OUR TEAM
Larisa Hegenbarth
A teacher and a coach
I am honored to be a part of the team of talented and devoted educators. We believe that every student can develop subject proficiency and achieve academic excellence. We teach from the heart! This is the place where your students can discover their potential and fulfill their dreams in education for future careers. On our campus, you will enjoy a family atmosphere, attitude of open mind and cooperative learning, positive engagement, respect and creativity. We embrace diversity and individuality of our students; we welcome and support their families. I am very proud of our community: it is vibrantly multicultural and creative, hardworking and accomplished, caring and devoted. We can build the foundation for the future of our children together. I have great faith in wisdom of our people and I am blessed with this opportunity to serve my community. I look forward to meeting you!
Alena Kardalian
An eidetic and mnemonics trainer
I am a sociable and cheerful person. I love teaching and understanding how our memory works, cultivating love for learning. Originally from Armenia, I grew up in Ukraine. Though I graduated Mykolaiv National Agrarian University with a Master degree in Economics, I have been teaching and working with adults and children. I worked as a childcare teacher, cooking classes teacher and eidetic trainer online and at my home. I really enjoy my occupation. I know almost everything about memory and I can affirm that there is no bad memory, a lack of skill! I can confidently state that all children are genius, smart, and capable. Our brain, like any muscle in the body, needs daily exercise, charging and memory boost! Every workout makes you better: more confident, successful, positive, and more creative! Train with us! I look forward to meeting you at Novastar Academy!
Tatiana Zeltser Valverde
A talented teacher and an artist
I once read that education is like a pair of shoes: they should fit perfectly. If a shoe is too small and tight, it holds the child back. If it is too large, the child may trip and fall and can’t go forward. Have been working in education for almost 20 years, I always helped my students with their “shoe selections”!
I graduated from one of the Russian teacher training universities in 1987 and then worked as an English teacher in both secondary and higher education settings. During that time, I wrote and published several college textbooks on English grammar. With the subject of my research being in teaching English as a second language methodology, I participated in many national conferences and seminars presenting ESL strategies and methods. My new research topic in a comparative analysis of Russian and American educational systems brought me to the United States in 2007.
Aside from teaching, art is an essential part of my life. Living in Colorado has been a very enjoyable experience for me and my family because of its wondrous nature and friendly people. Colorado's nature inspires me to travel more and to paint; I create not only landscapes but also portraits of Coloradans. If education fills my life with meaningfulness, painting brings me happiness.
Every teacher should have her own magic strategy to facilitate learning. My favorite one is play - inspire - listen - lead. Play is the avenue for sharing laughter, encouragement, and happiness. I would say that laughter, joy, and just having fun are the strongest motivators a teacher can possibly use in education. All children are inquisitive and have unharnessed imagination; they are like sponges and soak up everything they learn. So, it is very important to listen to children, learn about their interests, passions, and inspirations, and then lead them by example. If my words inspire you, join us here, at Novastar Academy!
Tetyana Palamarchuk
A musician, a teacher, a mentor
By nature, an optimistic and sociable person, I enjoy being part of the community, new events, and creating a happy atmosphere around me. I was born and grew up in Western Ukraine, studied at the State Conservatory, Piano and Choir Conducting faculty. After graduation, I worked as a music teacher and choir conductor in my home town. I always imagined myself becoming a teacher and I really enjoy the profession. My family moved to Denver in 2001 and I was impressed by the freedoms and possibilities that America opens before us. In 2007, I opened a private music studio Adagio. Adagio has graduated a few students who developed their talents in musical arts and now perform at churches and various events. I like nature, animals, hiking, and biking. I love my friends. My calling is to make our world a more loving and caring place to live. I can’t wait to meet you at Novastar learning center!
Anastasiia Ceron Demina
A Language Teacher
(English, Russian, French, Spanish)
Keen on learning languages myself, I love teaching them and making my students love learning different languages too. I got my Ph.D. (English Language) at St. Petersburg State University in 2001, CELTA (Cambridge Certificate for Teaching English as a Foreign Language) in Geneva in 2014. I consider my main asset as a language teacher 3 Ps- Patience (repeating many things millions of time is a part of language learning process and a teacher must never be annoyed by that), Passion (I am passionate about learning and teaching, it is my job and my hobby, I enjoy transmitting my passion for languages to my students too), Perseverance (I am determined to achieve my goals, I never give up if a student does not succeed at once, with time and encouragement every child can start speaking any language). I believe that every child is unique and a teacher needs to find the key to them, make them feel at ease and enjoy learning a new language.