The Page staff set out to interview the new staff at PA for the 2024-2025 school year. They shared their teaching backgrounds, hobbies, and more!
Spanish Teacher Preslaysa Williams
By Sarai Hoggard
Room 335’s new occupant, Señora Preslaysa Williams, is hoping to “be one of the many good influences” in the lives of Princess Anne students this school year.
Williams has been teaching for over a decade due to her decision to become her children’s first teacher. She studied Spanish at Columbia University in New York City and then taught at Old Dominion University (which she still does part-time). She’s furthered her passion for the Spanish language by traveling to Latin American countries such as Mexico and Chile.
She explains she moved to PA because of her intrigue and interest in the IB program, and the great things she’s heard about the community here. She explained how her studies were similar to those of IB students and wanted to connect with them through her familiarity with the learning style. Williams says she is looking forward to a great school year with the PA family and hopes to make a big impact.
New AVID teacher Rikki Betancourt
By Abby Maurer
New Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) teacher Rikki Betancourt came to PA looking forward to “connecting with students and helping them with their college and career preparedness.” She shares she is excited to get back into the classroom after working as an English teacher and an administrator.
Betancourt was born and raised in New York City. She got her bachelor’s degree at St. Joseph’s University in Brooklyn and her master’s degree from Columbia University. She worked as an English teacher in New York City for 10 years before becoming an assistant principal in San Diego, California.
Along with her English classes, Betancourt also taught a college counseling class. Betancourt loved helping students prepare for the next step in their future, and she felt teaching AVID was the best way to do that. “I thought it would be a great step to take where I could learn a new content area in-depth with the students and do that every day,” she explained. “[AVID]…also [has] the hands-on work that is needed to prepare them for after high school. I think there’s a huge benefit for students to be able to apply these strategies ”
When she is not in the classroom, Betancourt loves working out. She is a big-time runner, and she loves to lift weights and box. She explains she enjoys taking long walks and being in nature constantly, taking time out of her day to clear her head. Another passion of hers is travel. Betancourt says she makes it her goal to visit a new country or city every year. She shares that Thailand was her favorite country to visit because of the people and the food, and she is excited to be planning her trip to Alaska next summer.
Let’s Welcome Elizabeth Farabaugh
By Kennedy Williams
New to our PAHS community is Spanish 2 and IB Spanish 6 teacher Elizabeth Farabaugh. While she and her husband are originally from Virginia, she says she has lived in multiple places for her and her husband’s work.
Before coming to PA, Farabaugh explains “I taught for eight years in Northern Virginia. I was in Fairfax County, and then I taught for eight years just outside of Chicago in Deerfield High School.”
Before teaching, she started in business while living in New York City for three years. There, she worked in marketing where she explains she did not enjoy her job. She describes that she was working in New York during 9/11, and that it was a big inspiration for her to find something she loves to do.
After teaching full time for 20 years, she decided to take a break from teaching and considers herself lucky, because this time of rest was during Covid. Eventually, after helping her kids during the virtual time, she decided to start working again and became a tutor at Princess Anne Elementary School where she taught reading and math even though she says Spanish was her thing. “I loved it, it just made me miss teaching,” Farabaugh shares.
Now at PA, Farabaugh explains she has enjoyed her experience so far. “I love it. Everybody’s very friendly and very helpful…this is my 5th school so I’ve been around a lot of different people before and everybody’s really accommodating.”
Lisa Burkett: Fashion Marketing
By Emily Winstead
New fashion marketing teacher Lisa Burkett says she is excited to be teaching at PA this school year. This will be Burkett’s second year of teaching fashion marketing, as she spent the previous year teaching the class at Landstown High School.
Burkett grew up in the local area, and graduated from Bayside High School. She then proceeded to get her degree in political science, with a minor in journalism, from the University of Richmond, where she says she was captain of the Cheerleading team. After graduating, she explained she worked in sales and marketing for 35 years, providing her a knowledge of marketing that she is looking forward to imparting to her students here at PA.
After her time in marketing, she decided to make a career change to teaching. “I decided [to change] during the pandemic. They were short of teachers, and I thought, well, after all this time in business it would be nice to give back to the community,” she explained. She then got her teacher’s license, and started teaching.
While she says teaching at Landstown was great, Burkett notes that she is really excited to be at PA for another, more personal reason. “My father actually taught here and coached here from 1971-1979,” she shares with a smile on her face. “I have a lot of fond memories of being a kid and running around the same field, [and] playing basketball in the same gym.”
Outside of her time teaching, she says she likes spending time with her kids and grandkids. She also sings in a local band called “Acoustic Gravity.” In addition, she writes from time to time for the local newspaper the Princess Anne Independent News.
New ESL teacher Alissa Bozich
By Avery Smead
Alissa Bozich, English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher says she is excited to figure out the “vibe” Princess Anne has to offer and get to know her students!
Bozich explains she is glad to be teaching at just one school this year as opposed to her previous experience split between teaching at Salem and Bayside High Schools. This is her second year teaching ESL.
After she graduated high school, she attended the University of Florida for a different major, but later discovered she had a passion for teaching and completed her Master’s degree for Teaching ESL online through the University of Arizona.
Bozich, along with her husband and their three children, lived in Germany for three years and she describes the unique experience her children had being in a school where they didn’t speak the same language as their teachers or peers. “It was an adventure. [When] we moved back, I realized all of the people who helped me in Germany with my children, I could be that person here for students who needed similar help,” she said.
In her free time, she explains she enjoys crocheting, drawing, reading, and watching soccer.
Biology Teacher Alyssa Ransom
By Matt Murphy
Biology Teacher Alyssa Ransom, who was once advised that she “needed to be a teacher,” is excited for her first year at Princess Anne. She is teaching Biology and AP Biology this year, and describes herself as “energetic.”
Ransom was born and raised in Virginia Beach, and graduated from Ocean Lakes High School. She majored in Biology at Norfolk State University, and explains she developed an interest in teaching while there after helping run a science camp for middle school girls. As Ransom described, “It was actually my college professor who told me this is what I should do.” She began her teaching career last year at Ocean Lakes, and is now starting her first year as a part of the PA community.
Describing herself as “an avid Lego builder and collector,” Ransom has collected over 200 Lego sets, including “some pretty rare and collectible ones,” and said it’s what she spends most of her free time doing.
She explains she mainly has family in Virginia and Wisconsin and has one pet, a 7-year-old Staffordshire Boxer mix named Boomerang. Ransom mentioned having heard “a lot of good things” about Homecoming at our school, and is “very excited” to experience it at PA.
New Literacy Teacher, Andrea Balsly
By Alex Adams
PA’s new literacy teacher, Andrea Balsly says she is excited to continue her 20 year teacher career at PA!
Balsly grew up in Virginia around the Virginia Beach area. She says she loves reading, being outside and the beach. She explains her family is also a huge part of her life. Her husband teaches at Independence Middle School as a PE and health teacher and she has a 12 year old daughter who she says is “the love of my life.”
Balsly graduated from Kempsville High School and attended George Mason University for her undergraduate degree and the University of Virginia for her Master’s Degree in Reading. Balsly explains she has taught every grade in elementary school and wanted to become a reading specialist because her passion is reading and literacy. Once a literacy teacher position became availible at PA, she thought it would be a great opportunity to teach high school students.
Speaking about her move to PA, she said the people in the community “are just so nice, helpful and welcoming. It makes me realize that I just made a great decision moving to the school.”
Being outside and exercising are two things very important to Balsly. To stay active she explains she walks and lifts weights 3 times a week.
Library Media Assistant Christina Ste. Marie
By Enzo Borrero
When asked what principle keeps her going, library media assistant Christina Ste. Marie had one thing in mind: Kindness First.
Ste. Marie explained this was her first year being a part of a high school, having worked with elementary kids primarily until now. She stated eagerly “I’m excited to get to know the older kids and adapt to this new environment.”
Ste. Marie is based out of Norfolk and has lived here for 30 years. She graduated from Tidewater Community College, and has been in the school system for 18 years. Before her arrival to PA, she was a library media specialist for four years at Holland Elementary. She also has experience working with the special education team at Strawbridge Elementary.
Outside of school, Ste. Marie briefly explained her passion for pottery. She explained she has been working with ceramics for two years, and even has her own wheel at home, adding “I like to make pots and bowls and practical items for use.” Aside from pottery, she also enjoys cooking and baking, as well as spending time with her family. She has three children: two sons, and one daughter.
Meet Francina Veurink: Princess Anne’s New Naval Science and NJROTC Instructor
By: Anuradha Basnet
Princess Anne welcomes Chief Petty Officer Francina Veurink (USN Ret.) as the newest addition to the Naval Science Department, where she will be leading underclassmen in the Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) program.
At Princess Anne, Veurink teaches NJROTC cadets not just core military values, military time, and the phonetic alphabet, but also the importance of perseverance and goal-setting. “My end goal isn’t necessarily for my students to join the military,” Verunik explains. “It’s to help them achieve whatever goals they set for themselves—whether that’s the military, college, or a different career. I’m here to support them, push them, and help them realize their full potential.”
Veurink says she spent much of her early life immersed in military culture. She initially wanted to pursue a career in the Army, but after high school, she attended cosmetology school and dreamt of becoming a fashion designer. However, after the 9/11 attacks, she explained her desire to serve the country was rekindled. By 2004, she had joined the Navy, driven by her goals of serving and funding her college education.
After retiring in May 2024, she explored other career opportunities, including an internship with a local contracting company, but realized her true passion was continuing to serve and guide others. This led her to volunteer with an NJROTC unit at a local high school and eventually gain her certification as a Naval Science Instructor.
Verunik explains her teaching style is rooted in building relationships and trust with her students. She finds the reward in how enthusiastic and engaged her cadets become in the NJROTC program. “The best part is how excited and into the program they get. It’s really easy to love what you do when you’re doing it with people who love that you’re there with them.”
Beyond the classroom, Verunik describes herself as a passionate family person and a pop culture lover. In her free time, she likes to spend time with her four children and attend concerts.
She explains that she is trying her hardest in her new role, and is committed to bringing enthusiasm and passion to education within the NJROTC program.Along with looking forward to the Military Ball in February, Veurink’s goal for the year is a personal one: “I want to beat Green Run in a drill category—just once,” she laughs.
