Faculty & Staff

Interim Dean of Inclusion

Adam Seery

Adam grew up in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended college at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. After college, he worked as a canoe guide in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota before moving to Jackson, Wyoming, to work as an instructor at Teton Science Schools, where he taught science through experiential, place-based education. His work with the Teton Literacy Center allowed him to contribute to an education nonprofit focused on providing free tutoring and educational services for families in Jackson. In 2018, he moved to Durango to teach math and science at Mountain Middle School. He later earned his M.A. in Math Education from Western Governors University.

Outside the classroom, Adam is passionate about climbing, splitboarding, and mountain biking. He also has a strong interest in programming. Adam is excited to bring his diverse experiences and passion for both education and the outdoors to Animas.

[email protected] | [email protected] | Inclusion Department Website

Humanities Department

Alec Johnson

Alec was born in Germany and grew up in central Pennsylvania with a general love of all things poetry (especially Alfred Tennyson). He spent most of his free time exploring the Susquehanna River in his Skanu–or as Alec spells it “Skanoo.” Upon turning 19, Alec moved out West to the “Grand” old state of Arizona to attend college. He holds a BA in Adventure Education from Prescott College, studied Teacher Education at Fort Lewis College and has an MA in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College. Prior to working at Animas, Alec taught 7th-grade humanities at Mountain Middle School for seven years. Alec has been doing academic advising and serving as adjunct faculty at Fort Lewis College since December 2022.

He is passionate about the outdoors–you can find him running the dirt of this high desert and/or rollin’ his mountain bike wheels on the gravel. Alec’s other loves are guitar picking, rock climbing, reading, skiing, writing and spending time with his good friends.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

World Langage Department

Alexi Leon Harootunian

Alexi was born in the coastal city of Lima, Peru.  Food, music and dance are a big part of Peruvian culture and influence who she is today. Alexi received her BA in Communications and Advertising from Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas. As she was finishing her undergrad program she had the great opportunity to travel the world and gain a wider cultural and language experience and eventually moved to Colorado. Finding her love for sharing culture and language, she went back to school to get her Master of Arts in Education, with a focus in Spanish at Fort Lewis College. In addition to sharing her love for teaching language and sharing culture, she really enjoys touring with her band Mojo Birds, hiking, making sushi and Peruvian food, Latin and hip hop dancing, and rollerblading.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

Math Department

Ande Lloyd

In 2020, Ande received his B.S. in Mathematics with a Secondary License in Education from Western Colorado University. Growing up in Durango instilled a deep passion for the outdoors in Ande, and he loves spending his time rock climbing and back-country skiing. During his time in college, he worked as a climbing guide and volunteered with Search and Rescue for Black Canyon National Park. Ande graduated from Animas High School in 2015, and became passionate about project based learning as a student. He completed his student teaching at Animas, and is excited to be a part of the faculty!

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio 

Inclusion Department

Andy Polk

Andy grew up in the woods and farmland of rural Maryland, where he developed a deep appreciation for nature, curiosity, and creativity. Much of his youth was spent reading, playing music, and exploring the forests near his home. After graduating from high school, he attended Salisbury University on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, earning dual Bachelor of Arts degrees in Philosophy and Environmental Studies. Following several years of travel, adventure, and exploration, Andy returned to higher education to pursue one of his long-standing aspirations—becoming a teacher. He enrolled in Fort Lewis College’s Teacher Licensure and Master’s program, completing his student teaching at Animas High School, where he embraced the school’s project-based learning model and built strong connections with students.

Beyond the classroom, he enjoys spending time outdoors, playing and writing music on the guitar, and exploring the beauty of the natural world with his fiancée and their husky pup, Freya.

Substitute Teacher, Administrative Assistant

Andrew Allison-Godfrey

Andrew Allison-Godfrey grew up in Connecticut and moved to Colorado Springs to attend Colorado College. Andrew graduated with a BA in Religion and then stayed on at Colorado College to work in the Outdoor Education Department running the Ritt Kellogg Memorial Fund. After a stint in Jackson, Wyoming working as a baker, Andrew moved to Denver and then Durango and started his own bagel business, Mabel’s Bagels along the way. He is currently in graduate school pursuing a dual masters in Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling. When not working or studying, Andrew enjoys skiing, mountain biking and camping with his wife and their perfect dog, Mable.

[email protected] 

Humanities Department, Dean of Experiential Education

Ashley Carruth

A passionate and progressive educator with over fifteen years of curriculum and program design experience, Ashley seeks to help youth develop a strong sense of self worth and belonging through mentorship, outdoor adventure, connection to wild places and authentic leadership opportunities.

Ashley received her B.A. in English and Education from Dartmouth College, after which she worked for the International Rescue Committee, coached soccer and alpine ski racing, and started a project-based learning school-within-a-school in Basalt, Colorado. After earning her Master’s in Education Policy, Organization and Leadership at Stanford University in 2011, Ashley moved to Durango to teach Humanities at Animas High School. She has since developed a deep sense of place and community rooted in the jagged ridgelines and steep scree fields of the San Juan Mountains, the silt-laden waters of the San Juan River, the yawning labyrinth of canyons of the Colorado Plateau, the intrepid urban deer, skittish alpine coyotes, and big-hearted Durangotang bipeds. Ashley’s work as an educator, coach, and mentor has been enriched by her connection to the human and natural worlds in and around the San Juan Mountains. She aims to share her respect for these communities with her students, while also helping them to develop a sense of place and belonging that encourages environmental stewardship and community resilience. Ashley is the co-founder of San Juan Mountain SOLES, an outdoor leadership program for female-identifying high school-aged students.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio | Avalanche Education | Experiential Education at AHS

Main Office

Bridget Stowers

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. in Geology and worked as a geologist for Merrion Oil and Gas in Farmington, New Mexico and then for AMACO (BP), in their Environmental and Safety department. She returned to Fort Lewis to obtain her teaching certification in K-5 and completed course work for a middle school endorsement in the 1990s.

Bridget met her husband at the top of Ray’s Ridge at the T-8 duty station at Purgatory, where he was working on the ski patrol and she was volunteering with Adaptive Sports Association. They have three amazing sons who graduated from Animas in 2012, 2015 and 2019.

[email protected]

Art Department, ALP Coordinator, Testing Coordinator

Cameron Elder

Cameron grew up right around the corner in Dolores, Colorado where she first discovered the importance of a tight-knit community and hard work. She moved away to complete her B.A. in English and Literary Arts with a focus in Education from the University of Denver. Here she found her love of teaching through opportunities to teach language abroad. To pursue this further, she moved to continue her education with an M.A. in Education from Fort Lewis College while spending time connecting back to the community and working in Dolores Middle School teaching Language Arts.

Outside of the classroom, Cameron spends her time reading, painting and taking full advantage of the Colorado outdoors. She is incredibly excited to be teaching Art at Animas High School. 

[email protected] |Art Department Digital Portfolio

Interim Director of Student Support

Carlin Nielsen

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 Master’s degree in Multicultural Special Education was awarded from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2010, and she holds teaching licenses in Special Education, Culturally and Linguistically Diverse, and Gifted & Talented education. She joined AHS in 2012, with a focus on compliance and Special Education. In 2017, she earned an additional Master’s in Educational Leadership from High Tech High Graduate School of Education where she focused on the inclusion of neurodiverse students. She is currently working towards her Ed.S. in School Psychology, and will be completing her practicum during the 2025-26 school year. She looks forward to continuing to build her relationships with staff and integrating her specialized skill set into school leadership.

[email protected]

Inclusion Department

Cathy Hearn

Bio coming soon…

[email protected]

Director of Operations

Christine Imming

Christine moved to Durango to attend Fort Lewis College, and now, over 30 years later, she remains deeply rooted in this vibrant community. She brings both strategic expertise and a heartfelt passion for connection and service to her work. Christine holds a Master’s in Accounting from Regis University and a Master’s in Organizational Leadership from CU Boulder. Christine completed the Leadership La Plata Program in 2014/2015 and considers it to be one of the most valuable development experiences of her career. With more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, she is committed to meaningful work that strengthens and gives back to the community she loves. 

At AHS, Christine founded the Who Cares Club to foster student-led belonging, has taken three groups of students abroad to volunteer at an animal sanctuary, and teaches Personal Finance and Business Math to help students develop real-world skills. She is passionate about creating inclusive spaces where young people feel empowered, supported, and inspired to grow.  Christine feels incredibly fortunate to work at the same school her three children have attended, two of whom graduated in the classes of 2023 and 2025, and finds joy in being part of a place where every student is known, seen, and celebrated as a big fish in a small pond.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

Substitute Teacher, Art Department

Dallas Padoven

Dallas Padoven is a versatile professional with a rich background in theatre, education, and photography. Born in Durango he has worked in a diverse set of careers. At Korn Ferry, he excelled as a Team Coordinator, efficiently managing international meetings and ensuring smooth operations. As the Head of Theatre at Farmington High School, Dallas oversaw a diverse theatre curriculum and led the Thespian Troupe of over 80 students, creating a vibrant and supportive environment. His role as a Medical Assistant at Durango Dermatology demonstrated his ability to maintain a safe and professional space, especially crucial during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dallas also contributed to medical education as a Standardized Patient at Drexel University and promoted high-end products and clients as a Brand Ambassador with Roots Media. In his Four Corners based photography business, he has captured the essence of clients with a personal touch. His theatrical career has featured significant roles and directorial work in various productions across the country, backed by a BFA in Musical Theatre from the University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

Dean of Students and Culture, Math Department

Dave Farkas

Dave is a proud Canadian who holds a B.S. in Physics from University of British Colombia and a B.A. in Environmental Education and Leadership from Prescott College. He got his teaching license in the 1990s through Fort Lewis College, and has taught math and science in the Four Corners for over twenty years, including stints at Mountain Middle School, Miller Middle School and Bayfield High School.

An adventurer at heart, traveling the world and going places seldom seen is what drives Dave. In the summer months, Dave is proud to help share the healing power of outdoor adventure with those whose lives have been impacted by cancer through with work with First Descents. Whether he’s sitting in the seat of a kayak, in a harness on a big wall or in his classroom working with students, Dave’s love of exploration and project-based learning is only surpassed by the love he has for his two boys, who both attended AHS.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

Art Department

Drew Semel

Drew grew up in a creative family in a small town outside of Chicago and was taking pictures and making home movies at a very early age. Exploring various forms of storytelling has been a lifelong passion. After receiving a B.A. from the Communications School (photography, film, design emphasis) at Ithaca College, Drew pursued a career as a photographer and filmmaker. The first stop was in New York City, then on to Florence, Italy and finally Los Angeles, where he worked in television and on movie projects in the entertainment industry. Drew has sought opportunities to teach his craft to adults and younger students throughout his career. He led multiple GlobaLearn expeditions, educating middle school students in the U.S. about children and cultures worldwide. During that time, he traveled to 80 countries, virtually taking students on expeditions.

Drew came to Durango in 2000 to enjoy all the offerings of a small mountain town and open a digital arts studio. Twenty years later, he has clients throughout the Four Corners region through his business, Illuminarts. He’s also been a passionate community member and was involved with AHS for years before joining the faculty as an early supporter of the LINK internship program. Drew is thrilled to be in the Digital Arts teaching role at Animas High School, sharing his lifelong passion for storytelling and the impacts of the visual arts. When he’s away from his studio, Drew usually spends time with his family and their two energetic doodles on the trails around Durango.

[email protected] | Art Department Digital Portfolio

Work-based Learning and Intern Coordinator

Elliot Baglini

Elliot is excited to be part of the Animas team serving in a variety of areas, including postsecondary counseling, work-based learning, and teaching hands-on courses based in the Maker Space. He arrived in Southwest Colorado in 2014 after graduating from the University of Washington with a B.S in Material Science and Engineering, having pursued a love of math, science, and tinkering from a young age. During college, he was president and training director for a non-profit ski school, which ignited an interest for teaching and encouraging others to surpass their own self-expectations. After graduation, Elliot followed this passion, leading experiential education experiences in all seasons and serving as a lead instructor for Outward Bound California. From 2019 to 2023 Elliot wore many hats at Colorado Timberline Academy including as an academic advisor, science teacher and mountain bike coach. Elliot likes to move slowly through the diverse local landscape of rivers, deserts, forests and mountains, often with harmonica or a pair of binoculars in hand; on town days he works on house projects and is very slowly learning how to play Bob Dylan songs on the guitar.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

Dean of College & Career Counseling

Erin Cummins-Roper

Erin grew up close by, in Bayfield, Colorado. Her college journey was a bit unconventional, and after transferring institutions several times, she landed at Portland State University where she graduated with honors with a B.S. in Economics. After college, she looked for ways to make a positive impact in the lives of others. She enjoyed coaching youth soccer and volunteering with programs such as SOS Outreach. After a while she realized she was spending much of her free time volunteering with youth and sought out an opportunity to do so professionally. Erin accepted a position with Fort Lewis College’s Trio Upward Bound program in 2008 and spent the next 13 years helping low-income and first generation high school students from Durango, Ignacio and Montezuma-Cortez high schools enroll and be successful in college. She believes strongly in creating a society where all people have equitable access to postsecondary education. Erin also has a love for fitness and movement and has been a group fitness instructor for 10 years at the SunUte Community Center where she teaches weightlifting, spin, flow yoga and functional training. Erin loves spending time mountain biking, camping and wake surfing, ideally with her family and dog.

[email protected]

Dean of Student Wellness

Erin Skyles

Erin moved to Durango from Santa Fe, New Mexico 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 and later attended the University of Denver 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 be part of the Animas High School community. She is married with two kids, Ezra and Alynna, and loves to mountain bike, snowboard, raft, read and spend time with friends and family.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio | Health Class Digital Portfolio

Inclusion Department

Erin Wall

After moving here to attend Fort Lewis College, Erin quickly became involved in the community, volunteering with a variety of local organizations and seeking ways to give back to the place she calls home. Erin is passionate about connecting classroom learning with outdoor experiences to inspire curiosity and growth in young people and has been working in the education field in Durango since 2015. When not at Animas High School, you can find Ein exploring the mountains with her husband and two young children.

[email protected]

Math Department

Genevieve Buzan-Dansereau

Genevieve grew up in Denver where she cultivated a love for adventuring in Colorado’s mountains. She attended Colorado College and was heavily involved with the outdoor education program before graduating with a B.A. in Environmental Science and a minor in Education. In May 2018, Genevieve moved to Durango to work as a wilderness therapy guide through Open Sky, where she taught social-emotional and wilderness skills to adolescent teams in the field. She left as a senior guide to pursue a teaching career and earned her teaching license in secondary science through the Public Education and Business Coalition (PEBC). Genevieve completed her PEBC residency at Animas High School during the 2022/23 school year while working with 9th grade students in science and math. She is excited to continue her work with the Animas community!

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

Registrar

Heather Prekup

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. Heather graduated from Texas Woman’s University with a B.S. 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. 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 children.

[email protected]

Woodworking Teacher

Jeffrey Hamner

A Colorado kid through and through, Jeffrey grew up making the most of his surroundings in all seasons. Nature is Jeffrey’s first home and his bedroom is secondary. Jeffrey visited Durango as a high schooler and immediately knew his post-high school plans–teaching swimming and skateboarding for the city of Durango, and coaching mountain biking with the Dirt Lovers program while attending college at Fort Lewis College, where he majored in English Communications with an emphasis on radio.

Shortly after college, Jeffrey became a nanny and recognized the lack of youth-dedicated spaces. Knowing young people needed a progressive place for events of excitement and engagement, Jeffrey took action and dedicated a decade of energy into hosting skateboard competitions, and co-founded The Hive DGO, an indoor skate park, urban garden, music venue and youth center. Throughout that process this heartfelt educator has had many opportunities to share their love of art, music, and engineering at various schools.

Jeffrey has taught electives at the Liberty School, Big Picture High School and the Juniper School. He is currently curating curriculum as the program director of Willowbend Learning Collective, a nature-based homeschool co-op, where his love of primitive skills and nature exploration thrives. He is also busy building his beautiful barn for his horse, Ruby. Jeffrey is a continual student of life, having been a student of wild plant gurus, survivalists, skatepark builders, muralists, engineers, instrument craftsmen, and of course, every child that learns from him, has lessons and inspiration to offer him in return.

[email protected]

Art Department

Jesse Ogle

We are grateful for our community partnership with iAM Music, a local nonprofit working to empower students through music education. Jesse, a co-founder of iAM, serves as our primary partner, and teaches our music electives alongside other talented colleagues from his organization.

Jesse’s path to full time musicianship was initially inspired by his bass studies with the late, great Joel DiBartelo of the Tonight Show in his home state of Arizona (1999-2001). He then explored various genres in bluegrass, hip-hop, Middle Eastern, jazz-funk, soul and pop groups while earning his undergraduate in Music at Oregon State University. Since graduating with a music degree, he has been working in the industry, most specifically in the genres of pop, soul, neo-soul, Jazz and funk. Jesse is very active in the Mountain West and Southwest music scenes in the U.S. as a touring musician, booking agent, manager and music educator.

Jesse has toured extensively as a bassist across the US, Canada, Mexico and Northern Europe with his co-founded group Hello Dollface. He currently leads the Modern Soul group J-Calvin with over a hundred performances and two consecutive years performing at Telluride Jazz Fest. Jesse hosts a weekly jazz jam and  monthly songwriting series in the greater Durango community. He is also a freelance musician and plays guitar and bass for hire and can be seen regularly performing with Sean Farley and Space Between Shadows. When not playing music Jesse teaches music, help others, volunteer and spend time in nature.

[email protected]

Humanities Department

Jessica McCallum

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 College in 2005, ready to pursue that passion. After student teaching at Durango High School, 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 and added her daughter to the family. At Animas, she has found a niche as an educator and remains inspired by the progressive pedagogy she is able to realize.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

Science Department

Julian Springer

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 B.A. 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 River Expeditions, and Colorado as a Trip Leader for 4Corners 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.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

World Language Department, ELD Coordinator

Kat Jackson

Kat Jackson fell in love with Hispanic culture after an immersive language experience in Mexico with Fort Lewis College in 1993. This inspired her studies in Ecuador and Spain, before graduating from Fort Lewis College with a degree in Spanish and Bilingual Education. After college, Kat spent time in South America traveling and then moved to San Francisco where she met her Aussie husband. Kat received a certificate in Teaching English as an Additional Language, and her teaching career began.

In 2004, Kat and her husband moved to Melbourne, Australia where she received a Graduate Diploma of Education and taught English at Monash University. After 10 years abroad, Kat’s family decided to head back to Colorado to be near her parents and the mountains. Kat taught Spanish at Needham and Animas Elementary Schools for 4 years. She then worked at Animas High School teaching Spanish for 3 years. Kat received her Masters of Education in Cultural Linguistic Diversity from Fort Lewis College in 2020. Soon after, her family returned to Australia where she taught Spanish at the Gold Coast.

Kat, her husband and daughter have strong ties with Durango and the outdoors. This beautiful community connection has brought them back, yet again. She is thrilled for another opportunity to be part of the Animas High School community and share her passion for language and culture with her students.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

Math Department

Kyle Edmondson

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 he 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. Kyle enjoys hiking and climbing, and generally exploring the outdoors.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

Math Department

Lauren Lucky

Lauren is a Fort Lewis College graduate with a B.A. in International Business and minors in Math and French. After a brief time teaching math in West Africa, she returned to FLC to obtain a teaching certificate in secondary math. Lauren has taught many levels of math from 6th grade through precalculus as a classroom teacher and private tutor. 

“I am passionate about math education and excited to share that passion with students at Animas High School.  The close relationships I am able to build with students in our small school setting is extremely important to me. I love the energy my students bring to class and like to focus on building confidence in math as well as critical thinking skills. I am committed to providing a safe and trusting classroom environment where students are able to work together, learn from mistakes and challenge themselves everyday.”

Lauren’s daughter Haley ’25 and Naomi ’23 are Ospreys, too.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

School Nurse; Elective Teacher

Leah Roy-Ehri

Leah Roy-Ehri is thrilled to be a part of the Animas community as a parent, healthcare electives teacher, and most recently as the school nurse. Leah grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana, and chose nursing school as a result of internship experiences she had in high school. She graduated from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio in 1998. Her first job as a Registered Nurse was in a postpartum unit at a large Cleveland hospital. Leah moved to Bloomington, Indiana and worked in the inpatient hospital setting  in a variety of roles for nearly 20 years. She was fortunate to work largely in the birth world, including Labor and Delivery, Postpartum, NICU, Lactation and Pediatrics. She has always loved teaching, and taught childbirth and breastfeeding classes, as well as teaching staff and new nurses throughout her hospital based career. She ultimately managed the community outreach/perinatal education department of her hospital, designing, implementing and teaching curriculum. Leah taught nursing school full time for several years at a community college, in the ASN and LPN nursing programs. She enjoyed being hands-on with her students in a wide variety of settings, from long term care in nursing homes to inpatient critical care. She also moved to Japan for a year and taught English there, just for fun!

Leah has two awesome kids, one who will graduate from AHS in 2027 and hopes to move on to a career in circus arts and theater, and a middle schooler at Escalante who would play D&D all day if it was an option. Her husband, Colin, teaches the Medieval Warfare XBlock at Animas, specializing in sword fighting. Leah also lives with a very small chicken named Tiny.

[email protected]

Interim Director of Enrollment & Community Outreach

Libby Cowles

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 B.A. 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.

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 communication skills and relished being surrounded by books and the people who love them.

Libby has been at AHS since 2013, when she joined the team as the LINK Internship Coordinator. She stepped into the Assistant Head of School position in 2014 and became Dean of Enrollment and Community Outreach in 2022. Libby’s sons Finn ’21 and Charlie ’23 are Ospreys, too.

[email protected]

Interim Director of Curriculum & Instruction, Humanities Department

Lori Fisher

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 B.A. 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 nonprofit that focuses on low-income housing development and vocational training for students who have dropped out of high school. Then she switched gears completely, and moved to Thailand to become a divemaster. Finally, Lori returned to the U.S. to complete her M.A. 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 in 2009, Lori moved to Durango with her husband John to help found Animas High School, where she hopes to teach until she retires, far in the future.

[email protected] | Senior Humanities Digital Portfolio  | History of 20th Century War Digital Portfolio

Science Department

Madi Lloyd

Madi grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska and attended college at University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she discovered her passion for the outdoors and outdoor leadership before graduating with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. In August 2020, she moved to Pagosa Springs, Colorado to serve in AmeriCorps as a social-emotional learning advisor. During her service, she helped develop a social-emotional learning curriculum, as well as built capacity for schoolwide restorative practices. Above all, during her service she learned about the importance of building positive relationships with her students. Madi completed her Master’s in Education through Fort Lewis College, and moved from student teaching at AHS to joining our faculty. When she is not in the classroom or studying, Madi can often be found rock climbing at any one of the local crags around Durango.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

Humanities Department

Matt Hughes

Matt was born in Belgium and raised outside of the United States. He completed high school in Jakarta, Indonesia, moved to Durango to earn a BA from Fort Lewis College, and completed his graduate studies in History at the University of California, Berkeley. After university he began teaching in Ecuador and later in China, and has since taught History, Economics, English, Sociology, Political Science, Geography, and Music in many secondary schools around the world.

When his kids were little he returned to Durango and worked at Animas High School from 2011 to 2015. As an Osprey, he fell in love with project-based learning. For four years, Matt taught Humanities to the 9th and 12th grades before pursuing opportunities to teach abroad again in Singapore and later, Bulgaria.

He is passionate about surfing, alpinism, mountaineering, climbing, snowboarding, biking, and whatever else the backcountry might offer. He finds catharsis making loud, below-average rock ‘n’ roll on electric guitars and is in his third decade of learning to love running. He hopes, despite the evidence, that he will someday enjoy it.

[email protected] | Digital Portfolio

Science Department

Mike Bienkowski

Mike grew up exploring the forests, rounded mountains, lakes and rocky coastlines of New England, developing a lifelong appreciation and passion for learning about nature. He graduated from Colby College in 2010 with a degree in Environmental Studies and was inspired by several of his professors there to pursue a career in education. For five years, he taught high school biology and environmental science at the Salisbury School in Connecticut and led long-distance bike tours for adolescents through Overland Summers. Since moving to Durango in 2016, he has been busy as the lead educator and curriculum writer for Durango Nature Studies and the San Juan Mountains Association. During this time, Mike had the opportunity to work with a broad cross-section of youth in Durango and the Four Corners as a whole and fostered relationships with many school communities while growing a deep knowledge of natural systems in the greater San Juan Mountains region. He is thrilled to bring what he has learned back to the dynamic learning community at Animas, and to continue serving Durango youth. When not teaching, you’ll either find him out running deep in a forest, hunched over a wildflower with a hand lens or teaching salsa dance classes.

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Art Department

Oliver Kennedy

Oliver joined our Art Department after completing his student teaching at AHS and graduating from Fort Lewis College with a B.A. in K-12 Theatre Education. He hails from Dallas, Texas and his educational journey started in acting and film at Oklahoma City University. Outside of the classroom, Oliver enjoys spending weekends on the disc golf course and dedicates his evenings to theatrical rehearsals for upcoming productions. His ability to connect with students and joyful presence make him a valuable addition to our school community.

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Humanities Department

Peter Bradley

Peter grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and developed an early love of the outdoors and a passion for history and social justice, all of which have shaped his career path. He went to Lewis & Clark College, where he studied Sociology and led multi-week backpacking and kayaking trips in the summers. After college, he worked in outdoor education, guiding and classroom teaching across the Midwest, American West, Bahamas and Chile. In his free time, he loves to explore the outdoors through backcountry skiing, whitewater canoeing, trail running, climbing and hiking with his dog Tundra. He also enjoys speaking Spanish, playing music and cooking meals for his wonderful partner.

He enjoys working with young people because he is consistently amazed by their ideas, intelligence and capacity to do immense good. He also appreciates how they push him to become a better person and how every day as a teacher is a new challenge!

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Humanities Department

Sarah Brown

Sarah was born and raised in Breckenridge, Colorado, and spent her childhood in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. She graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, with minors in both History and English. After college, she moved back home to Breckenridge, where she worked in the hospitality industry for a number of years wearing many different hats, from interior design to human resources.

In 2016 Sarah spent some time traveling around South Africa, and within two years had purchased a game farm there where she tried to make a go as a lodge owner for a bit. Upon her return to the U.S. Sarah felt that a career shift was in order.  Teaching was something she had always felt she was going to do, and after witnessing the impact that severe poverty and a lack of access to education had on a country, her path became clear. Sarah secured a teaching position at Aztec High School while she took classes to earn her teaching license. She is thrilled to be teaching in her own community as part of the Humanities Department.

Sarah has two sons, Ryder and Bode, and spends her free time with family and friends hiking, rafting, camping, and enjoying life.

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CAD: Digital Design and Drafting Teacher

Terry Spriggs

Terry grew up in New Mexico, Arizona and for the last 43 years in Durango, Colorado, graduating from Durango High School. Terry went York College and University of Nebraska at Kearney receiving a BFA in Graphic Art in 1993.

Terry worked for and eventually took over Mountain Graphics Sign Company, working in commercial sign work for over 30 years. It was in this time working in the sign industry that Terry furthered his skills in digital and industrial design along with various types of CNC production. More recently, Terry has begun a pivot into the world of museum and exhibit design
and fabrication, with several projects located in the Durango community. Over the years, Terry has volunteered with Adaptive Sports Association, Durango Youth Soccer Association, Kearney High School Soccer, Bayfield High School
Soccer, Aztec High School Soccer and as a board member at Powerhouse Science Center and the MakerLab.  He has helped develop the makerspaces at both the MakerLab and Fort Lewis Mesa Elementary. He is excited to offer an elective at AHS in CAD Design and Drafting.

Some of Terry’s activities include skiing, hockey, soccer, traditional archery, making and creating things and spending time with his family including his wife, a lecturer at Fort Lewis College and his school-aged triplets, who attend Mountain Middle School.