At World Upside Down Arts Studio, we have an amazing team of teaching artists, interns, and volunteers who help us create a life-changing experience for our students. In addition to the classes and programs we offer at the studio, we have a growing number of requests to provide teaching services at local schools, group homes, and homeschool co-ops. We are not currently offering any full-time positions but have a number of exciting opportunities for work and ministry. Check out their bios below. You have full permission to be utterly impressed! Want to join our team?
Team Members
After School Teaching Team
Milca Puello
After School Assistant Director Intern
Milca is an amazing vocalist and plays saxophone and has recorded vocals for several indie artists. She is a social media influencer and leads worship at NewSpring church. She has a BS in Special Education from the Universidad Nacional Pedro Enrique Ureña and is excited about offering classes and services to students with special needs. She teaches music classes and private voice lessons at the studio.
Abigail Aeschliman
Visual Arts Teacher
Abigail is an artist, musician, teacher, and above all, a missionary for the gospel of Jesus Christ. She developed her skills for art, music, and teaching as a missionary kid in the beautiful islands of Fiji where she was inspired to bring glory to God through art. As an art teacher, she helps students unlock their artistic creativity. She has an AS in Early Childhood Development from Bob Jones University. Abigail teaches painting and drawing at our studio.
Christy Shumaker
Puppetry Teacher
Christy has a joy and passion to teach children of all ages and to show them the love of Jesus. With over 25 years of experience teaching and directing kids’ ministries and events, she delights in understanding children’s hearts and relating to them in a fun, energized, and creative way. She holds a BA degree in Communications from Moody Bible Institute. Her motto in life: Love Jesus. Teach Children. Eat Chocolate! She teaches puppetry and crafts at the studio.
Brooke Arends
Music Teacher
Brooke is a musician and a songwriter. She plays piano, guitar, and sings. She is currently going to North Greenville University for a BS in Business with a minor in Worship Studies. She is new to songwriting, but she is always coming up with new melodies and lyrics. Brooke leads worship at NewSpring Church, Greenville campus and at her home church, Foothills Church in Seneca, SC. She currently teaches ukulele and voice at the studio.
Faith Sewell
Dance Teacher
Faith is trained in numerous dance styles including ballet, hip hop, Irish, jazz/tap, and clogging. She has also choreographed and performed in several musical theater programs. She is pursuing her BA in Elementary Education from North Greenville University. As a teacher she strives to use her passion for the arts and her love for Jesus to pour into her students to ensure they are valued, seen, and learn how to express their worth, talent, and gifts. Faith teaches dance at the studio.
Marianna Billings
Theater Teacher
Marianna has performed in shows including Aladdin, Peter Pan, Finding Nemo, A Christmas Carol, The Little Mermaid, and Seussical! She is passionate about using her gifts for the Lord. Marianna is currently homeschooled and attends a co-op called Sacred Heart Academy in Lyman, SC. She started teaching theater by hosting summer camps at her home. The 2024 camp had 28 students in attendance. Marianna teaches acting at the studio to elementary students.
Theater Program Directors
Gisele Gathings
Musical Theater: Director
Gisele Gathings has performed as an actress, model, writer, composer, vocalist (Gisele TYF), talk show host, news anchor, voiceover artist, and media personality on television, radio, and film as well as the stage. Gisele’s featured vocal performances include: Kylie Odetta, SpeakEasy Jazz, Lakia Club Italy, Razz Ma Jazz Band, and Grady Hodges Group. She has performed in all of the major theaters in the upstate and is currently touring with Christian Creative Media’s production Viable. Her music project, The Journey Gisele TYF is available on all digital platforms.
Jairo Puello
Music Director
Jairo was born in the Dominican Republic and started his musical career in Puerto Rico where he graduated from college. He later returned to his country to be the national director of Awana Clubs International in the Dominican Republic. Of his seven music albums, these are the most popular: You are Exalted, I’ll Stay With You, Attached to You (nominated to the Cassandra Awards 2008), and On the Rock. Jairo serves on worship teams at NewSpring Church (Greenville campus) and Foothills Church (Seneca, SC). He currently works as the music director for the musical theater program and the field trip host for World Upside Down Arts Studio.
Joanna Puello
Musical Theater Producer and Stage Play Director
Joanna Puello has 25+ years of experience as an educator, nonprofit founder and director, senior instructional designer, and project manager. She plays the piano and violin. Joanna started directing plays with her brother for their church's youth program when she was 10 years old. In college, she played principal roles in Antigone, I Never Saw Another Butterfly, and Peter Pan. She directed The Sound of Music and an original Easter Production while living in the Domincan Republic. She has done voice over work for radio, television, and churches. She has a BA in Creative Writing from Bob Jones University and an MS in Instructional Design from Full Sail University. She is the founder and CEO of World Upside Down nonprofit and director of World Upside Down Arts Studio.
Nia Anthony
Choreographer
Nia Anthony, also know as Kaydence Day, is a singer, songwriter, arranger, and performer. She got her start in performance with studying music in elementary school, training classically in orchestra with upright bass. After joining orchestra, she started singing in chorus in 4th grade. When she got to high school, she auditioned and made show choir, which gave her a chance to put together singing and dancing simultaneously , and she loved it!
After graduating high school, she attended college at Winthrop University, where she continued to sing, play in orchestra, as well as dance in her college dance club known as Kinetic Fever. With learning music, how to sing, how to dance, and learning about people through her major in psychology, Nia has been able to understand not only how to perform and put on a good show, but how to connect with the audience for an enjoyable experience.
Since graduating college, Nia has released an album and multiple singles under her stage name, Kaydence Day. Her music has been award nominated, she has released a music video, gone on tour, performed in countless cities and at countless events, including Fall for Greenville in 2024.
Nia is not only a music artist, but a community servant as well. She serves with Premier Arts Collective as their Art Room Coordinator over at Triune Mercy Center where she gets to be an eye and ear for people in all walks of life. She also had the opportunity to serve in partnership with World Upside Down as a teacher at two different group homes for summer of 2024.
Out of all the experiences that she’s had, she says “No experience ever tops helping make someone else’s better”. Nia is excited about helping with the experience of movement for this show’s production.
Sonia Rosales McLeod
Musical Theater, Assistant Director
Sonia calls the East Coast home with most of her years split between Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Her passion for performing arts began walking through an auditorium during an audition. She continued her involvement in both vocal performance and theatre on and off stage, and administratively. While in undergrad, she served as President of Penn State Chamber Singers and Concert Choir for three years with the highlight of performing at Carnegie Hall, A Penn State festival in Harrisburg, PA, and planning/executing the ACDA-PA college and high school festival. Working closely with the university Choral Director, she was mentored in performing, attending, planning the development of The Young People’s Chorus of Erie (YPC) through donorship conversations and events. She actively recruited members of the college choral program, auditioning students for YPC, and began to develop a mentorship program with the college students and the YPC through a joint Fall Festival and Summer Camp. She solo and audition coached vocalists ages 10-17. As a student, she continued to perform in community and university theatre, doing everything from original works, stage plays, and musicals participating in talk backs, building community partnerships, and philanthropic endeavors. In the community, she served on the Metrolina Theatre Association board as a member at large, and later an executive board member for 3 years, meeting her goal to grow the network and opportunity for diversity and inclusive artistic opportunities in the Charlotte and surrounding areas. As an artist she is driven by Theatres purpose to heal communities and individuals. Driven by accessibility to the arts, building bridges between communities, and growth in introspection she is hyper-focused on the mission of artistic non-profits. Her most two recent stage credits include Charlotte’s BEST IN THE NEST Critic’s Pick 2024 Theatre Production of the year, MOJADA: A Madea in Los Angeles, where she played the title role at Three Bone Theatre and at South Carolina Children’s Theatre production of THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER as Connie. She holds a B.A. in History from The Pennsylvania State University, and master’s credits in Arts Administration with a focus on Development and Marketing. Professional artistic career credits include performer, costume assistant, co-choreographer, audition prep/solo coach, director, and assistant director. Private-Sector career credits include accounting, contract negotiation, office management, sales and marketing. She loves working at Dodge Industrial in Simpsonville, SC and a member of Renovation Church in Greenville.
Support Team
Cassandra Puello
Customer Service Specialist
Cassandra is a ray of sunshine and brings a bundle of joy to our team. She graduated from Lee University with a BS in Public Relations. She is the best Wedding Planner, so if you're looking for someone--hire her! She loves to play volleyball, paddle board, and is a passionate dog mom! She is very active in her church community and loves to create meaningful opportunities for friendship. She assists World Upside Down with customer service support.
Megan Puello
Graphic Designer, After School Sub, Bus Driver
Megan is a talented vocalist. She has recorded background vocals for indie artists like Jairo Puello and Charlee Buitrago. She loves to lead worship for Fuse at NewSpring church and is passionate about mentoring young artists. She is studying Front End Development at Bethel Tech bootcamp. At the studio, Megan assists with graphic design and drives the bus for our after school program, and assists as needed with summer camps.
Guest Teaching Artists
Curly Judy
Paint Parties
Yury Largaespada, better known as Curly Judy, is the owner of Fun Art with Curly. She brings her Dominican pizazz to every paint party creating a space for students of all ages to take a break and express themselves through canvas paints. She homeschools her two children and hosts both virtual and in-person paint parties at a variety of venues in Greenville. You can book Judy for a paint event at our studio.
Amanda Espinosa
Visual Arts Teacher
Amanda has loved art her entire life. After studying painting and printmaking, she developed art programs at two elementary schools and found a new love–teaching art! Amanda has enjoyed teaching art to students of all ages in a variety of learning environments. She uses quality, multimedia materials to provide opportunities for creativity, innovation, and success. Amanda has a BA in Studio Art from Baylor University.
Kylie Odetta
Voice Over Production & Song Writing
Kylie is a professional singer-songwriter, poet, voice actress, worship leader and dog mom. She has been lighting up the local, global, and virtual music scene for over 10 years. In between her very busy schedule of touring, podcasting, creating new music, and serving at church, she partners with World Upside Down to give students classes in Voice Over production and Song Writing.
