OFFICE & Administration

Ms. Ortegon has spent much of her life in Catholic Schools. She attended Our Lady of the Rosary in Union City from first through eighth grades, worked in Catholic schools in the Diocese of Oakland for 18 years, and has attended two Catholic universities. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Cal State East Bay, a Masters in Teaching and a California Teaching Credential from the University of San Francisco, and an Administrative Credential from Saint Mary’s College. She is excited and passionate about Catholic education and loves working with children. She loves her job, but also loves spending quality time with her family and friends. In her free time she likes to hike, practice yoga, adventure out to new places, travel, and read. She also loves Disney+ as it has four of her favorite things: Disney, Star Wars, Marvel, and National Geographic! She feels so grateful to be a part of such a wonderful community here at St. Theresa School! 

Mrs. Young has been working at St. Theresa since 1995, after her first career of managing a law office. She loves spending time with her two sons, who are both St. Theresa alums, and is proud to see her oldest grandchild now continuing the family tradition as a student at St. Theresa. Ms. Young enjoys reading mysteries, watching novelas, and taking her dog for walks.

Mrs. Bruni has been an active member of St. Theresa Parish since 2002 as a parishioner, a school parent, and parish staff member. Mrs. Bruni taught preschool and elementary summer school programs in addition to teaching kindergarten at St. Thomas the Apostle School. Since 2017, she has coordinated the HSYM/Confirmation ministry at St. Theresa. She is thrilled to be teaching in a Catholic school classroom at the school that played a formative role in the development of her children. Mrs. Bruni is a Bay Area native who received her B.A. from the University of San Francisco, a Liberal Arts Certificate from the St. Ignatius Institute, and studied Early Childhood Education at San Francisco State University. In her free time, Mrs. Bruni loves cooking, going on food adventures, and spending time with her family. 

Stacey Rodriguez is thrilled to be part of the staff at St. Theresa and teaching Kindergarten. For over a decade, she taught in Piedmont for their Special Education department with students from Kindergarten to 5th grade. Additionally, she frequently taught the incoming Kindergarten summer program. Mrs. Rodriguez moved to Oakland in 1990 with her husband and has two sons who are graduates of our sister school, Corpus Christi. She likes to sew, complete jigsaw puzzles, and go on vacations with her family. But most of all, she loves to read, and it's her goal to instill that love of reading in her students, as well. 

Mrs. Martinez is a graduate of San Francisco State University and received her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential from Saint Mary's College. She is a Bay Area native, attending local Catholic Schools from Kindergarten through High School. She has taught for almost 5 years and loves teaching 1st Grade! In her spare time, Mrs. Martinez enjoys spending time with family, friends, hiking, camping, and being outdoors. She loves exploring with her two labrador retrievers and recently adopted two kittens who she adores. Mrs. Martinez is so excited for the year ahead and cannot wait to grow and learn with her students!  

Mrs. Kadow grew up in Oakland, CA. Her desire to make a meaningful impact on young minds led her to become a teacher. Her educational background includes a BA in Industrial Arts with a minor in Marketing from San Francisco State University, and an MBA from Golden Gate University. She has a background in Ad Tech, working for industry giants like Pandora and Spotify. Outside the school, she is active in the Greek Orthodox Church, involved with Sunday school and youth ministries. Mrs. Kadow values family time with her husband and children, Sophia and James. She is enthusiastic about the school year and the growth of the students at St. Theresa.

Ms. Michaelsen is excited to be a part of the St. Theresa Catholic School community!  She holds a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Missouri and has dedicated her teaching career to Catholic elementary education. She is passionate about helping students grow both academically and spiritually, and values the opportunity to integrate faith and learning each day. In the classroom, she focuses on helping students master foundational skills while also encouraging creativity, curiosity, and a love of learning. She strives to create a learning environment that is respectful, engaging, and grounded in Gospel values. Her children also attended Catholic schools, and she has seen the lasting impact of a faith-based education on both academic growth and character development. Outside the classroom, she enjoys reading, running, and spending time with her children—activities that bring balance and inspiration to her life and teaching.    

Mr. Papafrangou serves as St. Theresa's 6th Grade Homeroom/Middle School ELA Teacher. Prior to joining St. Theresa School, Mr. Papafrangou was a 6th Grade Socratic Seminar Teacher and ELA Teacher. He holds a Master of Fine Arts in English and Creative Writing from Mills College/Northeastern University. Outside of the classroom, 

Mr. Papafrangou is a published author. He is currently revising his new novel manuscript. Mr. Papafrangou grew up in Oakland, and each summer he visits his extended family in Greece.

This is Mr. Maas’ 19th year teaching in the Oakland Diocese and his 13th here at St. Theresa. He graduated from California State University East Bay with a degree in history. Mr. Maas is the owner of a mobile DJ company which allows him to pursue his other passion: music. A father of two grown children, he is a karaoke addict, a self-confessed Disneyland nut (he goes as often as he can), and enjoys rooting for all Bay Area sports teams.     

Mr. Patterson began teaching after working for more than a decade in the financial services industry. Previously, he worked as a senior analyst in the special situations group at Glass Lewis & Co, where he advised institutional clients on M&A transactions and contentious proxy voting matters globally. He holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in Economics from the University of San Francisco, has earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Society of San Francisco.