Faculty

(in alphabetical order) 

LISA ADLER ladler@montedelsol.org joined Monte del Sol in 2008 and is the director of our Mentorship Program.  Lisa graduated with honors from UC Santa Cruz with a BA in Russian Studies. She received an MA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University and a PhD in Political Science from Rutgers University. Dr. Adler taught at the College of Santa Fe and initiated a number of student internships and experiential learning opportunities in the field of local economic development and community organizing the Second Street Experience Street Fairs. Lisa also sits on the Community Development Commission for the City of Santa Fe, an advisory board that promotes affordable housing and other community development goals. She lives in Santa Fe with her husband, sculptor Don Kennell, and their two children.

VICTORIA AMBRIZ vambriz@montedelsol.org  Victoria joins Monte del Sol this year as an Educational Assistant to oversee our e20/20 distance learning classroom, assist with the STARS data collection and monitor attendance. Victoria holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Northern New Mexico College where she also completed the Teacher Preparation program and earned her license in Science, Mathematics, Spanish and Bilingual Education. She has worked as a research assistant for the National Center for Genome Resources, taught mathematics at Capital High School and biology, chemistry and physics at Pojoaque High School. 

SALLY BENSON sbenson@montedelsol.org  Before coming to Monte del Sol, Sally worked for two years at Turquoise Trail Charter School supporting the Special Education Department.  She is from Washington, DC where she worked for the National Endowment for The Humanities and for the American Library Association for over ten years.  Sally came to New Mexico in 1999 to attend St. John's College where she earned her BA and then entered Santa Fe Community College's alternative licensure program to complete her elementary education teaching certification. She is currently working towards additional teaching certification. 

ELAYNE BRUCKER ebrucker@montedelsol.org joins our faculty in 2010 after graduating from the College of Santa Fe with honors--receiving her BA in education. Elayne completed both her practicum and student teaching at Monte del Sol and was a master tutor at Santa Fe Community College.  She teaches 7th grade math and numeracy.

PAGE CALLAWAY pcallaway@montedelsol.org Page is Monte del Sol's Occupational Therapist, and provides services to special education students. She helps students learn to be more aware of their nervous systems' level of alertness and teaches how to use various sensory-motor strategies to support optimal alertness for learning, working organizational and written language skills. During the past fifteen years she has worked in early intervention programs and in various public schools systems and with developmentally-disabled adults in New Mexico. Page was recently certified in Yoga for The Special Child and is currently working on obtaining her certification in Clinical Aromatherapy. 

SIERRA CORRIVEAU  scorriveau@montedelsol.org  With a love of history and the written word, Sierra joined Monte del Sol in 2010 to teach English and World History. Originally from Taos, she obtained a BA in ElementaryEducation with a minor in Communication Studies from New Mexico State University.   After graduation, she moved to Denver where she taught fourth grade for a year and sixth, seventh and eight grade Social Studies for seven years. 

CARA ESQUIBEL cesquibel@montedelsol.org  Cara teaches Spanish Language Arts, Native American Literature and Spanish as a Second Language in both middle and high school.  She has a Master's Degree from the University of New Mexico and a BA from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, and participated in the Middlebury College Breadloaf summer writing program. Cara was a Peace Corps volunteer in Costa Rica from 1992 to 1994 and taught Bilingual Education and English at Bernalillo High School and with Albuquerque Public Schools before joining Monte del Sol in 2001. She has led student trips to Oaxaca, Mexico for the past nine years and developed semester abroad programs and summer immersion programs in both Oaxaca and Costa Rica. 

JOAN HENDERSON jhenderson@montedelsol.org Joan teaches 9th grade science. Before joining Monte del Sol in 2002, she was the science coordinator for Salazar Elementary and science teacher at Gonzales Elementary in Santa Fe and prior to that taught art to middle school students in Portales, NM. She has a BFA from the School of Visual Art in New York City. Joan is the student council moderator and an accomplished artist. 

LINDA HUFFORD lhufford@montedelsol.org Linda came to Monte del Sol in 2006 with eleven years of diverse teaching experience in the area of Special Education including with severe and profoundly disabled students at St. Michael's Association for Special Education in Arizona. She also spent seven years working at Brush Ranch School in Pecos, NM with students diagnosed with learning disabilities, Asperger's Syndrome and ADHD.  Linda brings a sense of calm and fun to her students. 

ROBERT JESSEN  arjessen@montedelsol.org  came to Monte del Sol in 2010 to teach Spanish following ten years teaching Latin American politics at the College of Santa Fe.  Robert earned his PhD from Northwestern University studying relations between Tarahumara Indians in Mexico and their Mestizo neighbors. He infuses his Spanish classes with the Rassias Method he taught as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College and honed as a Spanish/French teacher at a Maine boarding school. Robert lives in Santa Fe with his Chihuahuenese wife, Mirna, and their two sons, Cesar and Turis.  

ELLEN KLEIN eklein@montedelsol.org  This is Ellen's eighth year at Monte del Sol where she is a seemingly tireless case manager in the Special Services Department. Ellen spent a number of years as a special education teacher at DeVargas Middle School and Gonzales Elementary School in Santa Fe, as well as in Montessori Schools. Ellen has a BFA from UNM and is licensed from New Mexico Highlands University.

ESTHER KOVARI ekovari@montedelsol.org  Esther teaches US History and Government and Economics to 11th and 12th grade students.  Esther grew up in England and has been in the United States for 30 years. She does try, despite her funny accent and ancestry, to take an objective point of view on the American Revolution which is called the War of Independence by the British!  Esther came to Monte del Sol in 2011 after seven years of teaching at Capital High School, Desert Academy and McCurdy School in Espanola.  Before she went into teaching, she worked for twenty years with small farmers and rural communities and was co-founder and director of the New Mexico Farmers' Marketing Association.   She has a Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Cambridge University (UK) and a Master's in Agricultural Economics from UC, Berkeley. In addition to her native British tongue, Esther speaks Spanish, French and Hungarian. She is the mother pf two sons in their early twenties.   

WENDY LEIGHTON wleighton@montedelsol.org  Wendy Leighton is a founding faculty member of Monte del Sol and served on the Board of Directors for one year as a faculty representative. She has been teaching Junior High and High School for sixteen years. She earned a BA from Skidmore College with honors in anthropology and wrote her senior thesis on the Navajo-Hopi Land Dispute. Ms. Leighton holds an MA from Temple University in anthropology and film. She attended the Anthropology Film Center in Santa fe as part of her graduate school studies where she wrote, directed and produced the short documentary The Cleaning of the Acequia Madre. Her most recent film documents the struggle of the nomadic San peoples to legally regain title to their ancestral lands in Botswana. Botswana Bushmen was filmed by Monte del Sol students who interviewed two Bushmen who traveled to America to raise awareness about the genocide they faced. Ms. Leighton currently teaches 7th grade and 9th grade history, 7th and 8th grade Moving Image or film and co-sponsors the student Gay-Straight-Alliance (GSA) club. 

AMY LINDQUIST alindquist@montedelsol.org joins Monte del Sol this year as our Performing Arts teacher and Choir leader. A native of Pojoaque, NM, Amy received her Bachelor’s of Music in Jazz Singing from New England Conservatory. During that time, she directed her own jazz combos and toured in Europe and Northeastern US.  After the birth of her first son she earned her M.Ed from Lesley College in Creative Arts in Learning with a focus on how the Arts address all Intelligences.   Since returning to NM, Amy taught music in Santa Fe Public Schools for nine years and recently completed the Community Choir Leadership Training course in Victoria, BC.  In addition to teaching here, she is co-writing a screenplay for television and starting a choir for Santa Fe adults and teens called the 7th Wave Community Choir.  Amy says that she is thrilled to be joining the amazing creative community of Monte del Sol.  Her younger son has been at Monte since 7th grade and will be a Freshman this year.  

FRANK LUCERO flucero@montedelsol.org  A founding faculty member, Frankie is an award-winning, internationally renowned Santero in Santa Fe--he is a member of the famous Lucero family of Santeros. He presents his work at the annual Spanish Market, shows at the Palace of the Governors and in other galleries around town.   Frankie is our Atheletic Director, coaches baseball and teaches Traditional New Mexico Arts and PE.

KELCEY LUENINGHOENER kelceyl@montedelsol.org  bio to come

ALFREDO LUJAN alujan@montedelsol.org A thirty-year veteran of the classroom, Alfredo teaches English to our 7th graders and the rich literature of the Latino culture as a high school elective course.  He received his Master's Degree in English from the Breadloaf School of English at Middlebury College, Vermont and his undergraduate degree from New Mexico State University in Physical Education. Prior to joining Monte del Sol in 2001, Alfredo taught at The Native American Prep School, Pojoaque Valley Schools and coached basketball and volleyball at Santa Fe Prep for many years. Alfredo is an accomplished and published writer and brings a wealth of teaching experience to the school. 

NANCY LEE MARQUIS nmarquis@montedelsol.org Nancy Lee joined our Special Services Department in 2004 from Cesar Chavez Elementary and Velarde Elementary in Northern New Mexico and worked as a math and reading tutor before that time. She has taught special children around the country for many years. Nancy Lee has a BA from Radcliffe College and an MEd from Antioch University West.

RHONDA MARTINEZ rmartinez@montedelsol.org  joined our faculty in 2008  as High School Biology and Chemistry teacher.  Rhonda was raised on a farm in Kentucky before moving to New Mexico ten years ago.  She received her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Environmental Geology from NM Highlands and her MSc teaching degree from NM Tech. Her areas of special research include earth's resources and geologic history.  Rhonda taught for SFPS and Santa Fe Indian School before coming to Monte del Sol.  In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, reading and being with her family.

NANCY SUE MICHELS nmichels@montedelsol.org  A founding faculty member, Nancy Sue teaches high school visual arts and Advanced Placement 2D Art.  She also facilitates the weekly tile making club where she and her students design, craft, glaze and fire 60 beautiful tiles which are presented as gifts to our graduates each May. Nancy is an accomplished artist in her own right and her work has shown in many Santa Fe venues. She works in acrylic on canvas and in a variety of other media. Prior to Monte del Sol, she was a sixth grade teacher at Nava Elementary and an art teacher at Rio Grande School. Nancy holds a BFA from Alfred University in New York and a Master's degree in Applied Psychology and Counseling from the University of Santa Monica. In 2008, Nancy Sue won the Partners in Education Teachers who Inspire Award.

RITA MOYA   rmoya@montedelsol.org  Rita was born and raised in El Paso,Texas and joined our faculty in 2006.  She received her BA in Psychology from the University of Texas and her teacher's certification from Northern New Mexico College where she received a MANA del Norte scholarship. She has worked with abused children as a case manager, an adoption advocate and was the first director of the Chimayo Boys and Girls Club.  She also coordinated the Cerro Grande Fire mitigation project employing San Ildefonso youth, a project which won accolades from both FEMA and the DOE.  Rita teaches NM and US History. In her own time, she loves to ride horseback through the desert wilderness and enjoys drumming.

CARA OLSEN-KOLB colsen@montedelsol.org   Cara began her teaching career at Monte del Sol in 2004 after returning from two years serving as a Peace Corps Education volunteer in Paraguay, South America. In 2008, she left Monte del Sol to gain international experience teaching at the American International School of Guatemala. Cara returns to us this year to teach 7th Grade English, 8th Grade Spanish and Middle School English Language Development.  Cara has also lead educational trips to Spain and Mexico. She has her Bachelor's in Secondary Spanish Education and TESOL from Minnesota State University, Mankato, and her Masters in Education from Framingham College, Massachusetts.  

MARY ELLEN NEAL mneal@montedelsol.org  Mary Ellen is a founding faculty member and developed and directed our Special Services program. She came to us highly recommended from Santa Fe Community College and prior to that worked in the Central Square School district in Upstate New York. Mary Ellen holds a BS Ed in Special Education from the University of Idaho and is well versed in special education law, theory, and practice and in how special services should be implemented in schools to ensure success for all students.  

ZOE NELSEN, znelsen@montedelsol.org   Zoë joined Monte del Sol in 2010 as the Assistant Director for Mentorship and as an 11^th grade U.S History teacher. She holds a BA from Fort Lewis College in Sociology, an MA in Educational Thought and Sociocultural Studies from UNM. Before coming to Monte del Sol, Zoë spent two years as Operational Manager for her father’s business, EcoScapes Landscaping. She served on the board of directors of Earth Care and the Santa Fe Alliance and collaborated with YouthWorks of Santa Fe. Between 2004 - 2008 Zoë worked at RFK Charter School in Albuquerque, where she taught social studies, helped develop a school Orientation program, facilitated teambuilding activities and worked closely with Paquita Hernandez to implement the mentorship program based on the model for transformative education that guides the program at Monte del Sol. Zoë has also been a project coordinator, soccer coach, camp counselor, wilderness/climbing guide, raft guide, ski patrol, gardening mentor, and home health care aide.

SHARI OSGOOD sosgood@montedelsol.org   Shari teaches Japanese and Algebra. She holds an undergraduate degree in Asian Studies with a minor in Engineering from the University of California. She lived, studied and worked in Japan for nearly nine years. Most of that time was spent as a securities analyst on the Tokyo stock exchange, although she also worked in the art market. She moved to Santa Fe to get a Master's Degree from St. John's College, worked briefly in real estate investment, and started her own business. She has been teaching and translating Japanese for more than 15 years in New Mexico, at UNM, LANL, Sandia, SFCC and now MdS. Someday she hopes to get her PhD and maybe join the Foreign Service! She has a son in elementary school and a stepdaughter at UNM.

LISA OTERO  lotero@montedelsol.org   Lisa is our Dean of Students and taught World History for her first five years at Monte del Sol. She has a BA in Anthropology from Pitzer College and currently is completing her master's degree in educational administration. Lisa spent ten years teaching social science in schools in San Bernadino and Yucaipa in Southern California. Lisa is also a licensed massage therapist and published author having written a book on Relational Learning. In 2006, Lisa won the PIE Teachers who Inspire award.

GARY PARKE gparke@montedelsol.org  Gary Parke was born and raised in Hollywood, California and graduated from Hollywood High. He attended UCLA Valley College and Brigham Young University and then got drafted for Vietnam. in the army, he became an acquisition radar mechanic then a field artillery officer and retired in 1987 after spending seven years overseas in Europe and Asia. He came back to the United States to attend the University of Oklahoma and earned a BSc in computer science. Before teaching, Gary worked for companies including Texas Instruments and E-Systems.  He earned his teaching certification through Santa Fe Community College's alternative licensure program and taught at Capital High School and the MASTERS Program before coming to Monte del Sol in 2011.  Gary is married with six grown children. 

WINDY PETERS wpeters@montedelsol.org  Windy joined us in our founding year and is an instructional aide in the Special Services Department. She has an Associate Degree from Santa Fe Community College where she worked in Special Services as Peer Liaison with Mary Ellen Neal.  Windy also worked in Americorp for two years. Most especially, Windy gives the gift of teaching students how to read inspired by her own experience teaching herself to read at age 20. In 2002, Windy was awarded the Martin Luther King Jnr. Beloved Citizen Award for her work in literacy.

JOHN PRZYBOROWSKI  johnp@montedelsol.org   John teaches Radio Arts, English, Geography and World History. Prior to joning Monte del Sol in 2006, he taught at Oakland School for the Arts and Jefferson High School in San Francisco. John has a BA in English Literature from San Francisco State University and was a professional, touring musician for number of years. He continues to play and teaches bass through the Mentorship program.  In addition, John served on Monte del Sol's Governing Board for two years as faculty representative. 

GERI RODRIGUEZ  grodriguez@montedelsol.org joined Monte del Sol in 2010 and teaches 7^th grade science as well as High School Environmental Science.  Geri has 6 children, 5 of whom she homeschooled for a total of 9 years along with her youngest whom she and her husband recently adopted.  She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from New Mexico Highlands University.  She also has a Masters in Technology in Education from Lesley University and just recently obtained a Masters in Science from New Mexico Tech.  Geri is also a fitness instructor at various exercise facilities in Santa Fe.  She has taught for SFPS for 6 years.  Geri loves to read, spend time with her family, exercise and watch her kids play sports.  

AMY SCHROTH aschroth@montedelsol.org   Amy teaches English and AP English. She taught at the Native American Prep School, was Chair of the English Department at the Madiera School in Virginia and served as Dean of Students at the Alexander Dawson School in Lafayette, Colorado. She has Master's Degrees from the Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College and from Harvard University, and a Bachelor's Degree from Dartmouth College. Amy is an excellent writer and coordinates our school literary magazine, Winds of the Mind.  This is Amy’s tenth year at Monte del Sol. 

YVONNE SEBASTIAN ysebastian@montedelsol.org joined our staff in 2009 as Project Success Specialist.  That position includes individual and group substance abuse prevention and counseling and classroom curriculum.  Yvonne’s background is in leadership development and social work and she looks forward to branching into the field of leadership with students this school year.   Yvonne worked with Project Success at Eldorado Community School and has worked with the Santa Fe Mountain Center and the College of Santa Fe doing experiential education.   She loves to bike, hike and cook.  

JOHN SIMMONS  jsimmons@montedelsol.org John joined Monte del Sol in 2010 as our Gardener, after several years as a dedicated volunteer parent, during which time he created our Memorial Garden.  After graduating from the University of Rhode Island in 1979 with B.S. in  Agriculture and Resource Technology, John worked as head grower and gardener for a large estate.  He graduated Conway School of Landscape Architecture and worked as landscape architect for a nursery landscape business. He came to Santa Fe  in 1983 and became a registered landscape architect, and has spent the last 27 years creating beautiful spaces. He loves growing all types of plants but especially adores vegetables.   

ELVIRA WAMPLER  ewampler@montedelsol.org  Elvira Wampler earned a BS in Mathematics from NMSU, a teaching certificate from Arizona State University and an MA in Economics from UNM.  She also worked at US West, Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico Public Service Commission, New Mexico Department of Vital Statistics, New Mexico Human Services Department and New Mexico Department of Transportation.  She taught at Los Alamos High School, Santa Fe Prep., Desert Academy and the Santa Fe Community College. Elvira teaches higher mathematics at Monte Del Sol and joined us in 2006.