The Academic Team

Our Faculty & Staff

Our dedicated faculty and administrative team are here to meet our student-athletes’ needs from grade 3 through graduation.

Highly educated and bringing a wide variety of life experiences to the classroom, our teachers nurture and support each and every student at every step of their school career. 

Deanna Garrett

Head of School

Dade City, Florida 
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, Saint Leo University 
B.S. in Early Childhood Education, University of South Florida 
SPS Head of School since 2018 
Saddlebrook Faculty Member since 2016 

As the Head of School at Saddlebrook Prep, Mrs. Garrett’s educational philosophy is based on her uncompromising belief that all students can learn, given a positive learning environment, strong and knowledgeable leadership, committed and focused academic team, encouraging community, and supportive family.   

Prior to joining the staff at Saddlebrook Prep, Mrs. Garrett worked in the Pasco County School District for 22 years in a variety of teaching, instructional support, and administrative roles.   

In her free time, Mrs. Garrett enjoys watching movies, going to the beach, traveling, and spending time with her family.   

Pam Willoughby

Director of Curriculum

Dennis, Massachusetts  
M.Ed. in Educational Leadership, Saint Leo University 
B.F.A. in Graphic Design, Ringling College of Art + Design  
Saddlebrook Faculty Member since 2024 

Before joining SPS, Mrs. Willoughby worked for Pasco County Schools for 18 years in a variety of roles. She has been an art and television production teacher, elementary and high school educational media specialist, Pasco eSchool assistant principal, and senior supervisor for the district’s career and technical education department. Prior to becoming an educator, she was a print and broadcast graphic designer for 20 years. 

Mrs. Willoughby strongly believes in making decisions based on what’s best for students. She encourages them to think outside the box and be creative in finding solutions. Most importantly, she challenges them to set goals, work wisely, and celebrate achievements. 

When she’s not spending her spare time drawing, painting, or journaling, Mrs. Willoughby and her husband enjoy traveling, as well as spending time with their son, Ted, a mechanical engineer, and his wife.

Katrina Keys

Administrative Manager of School Operations

Wesley Chapel, Florida
B.S. in Business Administration, Ambassador University
Saddlebrook Faculty Member since 2019

Mrs. Keys is the Administrative Manager of School Operations. Her myriad responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the student database, attendance, uniforms, and special school events. 

Prior to Saddlebrook, Mrs. Keys worked with Pasco County schools for five years. Previously from Georgia, Mrs. Keys and her husband owned a gymnastics, cheerleading, and indoor baseball training center, working with athletes who competed nationally and were featured on ESPN. They had over 700 athletes in their programs, many who attended college on athletic scholarships and several who went on to play at professional levels.

During her free time, she enjoys traveling with her family and watching her son, Ethan, play golf as a member of Saint Leo University’s team.

Donna Claggett

Accounting Administrative Manager

Zephyrhills, Florida
Saddlebrook Staff member since 1982

Mrs. Claggett joined Saddlebrook Preparatory School in 1997. Prior to that she held positions in the resort as Front Desk Supervisor, Rental Manager at the Lakeside Village and Office Manager at Hopman Tennis. She handles student enrollment contracts, tuition fees and personal accounts, and is also responsible for maintaining international student visa records. 

In her free time, Mrs. Claggett enjoys spending time with her husband and family.

Jenna Campbell

High School English, AP English

Lakeland, Florida 
M.A. in Literary, Cultural and Technical Studies, University of Central Florida
B.A. in English and American Literature, University of South Florida
Saddlebrook Faculty Member since 2019

Ms. Campbell teaches High School English, AP English, and several high school electives. She chairs Saddlebrook Prep’s National Honor Society chapter and our Spartan Ambassadors Program. 

Prior to joining Saddlebrook Prep, Ms. Campbell taught for both the University of South Florida’s English Department and the University of Central Florida’s Rhetoric and Composition Department. 

In her free time, Ms. Campbell enjoys reading and adventuring outdoors.

La Trecia Taylor Carson

High School Math and Physics

Jacksonville, Florida
B.A in Mathematics (Concentration in Statistics), University of North Florida
Saddlebrook Faculty Member since 2019

Mrs. Carson was born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, where she graduated from University of North Florida with a B.A in Mathematics and a minor in Spanish.  She taught various math subjects for ten years at Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville – the same school where she had also been a high school student classically trained in various forms of dance.  She then moved to the Land O’ Lakes/Wesley Chapel area and taught at Land O Lakes High School for three years prior to joining Saddlebrook Prep School. 

In her spare time, Mrs. Carson enjoys spending time with her family.  She especially enjoys watching her two sons play their sports – baseball and golf. She also loves to read, travel, watch movies, and watch sports.  She loves to cook, especially for other people. 

Mario "Matt" Perez, Ph.D.

High School Science

Staten Island, N.Y.
Ph.D. in Biological Sciences (Molecular Mosquito Ecophysiology), Florida International University
B.S. in Biological Sciences (Coastal Benthic Ecology), Florida International University
Saddlebrook Faculty Member since 2024

Dr. Perez is originally from Staten Island, New York and moved to Miami, Florida, to do his doctoral research at Florida International University. As a doctoral researcher he discovered unique characteristics of the Dengue Fever Mosquito (Aedes aegypti) that contribute to its reproductive success and survivorship in urban environments; specifically A. aegytpi mosquitoes have the distinct ability to predispose the adult to best survive in its environment as a result of molecular signals generated during its dormant egg stage.

In his spare time, he enjoys play guitar and mandolin in his Southern Rock Band, “Cypress Creek”.

Hannah Pippin

Dade City, Florida
B.A. in Digital Communication and Multimedia Journalism, with a minor in Political Science, University of South Florida.
Saddlebrook Faculty Member since 2025

Mrs. Pippin teaches High School English. Prior to Saddlebrook Prep, she taught creative writing segments at Academy at the Farm. She maintains a passion for guiding students toward personal investment in writing, literature, and how they engage with the world.

In her free time, Mrs. Pippin devotes her energy to reading, writing, and playing the piano. She loves discussing movies as quickly as she can watch them, and she enjoys spending time outside with her family and her pets.

Erin Robison, Esq.

High School Social Studies

Zephyrhills, Florida
Juris Doctorate, Western New England University
M.A. in History, Arizona State University
B.S. in Criminal Justice, Troy University
B.S. in Sociology, Troy University
Saddlebrook Faculty Member since 2018

Ms. Robison teaches High School Social Studies classes, including World and American History, Government, Economics, AP courses, and Social Science electives. Ms. Robison chairs Saddlebrook’s Student Council.

Prior to Saddlebrook Prep, Ms. Robison was an active member of the Massachusetts Bar and transitioned her knowledge of trusts and estates into work for high-net-worth clients, including global wealth management at a Fortune 500 company in New York. 

In her spare time, Ms. Robison enjoys playing games, reading, and going on adventures. 

Chris Rosenke

College Planning, Media

St. Petersburg, Florida
B.A. in History, University of Florida
Saddlebrook Faculty Member since 2010

After several years teaching in the math and social studies departments, Mr. Rosenke is now responsible for Saddlebrook Prep’s college planning, print and digital media, and photography class. Students see him all over campus and at tournaments taking photos and putting them to use for the school’s social media and yearbook.

Prior to Saddlebrook Prep, Mr. Rosenke taught in the juvenile justice and public systems, as well as at Bradenton Prep where he taught athletes including tennis players, golfers, and the U.S. Boys’ U-18 soccer team.

In his free time, Mr. Rosenke enjoys running, cycling, and working on creative projects.

Annie Teston

Elementary/Middle

Dade City, Florida
B.S. in Elementary Education, University of South Florida
Saddlebrook Faculty Member since 2025

Mrs. Teston teaches a combination upper elementary/middle grades integrated curriculum with an emphasis on theme-based learning. 

Prior to Saddlebrook Prep, Mrs. Teston taught both elementary school and middle school science in Pasco and Sumter Counties since 1997.

In her free time, she enjoys time spent with her family, reading and enjoying the great outdoors.

Neftali Villanueva

High School Mathematics

Aguada, Puerto Rico
B.A. in Mathematics, University of Central Florida
Saddlebrook Faculty member since 2023

Mr. Villanueva was born in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, where he lived until the age of 16, when his family moved to Florida. While living in Orlando, he studied Mathematics at the University of Central Florida and earned his B.A. He worked at Faith Christian Academy throughout his college career and after finishing his degree he taught there as a teacher, instructing in Algebra 1, Algebra 2, Geometry and Calculus.

He moved to Tampa in 2023 and joined the Saddlebrook faculty during that school year.

He loves spending time with family, working on improving his home theater, playing video games and discovering new music. Mr. Villanueva loves movies almost as much as he does math – and he is not shy about it.