Meet Our Staff
Mrs. Susan Hartfil – Preschool
I have been employed by St. Mary/McCormick for the last 25+ years, working in the early childhood setting. Along with being a teacher, I am a mother of three. Along with being a mother, I also am a grandmother of seven. Growing up in a large Catholic family I enjoy all ages of children.
Mrs. Mary Licavoli – Young 5’s
I am a wife and mother of three children. I have been teaching for 15 years and my favorite subject to teach is Religion. Nothing brings me more joy than to have the freedom to talk about God with my students every day, which is why I love teaching at SM/MCA. At SM/MCA we are one big family, we don’t just prep students for test scores but we prep them for life using God’s teachings as our guide.
Some of my favorite things are spending time with my family, from outdoor adventures to game nights, snuggling my maltipoo Gigi, reading a good book and walking around Hobby Lobby. I love a good cup of coffee in the morning and my favorite snack is popcorn.
Mrs. Amy Whitsitt – Kindergarten
Mrs. Whitsitt loves to read! I love reading books on my own and my favorite part of teaching is reading books to my class! I love going to the theater, especially to see musicals! My favorite thing about SM/MCA is getting to talk about Jesus and all of the wonderful families that send their children to our school!
Mrs. Vanessa Cendejas – Grade 1/2
Hello! I am Mrs. Cendejas and have been teaching at St. Mary/McCormick since 2022. I have had a lot of experience teaching preschool and elementary school all the way from California, Oregon, and now in Michigan! I really enjoy all the things that encompass my job here at St. Mary/McCormick. The staff is wonderful and loving, the students are helpful and kind, and I think I fit right in!
Mrs. Stephanie Scandalito – Grade 3
I have attended St. Clair County Community College, Eastern Michigan University and Oakland University.
I love American History, reading, and creative crafts such as all kinds of sewing, knitting, and card making. I enjoy projects and crafts in the classroom as well as reading aloud to my students. My favorite aspect of SM/MCA is the family atmosphere.
Mrs. Sue Mahon – Grade 4
I am a wife of 21 years and a mom of one son who is grown and flown. I began teaching during high school when I became a catechist and have been involved in sharing my faith throughout my life. I’ve taught students in preschool through adult education in Michigan and during our fourteen years in North Carolina. My last job, before coming home in 2020, was as the Director of Religious Education at our church.
I love to bake and try new recipes. I even have a small cottage business where I sell my baked goods. I’m learning a lot about plants with my flowers and my vegetable garden. I enjoy canning jams, jellies, and other yummy favorites I grew up on. I’ve also taken on refurbishing furniture finds and updating their look. My husband and I enjoy exploring the area, spending time together, and watching a good hockey game. We both love when our son visits or when we can go visit him.
Mr. Alexander Brown – Middle School (Grades 5-8) Social Studies, Science, & ELA
This is my first year as a teacher at St. Mary/McCormick Academy. Although I am originally from Michigan, I grew up in an area called Texoma. I lived in southwest Oklahoma, but attended school in Texas. When I moved back to Michigan during 11th grade, I attended Austin Catholic High School. This is where I fell in love with Catholic education. After high school graduation I chose to continue my education at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio. During this time, I was involved with the Catholic Youth Organization Camp and Saint Vincent DePaul Society primarily through their summer camp programs. Some of my greatest experiences at Lourdes University involved heavy involvement with campus ministry where I helped serve the community of greater Toledo and participated in the March for Life in Washington, D.C. These days I enjoy reading and writing in my free time primarily (Tolkien, Lewis, and Chesterton.) I am happy to work in a strong Catholic community.
Mr. Michael VanderGraaff – Middle School (Grades 5-8) Religion & Math
Hello, I’m Mr. Michael VanderGraaff. I am a civilly divorced and annulled single father of 10, 2 in Heaven, 3 out and grown, and 5 still at home. Along with my crazy parenting life, I read quite a bit and enjoy playing baseball and other sports for fun. I’m a Michigan native and a lifelong resident of the Blue Water Area. Some of the things I like best about the “thumb” are the seasons and the people.
Teaching is one of my favorite things to do! And at St. Mary’s I get to weave our beautiful Catholic faith in every subject. How wonderful! I’m so happy to work with my principal, support staff, and fellow teachers in guiding our students to grow in their faith and academic learning.
Heather Wright – Administrative Assistant
I have been working at SM/MCA since August 2021. I started out as a parent volunteer when my daughter was in the preschool room half days back in 2016. I decided once my son was in school full-time that I would enjoy another part-time job substitute teaching which led to an afternoon para pro position in the kindergarten classroom with Mrs. Whitsitt, to taking over the administrative assistant position full-time during the academic school year when Mrs. Foglesong retired after 31 years of service. Prior to the administrative position, I was with Kate’s Downtown for over nine years. I have been working with families and/or running some form of a business my entire working life.
My two children and I love spending time together either chilling out at home or finding new adventures in and out of state. We enjoy road trips looking for new zip lining courses, rock climbing, treasure hunting and relaxing in the water and on the beach. We enjoy each other’s company and attend weekly mass at St. Mary Parish.