Founder · OGA Fellow
Sheila Costello
Fellow of the Orton-Gillingham Academy since 2003; Accredited Training Fellow of the OGA
When her daughter was diagnosed with dyslexia, Sheila found her calling. She trained at the Carroll School in Massachusetts, went on to direct its Garside Institute for Teacher Training, and later carried that work to Trident Academy in South Carolina. An OGA Fellow since 2003 and a past president of the Academy, she founded this group to train and mentor Charleston teachers at every credential level.
Susan Nyman
Co-Owner · Primary Contact · OGA Fellow
OGA Fellow; MAT in Special Education (Charleston Southern University); Bachelor's degrees in Business Administration and French (College of Charleston)
With more than thirty years in public and private schools, Susan sensed something missing from her toolkit as a K-12 resource teacher. In 2009 she trained at the Associate Level, joined Trident Academy, and earned her Certified Level while tutoring one-on-one. Now an OGA Fellow, she still teaches middle-school dyslexic students in her private practice.
Catherine Hagberg
Co-Owner · OGA Fellow
OGA Fellow; certified reading specialist; MEd in Literacy (Providence College); Bachelor's in Elementary Education
An educator for twenty-four years, Catherine taught in elementary public schools and became a certified reading specialist. Co-teaching a graduate literacy course first drew her toward Orton-Gillingham. She earned her OGA Associate Level, moved to Charleston in 2012, and completed her Certified Level at Trident Academy. Today she still works one-on-one with dyslexic students while training the teachers who will follow.
Vicki White
OGA Fellow-in-Training
OGA Fellow-in-Training; MBA (College of William & Mary); Bachelor of Commerce (McGill University)
Vicki's path began more than a decade ago, when her own child was diagnosed with dyslexia. After years in marketing and project management, she became a certified OG practitioner in 2019 and is now an OGA Fellow-in-Training. She loves teaching trainees to shape OG principles to each learner, helping struggling readers crack the code and become lifelong readers.
Barbara Waterstradt
Clinical Supervisor · OGA Certified
OGA Certified member; BS in Special Education (University of Georgia)
Barbara discovered Orton-Gillingham in a graduate course on Direct Instruction in Reading and saw immediate gains with her most struggling readers. Across more than thirty years of teaching, tutoring, and mentoring, she has spent sixteen applying OG to reading, writing, and spelling. Now retired from the classroom, she serves as the group's Clinical Supervisor, pursuing her dream of reaching every student she can.
