Founding Faculty & Staff
We are always looking for talented individuals to join our team! View our job postings.

Amie Weldy
Principal
Founding Team Member
Amie Weldy's Bio and Philosophy
“Change is inevitable. Growth is optional,” George Couros (2015) on being an innovative leader in school. I truly believe that educators have the power to inspire students to do incredible things and accomplish more than what is contained in the four walls of a classroom. At STEAD we have reached a defining moment. Our task is to create a vision and purpose that will serve our students and this community far beyond their four years here. Project based learning, CTE, and hands-on STEM experiences allow students to learn skills that they will use for a lifetime, not just learn how to pass a test. In my research and experience I have exclusively sought out unique opportunities that allow students to grow as humans, research-based strategies that grow their content knowledge, and allow for educators to build relationships with their students in positive and impactful ways.
I knew from a very young age that I would become an educator– I worked in my aunt’s classroom and my grandma’s office since I could remember. In high school, I did apprenticeship programs in our neighboring middle school to make copies and grade papers. In high school and college, I worked as a summer camp counselor to better learn classroom management and creative ways to engage learners. When I say it is in my blood, I mean it. To me, education is an opportunity to inspire learners to be change-makers, to go after their dreams, and to learn ways to better themselves regardless of circumstances. I believe that quality educators have to be driven by a passion to do all of these things. I have seen major success in building relationships with students because of my high expectations, norms around a respectful classroom, and a love and care for students that encourages through positive feedback, rather than discourages through punishment and putting down.
In the past, I have worked in very diverse settings. I have worked in elementary school with 25 year veteran teachers learning how to better use instructional technology because that was what was best for students to learn. I have worked in a Title-I middle school with students who had very difficult home situations, but gave their all to learn in the classroom. I have even worked in a bilingual international setting with educators who created incredible Project-based Learning experiences with community members, setting up students with partnerships well beyond their school years. I think that all can learn, young and old, to create a better world for tomorrow. I have always loved designing and leading professional learning for adults, hoping to encourage and inspire one more person to do incredible things for their own students!
My background is firmly grounded in STEM education using project based learning as a vehicle. I hold a Master’s of Education in leadership with a minor in innovative technologies along with my principal license from Kennesaw University. My undergrad is in secondary science and math education. This will be my 12th year in education in some capacity. Most recently before STEAD, I worked abroad at an international, bilingual school in Bucaramanga, Colombia as the middle and high school STEM coordinator. Previous to that, I was at a title I middle school serving as the STEAM coordinator and science educator. All of which led me down the path to find my home at STEAD, as a founding guide and instructional coach which then led to a dean position and now principal.
How can this be done? A former principal of mine used to say that when confronted with a big idea that a teacher is passionate about, always say “Wow! – not how.” As a leader, my primary job is to support the staff in believing they can achieve anything they put their mind to as educators and designers. I will lead by getting out of the way and encouraging the creation of an environment where educators can allow students to lead and own their learning – by encouraging students to get out of their seats and to learn by doing, to empathize with their surroundings or community, and by giving them the tools to get out there and solve a problem. Project-Based Learning is a vehicle for students building skills in specialized pathways that will expose them to real world experiences and connections that they can use to shape their own futures. Students can and will rise to the occasion!
STEAD is a place where the future of education can flourish – the groundwork is already being laid. I believe what we are creating will define the turning point in public education in this country: Project-Based Learning, fully interdisciplinary planning cycles, and an authentic, CTE-driven curriculum. I cannot wait to see what we all build together here at STEAD!
Read Bio

Alexis Walker
Office Manager
Founding Team Member
Alexis Walter's Bio
Alexis Walker, one of our Co-Office Managers, is the personable face you will encounter as you enter and leave The STEAD School. She was born and raised in Colorado almost her whole life and is passionate about making a difference in our youth. She graduated in Aurora and attended college at University of Northern Colorado. New to 27J but had been with Denver Public Schools for 8 years. Her work in education began at another startup school as a paraprofessional in a kindergarten classroom, where she quickly realized that she wanted to impact as many students, across all grade levels, as possible. After 2 years, this passion has moved her out of a single classroom and into the wider arena of education administration. She believes that together we can all make a difference in the life of a child and their family. She thrives on building positive relationships with both students and their families. She takes pride in welcoming every person who enters our building. When not at school she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her niece, nephew, and her fur pup, Auggy. She also enjoys trying new things in the kitchen while baking and cooking. awalker@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Michelle Oray
Business Office Manager
NEW Founding Team Member
Michelle Oray's Bio
Read Bio

Candace Cheung
Director of Programs & Partnerships
Founding Team Member
Candace Cheung's Bio
Candace has over 15 years of experience in alternative education and now leads STEAD’s Partnerships and Programs. She has served as an elementary teacher, a secondary math and humanities teacher, an elementary and secondary Program Director, and an elementary Principal. Candace’s experiences have been in private and public innovation, charter, and traditional models in rural, urban, and suburban schools. Candace has developed and led a successful public secondary agriculture hands-on program and she specializes in program redevelopment, total school design, and creating cultures of work. Candace holds an MEd, a BA in English, Colorado state certifications in Elementary and Secondary education, credentials in Elementary and Secondary Montessori education, and she is a veteran of the US Air Force. ccheung@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Christian Holmes
Director of Innovation & Technology
Founding Team Member
Christian Holmes' Bio
Christian comes to STEAD with experience in 3 different schools in 3 very different environments. Originally from Kentucky, Christian has also lived in Georgia, New York, Colombia (the country), and now Colorado. He has extensive experience in Project-Based Learning and progressive educational methodologies, with particular interest in blending the social sciences with the STEM fields in authentic ways using real-world problems as the driving force behind the learning design. He is very excited to start a new role at STEAD this year, shifting his focus to helping school-wide implementation of Project-Based Learning and teaching courses in technology and media. Since the last bio update, he has indeed decided to start watching the Rapids, but can’t claim true fandom at this time. Christian is also pursuing his Ed.D. at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Learning Design and Leadership focusing on authentic, student-driven projects.
Read Bio

Geoff Rice
Director of Student Support
Founding Team Member
Geoff Rice's Bio
Prior to joining STEAD, Geoff was a special education teacher at Johns Creek High School in Atlanta Georgia. He was born in Maine but moved to Georgia when he was nine, splitting his time between the two. Geoff holds a B.A. in History with a minor in education, a M.S. in instructional design and technology and holds a special education certification. Geoff’s teaching philosophy is excitement equals engagement: getting students excited and engaged with their learning is half the battle. In his free time, he travels and camps with his partner Nicolle, is a huge movie buff and an avid gamer. grice@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Mario Padilla
Director of Culture
Founding Team Member
Mario Padilla's Bio
Mario Padilla is an entomologist from Alamosa, Colorado. While pursuing his undergraduate degree at Adams State University he became extremely interested in entomology, especially insects in the order Hymenoptera (ants, bees and wasps). After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in Organismal Biology, he attended Pennsylvania State University to pursue a master’s degree in Entomology under the advisement of Dr. Christina Grozinger. His thesis, Social Mechanisms Regulating Reproductive Division of Labor in Bumble Bees (Bombus impatiens) explored how queen bumble bees regulate worker reproduction via pheromone signaling and aggressive behavior. Shortly after defending his thesis, Mario was hired as the laboratory manager in the Grozinger lab, where he managed 40+ colonies of honeybees and was the primary contact for all researcher needs. In 2015 Mario was hired as the entomologist at Butterfly Pavilion in Westminster, CO, and in 2019 was promoted to Director of Animal Collections. His job duties included; managing honey bee colonies, teaching beekeeping courses, overseeing multiple research and conservation projects all over the world, and managing all animal care. His work has taken him to Mongolia, Tanzania and Nepal. In 2021 Mario has decided to pursue his passion of education and transition to the STEAD school where he will be supporting the apiaries, greenhouse and sharing his passion for insects and animals with students. Mario has been married to his amazing wife, Halie, since 2015 and in 2019 they welcomed a baby boy named Gus. His hobbies include, traveling, spending time with his family, building LEGOs, watching movies, and reading. mpadilla@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Kaitlyn Gilham
Director of Electives & Art Guide
Founding Team Member
Kaitlyn Gilham's Bio
Kaitlyn moved to Colorado from Columbus, OH where she worked for a ceramic glaze company providing professional development support and workshops to Art Educators in her community. She’s had the opportunity to work with students from Pre-K to adults in various educational environments throughout her career. As a working artist, Kaitlyn primarily focuses on abstract painting and ceramics and has shown work in New York, Buffalo, Chicago, and Columbus. She received her BFA from Alfred University with a minor in both Art Education and Art History. When she is not teaching or working in her home studio you might find Kaitlyn experimenting with a new home baking technique, an interest that she picked up while managing a Chicago area bakery. She also enjoys traveling and being outdoors exploring new hiking trails with her husband and their dog Athena. kgilham@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Ryan Pearse
ELA/Music Guide & Instructional Coach
Founding Team Member
Ryan Pearse's Bio
Ryan comes to the school with over 15 years of experience teaching English and music at the middle and high school levels. Most recently he served as the Academic Director and English Teacher at Temple Grandin School in Boulder, where he worked alongside students on the autism spectrum. Ryan encourages outside-the-box learning and creative problem solving. He is passionate about authentic assessment, and he especially enjoys helping students discover their unique writing voice. In a past life, Ryan was a semi-professional musician and songwriter, and he has had the opportunity to perform in great music cities like Austin and Chicago. These days, music is more of a recreational pursuit, and Ryan enjoys guiding students in their own musical endeavors. He is very excited to work with the budding musicians at The STEAD School. rpearse@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Annabel Parker
ELA Guide & Adventure Coordinator
Founding Team Member
Annabel Parker's Bio
Before joining the team, Annabel taught Environmental Ethics at the High Mountain Institute in Leadville, and led her students on expeditions in the Colorado and Utah wilderness. Annabel recently received her Master’s of Education degree from Harvard, where, at her graduation, Elmo gave the commencement speech. Before settling in Denver, her first home was England, where the highest “mountain” is 10,000 feet shorter than Colorado’s (it’s a hill). Outside of teaching, Annabel is passionate about writing creative nonfiction, trail running, graphic design, cooking vegan food, fostering neonatal animals, and learning new things! aparker@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Kate Miller
ELA Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
Kate Miller's Bio
Prior to joining the STEAD community, Kate was a Middle School Fellow and taught French and English at the Kent Denver School. In addition to teaching, advising, coaching, and running a gardening elective, Kate helped start the Kent Denver Tiny Farm and subsequent Tiny Farm Camp. Each week, the camp was home to two ponies, two goats, six hens, three rabbits, and 50 elementary-aged day campers. Before moving to Colorado, Kate served as Farm Manager for the Pomona College Organic Farm, managing 20 student employees and facilitating research and academic collaborations. She also developed curriculum and taught an Environmental Analysis course for Pomona undergraduates. Kate is an enthusiastic learner—both in the classroom and in the fields, coop, and greenhouse. Beyond teaching and farming, Kate enjoys reading contemporary fiction, experimenting with fermentation in the kitchen, experiencing live music, and soaking up the beautiful Colorado sun! kmiller@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Brant Wintzen
Director of Mathematics
Founding Team Member
Brandt Wintzen's Bio
Brandt was born and raised in Colorado and looks forward to staying in this beautiful state, accepting all of the adventures the state has to offer. After making music videos and sketches in high school, he took the next semester off to go to India and teach English, Math, and Science to Tibetan refugees. There, he learned the importance of education and relationships, which made him want to go into education in the U.S. Brandt is a life-long learner and particularly interested in psychology, civilization, culture, and earth science. Nature and the outdoors are where he loves to be. He loves going on hikes, runs, to parks, and to hot springs. Recently, Brandt picked up a new hobby of snowboarding (several bruises later) and continues to improve. He is a huge Marvel fan and loves talking about the movies. He can get a little too excited about the movies and go off on tangents, so be careful bringing up Marvel movies if you don’t have a lot of time to spare. Brandt is ecstatic to work as a math guide at The STEAD School. He has always envisioned working at a school where relationships, project-based learning, and nature are at the forefront of the school. bwintzen@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Edward King
Mathematics Guide
Founding Team Member
Edward King's Bio
Edward was born in England and moved to Colorado 20 years ago. Ed attended CU Boulder (CU), starting out as an engineer and then switching to an English major with a focus in Creative Writing and Electrical Engineering minor. He still writes actively, and his stories have been published online and in print. After graduating from CU, he worked at NetApp in Boulder before deciding to teach for a year in Suzhou, China. He then worked as an engineer in Fort Collins before traveling Madrid to teach English. He is currently student-teaching at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School in Fort Collins. In his free time Ed loves to run, play soccer (not his strong suit), read and write, play guitar and play at open mic nights (during non-Covid times). eking@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Danny Williams
Mathematics Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
Danny Williams' Bio
Danny grew up knowing he wanted to be a teacher. In High School and College, he gained experience with several tutoring opportunities. He then began his career, immediately after graduating, by becoming the High School ESOL teacher for New Garden Friends School in Greensboro, NC. Following that school year, Danny went on to be a study hall advisor and one of their Math teachers. In his 3.5 years there, he taught ALG I, ALG II, Honors ALG II, AFM, and Geometry. After the 2019-2020 school year, Danny took a break from teaching to run his own Travel baseball program. He learned a lot from his time running his own business, but missed being in the classroom. Danny looks forward to becoming a part of the STEAD School community!
Read Bio

Weather Gardner
Science Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
Weather Gardner's Bio
Weather Gardner is an ichthyologist from Louisville, Colorado. Although spending her years before college pursuing acting and theater, she quickly fell in love with zoology during her undergraduate years at Colorado State University. In the summer of 2019, she completed an internship as an aquarist at Butterfly Pavilion, with her individual research project being focused on how to reduce aggressive mating behavior between the male horseshoe crabs. This research won her the College Honor’s award at the CURC conference. After obtaining her degree in Zoology, she was hired on as an aquatic toxicologist at Colorado Parks & Wildlife. During her time with CPW, she conducted research on how zinc and copper can affect algae growth as well as olfactory senses in local fish. At the same time, she was also a Learning Assistant for Brian Jones, helping with the Physics 121 and 122 classes at Colorado State University. Her experience teaching and Brian’s guidance led her to pursuing a Master’s in Education Sciences. Weather’s student teaching took place at Polaris Expeditionary Learning School, where she got to learn about the value of project based learning and applied sciences. She graduated with her Master’s and teaching license in May 2022, and is excited to apply all her learning to her position at The STEAD School, and sharing her passion for fish with the students. When she isn’t gushing about science to students, she can be found biking, playing video games and Dungeons and Dragons with her friends, and baking sweets with the Waitress soundtrack playing. wgardner@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Hannah Wallace
Science Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
Hannah Wallace's Bio
Prior to joining the STEAD team, Hannah received her graduate degree in Sustainable Food Systems from the University of Colorado. During her time in graduate school, she studied the importance of agriculture-oriented, project-based learning for high schoolers. Prior to that, she served as an Americorps member in Southern Colorado. In this role, she taught environmental education for the Rio Grande Farm Park and taught at a local middle school. This role offered hands-on learning, including curriculum building, and game creation! Hannah has also partnered her passion for holistic food systems with her background in environmental science, conducting research on urban agriculture nutrient retention and nutrient pollution. She has loved learning about different forms of agriculture, and is passionate about zero-waste initiatives, and pollinators! In her free time, you can find her enjoying the outdoors with her dog, Lola. This is just the tip of the iceberg for Hannah’s passions, background, and interests. She is excited to continue growing as a part of the STEAD community!
Read Bio

Alex D’Amore-Braver
Science Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
Alex D'Amore-Bravers's Bio
Originally hailing from southeast Michigan, Alex has extensive experience helping youth develop socially and academically. He has worked at a number of day camps and summer camps, led environmental education in 3 different states, and developed youth programming in library and recreation settings. He holds a BA in Biology and Education from Ohio Wesleyan University, where he was first inspired to connect his love for culture, food, environment and living organisms. This led him to get involved in urban agriculture, founding a garden program for students at a charter high school in Columbus, Ohio. Since moving to Colorado in 2020, he has worked as a behavior technician, delivering one-on-one therapy to youth with special needs. When not helping youth, you can find Alex performing improv comedy,
cooking, hiking, or playing music with friends. He is beyond thrilled to be a part of the STEAD community, and is excited to share his passion for living things and the arts with students!
Read Bio

Katya Thronweber
Social Studies Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
Katya Thronweber's Bio
Katya grew up in Colorado and came back to the Denver area after exploring both coasts of the United States through farming. Since returning, Katya has been teaching and leading in a Montessori adolescent environment. She believes in the potential of adolescents to blossom into the adults that our world needs and she loves being a part of that process. While her degree is in studio art, Katya’s passion for understanding humans, our history and our current society have led her to teaching social studies where she strives to help students dig into the past and present in pursuit of a more peaceful and sustainable future. Outside of the school world Katya also runs a small vegetable farm and plays as much soccer as she can.
Read Bio

Justin Mercer
Social Studies Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
Justin Mercer's Bio
Justin is thrilled to be moving to Colorado from Georgia to join the STEAD School team as a Social Studies/Humanities Guide. Justin has five years of teaching experience, including a stint abroad teaching English and Science in the US Territory of American Samoa. He has spent the last three years teaching Humanities and student support, and coaching soccer at a boarding school in the Appalachian Mountains of Northeast Georgia. Justin earned both his M.Ed in History Education and his B.A. in History from Auburn University. He is extremely excited about STEAD’s project based student centered approach to learning and cannot wait to get started. In his personal time, Justin enjoys writing fiction, being an advocate for mental health, watching Manchester United games, hiking and camping, and of course playing soccer. He is also a self-professed nerd and enjoys all subjects Star Wars, video games, Marvel and the like. Having lived most of his life in places where an inch of snow shuts everything down for a whole week, Justin is naively excited for Colorado winters and is looking forward to learning how to snowboard. Justin lives with his partner, Naomie, and their dogs: Wedge and Bronco.
Read Bio

John-Paul Sullivan
Social Studies Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
John-Paul Sullivan's Bio
John-Paul comes to the STEAD community with over 17 years of experience inside and outside of the classroom. Originally from the state of Michigan, he grew up fishing in the lakes and rivers and playing a myriad of sports. John-Paul attended the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio, where he received his bachelor’s degree in English and his master’s degree in Education. He first heard the call to education while living in a small fishing village in Alaska where he volunteered in a one room school that educated students ranging from kindergarten through 8th grade. John-Paul has taught Social Studies at the high school level for over ten years and is excited to be joining the STEAD team and to be a part of a dynamic new vision in education that explores students’ interests and ignites their desire to be lifelong learners. He also has administrative experience serving in a variety of leadership roles such as a Director of Student Life and Dean of Students. In his free time, John-Paul likes playing the guitar, planning his family’s next “epic summer road trip,” and exploring the beautiful state of Colorado with his wife and amazing children ranging from ages 12-5 with baby #5 due at the end of July! jpsullivan@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Tyler Schindler
CTE Director & Lead Ag CTE Instructor
Founding Team Member
Tyler Schindler's Bio
Tyler grew up in “small-town” Nebraska and has many different experiences in agriculture including raising meat rabbits, chickens, meat goats, dairy goats, dairy cattle, beef cattle, and swine (pigs). His family also raised corn and soybeans. Tyler attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and majored in Agricultural Education and received teaching endorsements in Biology and Horticulture Education and minors in Agribusiness and Horticulture Production. His current educational interests include incorporating science topics in Ag and finding those real-life connections. Tyler is very passionate about food production and development. In his free time, he likes to watch movies, play with his Chesapeake Bay Retriever (Lucy), cook/bake, build stuff, and play video games and board games with friends. However, his favorite thing to do is learn so you may even see him out exploring and experiencing new things! tschindler@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Dain Holland
Farm & Food Manager
NEW Founding Team Member
Dain Holland's Bio
Dain was born in California but raised most of his life in the Gallatin Valley in Southwest Montana. He has built a life working around food; growing, preserving, cooking, and now teaching. Dain has an A.S. in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University in Denver as well as a Certificate in Organic Agriculture Practices from the California Farm Academy in Winters, California. Dain learned how to cook at a very young age from his mother, and how to grow food from his father’s garden. Dain grew up involved in 4-H with projects in dairy goats and food preservation, and has been fly fishing since he could walk. In his free time, he spends time in his own backyard garden with his wife Lauren and their black lab mix Rocky. They love to play outdoors and sleep under the stars, and hope to bring their knowledge about local food systems to future generations. dholland@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Manny Catala
Ag CTE Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
Manny Catala's Bio
Manny is one of our agricultural guides. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Extension Education with a minor in international agriculture, Manny served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal as an urban agricultural extension agent, working with small-hold farmers to increase food security. Before joining the STEAD Team, he also worked in Ghana as a science teacher and 4H advisor in Batanyaa, a rural village in the central region of Ghana. Manny is passionate about working with youth and connecting them to agriculture. He is originally from New Hampshire and wicked excited to make Denver his new home. On weekends you can find Manny hanging with friends, hiking, traveling, or watching movies. A new hobby he is excited to learn is snowboarding! mcatala@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Matthew Guglielmo
Athletic Director
Founding Team Member
Matthew Guglielmo's Bio
Matthew Guglielmo is a father of 5: Luke, 20, Shane, 18, Juliette, 17, Kieran 15 and Greer, 12. He currently resides in Lakewood but hails from New England and was born in Queens, New York. Matthew has taught English and Health and Wellness over the last 12 years and looks forward to joining the STEAD team as both a coach and teaching world language this year. He received a bachelor’s degree in English from Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut. He has been coaching Soccer for over 25 years in both Connecticut and here in Colorado in some elite high school programs and clubs. In his spare time, he loves to read, SUP, train for Spartan races, enjoy all the outdoor activities that Colorado offers and naturally spending time with his kids. mguglielmo@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Lani Ingram
Recruitment & Communications Coordinator
Founding Team Member
Lani Ingram's Bio
Lani Ingram is the Recruitment and Communications Coordinator at the STEAD school. Lani was raised on her family’s fifth generation wheat farm in central Montana. Agriculture has been a big part of her life. Lani has three years of social studies teaching experience at both the middle and high school level, which included working at an alternative high school focused on at-risk students. Lani holds a B.A. in history and secondary education licensure from The University of Montana, along with a master’s degree in curriculum studies from The University of Northern Colorado. She was awarded the Distinguished Graduate Award in her master’s program and wrote her final thesis about personalized learning. Lani’s teaching philosophy includes building relationships and teaching the whole child in a safe and encouraging environment. Lani lives with her husband and three children in the Reunion area. She enjoys camping, cooking, traveling, playing sports and karaoke nights with her family. lingram@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Halie Padilla
Music Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
Halie Padilla's Bio
Halie Padilla is a music education specialist from Alamosa, Colorado. She received her bachelor’s degree in music education and vocal performance from Adams State University. After a year of teaching music to elementary students in the San Luis Valley, Halie moved to State College, PA with her now husband, Mario, to help him follow his dreams of pursuing a graduate degree in Entomology from Penn State. From 2012 to 2015, she worked as a learning specialist to 6th, 7th, and 8th graders at Mount Nittany Middle School. In 2015, Halie was hired as the music specialist in Littleton, CO and moved back to Colorado with her husband. She taught in the Jeffco School District for two more years and then found her home at Blue Mountain Elementary in the St. Vrain Valley School District. In 2019, Halie and Mario welcomed a baby boy named Gus and in 2022, Halie was hired to be the founding music specialist at the STEAD school. Her hobbies include traveling, spending time with her family, reading, and gardening. hpadilla@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Molly Tun
Spanish Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
Molly Tun's Bio
Molly is new to Colorado but is excited to get to know the area and work with a great team of teachers, staff, and students at the STEAD school. She has a Ph.D. in Hispanic and Lusophone Literatures, Cultures, and Linguistics from the University of Minnesota with a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. She has taught Spanish for over a decade at Simpson College, St. Olaf College, the University of Minnesota, and the University of St. Thomas. Molly focuses on communication, culture, and projects in the classroom and enjoys seeing how students grow in their Spanish abilities and knowledge of the Spanish-speaking world. She loves traveling and has spent considerable time in places around the world including Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Bosnia, and India. Molly has many publications and collaborative projects on topics such as math traditions from around the world, the environment, indigenous ways of knowing, literature, and pedagogy. When classes are not in session Molly can usually be found in Mexico visiting family; her bio picture actually features a community garden she designed there last summer after picking up debris and restoring the green space. Molly is ecstatic to be a part of the STEAD community and start this new adventure. mtun@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio

Alicia Hudson
Student Support Guide
NEW Founding Team Member
Alicia Hudson's Bio
Alicia is one of our Student Support Guides. After obtaining her bachelors in Human Development and Family Studies from Colorado State University, Alicia started her journey working as an Early Intervention Case Manager, with individuals who may have developmental delays. Since then, Alicia has worked as a Direct Care Provider for individuals with disabilities and worked for the Pouder School District in a Post Transitional Program for young adults with disabilities. Alicia is also currently working on her masters in Special Education at University of Northern Colorado. However, when she isn’t studying or working she enjoys spending time with her Labrador, Maxwell, hanging out with friends and family, baking, and recently started to get into traveling.
Read Bio

Eli Cheung
Office Aide and Substitute
NEW Founding Team Member
Eli Cheung's Bio
Eli comes to the STEAD School with experiences as both a student and guide in a hands-on agricultural science program in Golden, CO. Eli supports in a variety of roles at the STEAD school– primarily serving as an in-house substitute and Hive guide, in addition to an array of extracurricular activities. Outside of STEAD, Eli enjoys going to concerts, cooking, and building Legos.
Read Bio
Athletics Team

Matthew Guglielmo
Co-Athletic Director and Wellness Guide, Boys/Girls Soccer Coach
Founding Team Member
Matthew Guglielmo's Bio
Matthew Guglielmo is a father of 5: Luke, 20, Shane, 18, Juliette, 17, Kieran 15 and Greer, 12. He currently resides in Lakewood but hails from New England and was born in Queens, New York.
After high school, he played Soccer at Adelphi in Garden City, New York and then one year at Salem State University in Massachusetts. He received a bachelor’s degree in English from Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut. He has been coaching Soccer for over 25 years in both Connecticut and here in Colorado in some elite high school programs and clubs. He has taught English and Health and Wellness over the last 12 years and looks forward to working his new role at STEAD at Athletics Director while continuing to teach classes and coach boys and girls soccer. In his spare time, he loves to read, SUP, train for Spartan races, enjoy all the outdoor activities that Colorado offers and naturally spending time with his kids.
Read Bio

Kenny Wilson
Co-Athletic Director
Founding Team Member
Kenny Wilson's Bio
Kenny Wilson comes to STEAD as a seasoned coach and athletic official with over 30 years coaching girls and boys cross country, basketball and track at the high school level. He led his Cross Country team at Smoky Hill High School (5A) to win the state championship and has led multiple teams to numerous regional and league championships. Teams that Kenny has coached averaged a GPA of 3.75 and he has developed numerous athletes who went on to become All-State and All-Americans, competing at the collegiate and professional level. Kenny also has experience coaching at the college level and is a United States Track and Field Level 1 Coach and Official. In addition to his coaching experience, Kenny has served as a NCAA Division 1 and Division 2 basketball official and coordinator of officials in over 5 different conferences. He even spent some time officiating with the NBA and was Coordinator of Officials for a NAIA conference, in additional to various USA basketball training camps.
Kenny will be serving in a part time leadership capacity, while also serving as a lead customer service representative at the Reunion Recreation center and continuing his officiating responsibilities during the NCAA Division 2 Basketball Season. His presence in the community and availability to coaches and students in Reunion will be a huge asset to The STEAD School.
Read Bio

Naj’la Stokes
Head Girls Volleyball Coach
Founding Team Member
Naj Stokes' Bio
Coach Naj has been in the game as long as she was able to play. She started playing for Denver Parks and Recreation when she was 10, and continued all through Graduating from South High school. She then began her coaching career as a side gig in college for both of those institutions (DPR for 15 years). Coach Naj coached for both East High, and a Club team at George Washington HS, before taking a break back in 2017, to focus on being a teacher. In July of this year she decided she loved coaching too much to stay away for too long and also coaches with Infinity volleyball club, during the off season.
Read Bio
Launch Team

Jamie Prijatel
School Design & Launch Team Lead
Jamie Prijatel's Bio
Jamie Prijatel is a national education consultant with two decades of experience in education reform, including various management roles held within the New York City Department of Education, including the role of charter school authorizer. Jamie specializes in charter and small district school design, start-up, implementation, replication, oversight, renewal, and closure. Jamie’s passion is project management, school operations, and partnership development. Her clients include(d) BuildStrong Education, Colorado League of Charter Schools, Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), The Riordan Foundation, the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, the New York City Charter School Center, the Walton Family Foundation, Green Dot Public Schools, Central Michigan University Center for Charter Schools, Catalyst Inc., Cat Alexander Consulting, and Ford Research & Solutions.
Read Bio

Sofia Romero-Campbell
School Design & Launch Team Member
Sofia Romero-Campbell's Bio
Sofia Romero Campbell, a native of Denver, is a senior at Smith College majoring in government with a minor in Latin American studies and a concentration in sustainable food. As the granddaughter of farmworkers and ranchers with deep roots in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico, Sofia is committed to creating a more just food system by focusing on equity and resource concerns. Sofia’s previous experiences include work at the Denver Botanic Gardens Chatfield Farm, the New Mexico Acequia Association, and the National Western Stock Show. As a member of the STEAD design team, Sofia is proud to be collaborating on school planning and student recruitment in order to ensure continued diversity and sustainable design features within the STEAD community.
Read Bio

Candace Cheung
School Pedagogical Design Team & Launch Team Coordinator
Candace Cheung's Bio
Candace has over 15 years of experience in alternative education and now leads STEAD’s Partnerships and Programs. She has served as an elementary teacher, a secondary math and humanities teacher, an elementary and secondary Program Director, and an elementary Principal. Candace’s experiences have been in private and public innovation, charter, and traditional models in rural, urban, and suburban schools. Candace has developed and led a successful public secondary agriculture hands-on program and she specializes in program redevelopment, total school design, and creating cultures of work. Candace holds an MEd, a BA in English, Colorado state certifications in Elementary and Secondary education, credentials in Elementary and Secondary Montessori education, and she is a veteran of the US Air Force. ccheung@thesteadschool.org
Read Bio
The STEAD School is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate in employment on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, creed, color, age over 40, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military status, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, or any other status or class protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. The Principal is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities, and general treatment during employment.