Mr. Allen-Lisbon (also known as Coach T) is the Middle School Athletic Director, 6th Grade P.E. Teacher, and Girls Basketball Coach. Coach T joined Scottsdale Prep in the winter of 2018.
Coach T received his degree in Sociology from an HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) in Little Rock, Arkansas at Philander Smith College. He moved to Arizona from Dallas, Texas in 2017 to receive his Master’s Degree in Higher Education from the GREAT Arizona State University. Prior to coming to Great Hearts, Coach T worked at ASU within the admissions department. He also has been coaching basketball for over 6 years prior to joining SPA.
He is a dog dad to a pug named Bruno, loves sports, outdoor activities, and working with kids. He also has ventured into the entrepreneur world and created his Athletic Personal Training business called Talented Athletic Leaders.
Miss Autery joined Great Hearts in 2020 and Scottsdale Prep in 2022, where she now serves as a 9th-grade biology and 7th-grade life science instructor. After earning her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience with a minor in biology, Miss Autery taught 6th-grade science and 7th-grade literature at Glendale Prep. She has also worked as a rock climbing instructor, a Chick-fil-A manager, and an accounting assistant, in addition to serving as a peer coach, orientation leader, student ambassador, and tutor during her undergraduate years.
In her free time, Miss Autery enjoys baking pumpkin bread, knitting blankets, lifting weights, traveling, and going country dancing with her friends. She has moved over 20 times, but she now looks forward to putting down roots here in the Valley!
Mr. Bate joined the Scottsdale Prep staff in the Fall of 2022 as a daily Substitute Teacher, and began teaching 10th Humane Letters in November 2022.
Mr. Bate originally grew up in the United Kingdom, but moved with his family (his brother is a Scottsdale Prep Spartan) to Scottsdale. Mr. Bate earned his bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Arizona State University.
Mr. Brazzel teaches Humane Letters and serves as the lead for the 9th HL course at Scottsdale Prep. He joined the Academy in 2018.
Phoenix has been his home since 1973 and the age of three. He earned a B.A in Writing at Grand Canyon University, and a M.Ed. in Secondary English Instruction at Arizona State University. He has taught writing to students in seventh grade through college composition since 1997.
Mr. Brazzel is the widowed father of one talented daughter, Emma, who, at eighteen, is already flourishing in a professional music performance and teaching career. He enjoys exploring Arizona and living in close proximity to his family in the Phoenix area.
Mrs. Bubar is a 11th-grade drama teacher for Scottsdale Prep. After many years of being a Scottsdale Prep parent, she joined the SPA faculty in 2021-22.
She was born and raised in Canada. She attended the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto for four years where she graduated in piano performance (hons.) and continued her vocal studies. After moving to Arizona, she received her Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in voice performance at ASU. Mrs. Bubar has taught at North Valley School of the Arts and Christian Youth Theater. Since 1993, she has maintained a private studio for piano and voice lessons.
Mrs. Bubar is married and has five children who either attend or have graduated from Scottsdale Prep. She enjoys spending time with her family, baking, and hiking.
Ms. Buchanan is a High School Economics and American Rhetoric teacher at Scottsdale Prep. She joined the Scottsdale Prep faculty in 2021-2022.
Ms. Buchanan is a native of Scottsdale, Arizona. She has two bachelor’s degrees in economics and global politics, along with a Juris Doctor from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law. Prior to coming to Great Hearts, Ms. Buchanan was an attorney at a local law firm where she practiced water and environmental law.
In her free time, Ms. Buchanan enjoys baking bread, crafting, and hiking.
Mrs. Campos began teaching at Scottsdale Prep at the beginning of 2016 and teaches 7th grade Life Science and 10th grade Honors Chemistry.
She attended University of Nevada Reno (UNR) and transferred to Northern Arizona University (NAU) in 2002, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry with an Emphasis in Forensics and a Minor in Microbiology in 2006. She completed her internship at the Maricopa County Medical Examiners Office where she learned Forensic Toxicology. In 2007, she began teaching at a Charter High School in central Phoenix where she created an Agriculture course where students were planting flowers and vegetables with the goal of selling at local Farmers Markets. This endeavor even received news coverage in 2011! She’s an Arizona native, but grew up in Elko, Nevada.
She’s happily married to her best friend who she met while attending NAU, and they have been married since 2007. They have 2 children (the youngest is a 5th grader at Archway Scottsdale and the oldest just graduated from Ironwood Highschool and will be attending ASU this year to study Engineering.) They have two Great Danes and a cat. She loves spending her spare time gaming with her family; they even created a game room this summer (complete with fresh coat of black paint and LED lights!)
Mrs. Cetaku Tammaro is our Dean of Academic Support and teaches 8th Grade Literature and Composition. She joined SPA in Spring of 2022. She has been an educator for over 26 years, both as a teacher and administrator. Mrs. Cetaku Tammaro has taught multiple grade levels and subjects and currently also teaches college-level classes at Rio Salado Community College.
She is a native of Albania, in Eastern Europe, and has called Arizona her home since 2003. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics as well as in English as a Foreign Language from the University of Tirana, Albania. She later moved to Arizona enrolling at ASU where she graduated with a Master’s in Education. Mrs. Cetaku Tammaro is in the last stages of her Doctorate in Leadership and Organization from Grand Canyon University.
Mrs. Cetaku Tammaro is happily married to a wonderful retired Marine and they have four children. In her free time, she likes to read, travel, and spend quality time with her family.
Mrs. Clement is the 12th Grade drama teacher and a Dean of Students at Scottsdale Prep. She has been a part of the academy since 2015. In that time, she has served in several teaching positions including 11th grade drama, 5th grade drama, and 6th grade Literature and Composition. She is a Fine Arts Master Teacher and Director for the Extra Curricular Drama Clubs, Thespian Troupe #8334 Director, the social media manager for the academy, and will be spearheading our Improv Troupe, Laughletes, this year as well.
Born in Germany, but raised in Arizona, Mrs. Clement considers Arizona her always home, minus a stint in Chicago. She attended Arizona State University, Barrett the Honors College, and received her BA in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in Education and Production Management. Previous to her time at SPA, she worked in multiple theatres in Chicago as a Stage Manager and Dramaturg.
Mrs. Clement is lucky to see her other half, Mr. C, every day as they both continue to serve the Scottsdale Prep Community. While not at school, she considers herself a local foods expert and loves to read or watch a good murder mystery curled up with her cats, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
Mr. Copeland has been teaching at SPA since 2011. He usually teaches 7th and 10th grade Latin, but has also taught 8th grade Latin, 9th grade Latin, and 11th grade Greek. He currently serves as Master Teacher of Classical Languages, overseeing the academy’s Latin and Greek curricula.
Mr. Copeland holds a B.A. in Classical Languages from the University of St. Thomas, and an M. A. in Classics from the University of Arizona, where he also taught prior to coming to Scottsdale Prep. He is the recipient of numerous professional and teaching awards.
Outside of school, he enjoys spending time with his wife and seven children. He loves driving on the highways of Arizona, fixing things, and playing old video games.
Mrs. Dunphy is currently a middle school mathematics teacher at Scottsdale Prep. She joined the SPA community in 2016. She has served as Summer School Coordinator, Galileo Testing Coordinator, and mathematics teacher both in the middle and high schools.
She is a native of Illinois, but Arizona quickly became her home once she met her husband (a Phoenix local) following her first year of teaching. She received her BA in Secondary Education/Mathematics with a minor in Theater from Concordia University Chicago. Prior to coming to Great Hearts, Mrs. Dunphy taught in a public school in Goodyear, AZ.
Mrs. Dunphy enjoys spending time with her children, singing, attending theater performances, camping, and visiting national parks.
Mr. Duttlinger joined the faculty of Scottsdale Prep in the fall of 2022 after teaching at two other classical charter schools for the preceding 7 years. Known primarily as a math teacher, having taught most levels of high school math, he has also enjoyed teaching Latin and ballroom dance. Classically educated himself, he wonders at the beauty in all of the “good arts and sciences”.
Before becoming a teacher, he served in the US Marine Corps Reserve from 2006 to 2012. He served one tour in Iraq (2009) and was Honorably Discharged at the rank of Sergeant. During the second half of his contract, he attended Hillsdale College, graduating in 2013 with a B.A. in politics and a minor in Latin.
It was, in fact, during his time steeped in the study of the humanities that a love for mathematics took root. Through independent and leisurely consumption of mathematical content online, he began to understand how rich and noble is this utterly uncompromising, true, and pure expression of the very thing that defines our species: rationality. Years later, he relishes his duty to guide his students in exploring the universe of mathematics and thereby growing in strength and humanity.
Ms. Fornabaio teaches 6th grade Physical Science and 9th grade Biology. She joined the academy in 2020 and in that time she has also taught 7th grade Life Science, served as the assistant Swim & Dive Coach and now the Head Swim & Dive Coach.
She was born and raised here in Scottsdale, AZ and attended Northern Arizona University where she received a bachelor’s degree in Biology with minors in Chemistry and Psychology. Passionate about animals, she originally planned on applying to vet school and volunteered at Hopi Animal Hospital since she was in middle school. While at NAU, she started the pre-veterinary club and worked as a DNA research assistant at TGEN North. She also worked as an Anatomy TA, swim coach, and taught a freshmen level honors course which is where she discovered her passion for teaching, which led her to Scottsdale Prep.
She loves hiking, camping, traveling, painting, and she especially enjoys water sports like swimming, kayaking and surfing. Her two favorite places to visit are Maui and Siena, Italy, where she studied abroad. She enjoys spending time with family and friends and sharing her fun facts about animals with them.
Ms. Garcia joined Scottsdale Prep in 2022-23 as a 6th grade Art teacher, but worked for Great Hearts the previous two years. Recently, she has worked as a graphic designer, math tutor, barista, and a 4th Grade Assistant Teacher across the street at the Archway campus.
While she grew up in California, Jordan went to a small liberal arts college in New York City to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Art. The King’s College introduced her to the Socratic style of teaching and New York showed many great cups of coffee. Jordan has loved the many years that she spent on the East Coast, but is glad to be back in the West!
You can generally find Ms. Garcia roaming museums or tending her many plants, while always having a cup of coffee in her hand.
Teacher Website: https://sites.google.com/scottsdaleprep.org/spa-Jgarcia
Mr. Gilley is a 6th-grade pre-algebra math teacher who joined Scottsdale Prep in 2022.
He grew up in northern Georgia, where he developed an interest in sports and science. He studied Microbiology at the University of Georgia and Arizona State University, specializing in bacterial genetics. After graduation, he worked for several government agencies as an environmental engineer and epidemiologist. His scientific interest and experience led him into the petroleum business where he spent 25 years working in many areas of the industry. His work took him to different parts of the United States and Europe where he developed a passion for culinary culture.
Mr. Gilley has many different hobbies including music, guitars, sports, learning, and enjoying the beauty of Arizona. He is happily married, has two cats and loves the culinary arts and travel.
Ms. Noelia Gomez joined Scottsdale Prep in 2022-23. She taught Spanish at the International School of Arizona for five years prior to coming to Great Hearts. She also conducted classes on watercolor.
She was born in Madrid, Spain, and grew up in Seville in the south of Spain. She finished her Nursing degree in 2014 and worked in different healthcare settings in Spain. She has always enjoyed taking care of others.
She met her husband in Spain in 2003. They have one child (Leonard). They arrived in Arizona in 2017, looking to give their son the opportunity to learn from a different culture and a different language. Her hobbies include traveling, hiking, painting, and watching documentaries about the universe.
Mr. Gore has been with Great Hearts since 2018, and after four years at Archway Scottsdale joined Scottsdale Prep in 2022-23.
He first began as a Fourth Grade Assistant Teacher, then became a Lead Teacher in Fourth Grade. Prior to Great Hearts Mr. Gore was a coach for Fit Kids America and worked for a few years as a caregiver for those with dementia. Mr. Gore received his Bachelor’s Degree from GCU in Digital Film with an Emphasis in Screenwriting.
Mr. Gore married his college sweetheart and best friend, and together they are parents to two crazy cats! In his spare time, Mr. Gore drinks too much coffee, roots for the Green Bay Packers, and avidly collects films and books.
Teacher Website: https://sites.google.com/scottsdaleprep.org/spa-Cgroenwald
Mrs. Carmel Groenwald is thrilled to have joined Scottsdale Prep in 2022-23. She will be teaching music to 7th, 8th, and 9th grades, as well as directing some extracurricular choirs. She graduated ASU in 2011 with a BA in K-12 Music Education and she is nearing completion of her Masters in Secondary Education from NAU.
Prior to Great Hearts she directed choirs at Connolly Middle School, Scottsdale Christian Academy, the Phoenix Girls Choir, Genesis Church and Camelback Bible Church. She has also taught piano lessons in her private studio for many years as well as at Alice Cooper’s ‘The Rock’ Teen Center in Phoenix. In addition, she sang professionally with The Phoenix Chorale for 3 years.
In her spare time, you can find her hanging out with her wonderful husband, Joseph, or her exuberant children, Windsor and Jojo. When on her own, she loves to knit or crochet, play piano, or perform locally with her 90’s Cover Band.
Ms. Hakanson teaches Poetry I and Literature and Composition II. She joined the Scottsdale Preparatory Academy faculty in 2015 and has served in various roles such as yearbook advisor, MS Cross Country Assistant Coach, master teacher, and 504 Coordinator.
A native of Oregon, Ms. Hakanson holds a B.A. in English from the University of Oregon and an MFA in Writing from Pacific University. Prior to joining Scottsdale Prep, Ms. Hakanson directed her language and writing energies toward various marketing and communication roles in both the public and private sectors. She also taught writing in community colleges in Oregon and Arizona.
When not teaching, Ms. Hakanson enjoys hiking and mountain biking with her husband, writing poetry, reading eclectically, and baking cowboy cookies.
Mr. Hall started at Scottsdale Prep in 2019. He teaches 11th and 12th grade Humane Letters and serves as a 504 coordinator.
Mr. Hall received his M.A. in Philosophy from the University of Colorado, Boulder and is currently finishing his dissertation in political philosophy at ASU. Prior to coming to Scottsdale Prep, he taught numerous philosophy courses at Arizona State University and Chandler Gilbert Community College.
Outside of his love for reading philosophical works, he enjoys creating music and working on the virtues of the body through weightlifting.
Ms. Harman is a math teacher at Scottsdale Prep. She joined the Scottsdale Prep faculty in 2019-2020.
Though born in the Pacific Northwest, Ms. Harman spent most of her childhood years in Arizona. She studied mathematics at Baylor University and then taught at a classical school in Texas for a couple of years.
In her free time, Ms. Harman enjoys walking her sweet dog, running, hiking, and reading.
Rachel Helton is an Arizona native, mom to two boys, and a music teacher. She joined the Scottsdale Prep faculty in 2021-22.
She attended Arizona State University and earned a Bachelors in Music Theory, and Masters in Music Education. She has previously worked at Great Hearts, at both Archway Glendale & Glendale Prep and taught there four years before moving to Utah. In Utah, she taught middle school band, orchestra, & choir for four years.
She’s excited to be back at Great Hearts to cultivate the joy of music in the lives of Scottsdale Prep students.
Dr. Brian Hernandez is an educator, performer, and composer of audiovisual music and writes for large and small ensembles. He joined Scottsdale Preparatory Academy in 2020-21, but previously worked for Archway Anthem (teaching K-5 music) from 2016-20. Prior to this, he taught at Arizona State University as a Teaching Assistant (Freshmen and Sophomore Theory and Ear Training) for three years.
His music compositions have been selected for performance across the USA, Europe, China, and Canada. He holds a BA in philosophy and political science from St Mary’s University and an MA in music composition from the University of North Texas. Dr. Hernandez completed his DMA in music composition (interdisciplinary digital media and performance) at Arizona State University, Tempe in May 2021.
He enjoys listening to and performing traditional tonal music as well as 20th-21st century music. Dr. Hernandez also enjoys programming in MAX/MSP, Processing, and some HTML&CSS. He works with Pro Tools, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Adobe After Effects.
Mr. Hjelmstad is a seventh and eight grade Algebra I and Algebra II teacher who joined Scottsdale Prep in November of 2022.
He grew up in eastern North Dakota, farming with his father. Upon graduation from Mayville State University (ND) in 1994 for his bachelor’s degree, he worked in the corporate world for companies including Honda, IBM/Lenovo, and The Apollo Group. He moved to Arizona in 1997, and received his master’s degree from the University of Phoenix in 2003. Coming from a family of teachers (including his brother, sister, and grandmother), he decided on a career change and began teaching, mainly math, science, and special education.
His hobbies include enjoying the wonderful Arizona outdoors, travel, reading, trying new restaurants, hockey, and any sport with a round ball. He is single and has no children, but his pride and joy is being an uncle to his six nieces and nephews, and newly a great uncle to his great nephew.
Ms. Hutchings is a Latin teacher for Scottsdale Prep, and she joined the SPA faculty in 2015-2016. She is the 8th grade Latin lead teacher and the Summer School Coordinator, and in addition to Latin, she tutors students in Greek and German. In her time here, she has been the Field Day Coordinator, and involved with Homework Club, Creative Writing Club, Rock Climbing Club, Mythology Club, the Junior Classical League, building sets for theater, groups focused on giving back, and in numerous theses.
She hails from Redford Township, MI, but is now a Phoenician. Ms. Hutchings has a double Baccalaureate in History, and in Classical Languages and Literature at the University of Michigan, followed by a Masters in Classics and in Education at the University of Arizona. Prior to coming to Great Hearts, Ms. Hutchings taught in public schools in Ann Arbor, MI, and in private schools in Tucson, AZ.
She enjoys chasing her fluffy puppy, whom you might recall played Toto in the Wizard of Oz, and is working on finishing her novel (about Rome, of course!).
Mrs. Kashihara is a 6th Grade Physical Science and 8th Grade Earth Science Teacher at Scottsdale Prep. Mrs. Kashihara joined the Scottsdale Prep faculty in 2018-2019. She has served as the course level lead for 6th grade physical science, assistant conductor of the symphony orchestra, and homework club monitor.
She is originally from Gloucester, England. She studied for her Bachelor of Science with Honors degree in Geography at Keele University in England. During her Bachelor of Science with Honors degree, Mrs. Kashihara spent one semester as an exchange student at the University of Utah. She earned a Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) at the University of Nottingham in England. Prior to coming to Great Hearts, Mrs. Kashihara served three seasons as a Park Ranger in Environmental Education with the National Park Service and US Forest Service in California, Oregon, and Idaho. She also taught in public schools in Indianapolis, Indiana and Avondale, Arizona.
Mrs. Kashihara is happily married. She enjoys playing the violin and piano. She played the violin in county orchestras in England. She enjoys traveling, hiking, gardening, and nature / landscape photography.
Ms. Komarnisky teaches 9th Grade Honors Biology, is the Master Teacher for science, and is a Dean of Students at Scottsdale Prep. Since joining the Academy in 2015, she also taught 7th Grade Life Science for 5 years.
She was born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada but has called Arizona her home for almost two decades. She studied Biology, Psychology and Pre-Med at Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University. Before teaching at Scottsdale Prep, she worked with college freshmen and upperclassmen as a Psychology Department TA at ASU in several courses for three years. She also worked as an Anatomy TA and tutored student-athletes.
She is happily married, is a proud mother, and is very close with her family. She loves watching biological documentaries narrated by David Attenborough, playing Settlers of Catan, playing the violin, hiking, and throwing moderately centered pottery on the wheel.
Ms. Magdalena Lawer-Borfigat joined the Scottsdale Prep Faculty in 2021, teaching High School French.
She is originally from Poland where she completed a Bachelor’s Degree in French Philology, and studied French Literature and Linguistics. She then moved to France where she completed a Master’s Degree in Teaching French as a Foreign Language. She has taught French in various school settings in Europe. After having moved to Arizona, she taught French to middle schoolers at BASIS Goodyear.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her daughter. She also am a big enthusiast of French cinema and food, especially pastries! She never says no to her favorite French dessert – “fondant au chocolat”.
Mrs. Lengel-Zigich has been with Great Hearts since 2015 and came to work at Scottsdale Prep. in 2021. She first began as a Kindergarten Assistant Teacher then became a Lead Teacher in Fourth Grade. Prior to Great Hearts Mrs. Lengel-Zigich taught Freshman and Sophomore Honors English at Pinnacle High School and additionally created Core Knowledge curriculum for local non-profits in coordination with the Scottsdale and Paradise Valley School Districts.
Mrs. Lengel-Zigich received her Bachelor’s Degree from ASU in English Literature with an Emphasis in Secondary Education and a Minor in Religious Studies. She received her Master’s Degree in Classical Education from the University of Dallas through Great Hearts’ Quintilian Fellowship.
Mrs. Lengel-Zigich is a proud mother to two Great Hearts students and additionally a mother to two dogs, two cats, and a fish! She married her high-school sweetheart and best friend, Mr. Lengel-Zigich and agreed to take his lengthy name. In her spare time Mrs. Lengel-Zigich loves watching wonderful films and devouring great books.
Mr. Lubert is a Latin and Greek teacher at Scottsdale Prep. Since joining in 2020, he has taught 11th Grade Greek I and 7th Grade Latin II, and has been a sponsor of the Junior Classical League.
Mr. Lubert was born in Brighton, England, and has lived in Spain and the UAE and now the USA. As an undergraduate, he studied Classical Languages and Literatures at Pomona College. In addition, he has studied Greek at Oxford University and Hebrew through Harvard Divinity School. Prior to teaching at Scottsdale Prep, Mr. Lubert worked in marketing for an international property developer in the UAE.
He enjoys traveling, learning ‘dead’ languages and spending time with his family, who live in Los Angeles.
Mr. McCauley is the master teacher of the history department at Scottsdale Prep. He joined Scottsdale Prep in 2016-17, and has previously served as a course level lead for 6th and 7th grade history, an assistant coach for middle school baseball, and the substitute coordinator for the school.
Though his family is originally from the east coast, Mr. McCauley is native to Arizona and graduated from high school in Scottsdale. He received a B.A. in both history and political science from Arizona State University, as well as an M.A. in history from Arizona State University. His research as a graduate student focused on legal history in the 19th and 20th centuries related to the Haymarket Affair (1886) and the Supreme Court Case Buckley v. Valeo (1976). During his time at Arizona State University, he worked closely with Dr. Donald Critchlow and received the inaugural Thomas H. Critchlow Fellowship as a graduate student.
He is happily married and the owner of both a cat (that he rescued from the wild in his backyard during a monsoon storm) and a labrador retriever. In his free time he enjoys playing, writing, and recording music, performing shows around the valley with his bands, playing ice hockey, and being a dedicated fan to some of his favorite teams including the 6-time Super Bowl Champion New England Patriots and the Arizona Coyotes.
Mr. McKernon joined Scottsdale Prep in 2010-2011. Mr. McKernon will be teaching the 6th-grade math curriculum this year. In past years, Mr. McKernon has taught 7th and 8th-grade math as well.
Originally from Southern California, and after obtaining an M.A. in Education from Claremont Graduate University, Mr. McKernon moved to Scottsdale in 2010. Prior to teaching Mr. McKernon was a data sales engineer with telecommunication companies like ATT and MCI.
Mr. McKernon is an avid financial markets researcher, biblical history layman, and exercise enthusiast who loves chocolate chip cookies.
Mr. McPherson teaches 9th grade Humane Letters at Scottsdale Prep. He joined the Academy in 2019-2020. He has been a Humanities teacher both in the Middle and High Schools.
He grew up in SC. He studied Humanities, History, and the Arts at Davidson College and received an MFA from ASU. Prior to coming to Great Hearts, Mr. McPherson taught in charter and private schools in AZ (Tempe Prep) and SC.
He is happily married to his beloved wife and loves fly fishing and wood working.
Dr. Mershon teaches 7th-grade Ancient History at Scottsdale Prep. She joined the SPA faculty in 2022.
She received a BA degree in Art History from Arizona State University, an MBA in International Business from Thunderbird, and an Ed.D. from the University of West Florida. Previously, she worked in different capacities with Junior Achievement and in higher education.
Her family was very happy to make Arizona their forever home in 2015 after living in many different places in the US and abroad while her husband served in the Air Force. She enjoys spending time with her family, including her husband of more than 20 years, and their two adult daughters, Morgan and Erin. In her free time, she also loves to travel and read.
Ms. Miller has been a Studio Art Teacher at Scottsdale Preparatory Academy since 2012 and is currently the Master Teacher for the Fine Arts. She teaches both Middle School and High School Studio Art classes, while also running after school Art Enrichment programs.
A native of Scottsdale, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing from Arizona State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Printmaking from Clemson University. Prior to Scottsdale Prep, she taught several Art Classes and Workshops to students ranging from Elementary through College.
As a practicing Artist her works have appeared in public and private collections and publications. Ms. Miller enjoys spending time with her family, drawing, and painting. In addition, she is an avid bird watcher and a voracious reader.
Ms. Mondelli joined the Scottsdale Prep faculty in 2022-23 and teaches 7th Grade Life Science and 8th Grade Earth Science.
As an undergraduate, she studied Biology and played volleyball at Rowan University in NJ. Her love of amphibians set her on the path to receiving her Master’s Degree in Conservation Biology at Texas State University.
Outside of teaching, Ms. Mondelli enjoys spending time with her fiance and two dachshunds, lifting heavy at the gym, and working on her many hobbies including macrame, photography, and creating a homestead.
Ms. Moore is a Literature and Composition teacher at Scottsdale Prep, having joined the faculty in 2021.
An Arizona native, Ms. Moore has lived across the Phoenix-metro area in Litchfield Park, Scottsdale, and now central Phoenix. She graduated in 2021 from Grand Canyon University with a B.A. in English for Secondary Education and a minor in Philosophy, with honors. Having been introduced to Great Hearts by her father (who now teaches Humane Letters at Anthem Prep), she completed her last semester student-teaching at Scottsdale Prep Spring 2021 teaching 8th grade Literature and Composition and 9th grade Humane Letters.
In her free time, she enjoys drinking coffee, writing fantasy for pleasure, making meals for her family, and spending leisure time with her best friend.
Mr. Robin Neely joined SPA in 2013. In that time, he has taught our 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th-grade curricular music classes and conducted our extra-curricular choirs. In addition to being a music educator, he is also a senior thesis director at SPA. Mr. Neely’s proudest accomplishment is the creation of the “Caroling Club” which spends its holiday season singing for nursing homes, Hospice Homes, and Phoenix Children’s Hospital.
Mr. Neely earned his Bachelors of Music at Northern Arizona University and his Masters of Music at Arizona State University. He also sang with the Sonoran Desert Chorale under the direction of Jeff Harris for 9 years, touring a variety of countries including Austria, Hungary, Slovenia, France, Ireland, and Scotland. He is proud to have served as an adjudicator, clinician, or chair for numerous honor choirs across Arizona.
Outside of the arts, Mr. Neely takes great pride in managing his coral reef aquarium, doing photo shoots for local aquarium hobbyists or fish stores, hiking extensively, rock climbing, and taking care of his family.
https://sites.google.com/scottsdaleprep.org/spa-Rneely
Mr. Nordtvedt has been a 7th grade life science teacher at Scottsdale Prep since 2021. He joined Great Hearts in 2020 at Archway Classical Academy Scottsdale and as an assistant baseball coach at Scottsdale Prep.
He is a Minnesota native but has been living in the Phoenix area since 2013. He received his bachelor’s degree from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, IA. He later completed his master’s degree in exercise science at California University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. Nordtvedt and his wife have one son and one dog. In his free time he enjoys spending time with family, sports, and being outdoors as much as possible.
Mr. Patrick Pagnozzi is an 8th-grade Medieval history teacher for Scottsdale Prep. He joined the SPA community in the 2022-2023 school year.
Mr. Pagnozzi is an Arizona native. He attended Arizona State University, receiving a Bachelor’s in Political Science and a Bachelor’s in History. Mr. Pagnozzi is a graduate of Tempe Preparatory Academy where his passion for history and classical education formed.
In his free time, Mr. Pagnozzi enjoys staying active, hiking, traveling, and watching movies with his friends.
Mr. Peters joined SPA in the Fall of 2015 and is a middle and high school math instructor at the academy. Across this time, he has served as a teacher for Pre-Algebra, Advanced Algebra, and Honors Geometry. He was also the lead sponsor for the Yearbook Club (10th Anniversary Edition) and the Archery Club (4 years).
His B.S. degree in Mathematics was earned from the University of Louisville (1988), but he has also resided in Iowa (where he was a walk-on wrestler at Iowa State University), Illinois, Michigan, Florida, California, and Bowling Green, KY (teaching for the public schools as well as being a part-time instructor for the Information Systems Department at Western Kentucky University). Prior to joining Great Hearts, Mr. Peters taught for 9 years at a private school in California, and for 4 years at a private school in the Phoenix area. Across 7 of the 9 years in California, much of his free time was spent writing an expansive book on the amazing world of Geometric Constructions.
Mr. Peters loves his family, students, and colleagues. He also very much enjoys reading, woodworking, and learning/sharing the multifaceted aspects of health and nutrition. During times of home relaxation, he never tires of watching the hummingbirds that fly, hover, and drink around the feeders maintained in his backyard patio area.
Mr. Petiford joined the Scottsdale Prep faculty in 2012 and currently teaches 7th, 8th, and 11th grade studio art. He has also taught 6th grade Intro to Fine Art, run multiple 6th grade performances, and an extra-curricular percussion ensemble. You can frequently see Mr. Petiford playing percussion for SPA musical theater productions and numerous SPA Jazz Choir concerts.
He earned a BFA in Drawing with a minor in Printmaking from Arizona State University, summa cum laude. Prior to SPA, he taught for 3 years at East Valley High and worked as a manufacturing training and web developer for a large manufacturing corporation, and as a multimedia designer for an R&D group. He has three published papers on music pedagogy, multiple book designs and illustrations, and has participated in multiple group and solo exhibitions of fine art.
In his free time, Mr. Petiford is an avid painter, musician, and cinematic connoisseur.
Mr. Primavera is the Physics 1 teacher, head football coach, and head baseball coach at Scottsdale Prep Academy. He joined the Academy in 2014.
David is a native of Lincoln, NE. He received his master’s degree in education with an emphasis in science teaching from the University of Nebraska and received his undergraduate degree in Liberal Arts from Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, CA. He previously taught in Elkhorn, NE before joining Great Hearts.
He is married with 5 children. His hobbies include watching college football, golfing, and gardening.
Mrs. Printz teaches 7th Grade Standard Sequence Algebra for Scottsdale Prep. She joined the Academy in 2019. She loves teaching algebra and working with the wide variety of students at Prep because of their curiosity and desire to learn.
Native to Arizona, Mrs. Printz grew up in Fountain Hills. She studied at Arizona State University and earned her Masters in Curriculum and Instruction in Mathematics. Prior to coming to Great Hearts, Mrs. Printz taught in public and private schools in Mesa, Fountain Hills, Tempe, and Phoenix. She also has a background in business.
Mrs. Printz is happily married. She and her husband have two sons, a Jug dog and a Siamese cat. She loves mountain biking, kayaking, bass fishing, hiking, gardening, and reading Great Books.
Mr. Redmond teaches Geometry and Logic & Computation at Scottsdale Prep. He joined the school as a long term sub for middle school Algebra II in 2019 before becoming a full teacher during the 2020-2021 school year.
He was born and raised in Scottsdale, but went to university in Washington State. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, and is working on his Master’s in Secondary Education.
He has interests in gardening, strategy games, game design, and science fiction.
Sra. Rosado is the master teacher for the modern languages department. She has taught freshman, juniors and seniors since she joined Scottsdale Prep in 2015. She also serves as a 504 coordinator and is the chair of the social committee, planning several dances through the academic year.
Sra. Rosado studied at the University of Puerto Rico, earning her bachelor’s degree in microbiology. Sra. Rosado has since earned a master’s degree in classical education from the Templeton Honors college in Pennsylvania. Seeing students strive and succeed in leaning Spanish has continued to motivate Sra. Rosado in her teaching career of seventeen years.
In addition to educating, Sra. is a family-famous chef, lifelong learner and tennis player.
Scott Shaughnessy joined Great Hearts faculty in 2012, first teaching science at Anthem Prep and transferring to Scottsdale Prep in the fall of 2018. In that time he has taught middle school Physical Science, Earth Science, and upper school Physics I and Physics II. In addition, he has been a sponsor of Astronomy Club and Mountain Biking Club.
He moved from southern California with his family where he taught physics, math and astronomy at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks, California since 1998. He is a graduate of ASU’s Construction Engineering program, and has taken additional classes in physics and astronomy at UCLA.
He enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter, traveling to tropical islands, gazing at the cosmos, and mountain biking wherever he can find a trail.
Dr. Shoen teaches Spanish at Scottsdale Prep and joined the Academy in 2020-21.
She is a Phoenix native with a B.A in English and three graduate degrees in Spanish language and literature. Prior to coming to Great Hearts, Dr. Shoen taught Spanish at Boston University, did process engineering in Guatemala, and worked in logistics in the Northeast.
She enjoys design and craftsmanship, writing poetry, and studying words.
Mrs. Stamate is a 10th and 12th grade Humane Letters teacher. She joined the SPA faculty in the 2011-2012 school year. During her years at the academy, she has taught 5th grade, 6th-8th grade Lit/Comp, and Humane Letters. She also serves as Senior Thesis Director.
Mrs. Stamate is originally from Florida, and she attended St. John’s College in Annapolis for her undergraduate degree in the Liberal Arts. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Classical Education from the University of Dallas while teaching at SPA.
She enjoys life at home with her husband of three years and their one-year-old daughter. In her leisure time, she enjoys reading, playing chess, and staying active outdoors.
Ms. Swanson teaches 6th grade Literature and Composition, and she joined Scottsdale Prep in 2021-22.
She is a recent graduate from Grand Canyon University where she earned her bachelors in English with an Emphasis in Professional Writing and a minor in Advertising and Graphic Design. She plans on earning her masters in English Education. She was born and raised in Westminster, Colorado. This will be her fourth year living in Phoenix.
She pursues professional photography and design in her free time. Ms. Swanson is a world traveler and also lived in Spain for a summer where she taught English as an Au Pair.
Dr. Szadzinski teaches 6th-grade Latin and 11th-grade Humane Letters at Scottsdale Prep. He started at SPA in 2022-23.
While born and raised in Chicago, Dr. Szadzinski has spent significant time living in Vermont and the UK. He earned a Graduate Teaching Certificate in Latin and a M.A. in Greek and Latin Languages from the University of Vermont. He obtained a M.A. in Ancient History from Cardiff University. In May of 2021, he was awarded his Ph.D. from King’s College London, where he worked with both the Classics and War Studies Departments in crafting a thesis focused on the battlefield tactics and practices of mid-republican Roman legions.
When not teaching or researching, Dr. Szadzinski loves to golf, hike, snowboard, travel, and spend time with friends and family.
Mr. Threadgall is a sixth grade Latin teacher at SPA and joined the Academy in 2012-13. Since then he has occasionally also taught 7th and 8th grade Latin and chaired a recorder ensemble.
A Tennessee native, he studied Classics and English at UT Knoxville before taking an MA in Latin at the University of Virginia with a certificate in comparative literature. He has also taught middle school Latin in Tennessee and Virginia, but after ten years in the valley he is now pleased to regard himself as “from here.”
Mr. Threadgall cultivates frankincense and myrrh in his back garden, ferments a variety of vegetables and herbal tonics, and loves the monsoon season.
Dr. Triggs teaches 11th and 12th-grade Humane Letters and serves as the assistant coach for the speech and debate team. She joined SPA in 2022-23, after previously teaching at Anthem Prep.
She earned her Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from Saint Louis University in 2016. She has taught courses in English and the Humanities at the collegiate level.
Dr. Triggs loves to travel and also enjoys spending time with family.
Mrs. Walters teaches 8th grade Earth Science. She joined Scottsdale Prep in the 2022-23 school year and is excited to be a part of a school with such a distinguished reputation.
She was born and raised in Arizona and attended the University of Texas at Dallas where she received a B.S. and M.S. in Chemistry. While at UT Dallas, she had the opportunity to be a research assistant working on biochemical studies involving metabolism. After graduation, she worked as an analytical chemist in an environmental laboratory. She has also taught chemistry for over 10 years at Glendale Community College.
Mrs. Walters and her husband of 26 years, Dr. Darrin Walters, have two boys – Braden and Devin who are both competitive swimmers. Braden is a student athlete at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Devin will enter his Junior year at Chaparral High School. In their free time, they enjoy hiking and camping, but spend most of their time at the pool.
Teacher Website: https://sites.google.com/scottsdaleprep.org/spa-Mwalters
Mr. Welter joined Scottsdale Prep in 2021-22, but previously taught 5th grade at Archway Cicero from 2018-2021. At SPA he has taught 7th grade Ancient History and 8th Medieval History.
Mr. Welter grew up in Salem, Oregon. He attained his undergraduate degree in Marketing, and a Masters in History with an emphasis in Education from Grand Canyon University. He served in the Army National Guard and also owns a wedding / commercial videography business.
In his spare time, Mr. Welter loves spending time with his wife and Cocker Spaniel, outdoor adventures, driving sports cars, and working on film production.
Mr. White joined the Scottsdale Preparatory community in 2021-22! He has taught 8th grade Literature/Composition and 9th Grade Humane Letters.
He grew up in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and studied film and classics at Biola University. He has lots of experience working with students, from camp counselor to elementary reading teacher, and is looking forward to working with older students.
Mr. White is a huge Marvel fan, loves playing Dungeons and Dragons, and enjoys writing in his free time.
Mrs. White-Goss joined SPA in the 2018-2019 academic school year. She is a middle school studio art teacher. She has been teaching art for 20 years.
She was born in Michigan, but has lived in Scottsdale since she was three. She studied Art Education and Art History at Arizona State University.
She has been happily married for nearly 30 years and they have one son. She has two miniature dachshunds and loves yoga, hiking and pickle ball.
Mr. Wilson began teaching Sixth Grade U.S. History at Scottsdale Prep in 2022-23. He was first called to SPA to substitute teach history in the fourth quarters of the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years.
Born and raised in Washington, DC, Mr. Wilson attended Oberlin College, and received his BFA and MA/certificate from New York University. In his first career as an archivist/historian, he served the YMCA of Greater New York, the New York Stock Exchange, the World Bank, the Smithsonian Institution, Phoenix’s Pueblo Grande Museum, and others. As an educator, he taught at Tempe Prep, Arizona State University, the Maricopa County Community Colleges, Tempe and New York City public schools, and charter schools in AZ and CA.
A celebrated author and multi-instrumentalist, Mr. Wilson’s work has appeared in movies, Grammy Award-winning CDs, on stage, and bookshelves around the world. He relishes travel, great food, yoga, and cinema with his wife of over forty years; they have two daughters. Each day is a chance to grow.
Mrs. Wingfield joined Scottsdale Prep as a Substitute Teacher in December 2021.
She was born and raised in Grosse Pointe, Michigan, and received her BS in Elementary Education from Western Michigan University. For many years she also traveled the world as a Flight Attendant for Northwest Airlines/Delta Airlines.
Married happily for 40 years, she has three beautiful grandchildren in Branson, Missouri. Mrs. Wingfield loves to travel, can speak Greek, French, and Spanish, along with a little Japanese. She also loves baseball and the Atlanta Braves!
Ms. Woner teaches 8th grade Literature and Composition. She joined the faculty in the 2019-2020 school year, but her history with Scottsdale Prep goes all the way back to 2007, when she was part of the founding group of students at the school.
Ms. Woner studied English Literature and French at Arizona State University, where she also earned a master’s degree in Literature.
She loves reading classics, fantasy novels, nonfiction, mysteries—anything really! Her favorite thing to do is spend time with her parents, sisters, and brothers-in-law, who also live in Scottsdale.
Mr. Zelkin, who has taught 11th and 12th-grade Humane Letters at Scottsdale Prep since 2021, comes to us from Cicero Prep (where he served as their 11th and 12th-grade Humane Letters teacher). Prior to this, Mr. Zelkin filled in for Mrs. Stamate’s 10th and 12th-grade Humane Letters here at Scottsdale Prep.
He was born in the former Soviet Union and immigrated to the United States as a child. He received his bachelor’s degree from Colgate University where he double majored in music and philosophy & religion. He then studied religion at the University of Chicago Divinity School where he received his master’s degree.
Mr. Zelkin worked for over two and a half decades as a professional film composer in Los Angeles. He and his wife, with whom he continues to co-compose, have both received Emmy Awards for their music and have been nominated multiple times. Together, they have written the music and themes for various movies, sports, and news shows including: The NBA, The WNBA, NASCAR, The America’s Cup, Wimbledon, The Stanley Cup Finals, The X Games, The NCAA Championships, The US Open, The Masters, The British Open, CBS Sports Desk, and Tucker Carlson Tonight, among others.
Casa de Zelkin consists of his wonderful wife of three decades, their son (a student at Prep!), a very good dog, and a one eyed, three-legged cat who operates under the assumption that the entire household exists merely to serve him. Mr. Zelkin enjoys coffee, discussing great books and ideas with interesting people, reading fantasy fiction, backpacking and running…but mostly coffee.
Mrs. Kim has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design in New York. She was Art Director at TransImage, Inc., a graphic design firm based in New York City, designing for diverse clients, including a number of Fortune 500 companies, for eight years. In this capacity, she lead a design team and developed corporate identities, including logos, brochures, annual reports, package designs, and various promotional materials.
Mrs. Heiner serves as the Registrar and Assistant Office Manager at Scottsdale Preparatory Academy, and joined our community in 2022-23. She is excited to welcome to new families to the wonderful classical education available at Scottsdale Prep, and proud of the classical education that her own children have been able to receive.
Miss Smith was thrilled to launch the new role of “Director of Campus Life” in Fall of 2022, after joining Scottsdale Prep as a College Counselor in 2019! She began her Great Hearts adventure in 2010 as a third grade teacher at Archway Chandler. From there she went on to help open North Phoenix Prep where she gained experience teaching 6th, 7th, and 8th Literature & Composition, 8th Medieval History, and 10th Humane Letters. She also spent time serving in the roles of Athenaeum Director and Dean of Students before settling into her favorite role of College Counselor in 2015.
Ms. Nelson is a front office assistant at Scottsdale Prep, having joined the staff in 2022.
Mr. Fawcett serves at the Facilities Tech at Scottsdale Prep, and has served Great Hearts for decades assisting the facilities at SPA, Archway Scottsdale, Veritas, and Chandler Prep.
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Duane Ediger is the Athletic Director for Scottsdale Prep; he joined the SPA faculty in the 2014-15 school year. Duane grew up in Edmonds, WA, and moved to Phoenix after graduating from college in 1986.
Mrs. Noyes joined Scottsdale Prep in 2021 as the Academy Giving Manager.
Mrs. Fletcher joined Great Hearts Academies in 2010 and joined the Spartan family as the Director of College Counseling in 2013. She has served as the Director of College Counseling at Mesa Prep (now Arete Prep), interim Director of College Counseling for Great Hearts-Arizona, and is currently serving in a part-time capacity as the network coordinator for College Counseling in addition to her role at Scottsdale Prep.
Mrs. Coolidge joins Scottsdale Prep as a part-time College Counselor working alongside Mrs. Fletcher and Ms. Smith. She joined Scottsdale Prep in 2021, however, she previously worked at Cicero Prep as both Registrar and College Counselor.
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Joining in the 2022-2023 school year, Ms. Gillies is an ESS coordinator at Scottsdale Prep.
Ms. Bazz is an Exceptional Student Services Aide, and she joined Scottsdale Prep in 2022. She is a recent graduate from Grand Canyon University where she earned her bachelors in Psychology. She plans on getting her masters in Psychology in the near future. She was born and raised in Denver, Colorado and moved to Arizona in 2018. She pursues singing, engaging in her community, and traveling in her free time.
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Mrs. Lacy Walther joined the SPA staff in 2022-23 as our School Counselor. She is a native and second-generation Arizonan. She graduated from ASU with a Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Religion and a minor in Southeast Asian Studies. In 2009 Mrs.Walther received her Master of Science in Community Counseling, and has worked as a licensed therapist in Arizona with adolescents and their families in various settings.