Each faculty and staff member at Chesterton Academy is a faithful Catholic who has taken an Oath of Fidelity to the Magisterium of the Catholic Church. Each has also undergone our safe environment requirements, including fingerprinting, Level 2 background check (state and federal), and VIRTUS safe environment training.
Jim Hickel
Headmaster
Mr. Hickel is the founding Headmaster of Chesterton Academy of Orlando. He was born and raised in Alaska along with his sixteen siblings.
He attended the College of Saint Mary Magdalen and received his B.A. in Liberal Arts, with an emphasis in Theology and Philosophy. He then received a Masters in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M University.
He began teaching in 1980 to “help students learn how to learn, and to share the excitement and beauty of learning.”
He has been involved in Catholic education and administration for over 40 years and has served as Headmaster/Principal in four previous schools, including most recently St. John Bosco Academy in Cottonwood, Idaho.
Clergy
Fr. Josh Swallows
Chaplain
Fr. Josh serves as pastor of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church (Oviedo, FL).
He is also the Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Orlando and chaplain to the Catholic Campus Ministry (CCM) at the University of Central Florida.
Fr. Josh grew up in nearby Casselberry, graduating from Lake Howell High School and then Florida State University with a degree in Economics. While at Florida State, he became involved in campus ministry as a student leader. After graduation, he returned home and served as the lay Campus Minister at CCM from 2004-2008.
In 2008 he responded to his calling to the priesthood and entered seminary. He was ordained in 2015.
Fr. Glenn Lopez
CHAPLAIN
Fr. Glenn serves as parochial vicar of Most Precious Blood Catholic Church (Oviedo, FL).
He was ordained on December 9, 1989, in the Philippines as a member of the religious missionary congregation Society of the Divine Word (SVD, Societas Verbi Divini).
From 1990-2004 he ministered in various capacities in the Philippines as a seminary formator, college campus minister, director of the SVD Secretariat for Human Development, and parochial vicar in the Archdiocese of Manila, before coming to the United States in 2005.
From 2005-2016, he worked in California as a hospital chaplain before joining the Diocese of Orlando in November 2016, where he has been ever since.
Fr. William Holiday
CHAPLAIN
Fr. William “Doc” Holiday serves as pastor of Incarnation Catholic Church (Orlando, FL), a Catholic parish of the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter.
Incarnation was a former Anglican Church that entered into full communion with the Catholic Church under the auspices of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus of Pope Benedict XVI.
Each Wednesday, Fr. Holiday offers the Ordinariate Mass at Chesterton Academy, a beautiful Catholic liturgy which is marked by elevated English, reverent worship, and language derived from the classic books of the Anglican liturgical tradition, all fully Catholic in expression and content.
Faculty
Claire Burks
Literature
Ms. Burks received her B.A. in History and Music (Vocal Performance) with a Minor in Digital Marketing from the University of Notre Dame. As part of Notre Dame’s History Honors Program, she wrote her senior thesis on female spies of the American Revolution. She was also a singer in the Notre Dame Chorale, a member of the Right to Life club and the DeNicola Center for Ethics and Culture’s Sorin Fellows Program, and a Resident Assistant to forty young women in her dorm during her time at the University.
She has been a substitute teacher for grades K-12 at two classical schools in her hometown of South Bend, IN, teaching everything from elementary music to 11th and 12th grade literature. Having received a classical education herself, she is excited to tackle some of her favorite texts with Chesterton’s students.
Having spent her entire life in the Midwest, she is excited to immerse herself in Orlando’s vibrant Catholic community and to enjoy the warmer climate!
Jade Butler
MATH, SCIENCE
Ms. Butler received her B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Central Florida (UCF) with a minor in Computer Science.
She was one of the liturgy coordinators for Catholic Campus Ministry for UCF and helped ensure Mass, Confession, and Adoration were available to students.
She is preparing to get married this summer!
Charles Cacciatore
LITERATURE, PHILOSOPHY, DEBATE
Mr. Cacciatore graduated magna cum laude from Middlebury College in 2020 with a B.A. in Political Science. He wrote an honors thesis in defense of the jurisprudence of Antonin Scalia. In 2023 he earned an M.A. in Political Science at Louisiana State University; his Master’s thesis is a criticism of the new classical natural law theory of John Finnis.
He has experience teaching political philosophy (from Plato to Nietzsche) to undergraduates. His favorite thinkers are Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquinas, Pascal, Burke, Newman, Lincoln, Kierkegaard, Chesterton, Guardini, Sheen, Lewis, Strauss, von Balthasar, and Benedict XVI.
Mr. Cacciatore will do his best to form his students in the life of virtue–for what Aristotle calls “a community of speeches and thought,” the ultimate manifestation of which is grounded in friendship with Christ.
Cristian Caiola
Music/Choir
Mr. Caiola has spent much of his life steeped deeply in music and culture. Currently a Music Education student at the University of Central Florida as a member of the French Horn studio, he has performed with numerous world class ensembles. These include the Rollins Wind Symphony, the U.C.F. Symphonic Band, the Crossmen Drum & Bugle Corps, and the Brass Band of Central Florida.
In addition, he has been teaching local musicians of all ages since 2017 and serves as the Music Director at St. John Fisher Catholic Church.
Anna Campbell
Drama
Ms. Campbell received her B.A. in Humanities and Liberal Studies from Ave Maria University. Her minor is in Shakespeare in Performance.
While at Ave Maria University, she served as Assistant Stage Manager, actress, and dramaturge for the university's Shakespeare in Performance troupe.
She is excited to follow in the footsteps of her teachers by cultivating curiosity, creativity, and charity in her students.
She attends Mass and Young Adult Formation at St. Joseph Catholic Church. Her favorite saints are St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. Joan of Arc, and St. Thomas More.
Michael De Salvo
Theology, Philosophy
Mr. De Salvo received his B.A. in Liberal Arts (summa cum laude) from Wyoming Catholic College and his M.A. in Theology (summa cum laude) from Ave Maria University. He is pursuing his Ph.D. in Theology at Ave Maria University.
He has taught undergraduate Theology courses at Ave Maria University. From 2014-2015, he served as an inaugural faculty member at the Chesterton Academy of Chicago, teaching Old and New Testament, Ancient Literature, Latin, Science, and P.E. classes.
Michael is married with three children.
Magda Gunn
SCIENCE, MATH, LANGUAGE
Mrs. Gunn grew up in Poland where she earned her M.Sc. in Chemistry and later moved to the United States to obtain a Ph.D. in Chemistry at North Carolina State University, where she also instructed general chemistry classes and laboratories.
She homeschooled her children while residing in Belgium before gaining valuable experience working as a scientist in the biotech field and as a program manager in pharmaceutical research.
Recently relocating back to Florida with her family, Mrs. Gunn was drawn to the innovative educational approach of Chesterton Academy, motivating her to become a part of its faculty. Her mission is to cultivate a sense of curiosity and passion for science among Chesterton students to nurture the next generation of scientists.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Mrs. Gunn actively participates in the community as a member of Incarnation Catholic Church, where she sings in the choir for Sunday Mass.
Daniel Guzewicz
Science, MATH, LATIN
(coming soon!)
Emily Hernandez
Theology, History
Ms. Hernandez received her B.A in English from the University of Central Florida, with a minor in Religious Studies, and her M.A. in Theology and Christian Ministry from Franciscan University of Steubenville.
She has a Youth Ministry Certificate from Franciscan University and a Theology of the Body Certificate from the Theology of the Body Institute. She spent four years at a parish as the Youth Ministry Coordinator, preparing young people to receive their sacraments, and aiding the middle school religion teachers.
She attends Mass and Young Adult Formation at St. James Cathedral while volunteering with their Children's Faith Formation program.
Matthew McCauley
Philosophy, Literature, Math
Mr. McCauley received his B.A. in Anthropology (magna cum laude) from Southeast Missouri State, minoring in History and Spanish, and is currently pursuing an M.A. in Philosophical Studies for Missionary Discipleship through Saint Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary.
He spent two and a half years discerning the priesthood as a seminarian for the Diocese of Orlando, including six months living with the Franciscans of the Eucharist.
He now lives in a household of nine Catholic men united in a commitment to live out mission, and is involved in parish youth ministry. He is an Eagle Scout of BSA Troop 5 in Decatur, IL.
Aileen Peguero
Studio Art
Ms. Peguero graduated from the University of Central Florida, receiving her B.F.A. in Emerging Media via Experimental Animation with a minor in Creative Writing.
As a child, she developed a passion for drawing and visual storytelling. Despite having a background in animation, she values traditional art techniques and mediums.
She is an active member at St. Joseph Catholic Church and attends the young adult ministry there. She also likes to travel and occasionally visits her hometown in South Florida to catch up with family and friends.
Jimmy Sartino
History, Civics, Literature
Mr. Sartino received his Bachelor’s degree in History and Secondary Education from the University of St. Francis in Joliet, IL in 2002, where he also minored in Theology.
He taught in the Rockford Diocese for over twenty years, including fifteen years at Boylan Catholic High School and six years at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Chesterton Academy in Rockford. He has led over fifty Kairos retreats which has given him valuable insight into the victories and struggles of teenagers and their interactions within families.
Mr. Sartino married his high school sweetheart, Katie, and together they have six children.
Staff
Alexis Currier
Administrative Assistant
Ms. Alexis “Lexi” Currier recently moved to the Orlando area to be close to family and to engulf herself into a vibrant Catholic culture. She received a classical Catholic education growing up and is excited to promote that same gift at Chesterton Academy. She is also working her way towards a Business Administrative degree. A fun fact is that she was the first baby to be baptized at St. Helena of the True Cross in Corpus Christi, TX.
Caitlin Markle
Director of Curriculum, INSTRUCTIONAL COACH
Mrs. Markle received her B.A. in English (magna cum laude) from Franciscan University in Steubenville, with a minor in Philosophy, and her M.A. in Education from the University of Notre Dame.
She graduated through Notre Dame's A.C.E. (Alliance for Catholic Education) program, which offered a two-year fellowship that combined teaching in an under-resourced Catholic high school with a Master of Education degree.
She loves going to Eucharistic adoration and especially enjoys praying the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet.
Monica Mora
Receptionist, Secretary
Mrs. Mora grew up in Quito, Ecuador. She has six sisters and one brother, and attended Universidad Central de Quito. After getting married, she moved to Florida where she took courses at Broward State College.
She was co-owner and administrator of a construction company for ten years, and afterwards worked for eleven years as liaison for Allegro Music, serving schools in Orange and Seminole counties.
She has been married for 43 years and has three sons and two daughters. She attends Most Precious Blood parish (Oviedo) where she serves as a greeter and a catechist in the children's faith formation program.