Our Team - STARBASE Vermont

- Dan Myers
  State Director
  Dan Myers
  State Director
  About Dan
  Dan “Strider” Myers was born and raised in Burlington, Vermont. He received his BA in Elementary Education from Johnson State College in 1997. Dan recently completed his 30th year with the United State Army Reserves. As a Master Sergeant in the USAR, he is the Chief Instructor with the 108th Training Command.
  Before becoming the Director of STARBASE, Dan started out as an instructor with the program in 1997. As the program evolved, he became a training coordinator and he developed relationships with local schools who continue to bring their classes to STARBASE annually. The Unit Chief position brought on new challenges as he managed the staff at the South Burlington site and maintained the integrity of the program through major curriculum changes. Now that Dan has completed his director training and is guiding both the South Burlington and Rutland sites, his goal is to start an additional afterschool program called STARBASE 2.0 for middle school students and community mentors.
- Paige Clark
  Site Supervisor– South Burlington
  Paige Clark
  Site Supervisor– South Burlington
  About Paige
  Paige “Ladybug” Clark joined the STARBASE Vermont team in 2009. After graduating from the University of Vermont in 2009 with a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, she continued her education by earning her Master’s degree in Education at UVM in 2011. Paige loves working at STARBASE and having the opportunity to work with students around Vermont.
  Paige is from a small town in the Northeast Kingdom. Growing up in Vermont, she has learned to love the outdoors. She loves skiing, hiking and yoga. She also enjoys running and has completed two marathons! Paige’s family is also very important to her. She loves going on adventures with her son and husband.
- JoAnna Tebbetts
  Training Coordinator – South Burlington
  JoAnna Tebbetts
  Training Coordinator – South Burlington
  About JoAnna
  JoAnna “Hiker Girl” Tebbetts was born in Alaska and has lived in several states before moving to Vermont for college. She graduated from Johnson State College in 2009 with her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and in Environmental Science. She has always felt passionate about teaching, and science is her favorite subject.
  She loves working at STARBASE because as a training coordinator, she teaches students about how important and fun science, technology, engineering and math can be.
  When Hiker Girl is not at STARBASE she is hiking throughout New England, spending time with her husband, her son, and their dogs, or taking on new adventure sports such as skydiving. She hopes to someday be able to backpack in Europe.
- Emily Bennett
  Instructor - South Burlington
  Emily Bennett
  Instructor - South Burlington
  About Emily
  Emily “Fern” Bennett lived in Pennsylvania before moving to Vermont. She received her Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from DeSales University and is also a licensed teacher. Emily is excited to be working at STARBASE because she enjoys providing children with a conducive environment for discovery and has the opportunity to branch out into other STEM related subjects.
  When Emily is not in the classroom, she loves to be outdoors. She enjoys taking hikes and camping with her family and dog. She also enjoys exploring different towns, riding her bike, and exercising.
- Emma Sherman
  Site Supervisor- Rutland
  Emma Sherman
  Site Supervisor- Rutland
  About Emma
  Emma “Veery” Sherman joined the STARBASE team in October of 2017. She received a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education from SUNY Plattsburgh in 2008. Emma then continued with her schooling at SUNY Plattsburgh and 2 years later earned a Master of Science in Education: Curriculum & Instruction degree.
  Before moving to Vermont full time to work at a local ski resort, Emma previously worked as an environmental educator. She is excited to be working at STARBASE because she has always been passionate about teaching.
  In her free time, Emma enjoys anything that might get her outside as well as knitting, reading, and spending time with her cat and family.
- Nat Paine
  Training Coordinator- Rutland
  Nat Paine
  Training Coordinator- Rutland
  About Nat
  Nat “Crew” Paine grew up on an island in Maine before attending the University of Vermont. After graduating in 2010, he coached soccer in Vermont, skiing in Colorado, and sailing in Maine. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Teaching- Instructional Practice from the Upper Valley Graduate School of Education in Lebanon, NH, before teaching humanities in public schools for five years.
  Nat joined Rutland STARBASE in 2022, and is particularly excited about the opportunities at STARBASE for students to solve problems with a team.
  When Nat isn’t teaching, he’s learning. Currently, he is learning how to be a good father, husband, skier, mountain biker, golfer, and carpenter.
- Alexis Scangas
  Instructor- Rutland
  Alexis Scangas
  Instructor- Rutland
  About Alexis
  Alexis “Calypso” Scangas grew up in St. Albans, Vermont. She graduated from Nazareth College in 2016 with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education, then continued her education by earning a Master of Music in Music History from Bowling Green State University in 2018. She worked as a public school teacher for four years before transitioning to the role of STARBASE instructor.
  Alexis has always loved teaching and loves being able to work with students in a more hands-on approach allowing learners to work through activities, experiments, and projects. Outside of teaching, Alexis enjoys reading, watching movies, playing board games, and making music.