ANDREW LLOYD
Mathematics Department
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Andrew Lloyd - Mathematics Department
ASHLEY CARRUTH
Humanities Department
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Ashley Carruth - Humanities Department
In 2005, Ashley received her B.A. in English and Education from Dartmouth College. After graduation, she traveled to Kenya with two friends from Dartmouth (Fred and Milton Ochieng’) to build a medical clinic in their rural village, Lwala. Between Kenya and Animas, Ashley worked for the International Rescue Committee in Seattle as she led a cultural orientation and English language program for recently resettled refugees; started a project-based learning school-within-a-school at Basalt Middle School; and completed her Master’s in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership at Stanford University. Growing up with the mountains of Colorado as her playground instilled in Ashley a strong sense of place rooted in scree fields, aspen tree groves and small mountain towns. When Ashley’s not in her classroom, you might find her on a remote trail– running, mountain biking or skiing. She is thrilled to begin her 8th year of teaching Humanities at Animas High School and coaching mountain biking for the Animas and Durango High School teams.
BRIDGET STOWERS
Main Office
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Bridget Stowers - Main Office
Bridget grew up in Connecticut and even though she has lived most of her adult life in Colorado, she still considers herself to be a true Yankee. She attended the University of Massachusetts for two years after high school. While taking a gap year to ski and work in Aspen, she decided to pursue her Geology degree in Colorado. She graduated from Fort Lewis College with a B.S. degree in Geology and worked for Merrion Oil and Gas in Farmington, NM, as a geologist and then for AMACO (BP), in their Environmental and Safety department. She returned to Fort Lewis to obtain her teaching certification in the early 90’s. She received her certification in K-5, and completed course work for a middle school endorsement. Bridget met her husband at the top of Ray’s Ridge at the T-8 duty station, where he was working on the ski patrol and she was volunteering for Adaptive Sports. They have three amazing sons. The two older boys are alumni of AHS and the youngest is a member of the class of 2019.
BRITT BLASDELL
Art Department
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Britt Blasdell - Art Department
Britt was raised on a lake in Ohio, with a wonderful childhood full of outdoor fun and art surrounding her. She graduated from East Carolina University with a double major in Art Education and Painting, as well as two minors in Fine Art and Drawing. At ECU, she was the captain of the Snowboarding Team, where they traveled all over the country to compete. This really set Britt’s dream into motion to move out west, so she followed her brother to Durango, where she would be inspired by the mountains to become a well known, professional artist in town. Before Animas High School, Britt taught at Durango Nature Studies, The Liberty School, Durango Montessori, was a substitute teacher for 9-R, as well as several art classes around town.
When she is not in her studio alongside her cat, Dexter, Britt partakes in anything that is fun! Yoga, snowboarding, mountain biking, running, paddle boarding, dirt -biking and camping are some of her favorite hobbies.
CHRISTINE IMMING
Director of Finance and Human Resources
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Christine Imming - Director of Finance and Human Resources
Christine moved to Durango to attend Fort Lewis College and then went on to obtain a Master’s degree in Accounting from Regis University. She has a strong passion for non-profits and organizations that lend themselves to the growth and improvement of community members and a need to make a meaningful difference with her work. Christine has lived in Durango for more than twenty five years and is grateful to raise her family in such a community oriented place alongside the magnificent Animas river. She loves the ocean, live music and is devoted to the foster kitten program at the La Plata County Humane Society.
CARLIN NIELSEN
Inclusion Department
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Carlin Nielsen - Inclusion Department
Since her days growing up outside Chicago, Carlin has explored the different ways people operate and thrive. After concentrating in sociology and creative writing at Hamilton College in upstate New York, she found her calling in education while teaching English in the Peace Corps. Her first Master’s degree is in Multicultural Special Education from CU-Boulder, and she holds teaching licenses in Special Education, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, and Gifted & Talented education. In 2016-17, she earned an additional Master’s in Educational Leadership from High Tech High’s Residency Program where she focused on the inclusion of neurodiverse students. Since her year at HTH, Carlin has remained passionate about and committed to creating more inclusive programming for students in Durango.
DAVE FARKAS
Mathematics Department
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Dave Farkas - Mathematics Department
An adventurer at heart, traveling the world and going places seldom seen is what drives me. Whether I’m sitting in the seat of a kayak, in a harness on a big wall, or in my classroom working with my students, my love of exploration and project based learning is only surpassed by the love I have for my 2 boys.
Most days you can find me at school pushing students to learn about the world around them. If I’m not in my classroom, I’m probably in an eddy somewhere paddling a beautiful stretch of river with my mates. Capturing those moments with my camera makes it come alive later.
DUSTY GRANNIS
Registrar & IT Director
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Dusty Grannis - Registrar & IT Director
Dusty grew up in Chicago, IL and surrounding area. Upon moving to Durango, CO in 2001 he commenced his studies at Fort Lewis College and graduated with a BA in humanities. Dusty also took classes at San Juan Basin Technical College where he received IT certification. His passion for technology has landed him as the IT specialist and coordinator at AHS. Other interest includes sustainability, mountain biking, snowboarding, performing music, and travel.
ERIN SKYLES
School Counselor
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Erin Skyles - School Counselor
Erin moved to Durango from Santa Fe, NM in order to attend Fort Lewis College in 1999. She immediately fell in love with the community and never left! Erin received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from FLC and later attended the University of Denver in order to obtain her Masters of Social Work. Erin has worked with high-risk teens, foster youth and foster parents, low-income families and with children, teens and adults as a therapist. She has volunteered with/for LGBTQ rights and resources, with survivors of domestic violence and with the local Salvation Army. She is incredibly passionate about her work and is ecstatic to join the Animas High School community. She is married with 2 kids (Ezra and Alynna) and loves to mountain bike, snowboard, raft, read and spend time with friends and family.
ETOILE HENING
Health Consultant
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Etoile Hening - Health Consultant
Etoile grew up in Atlanta, GA and attended The University of Georgia where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in English. Wanting to combine her passion for helping others with her interests in health, wellness, and medicine she chose to pursue a career in nursing. Etoile attended The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1995. It was during nursing school that Etoile discovered the joys of mountain biking. Following graduation she vowed to visit all of the best locations for mountain biking between Maryland and California in search of a favorite to call home. This is how she happened to find Durango. Etoile was instantly in love with Durango, but knew it was necessary to get established with her career prior to relocating. She began her career as an Oncology nurse in southern California and patiently awaited an opening in Durango. Etoile moved to Durango in 1997 and continued her career as an oncology nurse. She worked in the field of oncology for a total of 13 years. Etoile was hired by Mountain Middle School in the fall of 2012 to design and build their health department. Etoile has been working to establish a strong health department at AHS since January of 2014. Etoile enjoys spending time with her husband of 13 years and their children. She loves to mountain bike, travel, camp, hike, and ski. Etoile enjoys supporting her daughters numerous activities. She is a Suzuki violin mom and spends countless hours assisting her two daughters during violin and piano lessons and practices at home. She also enjoys supporting her daughters in their pursuits of ski racing and soccer.
HEATHER PREKUP
Inclusion Department
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Heather Prekup - Inclusion Department
Heather moved to Durango in 2013 from Keller, Texas. The move here was made after she and her family decided Durango was their dream place to live, work, and raise children. She is ecstatic to be living on a beautiful piece of property in Hermosa with her husband, son, sister, brother-in-law, niece, nephew, grandmother, and parents. Heather and Joseph had their first baby, Chamberlain Dean, in November 2013. Heather graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a Bachelors of Science in Child Development, and from there she went on to receive her teaching certificate from Texas Teachers Alternative Teaching Program. She holds licenses in Early Childhood Education, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education, Elementary Education, and Special Education. Heather’s career in Special Education began in 2010 in a Keller, TX intermediate school as a Special Education Paraprofessional. It was in this position that Heather found a passion for working with exceptional students. She has worked with a variety students of all ages and disabilities and has grown to love this field more and more over the years. Heather began working as the Special Education Teacher at Animas High School in 2013, and is responsible for managing and implementing IEP’ s, 504 Plans, and ALP’s for our Inclusion Department. When not at AHS you can find her working in her garden, cooking, or enjoying locally grown and prepared artisan foods at various restaurants around town with her husband and son.
JANAE HUNDERMAN
Work-Based Learning Coordinator
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Janae Hunderman
Bio Coming Soon…
JENNY MCKENZIE
Foreign Language Department
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Jenny McKenzie - Foreign Language Department
Jenny graduated from Southwestern University in 2004 with a BA in Spanish Language and Literature. Soon after, she packed up her car and headed for the mountains. During her first years in Durango, she worked with at-risk teens in wilderness therapy, followed by non-profit work supporting local families in crisis. In 2011, she felt a calling to return to work with adolescents, and thus began her teaching career by enrolling in Western State Colorado University’s MA in Teacher Education and Leadership Program while concurrently teaching Secondary Spanish in Ignacio School District 11-JT. In 2015, persuaded by the passion of Animas teacher and student friends, Jenny joined the Animas team, quickly realizing that she had found her home! But, life works in mysterious ways, and after just 2 years with the school, love pulled her to Barcelona, Spain, where she continued to work online supporting Spanish students in the US, but also dove into language, culture and the experience of living abroad with her husband. In 2020, after an impactful three year hiatus, she was thrilled for the opportunity to return to Animas High School, but this time, with more experiences and stories to share with her students.
JULIAN SPRINGER
Mathematics Department
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Julian Springer - Mathematics Department
Growing up in Nepal in the late 90s, Julian attended the British School of Kathmandu and Lincoln School of Nepal. In 2002, Julian’s family moved to China where he attended and graduated from the International School of Beijing. In 2011, Julian graduated from Colorado College with a BA in Geology and a minor in Physics. In college he strove to combine his passion for math and science with his love of the outdoors, which is where he learned to see math and the physical sciences as a way to not only understand the natural world, but to deepen our appreciation of its beauty and splendor. He endeavors to use this viewpoint to help inspire curiosity and passion for STEM in his students.
Seeking any means to help better the world, he spends his summers as a bike and raft guide in Utah (as a Company Leader for Holiday Expeditions) and Colorado ( as a Trip Leader for Four Corners Whitewater) where he can promote environmental stewardship and outdoor recreation to his guests. He first found his calling as an educator coaching for the Crested Butte Mountain Sports Team, and began his journey as a teacher through the Fort Lewis College Master of Arts in Education program in 2018. As a teacher, his greatest aspiration is to be a progressive educator and designer, leave his students enlightened, and make a positive impact on our world. Julian believes that a strong education is the most powerful gift you can give to a child. Having found his own greatest joy in learning, he hopes to pass the desire to be a lifelong student on to his pupils, for whom he cares passionately.
When not in the classroom, Julian can be found reading, enjoying music, or outside with his wife, Callie, and their daughter, Lumi.
JESSICA MCCALLUM
Humanities Department
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Jessica McCallum - Humanities Department
Jessica started her education at Michigan State University, studying Political Theory and Spanish until she moved to Colorado in 1998 when the call of the mountains got too loud to ignore. After several years of travel and writing bilingual poetry, she found herself living in Durango, ready to return to school to pursue her passion for language and writing. On the advice of a professor, she looked into the education gig and discovered a new passion: sharing her effervescent love of language with young people. She graduated from Fort Lewis in 2005, ready to pursue that passion. After student teaching at DHS, she accepted a job in Costa Rica, which turned into many interesting teaching positions with students of all ages. In those years, she also met her husband, a Costa Rican native, and gave birth to a beautiful bilingual son. She returned to the U.S. with her familia in 2009 after four years of exploratory teaching in the jungle. At Animas, she has found a niche as an educator and remains inspired by the progressive pedagogy she is able to realize.
JESSICA (ADAMS) MORRISON
Director of College Counseling
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Jessica (Adams) Morrison - Director of College Counseling
In 2004 Jessica graduated from Bloomsburg University with a B.S. in Secondary Education with a focus in Social Studies. She is an alumna of Semester at Sea, Class of 2003, which allowed her to travel by ship around the world and apply classroom knowledge to the countries she visited. Originally born and raised in New Jersey, she has traveled and lived throughout the United States and internationally. Her previous career experiences have a common theme of focus on equitable education; however, she has pursued this passion through many different employment opportunities. Some of these opportunities have included being an AmeriCorps NCCC volunteer, teaching philosophy in Honduras, leading prevention programs for youth, and fulfilling the role as an academic advisor for TRiO Talent Search at Fort Lewis College. Furthermore, in the summers she directs college preparation programs throughout the United States for Summerfuel a college preparation company based out of New York. Jessica has made Durango, CO her home and is committed to helping build a strong community around education. In 2015 she graduated from Fort Lewis College’s first graduate school cohort with an M.A. in Education for Teacher Leadership. Additionally, Jessica is a Leadership La Plata graduate with the Class of 2019 and currently serves on their Curriculum Committee as a Curriculum Advisor. When Jessica is not working on cracking the college system and assisting students with their next steps in their life journey, she can be found traveling to new places, skiing, backpacking, canning, gardening and hiking with her husband, Casey and their dog Olive.
KYLE EDMONDSON
Mathematics Department
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Kyle Edmondson - Mathematics Department
Kyle was born in Santa Barbara and attended college in Los Angeles at Occidental College. He began teaching in a traditional school in LA, but left after two years to work at a progressive charter school in Woody Creek Colorado. This experience formed the foundation of his educational philosophy, and e has stayed with progressive schools ever since. Most recently, Kyle taught at High Tech High Chula Vista before coming to Animas. Kyle was drawn to Animas by the combination of an ideal philosophy and a chance to get back into the mountains of Colorado. He brings his wife, two children, and two dogs with him. Kyle is enjoys hiking and climbing, and generally exploring the outdoors.
LIBBY COWLES
Assistant Head of School
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Libby Cowles - Assistant Head of School
Participating in an Outward Bound course in the summer after her first year at Brown University convinced Libby that her future path would be in the field of education, finding ways to strengthen teaching and learning through relevant, experiential activities that bring curriculum to life. She graduated from Brown in 1990 with a degree in English and American Literature and her 7-12th grade teaching license, and completed her Ed.M. at Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1994, where she interned with the Harvard Outward Bound Project and co-founded the Service-Learning and Experiential Educators’ Collaboration (SEEC).
Libby has been at AHS since 2012, when she was the LINK Internship Coordinator. She stepped into the Assistant Head of School position in 2013.
Before moving to Durango in 2005, Libby spent 9 years at the Athenian School, a progressive independent school for grades 6-12 in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she taught literature classes, coordinated the service-learning program, traveled with students to India, Mexico and Canada, and served as the Dean of Faculty at the Upper School. Libby has also developed and delivered hands-on curriculum through her work with Educators for Social Responsibility, the Close Up Foundation and Longacre Expeditions. As the Community Relations Manager for Maria’s Bookshop in Durango, Libby worked with local authors, coordinated events, honed her marketing and PR skills, and relished being surrounded by books and the people who love them. Libby’s sons Finn and Charlie attend Animas High School.
LORI FISHER
Humanities Department
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Lori Fisher - Humanities Department
Lori Fisher grew up in the small town of Homer, Alaska as a 3rd generation Alaskan, and was raised to understand the importance of having roots and developing a strong sense of community and place. She spent most of her 20s seeking the right place to grow those roots. After receiving her BA in Peace and Conflict Studies in 2001 from the University of California, Berkeley, Lori worked as a fundraiser and lobbyist for YouthBuild USA, a national non-project that focused on low-income housing development and vocational training for students who dropped out of high school. Then she switched gears completely, and moved to Thailand to become a divemaster. Finally, Lori returned to the US to complete her MA in Education at Stanford University. Lori’s first teaching job was at High Tech High in San Diego, where she fell in love with project-based learning. Eventually the mountains called, and Lori moved to Durango with her husband John to help found Animas High School. Lori now feels she has a true home in Durango, and is proud to work at Animas High School.
ROXY MCKNIGHT
Art Department
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Roxy McKnight - Art Department
Roxy was born and farm raised from Whitehouse, Ohio. Literally a one horse town. She decided to move to Colorado after many summers of vacationing with her aunt and uncle (Durango residents). She began her journey westward the summer of 2003, a few months after high school graduation. You could say she heard the West calling her name. She then spent 5 yrs., studying Art, Education, and Adolescent Psychology.
SARA PRICE
Humanities Department
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Sara Price - Humanities Department
Sara Price, a Washington D.C. native, moved to Durango in high school. Since that time she has developed a deep sense of community and connection to this beautiful town of Durango. She received her undergraduate degrees from Fort Lewis College in History and Sociology. Sara has found herself in a variety of positions since graduating in 2004. While doing her thesis for sociology Sara found that she was passionate about at-risk teens and the struggles that they face in the modern world. This lead Sara to Open Sky, where she worked with clinicians empowering youth to find success in life. It was through her work with troubled youth that Sara discovered the impact education has on our youth. At this time she returned to Fort Lewis College and received her post-baccalaureate education license in secondary social studies. Sara’s return to school coincided with the opening of Animas High, where Sara felt she could take her understanding of teenage issues and combine them with her alternative education experiences to create real change in education.
STEPHEN SELLERS
Humanities Department
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Stephen Sellers - Humanities Department
Stephen Sellers is an educator, musician, and filmmaker who resides in the high-desert mountains near Durango, Colorado. Stephen holds a BA in English Literature and Language with an emphasis in linguistic studies from Texas Tech University. As a post-baccalaureate student at Fort Lewis, he earned a Colorado Secondary English Education teaching license. He was awarded the Linda K. Simmons Student Student-Teacher Award while under the mentorship of founding teacher, Lori Fisher. Stephen has taught for the better part of a decade at Animas High School, DJs throughout the southwest region, plays upright bass in the nationally-touring Six Dollar String Band, and is both a sound recordist and producer of independent films such as the award-winning narrative short film, “To The Muse.” Whether in education, music, or film-making, Sellers strives to bring an empathy-driven and human-centered approach to the students and partners with whom he co-creates.
STEVE SMITH
Science Department
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Steve Smith - Science Department
Steve attended Iowa State University and graduated with Honors while earning a BS in Physics, a minor in Philosophy and Teaching Endorsements in Chemistry and Physics. As the culmination of his teacher training at ISU Steve student taught on the South Island of New Zealand. While at ISU Steve was actively involved with the Mountaineering and Climbing Club and the Outdoor Recreation Program which cultivated the passions that compelled him to leave the plains of the Midwest in favor of the vast expanses of Southwest Colorado. Since 2006 he has taught science and math in several Western Colorado communities. He and his wife have been in Durango since 2009 and consider it their home. Steve completed a Master of Science in Astronomy in 2014 from the Swinburne University of Technology.
Steve is thrilled to be working as the Chemistry and Astronomy teacher for Animas High School. He finds great joy in sharing his curiosity and passion for learning about our world through the lens of science with his students. He loves learning alongside them and believes Animas’ project-based model allows students to find relevancy in their work, think more deeply about ideas and to create more holistic understandings of science and society. When not in the classroom, reading or planning for class Steve is likely to be found spending time with his family or enjoying the pursuits that first drew him west including rock climbing, mountain biking and Nordic skiing.
SUSY RALEIGH
Foreign Language Department
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Susy Raleigh - Foreign Language Department
Susy came from California to Colorado 20 years ago because she and her husband were touring mountain towns with colleges, and their car broke down on the corner of 25th and Main. After moving here, she spent those early years in Durango as a tour guide, traveling to Europe and South America leading biking and hiking trips. This was her opportunity to use her French degree and to improve her Spanish in a real world situation, but the arrival of her first child ended her tour guiding career. After a few years at home with kids, she started teaching foreign language in Durango area schools including Children’s House, Miller Middle School, and Durango High School. Corresponding with a national trend to study Spanish, Susy and her family took a year to study abroad in Spain and Mexico, and she returned to Durango and eventually found Animas High School, where she’s happy to be back in the classroom helping Durango youth start on their path toward becoming multi-lingual.
TINA (HOTT) TRUJILLO
Science Department
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Tina Trujillo - Science Department
Tina was born and raised in the outdoors of Southwest Colorado and has a deep love for the mystery of the mountains. Her perfect day includes riding her mountain bike, snowboarding, or hiking in the high country. She loves her profession as a high school Science Teacher and life-long adventurer. Tina’s high school years were spent attending Montrose High School and racing Bicycle Motocross (BMX). She spent one and a half years on the Front Range of Colorado attending both Colorado State University then University of Northern Colorado. The rest of her college career was finished up at Fort Lewis College, studying Biology for Secondary Education and racing bikes for the FLC Cycling Team. She competed at several collegiate cycling national races and placed 12th in Women’s National Collegiate BMX. Tina likes to approach life with an open mind as well as a positive spin. Dogs are her favorite adventure buddies but she appreciates all animals large and small. Tina’s grandparents are her biggest heroes and she hopes to read as many books as they have.
TORREY BALDWIN
Mathematics Department
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Torrey Baldwin - Mathematics Department
Torrey has spent her professional life straddling the worlds of education and counseling. She is passionate about the role of social-emotional learning in schools, and supporting students to balance exploring dual sides of themselves and the world: both the firm logic and the beauty of mathematical study; sound evidence and explosive creativity; the useful and the fascinating; embracing concrete frameworks and challenging the status quo; enormous ideas and fine details; evidence-based research and personal and relational inquiry.
Torrey studied psychology and mathematics at Williams College (‘04) while spending her summers with at-risk youth at a therapeutic summer camp in New Hampshire. Recognizing the integral role of schools in young adult development, she earned her Masters in Teaching through Simmons College while working as a 9th grade math teacher at City on a Hill Charter School in Boston. She left that role after a few years with the intention of learning how to address the more holistic needs of her students, which has led to various trainings and work with institutions such as NOLS, Kripalu, Phoenix Rising Yoga Therapy, The School of Lost Borders, and Camphill Village.
Torrey came to Durango in 2009 to work as a guide for Open Sky Wilderness Therapy, and feels grateful to call this area home. In 2014 she co-founded and then worked as the director of Wildbridge Institute for Experiential Learning, which brings holistic and experiential practices to a broad school-based population. She taught in the inclusion department at Animas in 2015-2016, and has worked here as a full-time teacher since 2018. Fully immersed in the AHS nest, she is delighted to have circled back to the world of progressive high school education. Torrey spends her free time running, reading, listening to podcasts, and spending time in nature with her husband and two sons, Kestrel and Amias.