Tackling Obstacles Raising College Hopes (TORCH) has two directors supported by a small staff, including AmeriCorps Promise Fellows at Northfield Middle School and Northfield High School. TORCH staff works closely with Healthy Community Initiative and Northfield Public Schools administrative team members.
Tessa Kiesow
TORCH Director, Northfield High School
507-403-0655
tkiesow@northfieldschools.org
Hablo Español
Tessa (She/her or they/them) grew up in Owatonna and attended Hamline University, where she graduated with a B.A. in Spanish and Social Justice. Tessa moved to New Orleans after college and worked with adults learning English as a Second Language. As a first-generation college student from a low-income family, she was excited to join the TORCH team in 2017 when she moved back to Minnesota.
Tessa loves working at the intersection of education and nonprofits, and the laser focus that TORCH maintains on working collaboratively with youth and families to create positive change in Rice County.
Nadine Bartolo
TORCH Manager, Northfield Middle School
nabartolo@northfieldschools.org
Hablo Español
Nadine (she/her/hers) has worked with Northfield Public Schools for several years and started by interpreting at conferences. She worked with TORCH for almost three years and brought the ACES (Athletes Committed to Educating Students) program to Northfield Middle School and Bridgewater Elementary School. She is working on obtaining her teaching license.
As Middle School TORCH Manager, Nadine provides academic and social-emotional support to students and connects families with support around the community. Nadine’s favorite part of her role is building student relationships.
Karissa Caddy
TORCH Coordinator
507-494-8730
kcaddy@northfieldschools.org
Karissa Caddy (she/her) grew up in Faribault and didn’t go too far to attend St. Olaf College. She graduated in May 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology. After Karissa took a few classes in the education department, a professor recommended the AmeriCorps Promise Fellow role at Northfield High School. Knowing she wanted to work with students, Karissa joined the TORCH team as a Promise Fellow for two years (2020-2022) where she supported students in various ways. After loving this role, she stepped into a new role as the TORCH Program Coordinator.
Karissa values her connections with every student in the TORCH program. She believes that every student who walks in should feel supported and heard. She enjoys chatting with students, whether it’s to help them with homework, figure out a scholarship, or discuss current events. She is thrilled to continue working with the students and the TORCH program.
Davis Moore
TORCH Success Coach
dmoore@northfieldschools.org
Davis graduated from St. Olaf College in 2023 and then served as a Promise Fellow at Faribault High School in the RISE program, where he trained and worked with several HCI employees.
As a Success Coach, Davis assists a cohort of students from historically underrepresented backgrounds with AP and PSEO classes, dividing his time between the TORCH and SSC rooms at the high school.
His favorite part of his role is getting to know students and seeing their confidence grow over the course of the year.