Kimberly Petronella graduated from Florida State University in 2002 with a degree in English/English Education.  In that same year, she started teaching English at Space Coast.  She teaches 7th grade VAP Language Arts, 8th grade VAP Language Arts, 9th grade VAP Pre-AP English, and 8th grade Language Arts Advanced.  She is also a certified ESOL and Gifted teacher.  She has been part of the VAP program since its inception in 2010.  Mrs. Petronella loves working with gifted and talented children, and finds it a privilege to teach them as a whole group in the VAP program.  She believes students will work to their full potential when given opportunities to be creative and to express themselves in their own unique ways.  She believes in fostering a positive classroom environment where students truly enjoy learning. 

Mrs. Swearingen graduated from UCF with her Bachelor’s in Education in 1998 and Master’s Degree in 2009. She is certified in Elementary, Middle Grades Science, Gifted and ESOL. In 2019, she was honored to be inducted into the Brevard County Science Teacher Hall of Fame. Throughout the year, she enjoys working with and training other teachers to support science education throughout our county and state. Two of her daughters graduated from SpaceCoast and were part of the VAP program! 

In her spare time, she enjoys running, spending time with her husband and children, backpacking on the Appalachian Trail and the Florida Trail when she can’t get out of state. 

Being part of the VAP program as the Middle School Science Teacher and Science Research Teacher is truly a blessing and honor for Mrs. Swearingen. It gives her joy to provide meaningful and thought-provoking experiences for these leaders of tomorrow. Students learn in many ways and it is her goal to provide opportunities to meet the needs of each student both within and beyond their level of comfort.  An ideal day in Mrs. Swearingen's science lab includes students working together in groups on labs that are engaging, exciting and challenging!

Mrs. Dauphinee graduated from the University of Central Florida with her degree in Biology Education in 2008 and has worked at Space Coast Jr/Sr HS ever since.  She currently teaches 7th grade VAP Comprehensive Science II, 8th Grade VAP Comprehensive Science III, Pre-AP Biology (9th VAP), Biology I, and Anatomy & Physiology Honors.  She is certified in Advanced Placement Biology and is working towards her Gifted Certification.  Mrs. Dauphinee believes that the more we know about the world around us, the more fascinating it becomes. (That’s why she pokes dead things with sticks!)  She strives to provide an engaging and fun learning environment that will rouse student curiosity and encourage students to ask meaningful questions about their world that will ultimately lead to scientifically literate citizens and possibly even a future career in a field of science. Mrs. Dauphinee believes that all students, especially the gifted and talented children of the VAP program, hold the potential to become leaders of tomorrow, and she feels that it is her responsibility to make sure that they are prepared for it.

Known across campus for his quick wit, epic mustache, and test chicken, Marcus Mayntz is the Upper Grades VAP Coordinator.

Mr. Mayntz graduated from Rockledge High School in 1994 and Florida Tech in 1998 with a degree in Physics Education. He has taught in Jacksonville, Florida as well as Provo, Utah before returning home to Space Coast in 2016. He has taught every level of Physics, including Honors, AP, IB, and even dual language classes in Spanish. In addition to Physics, he has taught math classes ranging from Algebra I all the way to Calculus 2, as well as Astronomy Honors-an appropriate class for a school located on the "Space Coast." As the Science Department Chairperson, Mr. Mayntz is responsible for making sure that all students receive the best possible science education possible and is exceptionally proud of the people that work with him. When not teaching, Mr. Mayntz enjoys attending events at SC to see his students perform whether it is athletically, musically, or dramatically. He enjoys building models, reading science fiction and fantasy books, and enjoying the beach. He has been married to his college sweetheart for over 20 years and lives in "downtown" Port St. John. Mr. Mayntz holds all of his students to the highest possible standards and believes in the inherent value of education. It is his mission as VAP coordinator to get his students prepared for the rigor expected and self reliance needed to succeed in a university setting.

Mrs. Leeds has been teaching English to Space Coast students for over 21 years. Although she originally graduated from the University of Central Florida with a degree in journalism, specializing in advertising and public relations, she soon realized that the call to teach was too strong. She headed back to college and then back to the classroom.

During the school day, Mrs. Leeds can be found greeting students at the door of Room 504 or reminding them that “we have so much to do and not enough time to do it” as the lessons progress inside. Although she “never jokes about literature,” she quite often makes jokes about literature. “Being a teacher in the same community for over two decades has been one of my biggest blessings,” said Mrs. Leeds. “I get to see young adults light up at learning new material, reaching new goals, and then eventually having their own children start school.”

Mrs. O'Sullivan ("Mrs. O") graduated from the University of Central Florida with a bachelor's degree in English Language Arts (6-12). She has worked most of her teaching career here at Space Coast, but did teach a few years in Orlando, Florida previously. She currently teaches 7th grade VAP Language Arts, 7th grade Advanced and Regular Language Arts, and 8th grade Advanced and Regular Language Arts. This is her first year working with the VAP class and finds it an honor to be working with both the children and families. She values each child's education and wants to see each one succeed now, as well as later in their lives. She values student engagement and participation, individually or in a team, whether that be done through creativity or research based. These are some of the necessary skills students will need in order to enter the work force later on. Additionally, Mrs. O values students' extracurricular activities and can sometimes be seen at sporting or musical events. 

I have had the pleasure of teaching high school math for 11 years and have taught Algebra I Honors to Advanced Placement Statistics.  I graduated from Florida Tech with a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Mathematics Education with a specific focus on secondary instruction.  In my spare time, I enjoy fishing, running, and spending time with my family.  When I grow up, I hope to become a professional fisherman in the Keys with my family crew by my side.

Hey Ya’ll!

My name is Dave Bunker, I was born 1959 in Beaufort South Carolina to a Marine Corps couple, Del and Ruth. I lived in Florida practically all my life in places like Miami, Orlando, Winter Springs, Oviedo, Titusville, Cocoa Beach, Melbourne Beach, Palm Bay and now Viera. I used to show Hunters and Jumpers as a teen; which was to be my dream career in life until a screen printing company hired me to be Art Director for them. I learned the trade and a few years later, I started my own business drawing designs and printing t-shirts for the Smithsonian, Disney, Ron Jons, Winston Nascar to name a few. In 1984, I met Shirley Parker at a TGI Fridays and we have been married for 36 years. We have 2 great adult children Chase and Hannah; both living in Jax Beach. I love to occupy my time being in the great outdoors, golfing, fishing, hiking, pickleball, billiards, eating greasy food and hanging with close friends; enjoying my time on Earth.

In 2001, I went to the University of Central Florida where I graduated with a degree in Communicative Disorders and became a Speech Language Pathologist for Horace Mann, Riverdale and Fieldston. For the past 17 years, I have been teaching in Brevard County and presently at Space Coast Jr/Sr High teaching 8th/ 9th grade VAP/Advanced U.S. and World History.
I am truly blessed to have a career where I get to talk about the very thing that I love, America.

Ms. Pritchett graduated Columbia International University in 2005 with a degree in Middle Eastern Studies and a minor in Teaching English.  She taught conversational English in the Kurdish area of Northern Iraq for two years before going to work for the Kurdish Government in Erbil, Iraq as an English Consultant.  She received her master’s degree in Political Science from James Madison University in 2012.  After interning for the US Consulate in Florence, Italy two of her research papers were published in the Department of State Archives.  Ms. Pritchett’s additional previous jobs have included Pilot, Flight Attendant, Chaplain on a military base, Executive Assistant over a base in Iraq on a Department of Defense contract, project manager on a contract for the Department of Homeland Security, and English teacher among others.  She joined the Space Coast family as a teacher in January of 2022.

Ms. Pritchett loves sharing her passion of learning with her students and uses her multi-vocational background as an example to her students that with hard work and dedication there is no limit to what they can accomplish.  Ms. Pritchett has taught 8th grade US History, 7th Grade Civics, Advanced Civics and this year, VAP Civics. 

Ms. Pritchett loves supporting her students and is often seen at their sporting/musical extra-curricular events, cheering them on.  When not teaching, Ms. Pritchett can most often be found with a book or planning her next travel adventure.