Meet our team
Your Destinations Student Support Team
The members of the Student Support Team supports student success at Wisconsin Virtual Academy. Our team offers support to the student, including working with the family as a unit, by removing barriers to the child’s academic success. We work in partnership with your teachers to support your child’s active engagement and efforts in learning. Please take a moment to get to know your support team.
Our mission: The Student Support Services Team is committed to partnering with Wisconsin Virtual Academy (WIVA) and Destinations Career Academy of Wisconsin (DCA) students, families, and staff to help each student achieve success through advocacy, engagement, and empowerment to become independent, lifelong learners.
Jodell Gagnow, Student Support Administrator
Jodell Gagnow is passionate about transforming academic growth through motivation, encouragement, and supporting others in finding their inner spark. She has been affiliated with K12 Stride Learning since 2015. Jodell’s education consists of a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and she has a technical degree in Dental Assisting. She also continues to participate in continuing education.
Her personal mission statement is “fear not, every dawn opens hope and opportunity.” Jodell is an imaginative leader that focuses on an individual’s uniqueness as a strength. Jodell can often be found in the outdoors on a walk with her dog or sitting in the sun reading a book during her downtime.
Justine Johnson, Community Engagement Support (CES)
Justine Johnson came to WIVA at the beginning of the 2007 school year, bringing with her previous experience and expertise in leadership, not-for-profit business administration, customer support, sales and marketing, and executive administrative support. Her first endeavor was to assist in opening the WIVA high school, which launched in the 2007–2008 school year. In the years she has served at WIVA, she's been in the capacities of admin support, community development manager, state testing logistics, student/learning coach support, high school advisor and, now, SSA. In her role, she is excited to bring her knowledge of curriculum and systems and her focus on creating a community for Learning Coaches and their students at WIVA and DCA. She is committed to the students at our schools, and is dedicated to supporting Learning Coaches as they support learning and build fun and educational accountability for their children's schooling.
Kerry Marren, Family Resource Coordinator (FRC)
Kerry Marren has been working with at-risk middle school and high school students in Illinois, Washington State and Wisconsin for many years. Kerry received her degree in Communication Journalism from DePere University in Chicago. She left the corporate world to pursue her passion for helping students achieve success both socially and academically through positive educational experiences. Kerry is excited to continue serving students and families of Wisconsin Virtual Academy as the Family Resource Coordinator where she will continue to pursue her goal to help every student have the resources they need to succeed.
Traci Brande, Student Support Advisor
Traci Brande joined WIVA during the 2019-20SY. Traci started her post-high school education with a 2-year Accounting degree. She worked in the business field until their oldest child was born and then chose to be a stay-at-home mom. Traci and her husband are the proud parents of 6 teenage children; one adopted at birth, two biological, and three adopted as “older” kids through the foster care system. Traci home-schooled their children for several years and loved it! She was able to help her children to discover their learning styles and strengths and watch them grow. Traci also has experience helping her own children with learning disabilities of various types as well as working through trauma.
Traci and her family have been very involved in horse rescue over the last decade. They have intervened in over 60 horses' lives to help them find safe places to land. The horses have played an integral part in healing for her children. Traci and her daughters love to ride and do so every chance we get. Other hobbies include reading, photography, scrapbooking, and hiking with her husband and family.
Toni Flood, DCA Student Support Advisor
Toni Flood comes from a teaching family with a sister and brother who are or were teachers. She was a home-schooling parent and "learning coach" having educated her three sons for all of their schooling and three nephews through high school (she taught World History so many times she was able to CLEP out of Western Civilization when she returned to college). Toni and her family were a part of the very first Wisconsin virtual charter school and were a part of the very first year of WIVA. When she was finished with the responsibilities of their education, Toni returned to being a student herself and finished her undergrad degree at the college her grandmother had graduated from 75 years earlier - and, yes, her grandmother was there for her graduation ceremony!
