Totus Tuus
A Private Academy
in the Catholic Tradition
Hello, my name is Dave Snyder. I am currently the 5th grade Teacher at Pope John Paul ll Academy and feel very blessed to be a part of this school.
I grew up in Aurora, Colorado attending Saint Pius X Catholic School through 6th grade. After graduating high school I attended and graduated from Western Colorado University in Gunnison, Colorado with a degree in Business Administration. After nearly 20 years working and playing in and around the Gunnison area, I received my teaching license in Elementary Education. Soon after, I met my wife Megan and moved to Montrose. We have two children who keep us busy with all of their activities which include choir, volleyball, football, wrestling, basketball, baseball, livestock judging, and 4-H.
Mr. Reagan White
Middle School
rwhite@pjp2a.org
Mr. Brian Bills
Fourth Grade
bbills@pjp2a.org
Hello everybody! (Photo Coming Soon!)
My name is Brian Bills and I am so excited to join the Pope John Paul II Academy team and community.
After attending Olivet Nazarene University for a year playing football, I transferred back to my home state of Colorado and received a bachelor's degree in nutrition at CSU in Fort Collins. My education degree came later from Montana State University when I felt the calling for teaching. With 10 years in education, I can't wait to challenge our students to be the best they can be, as well as growing myself.
Being a Catholic my entire life, I am so excited to be teaching at a catholic school compared to a public school. What a blessing for all of us to be a part of PJP2A!
Occasionally you'll hear my off-key baritone singing voice at St. Michael's Catholic Church, but I also love to ride bikes to destress. I'm looking forward to an amazing school year and meeting all of you!
Mrs. Dania Perla
Secretary
dperla@pjp2a.org
secretary@pjp2a.org
Hello to all! My name is Reagan White, and I am blessed to be a part of the Pope John Paul II Academy family.
Originally from Tennessee, I moved to Denver with my family in my early adolescence. I attended Colorado Christian University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a specialization in Biblical Studies. I will also soon hold a Master of Arts degree in History from Eastern Washington University.
As a convert to the Catholic Church, my faith in Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of my life. It is a privilege to share my faith with students and to teach from a Catholic perspective. In my free time, I enjoy reading biographies of the Catholic saints, playing chess, and running. I look forward to a wonderful school year!
Mrs. Shelley O'Brien
Pre-K
sobrien@pjp2a.org
Mr. David Snyder
5th Grade
dsnyder@pjp2a.org
Mr. William Nobers
Principal
wnobers@pjp2a.org
Hello Pope John Paul II Academy Families! I am very humbled and excited to be a part of your school community! As a way of introduction, I grew up in Illinois and eventually moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where I attended Belmont Abbey College and as a member of their Honors College earned a B.A. in History and double minor in Economics and Great Books. I was also blessed to meet my wife, Sarah, during my time at the Abbey. We have an 18 month old son, Nathan, who is such an amazing blessing and a big ball of energy! We are very excited to move to Montrose as we have become very fond of the West due to visiting my brother-in-law, who is a Carmelite Monk living in Wyoming.
I have a great love for everything to do with education. I was fortunate enough to start my journey in education teaching History part-time while completing my undergraduate coursework. After graduating, I taught Middle School Latin at a Charter School. Then God opened a door for me and I transitioned to running Campus Ministry while teaching Theology at Holy Trinity Catholic Middle School. It would be difficult to concisely include every aspect of my role, but I can say that my favorite part was interacting with the students and helping them grow into the people God wanted them to be! During my time at Holy Trinity, I started pursuing a Masters degree in Catholic Educational Leadership from Ave Maria University. It has been an excellent formative experience and I will receive my degree this Fall.
When not at work or working on my Masters coursework, I enjoy reading, listening to podcasts, Ice Hockey, Formula 1 racing, taking family walks, and shooting mini-hoops with my son! I am blessed to be a part of the JPII community, join St. Mary’s Parish, and to call Montrose home! I am looking forward to meeting you all soon!
God Bless,
Will Nobers
Mrs. Marilyn Schmalz
Second Grade
mschmalz@pjp2a.org
My husband and I live on our family farm in Delta, but I am originally from the Denver area. I have four wonderful children: two daughters, two sons, seven grandsons, one granddaughter, with another one "on the way". I enjoy traveling, country music, fishing, and being with my family. Some of my most memorable trips were to Nashville, Hawaii, and Germany. I am a certified teacher for the state of Colorado and have a B.A. in Elementary Education with many hours devoted specifically to Reading Intervention. I love teaching at Pope John Paul ll Academy and all the staff, students and parents!
Ms. Rachel Sparks
Middle School
rsparks@pjp2a.org
Hi, I’m Rachel Sparks, and I’ve been working at PJP2A as the Middle School Humanities teacher for the last three years, enjoying every minute! I grew up 2 ½ hours south of Montrose on a small apple farm outside of Dolores, Colorado. As the youngest of five kids, I spent my childhood happily climbing trees, running from cows, and reading as many books as I could get my hands on.
After several years of attending college, I served as a Catholic missionary traveling the U.S. on a NET team. It was during this time that I finally accepted the vocation God had been calling me to for years—teaching. Following that, I attended the University of Northern Colorado, where I received a Bachelor of Arts in History with a pre-licensure in Secondary Education.
I’m truly enjoying my time here in Montrose and love watching my students grow and learn. Some of my favorite activities include solving puzzles, cooking, biking, spending time with family, and watching movies. I also feel blessed to be at a Catholic school, where I can openly share my faith and reflect on how amazing it is to have God in my life!
PJP2A FACULTY, BOARD, AND STAFF
The heart of our school is our teachers. Their service to our children is born out of their faith and their desire to see each child grow to his or her fullest potential.
Faculty and Staff:
Ms. Emily Hartman
Third Grade
Selina Carrola
Kindergarten
scarrola@pjp2a.org
School Board Members:
Dr. Michael Brezinsky – President
Dr. Lou Dwyer – Member
Mr. Hector Diaz – Member
Mrs. Shelly Poust - Member
Mr. Drew Loewen - Member
My name is Shelley O’Brien, and I have been the part-time art and science primary grades teacher at Pope John Paul II Academy. I am a native of Montrose and attend St. Mary’s Church. Many years ago, I married a wonderful man named Bill at the old St. Mary’s Church on the corner of Park Avenue and 5th Street. We have two beautiful daughters, Kaylea and Kara, and one grandson named Tucker. My greatest joy in life comes from loving God and my family. Spending quality time together is the best! We love sharing meals, playing games, and making messes.
God has blessed me with many gifts in my lifetime. I love the laughter of children and am passionate about teaching. When my daughters were young, I worked as a paraprofessional at their school, a role that became a 16-year career. For 10 of those years, I worked in Level 2 Special Education, which was incredibly rewarding. Later, I earned my Early Childhood Education certification.
Preschool teaching was my next adventure, and I loved (almost) every minute of my 11 years in that role! During this time, I also completed my Montessori teacher certification. My faith in God and my foundation in the Catholic Church led me to Pope John Paul II Academy. I am thrilled to be part of this community and look forward to meeting you!
Hello! My name is Selina Carrola and I am so excited to be teaching Kindergarten at Pope John Paul II Academy. This will be my fifth year teaching at a Catholic school. I was born and raised In Olathe Colorado. I have one brother named Mario and a goldendoodle named Rocky. My family and I love to travel to our second home in Guanajuato, Mexico every so often. Growing up I attended Our Lady of Fatima and St Mary's Church. I was an altar server for about seven years. After high school, I moved to Glenwood Springs for eight years where I attended Colorado Mountain College. I graduated with my associates and bachelor's degree in elementary education in 2021, while also acquiring a culturally linguistically diverse endorsement. I worked as a 2nd grade teacher for three years at St. Stephen Catholic School in Glenwood Springs. Through the Archdioceses of Denver, I attended courses from their Catholic worldview education program. I am beyond blessed to be part of PJP2A family and community.
Pope John Paul II Academy
67051 Sunnyside Rd.
Montrose, Colorado 81401
(970) 249-2996
copyright popejohnpaul2academy.com
Hello Pope John II Academy community. My name is Dania Perla, I was born in El Salvador and moved to the United States when I was 15 years old. I am married to a wonderful husban and we have 6 children and a grandson.
I have been educated in the Catholic faith from a very young age by my parents, and now that wonderful faith continues in the education of my children here at Pope John Paul II Academy.
I’m very blessed and excited for the opportunity to be part of this beautiful community of Pope John Paul II Academy. I speak English and Spanish, and I am here to help you.
God bless you!
Hola comunidad de pope John Academy. Mi nombre es Dania Perla, nací en El Salvador y me moví Estados Unidos cuando tenia 15 años.
Estoy casada con un maravilloso esposo, tenemos 6 hijos y un nieto.
Mis padres me educaron en la fe Católica desde muy joven y ahora esa maravillosa fe continúa en la educación de mis hijos aquí, en la Academia Papa Juan Pablo II.
Me siento muy bendecida y emocionada por la oportunidad de ser parte de esta bella comunidad de Pope John Paul II Academy. Hablo Ingles y Español, y estoy aqui para ayudarles.
Dios les bendiga!
Ms. Luanne Baumann
First Grade & Assistant Principal
lbaumann@pjp2a.org
Hi! I am Luanne Baumann. I am the first grade teacher here at Pope John Paul II Academy and have been since I came to the school in 2015. I tease the kiddos all the time that I can’t seem to get out of first grade…I love it! Although I do not have a family of my own, God has blessed me with the best family anyone could ask for. I get to help and see so many kiddos grow…it is amazing! Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your kiddos’ lives.
I grew up in Washington and Oregon and come from a big family. I have 5 brothers and 6 sisters. Growing up was a blast! I now have more than 30 nieces and nephews, with HOPEFULLY a lot more on the way!
I love the outdoors! Mountain biking is one of my favorite activities, along with hiking, camping, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.
Now for the boring stuff (ha ha ha)
I have been in education since 2006 and a teacher since 2008. I spent the first 6 years of my teaching career in the Milton-Freewater School District in Milton-Freewater, OR. There I taught first grade for two years and the BESST (Behavior Emotional Social Skills Training) classroom for four. I moved to Sterling, CO in 2014 and taught third grade at St. Anthony Catholic School for a year, before the school was permanently closed…The school closing is how I ended up at Pope John Paul II Academy…Sometimes blessings are hidden in pain. It was hard to leave St. Anthony’s. I loved it there…but God had a plan and here I am…I love it! God put me right where I needed to be. This is a great community. Now I am not only a teacher here, but am also a fire fighter and EMT with Olathe Fire Protection District.
Again, thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your kiddos’ lives!
God bless you all!
Miss Bauman (Lu if you are not a student at PJP2A)
Hello! My name is Emily Hartman and I’m a Montrose native! I grew up attending Pope John Paul II Academy throughout elementary and middle school, where I discovered I wanted to become a teacher. I recently graduated from Benedictine College with a B.A. in Elementary and Special Education. I spent my senior year of college student teaching at four different schools at the Fort Leavenworth military base in both elementary and special education classrooms. I loved my student teaching experience, and have a particular passion for helping any student needing additional support!
I love Montrose, and spend most of my time with my three sisters hiking, paddleboarding, reading, and spending time with my nephews. I’m thrilled to be back in Montrose, and have a deep love for the Pope John Paul II Academy community. I’m excited to be a part of the staff, working with the students and their families.