Meet the people behind Spelling Safari!
Jonathan Marceau
Co-Founder, Elementary Educator
Jonathan Marceau has been an elementary educator for 20 years, teaching students in grades 3rd through 6th. He was named the State of Michigan and National Student Teacher of the Year in 2004. During his time at the 2nd largest school district in Michigan, he had a passion for curriculum development, serving on curriculum committees and routinely developing unique curriculum materials for his students.
Zoe Sponseller
Project Assistant
Zoe Sponseller is a junior at Eastern Michigan University studying Secondary Education Mathematics and Chemistry. She has had experience working with K-12 students through tutoring and substitute teaching/paraeducator. Zoe has a background in entrepreneurship through her work at the EMU Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and she has participated and won in multiple business plan competitions for her business, Red Thread Unraveled, including the EMU Skandalaris Business Plan Competition (1st, 2023), EMU Elevator Pitch Competition (1st, 2022), Washington State University (WSU) Business Plan Competition (1st, 2021), the Northwest Entrepreneur Competition (finalist, 2022), and the Michigan Collegiate Startup Challenge (finalist, 2022).