Alisa VanHekken is an experienced teacher and reading specialist. Alisa taught kindergarten and first grade and provided reading support services as a reading specialist. She holds a master’s degree in reading and literacy, along with an ESL endorsement and an administrative endorsement. Alisa was trained in the phonemic awareness curriculum by Dr. Heggerty himself and worked closely with him for over six years. Alisa began working at Heggerty in 2013 and serves as the chief academic officer. She is the co-author of Bridge the Gap and the Early Pre-Kindergarten curriculum.