Faculty & Staff

David Bonner

David Bonner is the Founding Director and Head of School.

David is licensed to teach elementary, secondary science, and gifted & talented.  He has launched several gifted programs in Central Indiana and consulted for several schools both locally and nationwide.  Prior to becoming a teacher, David earned two degrees in electrical engineering and spent several years as a professional in that field.

David graduated from Butler University in 2021 with a Graduate Certificate in Applied Educational Neuroscience.  His thesis was Looking at the childhood experience of giftedness and twice-exceptional giftedness through the lens of neuroscience, trauma, and Adverse Childhood Experiences.

David is the Assistant Director of Untapped Pediatric Therapies and Untapped Private Preschool/Pre-K located on the Apogee campus.

Since 2008, David has directed the local Mensa youth program.  He has served on the National Mensa Gifted Youth Committee since 2010 where he helps support other leaders and collaborates in establishing national policy.  He received the American Mensa Gifted Youth Coordinator of the Year award in 2010.

David coaches the Elementary and Middle School competitive VEX Robotics Teams at Apogee.  His teams have won seven trophies since 2016 including Division State Champion in 2020.  His teams have earned a spot at State Finals twice.  He also directs regional VEX tournaments.

Tiffany Fritz

Tiffany Fritz is a mom of 3 boys, and has been a Pediatric Occupational Therapist since 2014. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy from Indiana University at IUPUI.

Tiffany founded Untapped Pediatric Therapies and Untapped Private Preschool/Pre-K in 2017 and is the Assistant Director at Apogee School for the Gifted. She believes that each child should have the opportunity to reach his/her FULL potential (even if that means their potential is different from their peers).

Tiffany met David Bonner, head of Apogee School for the Gifted, and the two quickly realized the complete alignment of their visions of creating programs that allow children to reach THEIR fullest potential in a respectful and creative environment. Tiffany and David are co-directors at each program in order to ensure continued collaboration and maximize success of each student.

Tiffany also serves as Vice President of the Jonathan William Legg (JWL) Foundation, Inc, raising money to award scholarships each year to Avon, Indiana high school students to carry on the legacy of Jonathan Legg.

Daniel Skora

Daniel Skora is our core K-2nd Grade Teacher and P.E. Teacher.

Daniel has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education (birth-3rd grade).  He also has a minor in Psychology of Human Development.  He graduated Magna Cum Laude.

Prior to joining Apogee, Daniel has taught at several schools including Burris Laboratory School.  He also has been actively engaged in working with foster children.

Tonya Ellis

Tonya Ellis is our core 3rd-4th grade teacher and Social Studies Teacher.

Tonya comes from a family of teachers and has an extensive background working with children. She has taught in the classroom from grades K-12 and ran the children’s ministry at her church. Tonya also serves as a children’s leader for Bible Study Fellowship International.

Tonya has a degree in Journalism and is pursuing Public & Environmental Affairs with an emphasis on nonprofit organizations from Indiana University.

Tonya is an engaging teacher, bringing lessons to life with her passion for the job and love for every child.

She also has extensive experience with communications, having served as the Media Relations Coordinator for the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Public Relations Manager for Indiana Black Expo, Communications Officer for M.S.D. Pike Township Schools, Public Relations Manager for St. Vincent Hospital, and many others.

Tonya has a daughter enrolled as a sophomore in college.

Jennifer Stinson

Jennifer Stinson is our Core 5th-6th Grade Teacher and Special Education Coordinator.

Jennifer has over 30 years of experience working with children and adults of all levels of ability in a wide variety of environments. She has felt called to teach for as long as she can remember. She attended IUPUI right after high school, where she studied Elementary Special Education and Psychology. After many years of working with children and families, while homeschooling her own two sons, she returned to college to study Early Childhood Education and Mild Intervention (Birth-3rd grade). After graduating in 2016, she founded her own non-profit center in Bloomfield, Indiana- The Leap Ahead Center for Children and Families- which provides a variety of programs and services for the children and families of Greene County. In 2021, she and her husband returned to Indianapolis to be closer to their adult children.

Jennifer understands the importance of developing social and emotional skills for all children and has spent the past 7 years studying, implementing, and teaching children and adults these crucial skills. She is passionate about helping others develop and strengthen their self-regulation skills which help to strengthen their resilience, confidence, and autonomy.

Jennifer also recognizes how important it is for children to feel safe, connected and loved, in order for them to reach their full potential, which is why she is excited to be a part of Apogee School where these are a high priority.

Dr. Corinne Green

Dr. Corinne Green is our core 7th-9th Grade Teacher and ELA Teacher.

Dr. Green has an undergraduate degree with honors majoring in Psychology and minoring in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Houston.  She has a Master’s and PhD in Gifted, Creative, and Talented Studies from Purdue University.  Her thesis was Examining the Intercultural Understandings of Adolescents with Gifts and Talents Within a Multicultural Summer Enrichment Program.

Dr. Green coordinated Purdue’s GER²I summer gifted camp for four years, managing a staff of 70 counselors, teachers, and staff and meeting the needs of 350 individual gifted students.

Dr. Green cares deeply for each of her students and prides herself in knowing each student’s likes, dislikes, home lives, and their personal needs.

Dr. Ping

Dr. Ping is our math teacher for grades 3-12.

Dr. Ping has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and had worked in the hi-tech industry for 20 years before becoming a high school math teacher. He has 15 US patents and numerous publications in professional proceedings and international conferences.

After teaching high school math for 7 years, he started his non-profit organization, Poema Institute, to research and promote new educational models to lift students out of generational poverty. He also gives free online math classes from Arithmetic to Algebra to both children and parents. He has a personal interest in gifted children and appreciates the opportunity to teach students at Apogee.

Alicia Bernasconi

Alicia Bernasconi is our Spanish Teacher for Grades K-12.

Alicia Bernasconi teaches Spanish at Apogee. As the mother of a gifted child, she is committed to catering to the needs of gifted children and making language learning fun. She brings an immersive approach that favors experiential learning and prioritizes communication. She has experience as a speaker, trainer, and planner, has lived in seven different countries and speaks multiple languages. Alicia is also a published Young Adult author and has worked in alphabetization programs in South America.

She holds an M.S. in Economics and International Management from Maastricht University in The Netherlands.

Tricia Bonner

Tricia Bonner (sister-in-law of David Bonner) is our music and strings teacher.  Tricia has played first violin for the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra and is currently concertmaster for the Danville and Lafayette orchestras.  Tricia is a graduate of Butler University with a major in violin and viola performance.

Recent teaching experience includes several local schools and private lessons.  Tricia is very skilled at relating to students and encouraging them to be their very best.

You can hear Tricia play her violin at this link.  You can visit her website ascendingduo.com.

Tricia is currently on maternity leave.

Jeanie Gensheimer

Jeanie Gensheimer is our karate instructor.

In 1993, the Indiana Youth Institute Award was presented to Jeanie for outstanding efforts to promote healthy development in youth. She holds degrees in psychology and early childhood education from Ball State University, as well as a master’s degree in marital and family therapy from Butler University.

Jeanie is a 6th degree Black Belt and is one of only four women to have achieved a master’s rank and is the 3rd highest ranking woman in the system.  Jeanie was voted Outstanding Martial Arts Student of the Year.

You can visit Jeanie’s website www.gensheimermartialarts.com

Tracey Haman

Tracey Haman is an Admin Assistant

Michael Reed

Michael Reed is an Admin Assistant and Teaching Assistant.

Marti Donahue

Marti Donahue is our School Counselor.

Marti has extensive experience as a counselor and understands the unique needs of gifted children very well, as she raised gifted children of her own.

Marti works individually with our students and parents both in-person and over Zoom.  She also teaches a counseling class to all of our students once a week.

Salla Wilson

Salla Wilson is our Student Support Tutor, School Grandma, and formerly represented families on our Board of Directors.

Salla pulls out students individually to work with them 1:1.

Salla got her masters at Butler with endorsements in reading and special needs children. She taught for 12 years each at Butler University for gifted and talented, the Orchard School, and St. Monica Catholic School. Salla currently volunteers at Mt. Zion where she works with pre-schoolers on literacy skills.