Middle School Faculty/Staff

I am delighted to be a part of the Headwaters Family as a Social Studies Guide! After earning a B.A. in History and Sociology from St. Mary's University, I started my teaching career in Jacksonville, Florida. After spending two years there, I returned to San Antonio, Texas and continued my career as a middle school social studies teacher. I left the classroom for a few years to work as an Assessment Developer for ETS after I finished my graduate degree in Instructional Design. I am passionate about history and working with kids to help them see the connections between the past and the present.

I earned my B.S. at the University of Kansas in Middle/Secondary Social Studies education. After several years as a High School History teacher and soccer coach in Evanston, Illinois I decided to take the advice I'd been giving my students to pursue their dreams with gusto and headed on down to the University of Texas at Austin to pursue an MFA in screenwriting and enjoy a far more favorable climate. After years of working as a director of educational videos, a teacher and tutor across a wide range of subjects and ages, and a free-lance writer, I found my way back to classroom teaching as a direct result of discovering the Headwaters learning environment. The focus on authentic self expression and deep engagement with educational content creates an atmosphere in alignment with my preferred styles of teaching and learning. In addition, as a Middle School guide, I am fortunate to work with my target audience of young people. In general, this age group has the incredible ability to engage with complex ideas, an openness to and capacity for deepening emotional intelligence and immense curiosity about the world and how they fit into it. Exploring topics with them from history, to screenwriting, to conscious movement practices and beyond is a delight for me.

As a kid, I spent nine summers at Nature Camp in Baltimore while attending Gilman School. Since 2008, I have been teaching Environmental Science and Outdoor Leadership at Headwaters. I wanted to be a professor for many years, and published research on climate change and did field work in Antarctica and Bangladesh. My research was presented at Cambridge, UK and was written-up in the journals Science and Discover, among others. But I found my true calling in teaching and being with the youth. I have a BA from Colgate, a MS from William and Mary, and a PhD from Rice. After college, I attended NOLS, Outward Bound, and I've led backpacking trips in California under my own LLC. Finally, I was Assistant Guide for 1st-3rd graders here in Austin at Parkside Montessori, led a cabin at Global Youth Peace Summit, and taught at Lee College in Baytown, TX. Perhaps my most proud achievement, I founded Blackwood Nature Camp in Hempstead, Texas, which received a national award and is still going today. But best of all, in 2003 I met a beautiful architect at a swing dance class. We got married, have two girls named Cleo and Marion, and our dog's name is Hero.

I started elementary school in Austin, but after the 3rd grade, my formative years were split between small-town Louisiana and big-city Paris, France. I have been a student of the arts for as far back as I can remember, recognizing that visual arts can express complexities beyond what I can share with language. I earned the French Baccalauréat in Arts and Letters as a high school graduate, a Bachelors of Fine Arts from UT Austin and I studied ceramics, calligraphy and indigo dyeing while teaching English as a Second Language in Japan for 5 years. I have found that I love teaching just as much as creating, going back to school while working with teens in transition from foster care for a Masters in Education, with a focus on secondary arts, from Texas State. For the past 7 years, I have taught Art, Graphic Design, AP Art History and IBDP Visual Arts at the middle and high school levels. I prefer the IB way, because it is centered around individual student interests and helps forge connections to others, and I cannot wait to meet each and every one of you! My formal training includes film photography, printing, metalsmithing, fiber arts, ceramics....I have discovered that having learned a bit of everything enables me to have plenty of know-how to help all kinds of projects see the light of day. As an artist I have shown locally, and in New Orleans, New York, Tokyo and Osaka, although the past 7 years I have been more focused on being my son Orion's early childhood side-kick. Additionally, I have worked as an intern and an assistant to a green design and architectural non-profit, a ceramist and a jeweler, and working in the design and art production-line world with masters of their craft has helped me develop a fascination with beautiful forms that are also useful, well-made and give a sense of rhythm to their creator during fabrication. Photography and Digital Art/ Design have no need to stay on the page or screen, we can and we will also make worlds come alive in 3-dimensions, maybe even 4. When I am not thinking about the arts, you can find me exploring nature with friends and family or reading novels.

I was born and raised in Minnesota.  My husband and I also raised two kids there.  When I was in college, I applied for a student job in the mathematics resource center where I tutored other students in various math topics.  I really enjoyed it so after finishing college, I moved on to another state college, where I coordinated the Math Center there.  In 2017, my husband's job moved to St Thomas, VI and shortly after we moved there, I began teaching math at a local IB middle/high school.  I taught grades 8, 10, 11 and 12 and fell in love not only with teaching but also with the IB mission. When my husband's job was moved to Austin this past spring, I knew I wanted to move into teaching again at an IB school, which is what brought me to Headwaters.  From my first conversations with the staff at Headwaters, it felt like a supportive and authentic environment. The drive to represent, welcome and protect students, staff, teachers and community is strong at Headwaters. I have been enjoying building relationships with my students and getting to know them a little more each day.

When our family moved to Austin in 2013, we were thrilled with the energy and environment of the city, but not so thrilled with some of the school options for our son. I’m so grateful we discovered Headwaters and we’ve never looked back. With such a nurturing, creative, and strong educational foundation, we all feel it’s the best fit for our family. When I saw this job opening highlighting skills in data management, I jumped at the chance. After attending college at the University of Colorado for music, I returned to Texas and found myself on a career path that included spreadsheets and data, go figure. But I actually enjoy it! And now I get to use my skills for this wonderful school I truly believe in, which is all I could ask for in a job. When I’m not working, I enjoy hiking and rowing on Town Lake with the Austin Rowing Club.

Jason’s passion for fitness only rivals his passion to teach and serve youth. After over fifteen years of fitness experience overseeing operations for Gold’s Gyms all over the nation, Jason returned to Austin to focus his efforts on family and wellness. Inspired by his three rambunctious kids, The Fitness School was created in 2015 to provide kids with more structured physical activity. Jason wanted to create a curriculum that would convert time after school into something that addressed, promoted, and enhanced their current physical education. His aim is to partner with schools and organizations to help promote a culture of wellness, teamwork, and setting/achieving goals.

Bio to come!