The Starfish Team
You don't have to be taught directly by Amy to benefit from her expertise. Each and every Starfish instructor is personally selected and trained by Amy in the Starfish Method, ensuring each swimmer receives the same commitment to individualized instruction, water safety, confidence and positive learning—while benefiting from the unique strengths and experience each instructor brings to the pool.
At Starfish SRQ, every swimmer is welcome. Our individualized approach allows us to support a wide range of learning styles, sensory needs, developmental differences, physical and neurological abilities, anxiety, fear of the water, and previous water-related trauma.
Instructors have experience working with swimmers with special needs and diverse abilities and understand that every child may learn, communicate and respond differently. By adapting instruction to each swimmer's individual needs, abilities and comfort level, our team creates a supportive environment where swimmers can learn at their own pace. We maintain a fun and safe learning environment in which every student, regardless of age, ability or skill level, can thrive!
*All Starfish Instructors are Infant, Child & Adult CPR andFirst Aid Certified. We take the safety of our Starfish students seriously and aim to provide a safe and optimal learning experience to all families working with us! *
Katie Hudson
Swim Instructor
Katie is a Florida native who grew up loving the water! Having been raised next to the beach for the last 24 years, swimming was all Katie ever did! Katie has worked as a caregiver for multiple families for the past five years, frequently having the opportunity to help little ones experience water for the first time! Katie helped to foster a safe and effective way of introducing water safety into the lives of many different children and parents! Katie has also worked as a Registered Behavioral Technician for the past two years, having knowledge and experience in caring for and teaching kids who have ASD or may be differently-abled. Katie greatly enjoys watching little ones grow to love the water and forming trust in their instructor!
Yesenia M-Lee
Swim Instructor
Yesenia is a passionate seasoned swimming instructor dedicated to teaching students of all ages and skill levels, including individuals with special needs. She genuinely enjoys creating a fun and engaging learning environment for all students. Yesenia's vast experience includes teaching both in groups and privately, as well as coaching swim teams across diverse age groups during summer leagues. She has successfully developed and implemented swimming programs tailored to meet a variety of needs. Yesenia's teaching style is patient, encouraging, and enthusiastic! She strives to adapt her instruction to fit each student’s unique requirements, making learning to swim enjoyable and positive - which is what Starfish Swim School SRQ is all about! Yesenia is particularly passionate for teaching water safety and swimming skills to both children and adults, especially those with special needs. As a proud mother of two, Yesenia has spent many rewarding years working with children in various capacities. Born in Brooklyn, NY, Yesenia moved to the Sarasota area to further for educational, family, and career opportunities.
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Jasmine Ramos
Swim Instructor
Jasmine is a dedicated and compassionate instructor who brings both energy and attentiveness to working with children. With a strong background in childcare, she has extensive experience supporting children from infancy through pre-teen years, creating safe, engaging, and nurturing environments where kids can grow in confidence and skill.
Having always loved the water, Jasmine has a natural passion for swimming and enjoys helping children feel comfortable, capable, and excited in the water. She is especially passionate about teaching new skills and celebrating each child’s progress, whether they are beginners learning water safety or building on their swimming abilities!
In addition to her childcare experience, Jasmine has a background in tutoring, where she developed a love for teaching and guiding children through new challenges with patience and encouragement. She brings this same supportive approach to swim instruction, tailoring her teaching style to each child’s needs and learning pace.
Jasmine is known for her strong communication and organizational skills, allowing her to build trust with both children and parents while providing a structured yet fun learning environment. Her background in theater and film—where she has worked as an actor and set designer—adds a creative and engaging element to her teaching style, helping lessons feel fun, imaginative, and memorable.
Jaden Bunt
Swim Instructor & Lifeguard
Jaden grew up in Boston, MA, and has been in love with swimming and the water since he was 3 years old. After graduating High School from Lexington Christian Academy in 2023, Jaden moved to Sarasota. Jaden is going into his junior year at Seton Hall University and is a member of the Men’s Division I Swim Team. Jaden loves to go to the beach with his friends in his free time, and working with Starfish Swim School as both a Lifeguard and Swim/Water Safety Instructor. Jaden works with all ages and abilities. His passion for teaching swimming is derived from his love for the water and for working with children. Jaden puts every student at ease with his natural ability to create a warm, fun and positive environment for each student!
Holly O'Brian
Swim Instructor
Holly is a self-proclaimed mermaid and for good reason! Holly holds a PADI/NAUI scuba certification and her USCG Captain's License; she also previously owned and operated a NAUI Scuba shop in New Port Richey. After raising 2 children and teaching Special Education for 35 years, Holly bought a boat in Albany, New York and motored south to Florida to live her dream. Holly brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the team in all things children and water. With her background, she consistently prioritizes the importance of water safety and swim instruction for all ages and skill levels, teaching with a patient, fun and nurturing approach.
Dana Valentine
Swim Instructor
Dana has always had a passion for fitness, wellness, education, and of course...the water! Dana swam competitively for 8 years, and has been a swim instructor to all ages and abilities for over 4 years now. Dana's love for teaching water safety and swimming is transparent with every lesson she teaches; her warmth, knowledge, expertise and fun nature help all students feel encouraged and confident!
Sydney Philhower
Swim Instructor
Sydney is a Florida native living in Venice with her husband, and she's always been a true Florida water girl! She feels most at home in and around the water. Sydney is a certified scuba diver and grew up with a strong love for boating, fishing, and the ocean lifestyle. She began teaching swim lessons in high school and quickly developed a passion for helping children build confidence and safety in the water. Sydney always prioritize a safe, fun, and encouraging learning environment. Sydney is currently a nursing student with plans to become a pediatric nurse practitioner, and she also works as a pharmacy technician. Both roles have strengthened her focus, patience, and care for others, especially children. Sydney loves helping kids learn how to be watersafe and swim and watching their confidence grow!
Jessica Varsek
Swim Instructor
Jessica brings a calm, encouraging, and nurturing approach to swim instruction, helping children build confidence, comfort, and safety skills in the water at their own pace. With years of experience in aquatics, recreation, and youth-centered environments, she creates lessons that are both supportive and engaging while keeping water safety at the heart of every class. Her background includes lifeguarding, aquatics coordination, camp counseling, and working closely with children and families in both recreational and educational settings. Jessica believes learning to swim should feel fun, empowering, and positive, helping each child develop trust in themselves while creating a lifelong respect for the water. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Education with an emphasis in Physical Education, Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, and maintains CPR, AED, and First Aid certifications. Jessica is passionate about helping young swimmers grow not only in skill, but also in confidence, independence, and joy in the water.
Samantha Granados
Administrative Assistant
Samantha Granados, an LA native, has lived and worked in both California and New York. After graduating from St. John's University, her career has spanned from the fashion industry to TV and film. However, she never left the swim world and simultaneously taught swimming lessons (going on almost 20 years). She has now gone back to her roots in Los Angeles, where she teaches swimming and enthusiastically works for all things administrative for Starfish Swim School SRQ. She is the proud owner of her doggy Verona and would live at the beach if she could.