's not in the kitchen, at her computer, or helping her husband with food photography, she can be found shuttling her two talented sons between school, Scouting adventures, soccer, and symphony rehearsals.

  • Avatar photoAnne Vogel

    Anne Vogel is a senior writer for K12. With a degree in communications from Virginia Tech, and a master’s degree in linguistics and TESOL Certification from George Mason University, her passion for language and writing is clear. Her varied career includes six years teaching English as a Second Language at California State University–Long Beach, after which Anne returned to her native Virginia and taught at her alma mater, Fairfax High School. For the past ten years, she’s worked as a writer and editor for nonprofit and corporate organizations in the education and government contracting sectors. With friends across the globe—thanks to her teaching days—she loves to travel. But the destination she enjoys most is Marietta, Georgia, where her favorite nephew lives.

  • Avatar photoBrittany Marklin

    Brittany Marklin is a contributing writer for Learning Liftoff and a community manager for K12. She coordinates all K12 student contests and connects with families who pursue online education. She attended George Mason University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing, with a minor in tourism and events management. Brittany spent her first five years at K12 on the social media team where she aided with content and strategy for multiple channels, and helped construct K12’s user-generated content site, “What’s Your Story?” When she’s not working, Brittany loves spending time with her husband and daughter in North Carolina.

  • Avatar photoElizabeth Street

    Elizabeth Street is a writer for Learning Liftoff. For the past 20 years, she has written newsletter and website content for nonprofit and corporate organizations on such topics as the plight of children of prisoners worldwide, the lack of prenatal care for mothers in developing countries, and child mentoring programs. She has a particular interest in the importance of providing all children with a quality education regardless of their family’s financial status or background. A native of Virginia, Elizabeth is a graduate of James Madison University and loves animals, with particular fondness for her two cats, Oscar and Emmy.

  • Avatar photoPatrick Keeney

    Patrick (Pat) Keeney, Director of College and Career Planning for HS Product Management, is a career educator who has spent time in the classroom, consulting, launching a company, and with K12. Pat has also been a learning coach many years, and has seen the K12 experience from that perspective. Although he is presently in Product Management, Pat served for almost 7 years as part of the K12 Product Development group where he was the lead instructional designer on many high school math and science courses, and helped in designing games like X-germz. Prior to his time with K12, Pat was a consultant at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, and founded an online education company. He also spent 17 years teaching in classrooms in Maryland and Pennsylvania, teaching high school mathematics and science, primarily physics. Pat’s interests range from basketball, a sport that he played and coached, to chess. He finds that games are more than time wasting activities but are one of the best ways that people learn about and simulate the world of experiences.

  • Avatar photoPaul Merced

    Paul Merced is design editor of Learning Liftoff. His passion and style for illustrating, photography, and design is a great blend for the educational field. With a BA in digital art from George Mason University, Paul is working on illustrating a children's book that will be released in the next few years. As a former bookseller, Paul loves reading his large collection of books and graphic novels.