I graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering and a minor in Biomedical Engineering. After working for a couple of years in engineering, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to teach. I've taught Math of all kinds at a very little school down in south Texas in San Perlita, but I now teach AP Physics 1&2 at LASA.
My hobbies including watching movies, especially in theaters, and playing all kinds of trading card games, competitively and casually. Also, I have 2 cats.

Prior to starting at LASA, she worked for several years as a wildlife biologist. She conducted surveys for threatened and endangered birds, reptiles, and mammals throughout California, worked on conservation projects with sea turtles and iguanas in the Caribbean, and surveyed birds in central Texas. She has a M.S. in Wildlife Ecology from the University of Wisconsin, where she researched songbirds and habitat use, and a B.S. in Biology and Zoology from the University of Texas at Austin.

Mrs. Cong lives outside Austin with her husband, two young children, and a couple of crazy dogs. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking and camping trips with the family, running, art projects, anything Harry Potter related, and a good game of ping pong.

Jon Croston has been teaching and coaching at LASA for many years. He teaches AP Physics. He has over 20 years teaching too many different subjects at various schools, including the Croston School of Math. He was also a librarian in NYC and manager at a local Paintball field.
Mr. Croston grew up in Kansas City and South Florida. He loves sports and is a big fan of the Kansas City Royals and Chiefs. He graduated from Wheaton College (outside Chicago).

Mr. Croston lives way north of Austin with his wife, three wonderful children, and a zoo of animals. Currently this is 6 cats, 2 dogs, and a bunny. Although this may have expanded since this was written, his family is pushing for chickens. He wants an otter. When he actually gets a break he enjoys spending time with the family and most of the pets, reading and playing Fantasy Football.

Sarah Davis has been teaching high school physics since 2016. At LASA Ms. Davis teaches AP Physics, AP Physics C, and Modern Physics and coaches LASA Cross Country. Prior to teaching Ms. Davis worked in labs on multiple projects including helping to develop high energy density capacitors, carrying out comparative phylogeny using bird vocalizations, and exploring saline resistance in certain species of plants.

Ms. Davis grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and attended LSU. During her college years she explored such subjects as musical performance, architectural design, and classical literature before committing to a future in science. During her time working in labs Ms. Davis found her passion for scientific discovery and for physics specifically. Physics describes the world around us at its most fundamental levels. This powerful knowledge makes Ms. Davis’s classroom one filled with excitement and awe for the subject she teaches.

When Ms. Davis is not teaching she enjoys running, competing in triathlons, hiking, reading, and cooking. Ms. Davis lives north of Austin with her husband Noah, her children Penelope and Ravi, and her pets.

Hi! I'm Mr. Deram.  

I taught at LASA for 4 years pre-pandemic, and am really excited to be back!  

This year I will be teaching AP Precalc AB and AP Physics 1.  My hobbies include crewing for and flying hot air balloons, running (I'm training for a marathon next year), and DIY house projects.  I've taught at Vista Ridge HS, LASA, Eldorado HS in Albuquerque, and Westwood HS.  I like cats.  No that's not my cat =P

Rebeca Guerrero graduated from UT El Paso with a Microbiology degree.

She has a Masters in STEM education from UT Austin. After 10 years of working in reasearch laboratories she became a lecturer for college which inspire her to become a teacher. She has been teaching in Texas schools since 2006.

Ms. Kossa is a first generation college graduate. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Texas A&M University, and a Master’s degree in Cell and Molecular Biology from San Francisco State University. She previously taught science courses at the high school, undergraduate, and community college levels, and joined LASA in the Spring of 2022 to teach Advanced Magnet Biology and co-teach AP Psychology.

Ms. Kossa is especially passionate about making science courses equitable, inclusive, and accessible, for all her students. She’s really looking forward to getting to know everyone, and helping provide whatever support her students need to succeed!

Ms. Kossa lives in Austin with her partner and two (very mischievous) cats, named Big Cat and Small Cat. In her free time, she enjoys playing video games and board games, reading, playing basketball, painting, singing in choir, and constantly trying out new hobbies.

Welcome Raptor Families!  I'm Jen LeCompte, and I teach things.  Over the years I have taught all sorts of fabulous classes, including Scitech, PLEARTH, Woodshop, Astronomy, PAP Algerbra II, Architecture, Senior English, Geometry, AP Psychology, Comp Sci, and probably another one I'm forgetting.  I'm a chronic learning geek, which means I kind of can't help needing to learn about many different things.

Joseph Oleniczak holds a MS in Biology from Fordham University and BS in Biology from the University of Texas at Austin. He is currently and Adjunct Professor at Austin Community College in the Biotechnology Department as well as a Secondary Science Teacher at the Liberal Arts and Science Academy High School in Austin, Texas. Currently, Joseph teaches Dual Enrollment Biotechnology and Research Internship courses through AISD and ACC.

I am an organic/medicinal chemist by trade and have studied for many years under renowned scientists in the field. I've had the opportunity to teach, train, and work with students of all ages, both in and out of school and laboratory settings. I teach STEM at the high school level with the conviction to inspire students to give their all, and see the wonders of science that were shown to me at their age.

I have my M.S. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Texas A&M University - College Station, and my B.S. in ACS Chemistry from Texas A&M University - Kingsville. I also have course work and graduate level research at Texas State University.

Mr. Rodriguez teaches AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, and Forensic Science. He has spent his professional career developing his teaching skills by teaching as many different subjects as possible. He has two years under his belt as an English teacher and two years as a Math teacher. He's finally landed in the realm of his first love and main undergraduate subject of focus, physics. 

His educational background includes a general studies degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, which focused on English, Mathematics, and Physics. He also has a Master of Science in Education from Purdue University, focusing on mathematics education.

Mr. Rodriguez spends his free time writing and editing educational STEM YouTube videos with his wife on her channel, ""Professor Eman."" He also enjoys reading sci-fi/fantasy novels and playing video games.

Hi! I'm Ms. Sparacin!

I teach ADV Chemistry and AP Chemistry here at LASA and I am also the JV Volleyball coach!

I hold a MS in Chemistry and a BS in Chemistry from The University of Texas at Dallas. I have a passion for green chemistry and environmentalism as my graduate research focused on synthesizing bio based resins for 3D printing.

I love to travel and spend time outdoors. My hobbies include volleyball, taking care of house plants, thrifting, and playing with my dog!

Mr. Walker grew up in Austin before attending Middlebury College in Vermont, where he majored in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry. He studied science education at the University of Texas at Austin from 2009-2010 and obtained his National Board Certification in 2017. Prior to working at LASA, he spent three years working in the biomedical research field at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

His favorite thing about teaching is making the natural world more interesting for his students. Since beginning his career in education, Mr. Walker has participated in field expeditions and research in Antarctica, the Arctic, the Gulf of Mexico, the North Atlantic, Baja California Sur, and Peru. This work has included laboratory research in field biology, organic chemistry, and aquatic geochemistry. He loves using these field and research experiences to create activities and projects for his classes.

Mr. Walker lives in Austin with his wife and two pets (Wylie the dog and Atticus the cat). He enjoys backpacking, cycling, flyfishing, and birdwatching in his free time.

Shontel Willie has been with LASA since 2017 teaching Chemistry and Forensics. Prior to joining the LASA team, Mrs. Willie spent twelve years as an Environmental Chemist with experience in Organic, Inorganic, and Nuclear chemistry.

Mrs. Willie discovered her interest in science began when she attended her first science fair in middle school and spent summers with her 7th grade science teacher watching human anatomy videos on reel-to-reel. Mrs. Willie continued to learn about science as an undergraduate student at the University of Northern Colorado (Go Bears!) where she obtained a B.A. in Chemistry, minoring in Biology. Before establishing her high school teaching career, Mrs. Willie worked as a contractor for the Environmental Protection Agency based out of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mrs. Willie lives in the woods with her husband, sons, and rescue pups, Floppy & Bit. When she isn't working or at the baseball fields, Mrs. Willie enjoys traveling with her family, cooking, painting, riding dirt bikes and reading (I especially love book suggestions from my students).