WHO WE ARE
Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences is an independent expeditionary learning school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, serving 135 students in Preschool through 8th grade.
Mission
Arts & Sciences nurtures academic excellence and healthy social-emotional development in an environment of respect, inclusion, and diversity. Arts & Sciences utilizes expeditionary learning, global perspectives, and a multicultural art and science curriculum – and equips each student with the knowledge, skills, and passion to create their vision of a better world.
Vision
Each student’s skills and talents grow through collaborative learning processes that support self-expression and growth. Each student imagines and pursues their own journey within a community that strives toward a lifelong passion for learning and exploration. Each student comes to embody the values of compassion, leadership, world citizenship, equity and service.
FACULTY AND STAFF
Adelyn Smith
Adelyn teaches middle school science and is entering her 7th year at our school. She was born and raised in Santa Fe, which helped to cultivate a love for the outdoors and natural world that she strives to pass on to her students. She has a BS in biochemistry and environmental science from Boston College and a teaching license from Santa Fe Community College. Before joining our school, she lived and worked in India at a non-profit girls’ school in rural Jharkhand, finding a passion for empowering young women through sports & STEM education. Adelyn has deep roots in the soccer community in Santa Fe coaching multiple youth teams, leading skills workshops for women, playing on various adult teams, and coaching varsity soccer at Santa Fe Prep for the last four years. When not teaching, coaching or playing soccer, Adelyn loves to hike, camp, backpack, garden, and spend time with her dog Yuzu. adelyn@santafeschool.org
Andrew Lescht
Andrew is entering his 10th year as our 3rd-4th grade teacher. He is dedicated to teaching the whole child and integrates teaching mindfulness in the Centaur class. As a lifelong learner, Andrew is committed to continuously growing as an educator to better support his students. He recently completed a year-long program to become an Executive Skills Coach, which has further equipped him to help students build essential skills like organization, time management, and goal-setting. Andrew has a B.A. in Anthropology from State University of New York Plattsburgh, and for many years he split his seasons between working as an archaeologist, environmental educator and a ski instructor. His passion for teaching led him back to school to obtain an MA in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado. Prior to Arts & Sciences, Andrew’s classroom experience includes third and fourth grades in Colorado, and teaching at an international school in Ecuador. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, reading, hiking, travel, music, skiing, and mountain biking. andrew@santafeschool.org
Annie McLaughlin
Annie joined Arts & Sciences in January of 2021 as a Grasshopper support teacher, substitute, and Centaur assistant. She then taught Creative Movement and Centaur-Badger Drama at SFSAS before moving over to the Unicorn classroom. Annie was born and raised in Northern Virginia as the youngest of 5 children, and she has 16 years of experience in the early childhood field. She previously taught at La Mariposa Montessori in Santa Fe. Annie graduated from Boston College with a B.A. in Human Development and a minor in Irish Studies. She obtained her Masters of Education and AMI Montessori Diploma & Teaching Certificate from Loyola University in Maryland. Annie lives in Santa Fe with her son Colin. She loves to incorporate music and movement into her teaching, and she has led Music Together classes in Santa Fe. When she’s not at school, Annie loves to hike, swim, play basketball and soccer, bake and spend time with her family and friends. annie@santafeschool.org
Aurora Hvidsten
Aurora has taught at Arts & Sciences since 2010. She is the Lead Teacher for the preschool and pre-k students. She received her BA from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2008 and her MS in Early Childhood Education from the Erikson Institute of Chicago in 2015. She is a Girls on the Run assistant coach at A&S for girls in grades 3-5. She is also an active member in the Collaborative Teacher’s Institute and is currently serving on the Library Advisory Board for the city of Santa Fe. Aurora enjoys integrating her love for stories into the classroom and feels passionately about tending to social emotional learning and growth. She is also a parent of a current Kindergarten student When she’s not at school Aurora can be found reading a book, spending time in nature or cuddling her cats. aurora@santafeschool.org
Bret Luboyeski
Bret is our Learning Specialist and PE Teacher and leads the afterschool soccer club. Bret worked for nine school years as a teacher and administrator at May Center for Learning, a Santa Fe-based non-profit organization dedicated to serving students who learn differently. He is trained in Orton-Gillingham-based structured literacy programs and has extensive experience supporting students with academic and executive functioning skills. Before his career in education, Bret worked in online sales and operations at Google. He earned a Master of Arts in Eastern Classics at St. John’s College and a Bachelor of Science in Communication at Northwestern University. When he’s not working, you can probably find Bret playing soccer, watching birds, or eating Chicago-style deep dish pizza. bret (at) santafeschool.org
Chintan Kess
Chintan is the lead teacher in the combined first and second grade Stargazer class. She is committed to bringing best practice to her primary students, offering them a curriculum rich in inquiry, play and the arts. She has been teaching at Arts & Sciences since 2001 and holds an A.A. in Early Childhood Multicultural Education from Santa Fe Community College, a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from New Mexico Highlands University and a M.Ed. in Integrated Teaching through the Arts from Lesley University. She is licensed to teach in New Mexico with a Level Three-A Instructional Leader B-3 Early Childhood License. chintan@santafeschool.org
Cynthia DelBello
Cynthia joined Arts & Sciences in 2018 as our Volunteer Coordinator and Admissions/Office Assistant. She brings over 20 years of Administrative work experience and 6 years of Management experience. She attended Marymount Manhattan College in New York City, studying Communications and Media Arts. After a decade in Seattle, she moved to Santa Fe in 2011. She enjoys spending her free time with her children, exploring small towns, and has a passion for cooking. Her daughters, Mia and Rosie, are students at Arts & Sciences. cynthia@santafeschool.org
Daniel Lockley
Daniel has been studying and performing music since he was 10 years old. Growing up in Santa Fe, and attending the Waldorf School ensured that he was exposed to a lot of musical styles from an early age. His true passion was discovered when he began learning Zimbabwean Marimba in 1997. Since then, he has used marimba as a vehicle to perform and teach all over the country and beyond! In 2010, he taught marimba in the Portland Public Schools through an organization called Ethos Music Center. He later taught in Boulder, CO with the Kutandara Center, a non-profit dedicated to teaching Zimbabwean music. Thanks to Kutandara, Daniel was able to work with students of all ages and from all walks of life as well as a number of excellent schools, including CU Boulder, and Regis University. Daniel moved back to Santa Fe in late 2020 and has been teaching at the Santa Fe Waldorf High School, Desert Montessori, and even at our very own after school program. daniel@santafeschool.org
Debbie McFarland
Debbie is our Bookkeeper and has been happily working at Arts & Sciences since 2016. She did her undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, earning a BA In Psychology and a Masters of Social Work. She also received her BS in Accounting after moving to New Mexico and currently owns Eldorado Bookkeeping, through which she serves many clients in the Santa Fe and Eldorado areas. Debbie teaches payroll and accounting workshops to small business owners throughout the year and is a Quickbooks Proadvisor. She is also a knowledgeable herbalist and owned an herb and natural medicines shop in Eldorado named Rowan’s Leaf Herbal. She has lived in New Mexico for over twenty years and is grateful to call such a magnificent place home. eldobooks1@gmail.com
Elisa Boyles
Director of Admissions. Elisa was born in Venezuela and grew up in many places, including Santa Fe. She has always enjoyed working with children and got her BA in Early Childhood Education with a teaching license for PreK-3 from Tufts University in 1998. In college, she studied art history and Italian in Florence, Italy and delved into learning about the schools in Reggio Emilia. She jumped right into teaching, first as an art teacher for the New York City Public Schools and then as a 3rd-grade bilingual teacher. Later, she moved to The Peck School, in New Jersey, as Assistant to the Upper School Head, Spanish teacher, and tutor. She and her husband Patrick, a native Santa Fean, happily returned to Santa Fe to start their family. She taught the 3 and 4 year olds at Dragonfly School, before homeschooling her son. Always curious, she has fun being in nature, gardening, cooking, supporting local organic farmers, and being creative with life. She is a proud mama of Luca and Valentina, both alumni of Arts & Sciences. elisa@santafeschool.org
Gina Kinstle
In her 14th year at Arts & Sciences, Gina is our Graphic Designer and Office Manager. In addition to coordinating many details of student and school activities, Gina designs our school yearbook and many of our expedition products, like books and posters. She even designed a board game for the Grasshopper class. After living in Brooklyn, NY for 8 years, working in the fashion industry as a handbag designer, she reestablished her roots back in Santa Fe. As a creative person with experience in the hospitality industry, Gina happily brings attention to detail in all of our visual messaging, and thoughtfulness to the complex task of keeping the wheels in the office running smoothly. Gina’s daughter is a 2022 Arts & Sciences alumna and has moved on to Santa Fe High. gina@santafeschool.org
Isaac Hernandez
Isaac is our school’s Information Technology Administrator. He has a B.S. from Liberty University, 16 years of experience as a Communications Officer in the Army National Guard, and 5 years as a Federal Civilian managing the New Mexico National Guard’s financial datacenter. Via the military, Isaac has had an opportunity to travel the globe spending time in Japan, Alaska, Georgia, Washington and New Mexico while working in an airborne infantry unit, State emergency operations, and several comms staff positions. Besides technology, he also enjoys a myriad of hobbies including: cooking, backpacking, making music, teaching his son new things and adventures of any kind. He has a true passion for learning and teaching whenever the opportunity arises. isaac@santafeschool.org
Jessica Patti
Joining Arts & Sciences in 2021, Jessica retired from teaching Humanities with the close of the 2025 school year and remains the middle school fiber arts teacher. She first learned to knit at the age of 7 from her mother, herself an accomplished knitter and sewist, who learned from her mother in turn. She strives to create an environment where every child feels known and valued. Jessica has a real passion for working with young people to pass on a love of fiber and the requisite skills to a new generation of fiber crafts people. She earned her BS in Anthropology and English from Tulane University, her Texas Teaching Credential and a post-baccalaureate in Secondary Education (6-12) from Southern Methodist University, and an Ed.M in School Leadership from Harvard University. In addition to all things fiber, Jessica is an avid reader and curated the collection for the middle school library on campus in the Middle Earth classroom. When not at Arts and Sciences she can be found at her local shop, Hacer Santa Fe or being walked by her 5 rescue dogs on local trails and around town. jessica@santafeschool.org
Jordy Angel-Coldwell
Jordy is entering her fourth year at Arts and Sciences with a BA in Education, focusing on multiage education, from Goddard College in Vermont. Jordy passionately believes in the power of play and games, infusing this philosophy into every role she undertakes. Whether serving as a Substitute Teacher, PE Teacher, Aftercare Director and Teacher, or Summer Camp Director, Jordy playfully engages learners of all ages, creating environments where fun and learning coexist harmoniously. She brings creativity and enthusiasm to each position, fostering dynamic and interactive experiences that inspire and delight. jordy@santafeschool.org
Joseph Smith
Joseph is in his 10th year at Arts & Sciences. He teaches English, Creative Writing, and a Games & Sports elective, with a focus on pickleball. Born and raised in Santa Fe, he earned his BA in English from UNM in 2004. He previously taught as a Special Education Teacher in the Santa Fe Public School, and was the Education Coordinator at Santa Fe YouthWorks. He is the proud father of alumni, Cruz & Lea. joseph@santafeschool.org
Kim Shakespeare-Jones
This is Kim’s 3rd year as the Designer for Arts & Sciences’ CoLab Initiative. Kim has worked in program development and arts education for more than 20 years, including positions with the Santa Fe Opera as Manager of Strategic Planning & Evaluation for an in-school arts integration program, and Program Founder & Manager for a Reggio-inspired early childhood program. Kim received a BA from UCLA’s film school, and a Master’s degree in Education and Innovation, with certification as a Pedagogical Coordinator in the Reggio Emilia Approach, from Webster University. She enjoys co-developing community-led and equity-centered collaborative learning opportunities that support, inspire and empower teachers and children. colab@santafeschool.org
Kristin Neese
Kristin is thrilled to join the Arts & Sciences community as the Middle School History & Humanities teacher. Born in Virginia and raised around the world, Kristin earned her degree in Psychology from the University of San Diego and Université Paris-Sorbonne. Since moving to New Mexico in 2016, she has earned her teaching license from the Santa Fe Community College, worked at Girls Inc of Santa Fe, Breakthrough Santa Fe, and taught 5th-8th grades for six years. She is passionate about incorporating a growth mindset and strong community into the classroom culture. During her down time, Kristin enjoys learning how to ice skate, training for her next long distance run, and cooking meals for her family. kristin@santafeschool.org
Lani Ersfeld
In her 11th year at Arts & Sciences, Lani is our Kindergarten-8th Grade Spanish Teacher as well as the Aftercare Coordinator and 5th-8th grade Aftercare Teacher. Lani is from Placitas, NM and attended the Albuquerque Academy for middle and high school. She then attended Lewis & Clark College in Oregon, majoring in Hispanic Studies and English. During her studies, Lani lived in the Dominican Republic and in Chile, where she solidified her love of the Spanish language and various cultures, and her desire to teach it to others. She earned her Master of Arts in Teaching at Lewis & Clark Graduate School with an emphasis in ESOL. She holds licenses in both New Mexico and Oregon for Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education. Lani is instrumental in organizing and planning our 8th grade International Trip to Costa Rica in the Spring. In her off time, Lani enjoys time with her menagerie of animals on her farm in Española. lani@santafeschool.org
Leilani Maloney
Now in her 11th year at Arts & Sciences, Leilani is the assistant teacher in the Stargazer class and the K-2nd grade Theatre teacher. She holds a BA in Theatre from Colorado State University and brings a rich background in the performing arts to the classroom. Before transitioning into education, she spent 11 seasons in the costume shop at The Santa Fe Opera, where she mentored apprentice technicians and helped develop Opera Makes Sense, a program that introduces young children to opera through sensory storytelling. Prior to joining the Stargazer class, Leilani taught at Momentum Preschool, Big Sky Summer Camp, and Reading is Magic, and worked in Special Education at Santa Fe Public Schools. Trained in multisensory literacy methods, she is passionate about supporting diverse learners. Leilani is the proud mama of alumni, Jax and Logan. leilani@santafeschool.org
Lisa Goldman
Lisa is the 5th-8th grade Art Teacher at Arts & Sciences. She has been involved in media arts education and gifted education for over 25 years, and has taught college courses for the Santa Fe Community College, The Institute for American Indian Arts, Santa Fe University of Art and Design, and the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. She earned her BFA from University of Wisconsin, and her M.A. in Special Education from University of New Mexico. She acted as Director of Education and Training for Youth Media Project and has taught the joy of creating radio narratives and podcasts. Working with Media Savvy Citizens, she conducts teacher trainings on radio production. Lisa is also an award winning radio producer and musician, currently in the local post-punk outfit, Titmaüs. When not rocking out, Lisa enjoys painting and drawing, writing, reading, hiking, camping, circuit-training, hot springs, traveling, snorkeling, cooking, and sitting around dreaming. lisagoldman@santafeschool.org
Liza Stanton Hitt
This is Liza’s 16th year at Arts & Sciences and her 13th year as lead teacher in the “Grasshopper” Kindergarten class. Liza is a graduate from the College of Santa Fe, with a BA in Elementary Education with a TESOL endorsement. Liza is committed to creating a developmentally appropriate early childhood classroom, which instills a love of learning within our little ones. This is accomplished through an environment that nurtures wonder, discovery, exploration and learning through play. Liza has three daughters who attended Arts & Sciences who are now in High School and College. Liza is looking forward to another wonderful year in the Grasshopper class! liza@santafeschool.org
Matt Burke Newsum
This is Matt’s 20th year teaching our 5th-6th grade Badger class. Matt has a BS in Environmental Biology and Resource Management from UC Davis and has teaching certifications in all subjects from San Francisco State University with endorsements in Math and Science. Prior to teaching in Santa Fe, Matt worked for several years in the business world before deciding to become an educator. He then student taught for two years in Mountain View, CA, coached middle school basketball and helped run the Farm and Wilderness camp programs at Hidden Villa. Matt loves spending his free time in the mountains and in the ocean with his family. Matt’s daughter is a Arts & Sciences alumna. matt@santafeschool.org
Nate Moore
This is Nate’s 18th year at Arts & Sciences. Nate is a core teacher in the Middle School and teaches algebra and STEM electives. In addition to his teaching duties, Nate is the Middle School Director, spearheading the organization of activities such as 100 Elk, supporting crew (our advisory program), and coordinating the middle school curriculum and program. Nate is a proud father of two. A fluent Spanish speaker, Nate has also been a lead teacher during the 8th grade service trip to Costa Rica, where he enjoyed taking long walks on the beach. Nate received a BA from Oberlin College in Environmental Studies, Hispanic Studies, and Latin American Studies and a Master’s Degree in Science Teaching at New Mexico Tech. He earned a New Mexico Teaching License with a Secondary Science certification. In 2009 he was a fellow in the New Science Teacher Academy; in 2019 he was a Fund for Teachers Fellow; and in 2020 he was a Ramsden Project Fellow. Nate has presented at the EL Education National Conference and the MidSchoolMath Conference. Before teaching at Arts & Sciences, he taught Spanish in Oberlin’s SITES program, worked at the Big Sky Summer Camp, and volunteered at Escola Bosque in Brazil. nate@santafeschool.org
Perli Cunanan
Perli Cunanan is starting her 18th year at the school. She served on the school’s board the first two years and is entering her 16th year as the Arts & Sciences’ Executive Director. Previously Perli had worked as a volunteer and a development professional in the nonprofit sector for more than 30 years, including positions as Development Officer of Con Alma Health Foundation, Vice President of Development at United Way of Santa Fe County and Development Director at Youth Shelters. Perli is proud mom to Arts & Sciences alumni Isa and Tom (Class of 2020 and 2018), and now an empty nester, she enjoys making things from yarn, weaving stories in D&D, and seeing live music with her partner Paul. perli@santafeschool.org
Reagon Heikes
Reagon is a licensed mental health counselor (LPCC) and the school counselor at Arts & Sciences. She graduated in 2018 from Southewestern College with her masters in clinical counseling, and has since completed extensive post graduate training in working with children and families ages 0 to 18. She is a credentialed Child-Parent Psychotherapy provider, an attachment based psyhodynamic therapy model for working with very young children and their caregivers. She has worked in many elementary and middle schools across northern New Mexico, doing both individual therapy with students and working on system school wide trauma informed intervention plans. Reagon is the mother to four beautiful and rambunctious children that consume all of her spare time. She recently moved back to Santa Fe after five years of living in Los Alamos, and is very happy to be home. reagon@santafeschool.org
Ree Gray
Ree has spent the last ten years working with kids from nannying, to after school care, to summer camp counselor. She graduated from Mills College in 2022 with a degree in education and the intention of becoming an elementary school teacher. Currently she is attending SFCC to receive her teaching credential. She works with Andrew in his 3rd and 4th grade class as an assistant teacher. She also uses her creative skills as the Kindergarten-4th grade art teacher. She is excited to continue to build meaningful relationships within this community during her second year at SFSAS! ree@santafeschool.org
Satori Murata
Satori is the middle school Japanese teacher. Born and raised in Nagano Japan, the mountain area in main island she grew up watching her mother who was a chado (way of tea) teacher. She loves poetry and storytelling and studied literature in English (M.A. in English in Tokyo). She came to the USA at the age of 26, lived in Navajo nation and attended Dine college in 1992-1995. While in Navajo nation, she enjoyed listening to their stories. She has been studying way of tea passionately since 1998. She was a president of Santa Fe JIN (Japanese Intercultural Network) 2013-2014. Currently, she enjoys teaching Japanese language and Japanese culture, catering Japanese food and sweets privately organizing the Japanese cultural gatherings & practicing “Way of Tea”. satori@santafeschool.org
Stephanie Smith
Stephanie has worked with young children for over thirty years, both in California and in northern New Mexico where she has been living since 1997. Stephanie joined the Arts and Sciences staff in 2018 and has served in multiple roles throughout her time here, including Aftercare Teacher and Coordinator, Summer Camp Director, and currently (and most passionately) as a teacher in our Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten Unicorn class. She studied early childhood education at Cabrillo College in Aptos, CA, though she has learned largely through her long experience in education. Co-founder and director of Dragonfly School (toddlers through kindergarten) in Santa Fe for ten years prior to joining Arts & Sciences, Stephanie holds the National Administrators’ Credential for directors of preschool programs. Her expertise includes facilitating compassionate communication; dynamic, hands-on curriculum planning; directing dramatic storytelling in the classroom; and teaching early literacy skills. Stephanie believes that the most important qualities a teacher can bring to the early childhood classroom are a commitment to relationship-building, creativity, and flexibility. When not at school, Stephanie is regularly tending to her large garden and its consequential fruits, rollerskating outdoors, or dancing at live music events. stephanie@santafeschool.org
Suzanne Maheshi Shakespeare Jones
This is Suzanne Maheshi’s 21st year working at Santa Fe School for the Arts & Sciences. As a founding teacher, she brings her knowledge of the school’s core practices, values and culture, as well as her experience as State Licensed Educator, to her new role as the Curator to help lead the newly formed Arts and Sciences’ CoLab Initiative. She has a background in Early Childhood Education, the Reggio Emilia Approach; as well as advertising, design and marketing. Suzanne has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising from the Pasadena Art Center College of Design in CA and studied Early Childhood at Highlands University and the Santa Fe Community College. She loves working in collaboration with community members to co-create enriching learning opportunities driven by collective wisdom, and designed to enhance the lives of educators as well as the children they serve. suzannem@santafeschool.org
Terry Ngo
Terry is our 3rd-8th Theatre Teacher and Middle School Moving Images Teacher. She is also a local filmmaker with a BA in Theatre Studies from Emerson College and an M.A.T in Early Childhood Education from Queens College. Her teaching techniques are aligned with that of Expeditionary Learning and the Reggio Emilia Approach. Terry is a proud descendant of oceanic refugees. She enjoys all that Santa Fe has to offer with her husband and two children. terry@santafeschool.org
Todd Stiewing
In his 21st year at Arts & Sciences, Todd serves as our Principal and Leadership Teacher. For eleven years, Todd taught our 3rd and 4th grade Centaur class and has served in a variety of leadership positions, including Assistant Principal, Elementary Curriculum Coordinator, Staff Liaison to the Board; lead member of the Campus as Curriculum Committee; and Summer Director of Facilities. Todd received a B.S. in Elementary Education and a Master’s in Education from the University of Connecticut. He has over 20 years of teaching experience both in the classroom and working with children, teens and adults in outdoor experiential settings. Before moving to New Mexico in 2004, Todd taught 4th grade and Pre-K through 5th elementary science in Maryland. Todd has many years experience leading wilderness and experiential education courses at schools around the country. Todd’s daughter is an alumna and his son is in 6th grade at Arts & Sciences. todd@santafeschool.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The dedicated volunteer members of our Board of Directors oversee our school’s policies and are the guardians of our mission and vision. The Board meets regularly, and is happy to provide access to Board Meeting Minutes.
Lucy Foma
Born in Santa Fe to a family of West African dance and drum artists, Lucy Gent Foma is a mother, dancer, city planner, and writer who has lived in Senegal, Cameroon, and Brazil. She has received merit-based funding to conduct research and implement projects in American and African cities alike. After graduating from Smith College, she was a Fulbright Fellow and a Rotary Scholar in Senegal before attending Cornell University with a Foreign Language and Areas Studies Fellowship for her master’s degree. Her book about finding funding to pursue life’s passions, Funded, came out in 2016. She currently works as a community planner for Santa Fe County, facilitating and writing long-range plans with traditional communities like Galisteo and Tesuque. In her free time, Lucy enjoys studying West African and Haitian dance with her mother and occasionally substitute teaching. After traveling around the world, Lucy and her husband bought a house around the corner from her childhood home so their children could grow up with their grandparents and cousins. Lucy’s daughters attend Arts & Sciences.
Allan Oliver
Allan Oliver is the Executive Director of the Thornburg Foundation. He oversees the Foundation’s Strategic Initiatives in early childhood education, good government reforms and food and agriculture, as well as Community Funding grants for human services and civil rights, opportunities for children and youth, environmental protection and public policy. Previously Allan has served as Cabinet Secretary-Designate and Deputy Secretary for the New Mexico Economic Development Department, and Director of Cabinet Affairs, Deputy Communications Director. He also established the Partnership for Responsible Business and the New Mexico Green Chamber of Commerce, a business association with over 1100 members supporting renewable energy technology and responsible business practices. He earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and was named a William Hodson Fellow for International Public Service. He also served as an NGO specialist and initiated the municipal development program for the US Peace Corps Volunteer in Guatemala. His son is in 7th grade at Arts & Sciences.
Rikki Vieira
Originally born in Cairns Australia, Rikki has spent the majority of her life living in Santa fe. Where her and her husband raise their two young boys. For over 15 years she has worked as an award winning self employed jeweler alongside her husband Bo Lopez. Her long standing dedication to creativity has nurtured a natural inclination to be mindful, to support individuals unique paths in life and to recognize and respect the qualities, gifts and skills we each possess. Through her life experience of observing her parents initiate a successful nonprofit she shares a significant appreciation for all that is involved in running a thriving nonprofit organization, and is honored to contribute her skills and knowledge to Arts & Sciences’ amazing community.
Shabd Simran Priel
Simran Priel (she/her) originally trained in both midwifery and cultural anthropology at University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, where she lived and worked for 10 years before moving to New Mexico in 2009. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health (OHSU) with an emphasis on Maternal & Child Health and Health Disparities. For the past 18 years, her work has focused on a number of community-based health initiatives supporting pregnancy, birth, infant feeding and early parenting in the Pacific Islands, New Zealand and Northern New Mexico. She is the Executive Director of The Birthing Tree, a local non-profit focused on supporting parents through pregnancy through the postpartum period with education, doula services and parent support groups. She is currently the Director of Gender Equity at Project ECHO at UNM, a public health role focused on improving the status of women & girls worldwide. Simran has been a SFSAS parent since 2015, she has three children ranging from unicorn to badgers. She has also been part of the Equity and Inclusivity Committee (EIC) for SFSAS since its inception. Simran loves being part of the SFSAS community!
Nikki Peyraud
Nikki Peyraud is a brand strategist, creative leader, and co-founder of Both/And, a creative agency that helps people and brands thrive by embracing paradox. For over 20 years, she’s worked with Fortune 100 companies, startups, and mission-driven organizations to uncover human insights and craft brands and campaigns that connect on a deeper level. Originally from Minnesota, she’s zig-zagged across the country, living in Boulder, New York, and Los Angeles before settling in Santa Fe with her husband to raise their two boys near family. In her free time, she loves skiing, hiking, and finding ways to be present and enjoy everyday life.
Lindsay-Wallace
Lindsay Wallace is a program manager with over a decade of experience successfully leading large, cross-functional teams in the execution of government contracts. Currently a program manager in Los Alamos, her diverse background encompasses contracts, legal affairs, business development, and project management, providing her with a comprehensive understanding of project lifecycles. Lindsay earned a JD and a BA in Political Science, International Studies, and French from Case Western Reserve University and Ohio and Florida bar admissions. Lindsay’s daughter is a student at Arts & Sciences.
Joel Grimstad
Joel Grimstad is an executive with experience in financial services, private real estate investment, public accounting, and consulting. He is a co-founder of City Different Investments, a Santa Fe-based boutique investment management firm, where he oversees the firm’s operations, finance, and compliance functions. Born and raised in Indiana, Joel earned an MBA from the University of Notre Dame and a BS in Finance and Accounting from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. He is also a licensed CPA. Since 2011, Joel has been proud to call Santa Fe home, where he lives with his wife and two daughters, both SFSAS students. For fun, Joel enjoys traveling, skiing, hiking, volunteering, and anything that involves family.
Allyx Bachicha
Allyx was born and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She holds a degree in Criminal Justice and is currently pursuing a degree in Education. She resides in northeastern New Mexico, where she manages her family’s ranch and farm, which has been in her family for several generations. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading, crafting piñatas, and spending time in the mountains. Her son is a student at SFSAS.