Curtis Fee Raised on a farm in south central Iowa, Curtis Fee grew up knowing the joys and responsibilities of farm life. As a boy he enjoyed everything to do with sports and actually liked school. Both still hold true today. From Iowa farm boy to world-traveler, Curtis’s love for global travel began while studying Business Administration at Truman State University, when he volunteered to chaperone a high school trip to Russia for a three-week educational excursion. Later he returned to Moscow to study abroad during his junior year. A pilot program allowed him to study abroad for yet another semester, this time in Nice, France, located on the French Riviera. These experiences whetted his appetite for living abroad. Subsequently, he lived for a short time in Dordrecht, The Netherlands, and then for an extended period of time back in Moscow. In addition to living abroad, extensive travel has allowed him to visit five continents and nearly forty countries, taking him from Quito to Singapore, and multiple splendid places in between.

Prior to accepting his role as Assistant Headmaster for Archway North Phoenix, Curtis served at Rivermont Collegiate, a private independent college prep school in Iowa, as Interim Headmaster,  Dean of Students, Middle and Upper School world geography and world history teacher, and basketball coach. In 2008, he earned his Masters of Theological Studies from Urshan Graduate School of Theology, and in 2014 he received the Waterman Chair of Distinguished Teaching from Rivermont Collegiate.

After growing up in the mountains in Tennessee, Mrs. Trevino attended St. John’s College- Annapolis where she developed a deep love of the Western Canon and the beauty of mathematics.  She later received her M.A. in Humanities with an emphasis in Classical Education from the University of Dallas. She joined Archway North Phoenix in its inaugural 2012-2013 school year and taught 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade before transitioning to her present role as the Academic Dean. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and trail running.

Talitha van Leeuwen  received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Arizona State University with an emphasis in English. She later received her M.A. in Humanities from California State University. From 2000 – 2009, Mrs. Van Leeuwen taught Language Arts in the middle school grades at a Phoenix area public school as well as a Phoenix area classical school, where she also served as secretary of the school board. She joined the Archway North Phoenix team in the 2012-2013 school year and taught 4th grade before transitioning to her present role as the Archway North Phoenix Dean. In her free time, she enjoys a cup of coffee and a good book or anything streaming on Netflix that happens to be British.

Maryanne English is originally from New Jersey.  She is a graduate of Arizona State University with a B.S. degree in Speech and Hearing Science.  Her background includes experience in the private financial sector, working with special needs students and as an Office Manager for a private school in Tucson, Arizona.  Maryanne enjoys the interactions she has with the students, parents, and faculty as part of the Administrative Team.  When she is not at work, Maryanne enjoys hiking, mountain bike riding, reading and travelling.

Jackie Curtis is originally from Ogden Utah.  Her background includes fifteen years of experience in retail management and operations; working if the various fields as a key part of the management team overseeing high-level HR duties, such as attracting talent and setting training standards and hiring procedures. She was also in charge of analyzing and improving organizational processes, and work to improve quality, productivity and efficiency.  Jackie joined the development team as the Academy Giving Manager at North Phoenix in February 2018; enjoying the interactions she has with the students, parents, faculty and loves serving the Great Hearts North Phoenix community.  When she is not at work, Jackie enjoys spending time with her family. They have a daughter finishing up her junior year at Prep and when she graduates with the class of 2020, their son will start kindergarten at Archway as one of the newest Argonauts.

Amy Hill was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree and later earned her Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) in 2007. Her professional background includes Hotel Restaurant Management and Point of Sale software major accounts sales. Since moving to Arizona 20 years ago she has worked as a Realtor, Managing Broker, and Owner of Phoenix Central Realty. After many years of volunteering in her daughter’s classrooms, she decided to join the staff working in the front office. Amy enjoys servicing the students, staff, and community at Archway North Phoenix. She is married and her daughter attends 5th grade this year at ANP.

Jenne McGinnis graduated from Nursing School in November 2013 with over 500 hours of clinical experience.  She has a kindergartener attending Archway North Phoenix this year.  Her field of interest is pediatrics and she looks forward to keeping the children at Archway North Phoenix as healthy as possible.  In her free time she loves spending time with family and friends, watching movies, or going to dinner.

Ms. Borchers has a passion for poetry, literature, and the hearts of her students. Originally from the Midwest, Ms. Borchers attended Miami University and earned a bachelor’s degree in finance and then a master’s degree in classical education from the University of Dallas. Ms. Borchers is enjoying her fifth year of educating kindergarten students.

Mrs. Leahy is very excited to be part of our ANP team.  She thinks being a Kindergarten teacher is the best and loves all her students.  She moved back to Phoenix this summer after living in St. Louis, MO for 10 years.  Mrs. Leahy likes to hike, run, and be with her family when she is not at Archway North Phoenix.  She has a wonderful husband of 27 years and 4 children.  She loves to go out to different restaurants on weekends.  Her favorite is Carolinas!  She likes to have a smile on her face and is always excited to have a friendly conversation.   Mrs. Leahy is looking forward to traveling this summer to Colorado, California and Mexico.

A native of Florida, Ms. Baines has lived in five states. She moved to Arizona in 2000. She is a graduate of Pillsbury Baptist Bible College in Owatonna, MN with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Bible, minoring in English and French. In 2015, she received her Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from California Coast University. This is her 24^th year of teaching, but her first in classical education at Archway Classical Academy North Phoenix. She has a passion for reaching the hearts of her scholars and is so thankful to be a part of the Kindergarten team at ANP. When she is not in the classroom, you could find her spending time with family, traveling, baking, or reading.

Mrs. Distler is a Phoenix native and went to Grand Canyon University. There she studied Education and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree. Mrs. Distler has taught students ages K-12 in a variety of settings and enjoys the challenges and joys that come with each age. Mrs. Distler loves to sing and as her students would tell you, does it quite often. Mrs. Distler is married to an amazing man, has one precious baby boy, and three dogs. She enjoys spending time with family, visiting Oak Creek Canyon, and going on walks. Mrs. Distler is thankful to be teaching at ANP!

Joyce Bebow was born and raised near Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from Wayne State University with a B.S. degree in Elementary Education. After moving to Arizona her first teaching job was in the Glendale School District. Then she met her husband and had two children. Her love for her family and her passion for learning came together as she homeschooled her children.  Her understanding and knowledge as well as love for classical education grew as she taught for many years at Valley Classical Christian School in a first grade class as well as in a first and second grade combination class. In joining the Archway Classical Academy North Phoenix team for its inaugural year in 2012 she kept her enthusiasm for learning and her delight in teaching children flourishing. She is looking forward to many more years teaching young scholars at the new campus of Archway Classical Academy North Phoenix.

Mamiko Sugiyama was born and raised in a suburb of Tokyo, Japan.  She received a BA degree in Human Relations from Tokyo International University.  Upon graduation, she went to work for a British trading company in Tokyo.  Seven years later, she decided to move to the United States to pursue a master’s degree.  She graduated with a Master’s in Education from Arizona State University, focused on schools and families in educational psychology and decided to launch her career in Arizona .  Mamiko started her career serving children as a childcare worker at a domestic violence shelter.  Since then she always has had a passion to work for children.  She worked as a librarian at Millennium High School, and later became a college algebra instructional assistant at Grand Canyon University.  When an AT position at Teleos Prep became available, Mamiko eagerly pursued it.  She eventually became a first grade lead teacher at Teleos.  Most recently, she has continued to pursue her passion as a lead teacher at Archway North Phoenix.

A native of Michigan, Ms. Flitcroft has lived in nine states. Arizona is her favorite state and she and her family enjoy hiking the beautiful Southwest. She is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University with a B.S. in Communications, and earned a graduate degree from Arizona State University. Teaching is her third career. She spent 10 years advocating for children’s issues at area hospitals and the Governor’s Office for Children. Then she decided to focus on raising her own two boys. After many years of volunteering in her children’s classrooms, she decided to enter the teaching profession. In 2015, she joined Archway North Phoenix as a Kindergarten TA and is now excited to be a part of the 1^st grade team

Jean Page was born and raised in Nacogdoches, Texas.  She attended Texas A&M University and earned a degree in secondary education.  After teaching middle school science for four years, she married and moved to Phoenix where she taught preschool and kindergarten for the next two years.  In 1992, she began working for an environmental group that ran education programs for public utility companies.  From 1996 to 2013, Mrs. Page lived with her family in Turkey and in the United Arab Emirates. During this time, she homeschooled her three children.  In 2015, Mrs. Page began teaching first grade at Archway North Phoenix.  She loves everything about first grade.  In her free time, Mrs. Page likes to read, go for walks, and spend time with family.

Kristin Williams is an Arizona native and graduate of Arizona State University with a degree in Agricultural Science. She has been teaching 2^nd grade at ANP for 5 years. While she no longer is able to spend as much of her time on the dairy or training horses, her greatest love is it still agriculture. Back in the spring of 2015 Ms. Williams began Agriculture Club with Mrs. Sneed to share her passion of Agriculture with the students of ANP. That same year she also introduced Small Stock Club to ANP and NPP, where students raise small stock (cavy, poultry, and rabbits) for the Maricopa County Fair. In her spare moments, Mrs. Williams attends and judges Small Stock Show throughout Arizona.  Her other hobbies include running, gardening, shooting, and helping her fellow neighbors in Buckeye with Livestock management.

Hi.  My name is Jaime Alexander.  I am originally from Pennsylvania but moved to Arizona with my family when I was three.  I call myself a native from Arizona because I do not remember anything from where I was born.  I have an older brother. Growing up in Arizona my brother and I went to a summer camp through the City of Scottsdale.  We both grew up in that camp until we were old enough to volunteer and then finally working for the City as counselors.  I played a lot of sports growing up.  In high school, I played volleyball, basketball and ran track.  While in high school, I hurt my knee.  After getting x-rays and an MRI, doctors told me that I torn a few ligaments in my knee.  I had surgery and went through six months of intense physical therapy.  While I was going through the process of physical therapy, everything was very intriguing to me and wanted to learn more about it.  Though I loved working with kids and had always wanted to become a teacher, going through physical therapy I chose to study kinesiology in college.  I went to Mesa State College in Grand Junction, Colorado.  I graduated with a BS in Athletic Training.  After I graduated, I moved back to Arizona and worked at two different outpatient physical therapy clinics as a PT technician.

After six years of working in physical therapy, I knew that it was not something I wanted to do the rest of my life.  So I went back to school for education at ASU.  I graduated with my masters in elementary education in December of 2012 and began teaching kindergarten in January 2013.  I taught kindergarten for 4 years and this is my second year teaching second grade here at Great Hearts.

I got married two year ago in Temecula, CA.  My husband and I have been together for over ten years.  Between the two of us we have eight nieces and two nephews.  My favorite color is purple.  In my spare time, I like to play golf and sand volleyball.  My favorite place to go would be to relax on the beach.

Susan Bixler is originally from Erie, Pennsylvania. She relocated to Arizona in 2000. She worked in the dental field for many years but decided to go back to school and get a teaching degree in 1994. She graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania in December 1998 with a BS in Elementary Education. She continued my education at Edinboro University working on a master’s degree. Once she relocated to Arizona she continued her studies at the University of Phoenix. She received her Spalding Certification from Ottawa University in 2001. She has taught for the past seven years; six of those years teaching Second Grade.

Taylor Marshall was born and raised in Columbia, SC. She graduated with a degree in Elementary Education from Covenant College in Chattanooga, TN. Ms. Marshall has been teaching 2nd Grade at Archway North Phoenix since she moved to Phoenix four years ago. She has a passion for young hearts and minds and is so thankful to be a part of the ANP family! In addition to teaching, Ms. Marshall enjoys spending time with good friends, exploring the outdoors, traveling, cooking, and reading.

After growing up on the coast of Long Island, New York, Ms. Diesing attended the University of St Andrews in Scotland where she developed a deep love of history and art history. After graduating, she moved to Phoenix, AZ, where she discovered her passion for teaching. She is grateful for the opportunity to pursue Truth, Goodness, and Beauty with her third grade students. In her free time she enjoys hiking, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.

Mrs. Stoller has lived in Arizona since 2006 and is a graduate of Hillsdale College with a degree in History. Upon graduation she had originally planned to be a research historian for museums, but an internship at the U.S. National Archives changed everything. Her favorite moments were not those spent with computers and old documents but those spent in the children’s department making history come alive for the children. She decided to become a teacher so that she could inspire students to love history and its heroes.  She has been teaching 2^nd and 3^rd grade at Great Hearts for three years and has a passion for classical elementary education. When not in the classroom, Mrs. Stoller enjoys painting, hiking, and teaching piano.

Cassandra Kellogg graduated Summa Cum Laude from Arizona State University with a B.A. in English and a minor in Philosophy. She joined the Great Hearts faculty in 2016 as a Teaching Apprentice in 2^nd grade, and this year teaches 3^rd grade as a Lead Teacher. Outside of her role at Great Hearts, she enjoys reading, spending time with her family and cat, and travelling to new places.

Bethany Hunter was raised in Phoenix, Arizona. She received her BA in United States History from Arizona State University. During her undergraduate, she studied French in Quebec, was involved in a community service organization, and had internships at both Walt Disney World and the Arizona State Legislature. Subsequently, she went on to earn her MA in Early Modern History at King’s College London. There she sifted through primary source documents in archives, museums, and libraries and wrote her dissertation on the Abolition of the British Slave Trade. In 2015, she returned to Phoenix and joined ANP’s fourth grade team, where she’s been happily teaching ever since. In her spare time, she likes to read, travel, practice yoga, and visit her five younger siblings (ranging in age from 2 to 23). Since becoming a teacher, she has had a tradition of visiting one new foreign country every summer break.

Dominique Lefaive has been teaching on the 4^th grade team since 2017. Growing up in Tucson, AZ, she attended public, charter, and parochial school during her upbringing. She attended Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio and received BA degrees in Theology and Catechetics (religious education). After working in religious ministry, she returned to Arizona to work as a missionary at a home of hospitality for new mothers in need. She became familiar with the Great Hearts network of schools and fell in love with its mission and philosophy. While teaching at Great Hearts, she plans to obtain a Masters of Arts in Humanities and Classical Education through the network’s Quintilian Fellowship. Outside of school she spends her time doing creative projects, learning new things, laughing, and spending quality time with her cat.

Lee Raper was born and raised in Seattle, Washington.  She graduated from Northwest University, a small Christian college in a Seattle suburb, with her BA in Elementary Education in 2006, and a Master’s in Teaching in 2007.  Before achieving her goal of becoming a teacher, she worked in the banking industry for nine years.  She has taught 2^nd, 3^rd, and 4^th grade over the past 12 years, staying home for a period of time to raise her children.  She and her husband Devin were married in 2006.  They have two children together, Whitney, who is currently a fourth grader at ANP, and Tanner, who is in second grade and attends a special needs program though Paradise Valley School District.  Their family moved to Arizona in 2012 and enjoy traveling, playing games, and spending time together.  Mrs. Raper loves to read historical fiction, watch her daughter play volleyball, and her son sing in his school choir.

Ben Milton is a Portland, Oregon native and the second of ten children. Ben attended Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, CA, where he received a bachelor’s degree in the Liberal Arts. His senior thesis debated whether a natural right to intellectual property exists. After graduation in 2010, Ben briefly worked as a copywriter before accepting a position as a lead teacher at Archway Glendale, where he taught for five years before transferring to ANP, a school closer to home. In addition to teaching, Ben is a game designer working in the field of tabletop roleplaying games and has published several titles. He lives in north Phoenix with his wife and three children.

Katy Kwan has spent most of her life in Arizona. She graduating from NAU with a bachelors degree in Social Work and received her masters degree in Cross-Cultural Studies from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA. She has been with ANP since 2014 and has spent most of that time teaching fifth grade. When not working with Singapore Math manipulatives she and her husband have a food truck which keeps them both busy. They love to travel and explore as well as spend quality time arguing over tv and movie plots. They have recently added another pup to their family so please excuse any missed dog hair. 

Mary Rose Dovel was born in Illinois. At age three, she moved to Europe to grow up in the green grassy hills of southern Ireland. She spent four years of her teenage life studying abroad in Belgium. As a young adult, she moved to California, where she received her B.A. in Liberal Arts at Thomas Aquinas College.
Following graduation, she moved to Arizona to join the Great Hearts mission of cultivating the hearts and minds of first grade students in the pursuit of Truth, Goodness, and Beauty. In 2017, she embarked on a brand new mission to aid our sixth graders in this important pursuit.
In her spare time, she enjoys having long phone conversations with family, drinking Irish tea, eating Talenti gelato, and curling up with truly great books.

Samuel Martin was born and raised in Wisconsin. After high school Mr. Martin’s first career was in radio broadcasting. He hosted a variety of shows and timeslots from Green Bay to Chicago from the mid-90’s to early 2000’s. After the birth of his first child, Mr. Martin went back to school obtaining a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Management and later a General Masters degree. Mr. Martin is a board member for the Someday Known Foundation which is an advocacy group for families of missing persons. Mr. Martin is a published poet, cold case investigator, and avid reader. Mr.Martin has four years of teaching experience and is in his second year with Archway North Phoenix.                                            

Mrs. Marrufo grew up in Phoenix and is excited to continue her life in the city. After completing a BA in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy and Biblical Studies from Arizona Christian University, she discovered a hidden passion for teaching. Through working at Athenaeum she decided it was time to pursue teaching as a full time career. She is entering her third year as part of the middle school math and science team at Archway North Phoenix. She looks forward to continuing to inspire the hearts and minds of young scholars. When she is not working, Mrs. Marrufo enjoys reading, spending time with her husband, and preparing for the birth of their first child this upcoming January.

Julie Park was born in South Korea and raised in Canada and various places of the United States. She has received her Bachelor’s Degree in Clarinet performance in Columbus State University and Master’s Degree in music from Colorado State University. She is currently finishing her Doctorate Degree of Musical Arts in Arizona State University while teaching at Archway Classical Academy North Phoenix. Over the course of her academic career, she has received recognitions and awards in concerto competitions, conferences, performing and premiering solo, and chamber music. She is still actively performing in professional chamber groups and as a soloist. Her passion towards both teaching and playing are both strong, and she is looking forward to teaching music at ANP for many more years.

Ms. Cremeens has mentored students here for three years. She started in Archway’s after school program, Athenaeum, when she was just 18. She is currently enrolled at Northern Arizona University online, for her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education. Her favorite part about working for Great Hearts is the love and respect that is fostered in its community of lifelong learners. She loves working with all age groups, and has been an AT for several classrooms, including fourth grade and kindergarten. She has lots of pets: dogs, cats, a fish, and even chickens! She likes to volunteer her extra time for the Maricopa Park Ranger Service and a birds of prey rescue and rehabilitation center “Wild at Heart”.

Sarah Huntley grew up on a dairy farm in  Wisconsin. She learned and enjoyed responsibility from a young age.
The summer of her junior years was spent touring Europe visiting 8 countries, thus began a love of cultures near and far.
She received  a B.S. in Intercultural Studies in 2003 taking a semester to study and serve in an orphanage in Kenya, Africa. She  went on to receive a MAED in elementary education in 2006. The next few years were spent teaching in a behavior disorder school and several more in a local district teaching Kindergarten. In 2009, she and her husband started their family. After taking a 10 year break to raise her children she returned last year to be close to her children and to her love of teaching. In her spare time you may find her reading, running or cheering on her children in any number of extra curricular activities.

Mrs. Wittmann is originally from California but moved to Arizona when she attended Northern Arizona University where she graduated with Honors and a degree in Business Administration. After graduating, she moved to Phoenix where a passion for education led her to serve at Great Hearts as an Assistant Teacher. The 2019-2020 school year will be Mrs. Wittmann’s third year with ANP and her first year as a Lead Teacher. She is honored to build up students’ knowledge as well as their character by bringing virtues into the classroom. One activity Mrs. Wittmann enjoys most is reading; two of her favorite books are The Hobbit and The Biggest Bear. She believes that students who do not like reading just haven’t read the right book yet.

Mrs. Gianforte was born and raised in Brazil. She’s been living in the USA since 2001 after she got married to her husband Tony.  Mrs. Gianforte has a Business Degree and worked for many years in Bank Institutions. They have two children Enzo and Sophia, which also attends Great Hearts School. This is Mrs. Gianforte’s first year at Archway  North Phoenix as TA in first grade. Her passion for learning and for helping her own children created the desire to serve other children to achieve their full potential through our Liberal Arts curriculum. She believes that shaping the minds and hearts of our young students will lead them to a life of virtues and greater ideas. In addition to helping her students,  Mrs. Gianforte enjoys hiking, any form of workout, reading, and playing with her children and her beloved Goldendoodle Chloe. Her family also loves to travel and explore new places around the world.

Britney Smith has a passion for reading, family, health and fitness, and her dear students. Originally from Kentucky, Britney attended the University of Illinois at Springfield and earned a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science. Upon graduation, she joined the Great Hearts team. As she starts her second year, she is looking forward to educating a new class of young hearts and minds.

Kate Pilkington is a Phoenix native who is passionate about fostering confidence, curiosity, and creativity in the hearts and minds of her students. After spending multiple summers in a row working with k-6th grade children at youth camps, Kate was encouraged to pursue the position of assistant teacher at Great Hearts. She is constantly enamored by the delightful perspectives and personalities that are present in her classroom and across campus at Archway North Phoenix. In her spare time Kate enjoys going on long hikes in the desert and exploring the disciplines of both digital and film photography. She is an avid fan of dark chocolate and early morning sunrises.

Andrew Rigas grew up with his three brothers in Coudersport, Pennsylvania, a small town in north central Pennsylvania. After high school, Andrew went to Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. He majored in history and minored in mathematics, and worked as a sports editor for the college’s student-run newspaper. During his junior year, he spent a semester abroad at the University of Oxford, studying British history and literature and rowing on one of the school’s teams. After graduating in May 2018, Andrew moved to Phoenix. He was a fourth grade AT in his first year at ANP, which he enjoyed a lot. He loves the Arizona weather, since he can play golf and tennis in January. He also likes to ski, play and watch sports, and read in his free time.

Lydia Robb is originally from Ohio. She moved to Arizona in 2015 and has been reveling in the warm winters ever since. Currently she is pursuing a fine arts degree and enjoying her 3rd year at Great Hearts, this year with 4th graders. In her free time she enjoys, in Charlotte Mason’s words, “the habit of reading beautifully written books”. She also enjoys adventuring to new places with any of her 4 older brothers.

Sherri Westergaard was born in Chicago, Illinois. She attended The University of The Nations in Kona, Hawaii and graduated with a degree in Counseling. She lived in Hawaii for 15 years. She was a missionary and has traveled the world extensively, visiting 10 different nations and living in 4 different countries. She homeschooled her three sons for four years when they were young. They are now all in their twenties. She taught 3rd grade before joining the 5th grade team at Archway North Phoenix.

Jason Jefferson was born and raised in Phoenix, AZ. He received his BA in History, with a minor in Religious Studies, from Arizona State University. In 2011, he kicked off his education career by becoming a substitute teacher, gaining experience with all different grades and subjects. He taught junior high for 3 years before coming to ANP in 2017 to work in 4th grade. The following year, he moved up to 5th grade, where he still is today. He is excited to be able to continue helping scholars grow in their mathematical and problem-solving skills. When not at school, Mr. Jefferson likes to sing in a community men’s chorus, cook, and play board games.

Rebekah Layton started at Archway North Phoenix in 2018 as an apprentice teacher. She now teaches fifth- and sixth-grade Latin. Miss Layton graduated summa cum laude from Arizona State University in 2013 with a BA in English Linguistics and a Classical Studies Certificate. From 2016-2017, she did postgraduate studies in English language at the University of Edinburgh with a focus on the historical development of English. She is particularly interested in the Old English period. In her collegiate studies of Latin and the classical period, she focused on aspects of Roman culture and the heroic tradition. In addition to English (Old, Middle, and Modern) and Latin, Miss Layton has studied Spanish, some German, and a smattering of other languages.

Outside of her abiding interest in languages, Miss Layton is an avid reader and artist. She previously worked as a librarian for several years, and she enjoys sketching and watercolor painting in her free time. Her favorite book is Jane Austen’s Persuasion.

Vito Messana was born and raised in the Valley of the Sun. He had a solid education growing up, with many good educator role models, and earned a Bachelors of Arts degree from Arizona State University. After working in the food and retail industry, he was happy to finally start his career in education.

Mr. Messana’s desire for teaching goes back to Mrs. Barr’s First Grade class, when he was only 7 years old. That desire was fulfilled in August 2016, when he started working for Great Hearts in the after school Athenaeum program at our previous campus. He fell in love with the mission of Great Hearts, the curriculum of Archway North Phoenix and the students. He joined the Archway staff when we moved to our new home as an Assistant Teacher in 5th Grade and is excited to  grow in his new 6th Grade position.

Besides teaching, Mr. Messana enjoys genealogy, philosophy, good food, and visiting his beloved grandmother.

Ms. Olsen graduated from the University of North Texas with a BA in Interdisciplinary Art Studies with a minor in Performance. She currently serves as the Specials Dean, 5^th and 6^th House coordinator, and is also the director for the 4^th-6^th Drama Club. She loves dancing, performing in community theatre, and making pottery in her spare time.

Ms. Rojas graduated with a Bachelor of Fine arts in Painting and a minor in Humanities from Brigham Young University. She began teaching art at Archway North Phoenix in 2016, and enjoys teaching students to love and appreciate art. An active artist, Ms. Rojas enjoys painting, book making, and spending time with her husband and four children.

Mrs. Berger is originally from St. Paul, Minnesota. She headed south to warmer climes in Dallas, TX to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Southern Methodist University. After working in health club management, Mrs. Berger changed her career focus to teaching. After twelve years as a classroom teacher in a Phoenix charter school, Mrs. Berger found her way to Great Hearts joining the inaugural team at Archway North Phoenix in 2012. She recently moved from a classroom lead teacher position to teaching Art and has relished this opportunity as a new way to reach young hearts and minds.

Mr. Lang is a Phoenix native and had worked all over the valley as a performer, director, composer, clinician, and private instructor before coming to Archway North Phoenix in 2015 for his first classroom teaching experience. When he’s not teaching at school or at home, he’s usually playing some music somewhere around town, but he also has a great love for language and grammar, the study of which keeps him busy in his spare time.

Julie Park was born in South Korea and raised in Canada and various places of the United States. She has received her Bachelor’s Degree in Clarinet performance in Columbus State University and Master’s Degree in music from Colorado State University. She is currently finishing her Doctorate Degree of Musical Arts in Arizona State University while teaching at Archway Classical Academy North Phoenix. Over the course of her academic career, she has received recognitions and awards in concerto competitions, conferences, performing and premiering solo, and chamber music. She is still actively performing in professional chamber groups and as a soloist. Her passion towards both teaching and playing are both strong, and she is looking forward to teaching music at ANP for many more years.

Dana Fee was born and raised in the Netherlands where she had many opportunities to travel. It’s no surprise then that when she grew up she wanted to teach languages, of which she knows a little of seven! She earned her B.A. in French and Linguistics. She has her Master’s degree in Education, and another in Theology.  She has lived in France, Russia, Iowa, and is now enjoying life in Phoenix with her family.

Madame Fee or Magistra Fee, as her Kindergarten, 1^st and 5^th grade students know her, has taught students of all ages for 20 years.  She enjoys travelling, journaling, watercolor painting and spending time with her family. If you see Mrs. Fee, feel free to greet her with “Bonjour!” or “Salve!” or any language of your choice!

Kelly Brugere was born in Phoenix but grew up in Southern California. This is her fifth year at Great Hearts and her fourth year as a French teacher.

She graduated college at Chico State University in Northern California with a double major in French and International Relations. She has spent three non-consecutive years studying in different parts of France. During her last year there, she worked at the French-American Chamber of Commerce in Paris doing translation work. She returned home and attended Scottsdale Culinary Institute (currently Le Cordon Bleu) and became a pastry chef.

However, after raising her three children and homeschooling for four years, she decided combine her French knowledge and teaching upon moving back to Phoenix.

Her favorite pastimes include cooking, baking, kickboxing, running, and being outside. She also loves to travel as much as possible.

Seth Rutt has been teaching physical education in classical schools for 8 years. He is passionate about teaching students to love being healthy. He has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s degree in physical education. In his spare time, Mr. Rutt enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 year old son. They enjoy camping, hiking, trail running and anything else outdoors

Being a Phoenician through and through, Kelley Madsen earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology at Arizona State University. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they enjoy playing with their dog, Reggie. Besides Physical education, Coach Madsen’s other passions are running, playing games, being outdoors, traveling, cooking and baking, crafts, and spending time with friends and family. Coach Madsen hopes to influence scholars to live more active lifestyles by showing them that being active is fun.

Dylan Waugh was born and raised right here in Phoenix. He graduated from Arizona Christian University where he majored in Communication and minored in Biblical Studies. Dylan has been teaching PE at Archway North Phoenix since 2015. His passion for knowing Truth, Beauty and Goodness led him to pursue teaching in the first place. When he was introduced to the Great Hearts model, he could not apply fast enough! He considers it a high honor to work alongside some of the brightest minds in classical education and counts it a joy to partake in the cultivation of his student’s hearts and minds.

Michelle Jensen is a native from Phoenix, Arizona. She has a bachelor’s degree in special education from Arizona State University West and a Master’s degree in Special Education from Grand Canyon University as well as numerous administration certification classes. This is her 14th year in special education and her 2nd year at Great Hearts. She worked for Peoria Unified School District from 12 years in numerous positions, including the Dean of Students for special education students grade 9-12 and oversaw a high school truancy program for 5 years. She spends her free time with her husband of 12 years and her 11 year old daughter, Grayce, who will be a 6th grade student at North Phoenix Prep this year. She is here for any and all questions that you may have regarding the Exceptional Students Services world.

Kristi graduated Summa Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University with a B.S. in Elementary Education and is currently pursuing certification in Special Education.  She has many years of working with special needs students and struggling readers.  Her career with Great Hearts began at Archway Veritas as a 2^nd grade lead teacher, transferring to Archway North Phoenix in 2012.  She began in early childhood education in 1986 and is currently in her twenty-second year of teaching.  Helping children discover what they are capable of lends its way beautifully to her passion for lifelong learning and the art of teaching.  She has a wonderful fiancée’, three grown children, six grandchildren, and two wonderful parents that she enjoys spending her free time with, along with antiquing, and helping clients design their home interiors.

Michelle Zartner was born and raised in Wisconsin and relocated to Arizona in 2018.  This is her 12^th year working as an Assistant in special education and is very excited to be working with children in a classical education setting. She also teaches part-time in Athenaeum and is enjoying working with all grade levels. It has been in her heart and a passion of hers to work with people having special needs since she was quite young.  She has over 40 years of experience working in many different facets of life with the special needs’ population, beginning in 1973.  She enjoys spending time with her 3 grown children, family, friends and meeting new people.

Deb Powell arrived in Phoenix 21 years ago by way of Kansas, Missouri and Florida. Along the way she attended Marymount College, SMSU, and Ottawa Universities, with a focus in Business and Education. She chose retail and banking in her early career years. The last 19 years have been dedicated to our ANP Library, ESS, teaching second and third grades, which have brought her great joy! Summers afford her time for reading, knitting, and crafting. Her husband and two grown daughters are a great support.

George is a native of Phoenix, Arizona. He graduated from Peoria High School in 2000. He is a U.S. Military Veteran, and spent 2 years deployed overseas. He graduated with distinction with an Associates Degree from Paradise Valley Community College in Philosophy, and will receive his Bachelors in Arts in Philosophy in the Fall. He has two children and has been married to his wife for 7 years. He enjoy fishing and spending time with my family. His best friend is Socrates and Plato is a very close second.