Our Leadership Team

Melissa DeWitt Hanson has proudly served as the Head of School since our statewide virtual school opened in 2021. With more than 25 years in education and experience in online learning since 2008, she has dedicated her career to helping students and families thrive in all learning environments. 

Melissa believes that every child deserves access to an excellent education, no matter where they live. She is passionate about creating a school where teachers feel supported, families feel connected, and MOST IMPORTANTLY every learner has the opportunity to succeed. 

What Melissa enjoys most about her role is meeting students from across the state and learning about everything that makes them awesome. Melissa and her team are committed to doing whatever it takes to support and encourage each learner because they truly believe in fighting for Every Student, Every Day. 

Jackie Samuels is beginning her third year as Principal of VPrep High School and Beacon Online Academy.  She is also starting her first year as Principal of VPrep Middle School. With more than 30 years of experience as an English teacher and school principal, she is passionate about creating schools where every student feels supported, challenged, and valued. 

Jackie believes every student has unique strengths and can succeed when they are given opportunities, encouragement, and caring adults who believe in them.  She enjoys partnering with teachers, building relationships with families, and helping students discover their strengths as they pursue their goals and dreams. 

Jackie lives by a simple philosophy: work hard, be kind. She is committed to creating opportunities for every student to learn, grow, and succeed. Her focus is every student, every day. 

Dameon Wyatt has dedicated the past 18 years to serving students, families, and educators in a variety of educational leadership roles. Throughout his career, he has served as a teacher, school counselor, dean, assistant principal, and principal, gaining extensive experience supporting student success and fostering positive school communities. 

Dameon believes that every child has the ability to learn, grow, and achieve at high levels. He is passionate about creating learning environments where students are challenged to reach their full potential, teachers feel supported and empowered, and families are valued as essential partners in education. His leadership is grounded in the belief that every decision should reflect what is best for students, every day. 

Kaylee Quirán serves as the Special Education Coordinator and has been working in virtual education for the past five years. Throughout her career, she has supported students across a wide range of grade levels and is passionate about helping every learner reach their full potential. 

Kaylee believes that every person, regardless of their circumstances, deserves the opportunity to succeed, grow, and thrive. She is committed to creating supportive learning environments where students feel encouraged, families feel valued, and educators work together to help every child achieve success. 

What Kaylee enjoys most about her role is building meaningful relationships with students and families while helping remove barriers to learning. She is dedicated to ensuring that every student receives the support they need to become confident, capable, and lifelong learners. 

Hello! I am Nadina McFann, and I serve as the Student Services Manager, working closely alongside our Student Success Team and school leadership team to support our incredible school community. A dedicated educator since 2009, I began my career as a middle school social studies teacher before stepping outside the classroom to serve as a school board liaison. Drawn to virtual education early on by the excitement of pioneering a new frontier in learning, I have spent the better part of my career in the online space and have been a proud member of our school family since our very first day in 2021. 

My educational philosophy is driven by the firm belief that not all students learn the same way, and that every single student deserves to experience success. Just as I believed in creating a safe and welcoming environment to lead my classroom, I carry that same mission into my work with our school community today. Getting to meet and collaborate directly with our students and families is what brings me the most joy—and it is that exact partnership that fuels my energy to continuously elevate the support we provide every day! 

When I’m not supporting our school community, you can usually find me staying active and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.  More than anything, I cherish spending quality time with my family and making memories together.