For the Tomahawk Leader
TOMAHAWK – The School District of Tomahawk recently welcomed 14 educators to its staff for the 2023-2024 school year.
Molly Kollath
Position: High School Math Teacher
Hometown: Hubertus, Wis.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from UW-Whitewater.
Family: It’s just my cat, Kalia, and I in Merrill, but I love to go visit my parents, grandma and nieces on the weekends.
Interests/hobbies: I like to crochet, read, cross-stitch and play board games. I also love to travel; I went to Door County and Nashville this summer, and I can’t wait to go back to the Canary Islands.
What are you most excited about in your new role? I’m very excited to teach AP calculus and meet everyone.
Lisa Holliday
Position: 4th Grade Teacher
Hometown: Rib Lake, Wis.
Education: I got my degree in early childhood education from the University of Wisconsin- Green Bay.
Family: My husband James and I have been married for almost one year now. We live on their family farm with our golden lab named Nelly.
What are you most excited about in your new role? I am excited to apply everything that I learned in my college field placements and student teaching for this teaching position.
Mark Schommer
Position: Director of Teaching and Learning
Hometown: Weston, Wis.
Education: Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Marian University, Bachelor’s in Secondary Math Education with minors in Business Administration and Computer Programming from UWSP.
Family: Wife – Jennifer, sons – Connor (20) and Quintin (15)
Interests/hobbies: Golf, cycling, kayaking, playing in the yard, vacationing and more golf.
What are you most excited about in your new role? I am a curriculum junkie at heart who loves working with groups to make things better for students. For me, this is my perfect position…so everything!
Cooper Kelley
Position: Social Studies/Assistant Football Coach
Hometown: Cheboygan, Mich. No, it’s not a typo – it’s a small town in Michigan.
Education: BSED Secondary Education – Central Michigan University.
What are you most excited about in your new role? Very excited to teach U.S. History and coach northern Wisconsin football.
Katie Denton
Position: MS/HS Spanish/Head Volleyball Coach
Hometown: Olympia, Wash.
Education: Bachelor’s Degree – Western Washington University (WWU); Master’s Degree – Louisiana State University – Shreveport (LSUS).
Family: Husband – Jess; dog – Nevvie.
Interests/hobbies: Traveling, coaching, fishing, kayaking, crafts, reading and drinking coffee.
What are you most excited about in your new role? I am thrilled to meet my new students and teach them more about Spanish language and culture as well as be a part of the Hatchet Community. I am excited to already be working with the volleyball team. We have a strong group of athletes with heart and grit. I look forward to a successful season this year.
Tammy Neeb
Position: 4th Grade Teacher
Hometown: Greenfield, Wis.
Education: Master’s Degree in Inclusive Education, Cardinal Stritch; Bachelor’s Degree in Fine Arts, UWM.
Family: My daughter is nine. We have an Irish wolfhound, a Bullmastiff, a farm kitty, chickens and turkeys. Our extended family lives in the Milwaukee area, but my parents bought a place up the road from our farm and frequently come up in summer.
Interests/hobbies: Gardening, golf, volleyball and tinkering around our hobby farm in Irma. During winter, I spend time in my art workshop.
What are you most excited about in your new role? I’m excited about teaching in the Tomahawk School District and getting to know the students, staff and families. Our community is such a gem. I’m honored to be part of such an awesome school in such a great community.
Makenzie (Mak) Kathamegos
Position: 7th Grade Special Education Teacher
Hometown: Tomahawk
Education: UW-Stevens Point with Bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education and Special Education.
Family: My husband, Christopher, and I got married in June. Together, we live in Tomahawk with our teacup Chihuahua, Rocco.
Interests/hobbies: I enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles and diamond art. I also love spending time with friends and family. I spend my summers working as a carhop at a drive in restaurant.
What are you most excited about in your new role? I’m excited to return to the district that inspired me to become an educator and helped fuel my passion for learning. I can’t wait share this feeling with my students and see the impact they can make on the world.
Jacob Seelig
Position: ELA Teacher
Hometown: Clintonville, Wis.
Education: Graduated from Marian University in Fond du Lac.
Family: Both of my parents are teachers themselves, and my younger sister has started to go to college to become a teacher.
Interests/hobbies: Anything that surrounds the outdoors. I am a very big fisherman and spend much of my off time around the water.
What are you most excited about in your new role? I am most excited to begin my first teaching role and become a part of the school community!
Katie Michalski
Position: 3rd Grade Teacher
Hometown: Slinger, Wis.
Education: I attended the University of Arizona-Tucson, where I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Sports Management. Upon graduating, I remained in Tucson, where my teaching career began as a 4K teacher. As much as I enjoyed Arizona, I missed Wisconsin, so when the year came to an end, I moved to Tomahawk and was fortunate to be hired as a first grade teacher at MHLT, Minocqua, where I taught the past five years. I am looking forward to continuing my teaching career with the Tomahawk School District.
Family: I am fortunate enough to have a fun and loving stepson, Deekin, and two energetic dogs, Bandit and Dexter. My parents live elsewhere, but I have grandparents, aunts, uncles and my brother living in Tomahawk as well.
Interests/hobbies: Since moving to Tomahawk, my love for fishing has grown. I also enjoy boating and four-wheeling with my family and am currently learning how to golf. I also enjoy crafting with my cricut.
What are you most excited about in your new role? I am excited to teach and have a positive impact on the children in the community where I live, while also watching Deekin grow.
Raleigh Jahn
Position: High School Social Studies Teacher
Hometown: Spirit Falls, Wis.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Broad Field Social Studies from UW-River Falls.
Interests/hobbies: I like to hunt, fish and spend time outdoors.
What are you most excited about in your new role? I am excited to be back in my hometown and to have the opportunity to give back to the community that helped me obtain my goal of being a teacher.
Mikayla Kaczrouske
Position: Second Grade Teacher
Hometown: Appleton, Wis.
Education: Associate’s from Fox Valley Technical College in Early Childhood Education. Bachelor’s of Science in Early Childhood Education from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Family: Husband – Larry.
Interests/hobbies: Love being with children and the outdoors.
What are you most excited about in your new role? Being able to learn so many new things and grow in my role as an educator.
Cassie Cerny
Position: Middle School Counselor
Hometown: Maribel, Wis.
Education: BA from UWEC and MAC from Lakeland University.
Family: Married for 18 years with two sons (Evan is 16 and Xander is 13), two dogs (Stella is a border collie and Zika is a German shepherd lab), and a cat (Jasper).
Interests/hobbies: I have a photography hobby that keeps me quite busy with babies, families, seniors, and weddings.
What are you most excited about in your new role? Joining a tight-knit community.
Niki Schiltz
Position: Elementary Art
Hometown: Tomahawk
Education: University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, BFA-Art Education
Family: I live in Tomahawk with my husband, Andy, and our daughter, Layla.
Interests/hobbies: I love to be outdoors year-round. I enjoy hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, mountain biking, camping and exploring. I also enjoy creating art, reading and cooking.
What are you most excited about in your new role? I am excited to meet and build relationships with students and staff while sharing the joy of art and exploring art making and learning opportunities.
Suzie Coleman
Position: 7th Grade ELA
Hometown: Merrill, Wis.
Education: I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in General and Special Education, Middle Childhood-Early Adolescence, with an emphasis in Learning Disabilities at UW-Oshkosh, graduating in 2016. This summer, I completed my Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision, with dual Principal and Director of Curriculum Licenses, at UW-River Falls.
Family: My family lives in Merrill. My husband CJ and I both work in the Tomahawk area. Our daughter, Scout, will be three this fall. We also have two dogs, Beretta (a pudelpointer) and Timber (a labradoodle).
Interests/hobbies: I enjoy reading, decorating, crafting and thrifting. Together, our family enjoys camping. I make wedding flowers. I am a serial hobby collector and am mediocre at most of them – I would like to add quilting this year.
What are you most excited about in your new role? I am very passionate about literature and behavior systems. This year, I will be helping lead the MS PBIS program, and am thrilled to work in my niche. Above all, I am excited to get to know the students.