Teachers

Cara Seoane has been teaching for 25 years. After graduating with a degree in elementary education from the University of South Florida, Cara worked in several schools focused on integrating students with special needs into the regular classroom. With this experience, she joined the Atlantis Academy Coral Springs team, where she’s been making a difference in children’s lives for the last 16 years.

Originally from Cuba, Noriel Hernandez Rodriguez earned a degree as a language teacher and for the past 20 years he’s been teaching English as a foreign or second language to students in Cuba, Canada and the United States. After moving to Miami in 2014, he taught in the Miami-Dade County Public Schools system and the Miami Beach Adult and Community Education Center before joining the staff of Atlantis Academy Coral Springs.

Gillian Pridgen began her second career as a teacher at Atlantis Academy Coral Springs after spending more than 12 years as a litigation paralegal and child support case analyst. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Nova Southeastern University in Davie, Fla., and a paralegal certificate from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. . Gillian has her temporary teaching certification for social sciences. Prior to becoming an educator, Gillian worked as a private family mediator in the Broward County area.

Margaret Pickholtz brings diverse health care experience to the science classrooms at Atlantis Academy Coral Springs. Originally from New England, Margaret earned a bachelor’s degree from Boston University. After an internship with the National Spinal Cord Injury Association, she worked in career counseling and placement for adults with disabilities and spent several years at McLean Hospital and New England Medical Center. Upon relocating to Florida, Margaret served as a special education teacher assistant in Broward County Schools before earning her certification as a science teacher.

Kari Malone has been teaching Kindergarten, first- and second-grade students at Atlantis Academy Coral Springs for the last four years. Prior to joining the Atlantis staff, she worked in pre-K classrooms as a teacher’s assistant specializing in intensive and specialized programs. A Texas native, Kari holds a bachelor’s degree in communication disorders from Texas Tech University and has worked in the field of special education since she was 16. Kari believes in celebrating her students’ successes as often as possible to create a positive learning environment.

Christina Blackmon holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from St. Thomas University in Miami and a master’s degree in reading and literacy. With nine years in the education field, Christina joined Atlantis Academy Coral Springs two years ago to teach our high school students. Her favorite subjects to teach are English and writing, and, when not teaching, she enjoys spending time reading.