STEM Academy

401 South Military Road Fond du Lac, WI 54935

Meet the Staff

Hello and welcome to our Staff Page! Here you will find staff bios as well as contact information for each staff member. As principal of STEM, I’m proud to work with such a fine team of individuals who have dedicated themselves to this profession. Our teachers have all chosen to embark on a path that requires a great deal of extra work and dedication to their students. Our staff regularly attends professional development around the state and country and also speaks at conferences regularly about what we are doing at STEM.

Cathy Ziegler profile picture

Cathy Ziegler

Secretary to the Principal

Ms. Ziegler is a resident of Fond du Lac and has been with STEM since August 2021.  She has over 20 years of Secretarial and Administrative Assistant experience, with the majority being in the rail industry.  Ms. Ziegler’s hobbies include cooking, gardening, music, and art. She also loves nature and animals.

Todd Hayes profile picture

Todd Hayes

Teacher: Science and Math

Mr. Hayes is a lifelong Fond du Lac-area resident – grew up on a farm in the Lomira school district, and lived in Lomira and FDL after college. His wife and 3 boys all take martial arts classes (and he teaches) at Martial Arts America in Fond du Lac, and they spend a lot of time and the FDL YMCA.

Mr. Hayes earned his finance degree from UW-Whitewater, and worked for National Exchange Bank & Trust for 8 years as a credit analyst. He attended Concordia University’s teacher credentialing program to earn his Business & Information Technology license. He taught at North Fond du Lac, teaching middle and high school business classes for 4 years, and then spent a couple of years as an at-home dad for his boys. Since then, He’s spent 4 years at Moraine Park Technical College as a recruitment and advising specialist and as K12 Partnership Coordinator.

Tony Markon profile picture

Tony Markon

Teacher: Science and Math

Mr. Markon joined STEM in the 2018-2019 school as a high school mentor teaching science and math. Mr. Markon has been excited about the process of developing the high school at STEM.  Before STEM, Mr. Markon taught for five years at Ripon High School primarily teaching Chemistry and AP Chemistry.  Mr. Markon went to School at Michigan Technological University where he earned a degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry before earning his Masters in Education.  As part of his Masters program Mr. Markon was a Peace Corps volunteer in Uganda.  Mr. Markon’s wife is also a chemistry teacher in Oshkosh meaning between the two of them they have heard every chemistry pun possible.  They have two daughters, Claira and Eleanor, who undoubtedly will enter into the Arts.  In his free time Mr. Markon enjoys curling and golfing.

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Luke Cofax

Teacher: Math

Mr. Cofax is our Middle School and High School Math teacher and joined the STEM team in the Fall of 2022.

Adam Grassnickle profile picture

Adam Grassnickle

Teacher: Social Studies

Mr. Grassnickle is the social studies teacher for all students from 7th grade to 11th grade. He is a third year teacher but this is his first year at STEM. He brings a wide range of experiences from working outside of education in the government and non-profit sectors and loves sharing his stories. He is an avid student of history that strives everyday to learn new things about the world. Outside of school, he lives in Ripon with his Fiancee and his two year old dachshund Milo. Stop by sometime to see his extensive flag collection or to discuss science fiction!

Stephanie Cochrane profile picture

Stephanie Cochrane

Elementary Teacher

Miss Cochrane is the 5th grade school teacher at STEM and has been a part of the team since 2021.  Miss Cochrane has a bachelor’s degree in Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence (1-8th grade) from UW-Oshkosh. Growing up, Miss Cochrane attended the Fond du Lac School District which ultimately influenced her passion. She fell in love with teaching because she had supportive teachers who worked diligently to ensure she was able to reach her full potential. She also has a strong drive to ensure that each and every student has the same opportunity.  When Miss Cochrane is not at school, you can find her at home trying new recipes, hanging out with her pit bull, reading, playing video games, or local events. When the weather permits, she enjoys fishing and going on hiking adventures with her friends.

Jaime Straks profile picture

Jaime Straks

Teacher: 6th Grade ELA/English and Social Studies

Mrs. Straks is currently our 6th grade ELA/English and Social Studies Teacher. She has been with the Fond du Lac School District since 2019, where she taught at Chegwin Elementary before becoming a team member at STEM in 2021.  Prior to joining the Fond du Lac School District, she taught for 6 years in the Oshkosh Area School District. She loves Middle School, and her passion for History and Reading are a perfect blend to her areas of teaching.

Jenny Finerty profile picture

Jenny Finerty

Teacher: Math

Mrs. Finerty is our English Language Arts and Middle School Mentor teacher. She’s been with STEM since 2019 and lives in New London with her husband and three children. Before becoming an English Teacher, Mrs. Finerty was a graphic designer and still holds on to an appreciation for art and the creative process. When there is not actively a book or other reading material in her hands, she may likely be found outside hiking in the summer or snowboarding in the winter.

Linda Radtke profile picture

Linda Radtke

Teacher: Spanish

Señora Radtke has taught Spanish to 4K-Spanish 5 in her 27-year career. She teaches Spanish to students at STEM in grades 6-10 and enjoys helping out with the yearbook. She was raised in Costa Rica, Argentina, and Ecuador.  She loves taking students on trips to Spanish-speaking countries and has been to Mexico, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and Spain in the last 10 years.  She enjoys reading books and watching movies with her granddaughters.

Thomas Triller profile picture

Thomas Triller

Teacher: German

Mr. Triller is the German teacher at STEM. Before coming to Fond du Lac, he spent most of his twenty-five-year career teaching internationally, in five different countries on three different continents. He is also a Social Studies teacher and has worked extensively for the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program as the co-author of a Social Studies textbook, as well as an examination author and principal examiner.

Christine Sesing profile picture

Christine Sesing

School Nurse

Mrs. Sesing is our school nurse and has been with STEM since 2014. Her experiences in the healthcare field are vast and she loves being able to come and work with our students every week! Mrs. Sesing has a caring heart for both students and staff and this shows in how she takes care of everyone in our building.

Killian Edwards profile picture

Killian Edwards

Teacher: Special Education (Learning Strategist)

Growing up in the Fond du Lac area, Miss Edwards has been with the Fond du Lac school District since 2015, and with STEM since 2018. She was one of the Fond du Lac Boys and Girls tennis coaches for 5 years and has recently taken the position as Head Varsity Coach. Initially, she got her degree in Elementary Education but decided that working with special education students was her passion, so she went back to school and got her K-12 license in this field. Miss Ed wards is so excited to be working at STEM and being a “Shark” and is one of our proud special education teachers.

Bill Zimmerman profile picture

Bill Zimmerman

Custodian

Mr. Zimmerman is our head custodian and has worked in the Fond du Lac School District since 2008. Formerly a custodian at Woodworth, he has joined our team in December 2021. Mr. Zimmerman is dedicated to ensuring that students have a safe, clean facility to learn and grow in. He grew up in Fond du Lac and continues to be a resident of our community.

Allan VanEgtern profile picture

Allan VanEgtern

Custodian

Mr. VanEgetern is our evening custodian and has been with STEM since 2012. He was born and raised in Fond du Lac and enjoys working with staff and students, while ensuring all students have a safe and clean facility to learn and grow in. He can regularly be found engaging with students about their projects and talking about fishing.