Directory

Dr. Brandon Bennett, Waterford’s Associate Head of School, grew up in the Salt Lake area, before going to St. Mary’s College of California on a basketball scholarship. At St. Mary’s, Brandon first encountered the liberal arts philosophy of education, and was inspired to pursue the life of the mind through graduate school and a career in teaching and school administration. Brandon earned a BA in English at St. Mary’s, an MA in English from the University of Virginia, and finally a PhD in English from the University of Utah. Brandon started his career in independent schools in 1991 at the Meridian School, where he taught English and philosophy, coached basketball, and served as the Upper School Supervisor. He came to Waterford in 2002, where he has taught English and philosophy, coached Middle School basketball, served as a Class Dean, the Accreditation Self-Study Coordinator, Academic Dean, Assistant Head, Interim Head, and now Associate Head of School. Brandon continues to be a passionate advocate for the transformative power of liberal arts education, and is committed to teaching, administering, and continually improving the liberal arts approach to learning at the Waterford School. Brandon has two sons who have attended the Waterford School, the older graduating in 2016, and the younger in 2019. With his wife, a pediatrician in the area, Brandon lives in Salt Lake City, and enjoys the opportunities provided by the Wasatch mountains.

Todd Winters, Director of Admission and Enrollment Management, is a graduate of the University of Utah where he earned a B.S. in Organizational Communications with a marketing concentration.  Todd also holds a Certificate for Admission and Enrollment Professionals (CAEP) through the Association of Independent School Admission Professionals (AISAP).

Todd envisioned a career in high finance, beginning his journey as an Analyst with Fidelity Investments in 1985.  Working on a special project for Fidelity in Boston, MA,  Todd learned about the ground-breaking work in computer-assisted education undertaken by the Waterford Institute back in Salt Lake City, Utah.  Drawn to some higher calling, Todd traded Wall Street for what he expected would be a pit stop at a start-up private school.  In 1987, Todd was appointed as Waterford's first Director of Admissions.  

In his leadership role at Waterford, Todd has been responsible for developing and administering all aspects of the comprehensive and strategic enrollment management plan, including admissions, marketing, communications, external affairs and financial aid and scholarship programs.

Todd was honored by his colleagues to receive the Waterford Educator Prize in 1995, the award's inaugural year.

Todd has raised his four children at Waterford and enjoyed the strong sense of community for his family and the abiding professional relationships with Waterford colleagues.

An avid cyclist, Todd logs an average of 5,000 miles per year.  In his additional free time, he plays golf or can be found in his home woodshop enjoying the cathartic exercise found in fine woodworking.

Andrew became the Director of Advancement at Waterford in 2019. In his role, Andrew focuses primarily on building a culture of philanthropy at Waterford. Prior to joining Waterford he served in various advancement roles at the University of Utah, including Director of Advancement for the School of Dentistry, Director of Major Gifts at the College of Engineering, and Major Gift Officer in the Central Development Office. Andrew currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Utah Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. 

Andrew was raised in the Salt Lake City area and loves Utah. While earning his bachelor’s degree at the University of Utah, he played on the men’s rugby team. Andrew values community involvement, and giving back whenever possible. Andrew and his wife, Kiersten, love spending time in the outdoors with their two young children. Andrew enjoys making time for fly fishing, backcountry skiing, mountain biking, road cycling, and golf. He believes that such endeavors are only as good as the company you share them with. 

Nancy Nebeker, Dean of Students, is a graduate of Brigham Young University where she received her B.A. in Political Science. She then went on to complete a Master’s Degree in Communication with a focus on Journalism and Public Affairs from American University in Washington D.C. Shortly after finishing her Master’s degree, Nancy moved to Bangkok, Thailand where she and her husband lived for over a decade. While there, Nancy began work at The Early Learning Centre, the leading preschool for expat children in Bangkok. Her work was centered in the Reggio Emilia educational philosophy for preschool children, using a creative, project based curriculum rich in art, music and drama. When Nancy returned to the states, she came to work in Waterford’s PreK-Fours program for a number of years. Nancy stepped away from Waterford for a time when her last two children were born. She then started course work for a second Master’s in Library and Media Education through an online program at Minnesota State University. Nancy returned to Waterford in the Middle and Upper School Library while working on her Master’s degree. Her work with students soon expanded to Senior Class Dean, Middle School Dean in 2012, and finally, Waterford’s Dean of Students in 2018. Nancy and her husband Michael are the parents of six children, four of whom are Waterford graduates. As a family, they have been deeply involved in humanitarian work, most recently working with refugee families resettled to Utah. She served as the faculty advisor for Waterford’s Upper School Community Service Council and has helped lead three Waterford humanitarian trips to Kolkata, India.

Javen Tanner, Dean of Arts and Theater Department Chair, received his M.F.A. from The Old Globe / University of San Diego, where he was awarded the Craig Noel Fellowship. He has performed off-Broadway and regionally. Javen is the Artistic Director of The Sting & Honey Company.

Sari Rauscher, the Director of College Counseling at the Waterford School, earned her BA at Dartmouth College in Government, where she also competed as a two-time NCAA All-American in Alpine Skiing. She has gained college counseling expertise through the Harvard Summer Admissions Institute, annual professional development conferences, and working with hundreds of talented Waterford students. She has visited over 50 colleges and admission offices in her fifteen years of college counseling at Waterford. Sari has served as a National Delegate for the National College Admissions Association (NACAC) as well as on the Board of the Rocky Mountain Association of College Admissions Counseling. She currently serves as Chair of the Utah RMACAC College Fair. Sari began at Waterford in 1998 as part-time ski coach, while doing post-grad pre-medical coursework, and soon started teaching Senior English electives and Class X Writing Colloquium. She liked it so much she stayed, coaching, teaching PE, English electives and ancient history, and serving as community service advisor and college counselor. She became Director of College Counseling in 2004. She enjoys a good read about U.S. history and explorers, and has recently taken courses in Contemporary China and India. She enjoys hearing from Waterford alumni, and staying up to date on interesting new opportunities in higher education and careers. She enjoys outdoor adventures with students, and makes time for hiking, mountain biking, running, and skiing with her husband and two daughters, current Waterford students. She is a fan of Waterford sports teams, and especially Waterford Ballet, Music and Theater programs.

Nicole Miranda, Associate Director of Admission at the Waterford School, is a graduate of the University of Utah where she earned a B.A. in International Studies, a B.S. in Economics, and a Master of Public Administration.

Prior to her arrival at the Waterford School in 2012, Nicole was a Foreign Exchange Analyst for Goldman Sachs and an Admissions Counselor and Recruiter for the Office of Student Recruitment at the University of Utah. Having presented at nearly all high schools in Utah and visited all institutions for higher education in the state she continues to serve the K-16 population. As a first-generation college graduate, Nicole is passionate about opportunity and empowerment through quality education for all students.

Nicole is a first-generation Chilean-American and spends a portion of her free time writing short stories about her parents' life in exile. She enjoys researching global birth experiences, reading historical novels and most of all spending time with the two little people that inspire her most, her children. Nicole lives downtown with her husband and two children. 

Ann joined the Waterford School's Office of Advancement in 2019 as the Director of Waterford Fund and Alumni Relations. Prior to Waterford, Ann worked in the Institutional Advancement Office at Westminster College for 13 years where she most recently served as the Director of Research, Strategy and Management. She also received masters degrees in teaching and education from Westminster. Prior to her work at Westminster, Ann worked in the Institutional Advancement Office at Utah State University. 

In her spare time, Ann enjoys volunteering in the community for organizations such as Girl Scouts of Utah, the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement, and the Junior League of Salt Lake City. Originally from the Jersey coast, Ann lives in Salt Lake with her husband, Morgan, two daughters, Abby and Lilly, and their two dogs, Rosie and Teddy.

Nick Grenoble graduated from Connecticut College summa cum laude with a B.A. in Economics and International Relations and earned a Certificate in College Counseling with distinction from UCLA Extension. After a year of teaching Language Arts in Bogota, Colombia, Nick moved to Jackson, WY, where he founded Teton Educational Services, a college counseling, test preparation, and tutoring company. In addition to assisting families through the match, application, and financial aid processes, Nick developed and taught exam-preparation courses for students with learning differences and English Language Learners. He also offered college guidance, workshops, and courses on behalf of the Teton County Library from 2012 - 2018. Nick has been a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling since 2015. He is a co-founding member of Shelter Jackson Hole, a housing advocacy non-profit. In his free time, Nick can usually be found following his dog into the mountains, skinning his knuckles in the garage, or attempting to touch his toes in a yoga studio.

Hallie Carpenter became Waterford's first Human Resources Director in 2021. Hallie came to Waterford after working as a Global HR Partner for Goldman Sachs. 

Hallie has spent her entire career in Human Resources. She holds a B.S. from the University of Utah and a M.S. from the University of Southern California. In her free time, Hallie enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and friends.

Melissa Armenta grew up just outside of Washington, DC (Go Redskins!) and graduated with honors from Hood College in Maryland with a degree in Early Childhood Education in 2006. After a couple years of student teaching, her career started at S. Christa McAulliffe Elementary where she taught kindergarten for two years. In the process, Melissa got married and followed her husband to Utah where he was in the midst of finishing his graduate school education. Melissa's first teaching job in Utah was at the Waterford School and she taught PreK-4 in 2008. After acquiring an ELL certification for the state of Utah, her career path led her to help open a charter school in Park City, where she taught for 6 years. She helped develop and implement the second grade curriculum. Melissa was also the team lead for first and second grade teachers as well as the ELL Director at Weilenmann. For her efforts, Melissa was awarded 2014 Teacher of the Year for the Weilenmann School of Discovery. In 2015, she jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the Waterford School community again. Melissa taught full day Kindergarten at the Waterford School until 2019, sharing her passion for elementary education with students. Outside the classroom, Melissa enjoys shopping, skiing, running, relaxing on the beach and spending time with her family. She and her husband have one boy and a dog named Abby. Melissa feels that every child is an individual of great value, and she has high expectations for each student. 

Lark Bateman, class II teacher, graduated from Utah State University with a master’s degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in teaching reading.  She started her teaching career at Thomas Edison Charter School in Logan, Utah where she taught for nine years in grades 1, 2, 5, and 6.  For the past four years she has been teaching 1st grade at Northstar Elementary in Salt Lake City School District.  She is passionate about helping her students discover their strengths and share their gifts with the people around them.    

When Lark isn’t teaching she enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, camping, and yoga.  

Sabrina Carver was born in the beautiful state of Maine where she enjoyed all things nature, the charm of coastal life, and developed her pride of the Patriots and Red Sox. After high school graduation, the appeal of city life drew her to the University of Tampa where she graduated in 2010 with her degree in Elementary Education. Over her teaching career she taught at an International Baccalaureate and enjoyed being part of the Empowering Effective Teachers initiative, which elevated instruction through exceptional professional development and a rigorous evaluation system. She enjoyed being involved in her school community and loved to represent her colleagues at conferences and district events.  Sabrina is passionate about teaching and students!

 

In 2019 Sabrina moved to Utah. It has been an adventure exploring this wonderful state with her outgoing and inquisitive four year old son. She has loved getting to know her neighbors and has hosted a neighborhood dinner club, book club, and twice weekly preschool. Free time is spent hiking, baking, reading, volunteering, and crafting. 

Michelle Curtis has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Utah with emphases in Psychology and English. Her undergraduate study also included language study in Latin. Michelle is a licensed Social Service Worker (SSW) with significant experience in mental health therapy, social work practice, social welfare policy, and human growth development. Her social service has included crisis and hospital intervention at the Rape Crisis Center in Salt Lake City, and counseling, advocacy, and long-term support for rape victims and their families. In her capacity as a Social Worker, Michelle has helped assess foster care visits, foster hearings, investigations, custody evaluations, home studies, and handicapped visits. On behalf of individuals and families, she has also attended hearings on case reviews and evaluations and has completed home studies for interstate compact custody evaluations. Michelle’s initial experience as a teacher bridged her work in education with her experience in social work.

She began her teaching career as a teacher of Intervention Drug Courses at Jordan School District (for which she also wrote the curriculum). Michelle taught parents and students in courses required as a result of students’ drug use, possession of drug paraphernalia, and/or distribution of drugs. Topics covered included drug education for parents, penalties and the law, self-respect, self-control, personal responsibility, and the physiological effects of drugs on individual perspective and choice.

Since 1996, Michelle has been a teacher at the Waterford School where she initially taught Latin in 4th- 6th grades and American History for 7th grade. Michelle also taught English as Independent Study courses to Middle and Upper School students in need of Special Topics and/or remedial support in that subject. In Waterford’s early years, Michelle served as a long-term substitute counselor in the Counseling Department. She has also been recommended as a math tutor to Middle and Upper School students who have needed support and remediation. For the last 12 years, Michelle has been a Class V Lower School teacher. In that capacity, she has developed advanced curriculum in Writing, English, and Mathematics, as well as curriculum in character education and study skills. Michelle has collaborated on the development of Waterford’s fifth-grade-level grammar units and has worked yearly on the development of standards that enable the smooth transition of Lower School students into Middle School, especially in math. Michelle loves to read fiction and history, and her hobbies include running, hiking, playing the cello, and participating in soccer and kick-ball leagues. She is known for her championship trophies in kick-ball, her Ninja videos, and her fantastic desserts and rolls.

Juli Dalton, PreK-3 teacher, has completed four years of undergraduate study with a focus in early childhood development at the University of Utah. Prior to her arrival at Waterford, Mrs. Dalton enjoyed tutoring math and teaching various children’s classes for Granite School District’s Continuing Education program while starting her family. Mrs. Dalton also taught and designed curriculum for 3 years at WhisperCreek Preschool. In 2005, Juli began assisting in the Kindergarten reading program at Waterford, then added math and reading tutoring to her responsibilities a few years later. In addition to tutoring during summer term, Mrs. Dalton teaches two camps for students at Waterford: ABC camp and Books and Cooks camp. In 2012, Mrs. Dalton was asked to create and teach the enrichment afternoon class for the full-day Pre-K students and continues to do this. Mrs. Dalton involves herself with family, enjoying hiking, skiing and other community activities. Her personal hobbies include gardening and cooking. Mrs. Dalton has and currently serves in church administrative and teaching responsibilities.

Susan B. Johnsen, is a graduate of Utah State University where she earned a B.A. She majored in Early Childhood Education and minored in Children’s Literature. While at USU she was awarded the coveted Greeves Memorial Scholarship. Susan loves to dance and was a performer in the USU dance company while also performing in community theater in her home town. Susan began her teaching career with a move to Connecticut so her husband, Ken Johnsen, could attend Yale Law School. Her first teaching job was at Gan Hayeled Nursery School of B’Nai Jacob Synagogue in Woodbridge, CT (1983 – 1985). In the afternoons, she worked as an Extended Day teacher at St. Thomas More, a private elementary school in Hamden, CT. Her next move was to San Francisco, CA for Ken’s judicial clerkship. Susan earned a teaching appointment at The Laurel School, a private elementary school that specialized in educating children with learning disabilities (1985-1986). The following year the Johnsens moved back to Utah, and Susan began teaching for the Waterford School in the preschool program during the first two years of the Sandy City Waterford campus (1986 – 1988). Susan then switched roles and became a Waterford parent for ten years. She returned to Waterford as a Class IV teacher in 2000. Prior re-entering the classroom, Susan served as Lower School Director, she was a Class IV teacher (2000 – 2012), Lead Teacher for Classes III – IV (2009 – 2012), Lower School Community Service Coordinator (2006 – 2009), and a preschool teacher (1986 – 1988). Susan received the Waterford Educator Prize in 2011. Susan’s three children are all Waterford graduates. She is extremely appreciative of the lasting impact their Waterford education continues to have on the their lives. She enjoys hiking, snow skiing, water skiing, reading, teaching, and traveling.

Natalie Jones, PreK-3 Teacher, is a graduate of Utah State University where she earned a B.A. in Family, Consumer and Human Development with an  Emphasis on Child Development. She was able to play D1 Soccer at the University while getting her degree. She began teaching at Waterford in 2017 in the PreK Program. Last year, she took a year away from the classroom to stay home with her new baby. Onto of her PreK responsibilities, she is fortunate enough to coach the Upper School Women’s Soccer Team. She has been doing that since 2017 as well. Natalie lives in North Salt Lake with her husband, son and dog. She is happy to be back at Waterford and in the classroom with such wonderful children.

Erin Knight, PreK-4 teacher, is a graduate of the University of Utah where she earned a B.A. in Political Science. She studied French and Art History at the American College in Paris. She has also done post-graduate work in early childhood education at Stanford University Bing Nursery School. She began her teaching career as a substitute teacher at The Waterford School in 1990. This launched her teaching career. She has taught Class III, PreK-3, and PreK-4 at Waterford. She has been teaching preschool since 2002. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Erin has run the Lower and Middle School Ski and Ride program, as well as coached the Waterford Mighty Mite Ski Team. An avid skier, she spent her high school years ski racing with the Rowmark Ski Academy. Erin lives in Sandy with her husband and three children. She loves to cook, travel to Turks and Caicos, and collect children's books. Two of her children are Waterford graduates and are attending college, the third will graduate from Waterford in 2018.

Cami LaForge, Class II Teacher, is a graduate of North Central University in Minneapolis, MN where she earned a B.S. in Elementary Education (1st-8th grade) with a Kindergarten Endorsement. Before arriving at Waterford School in 1997, Cami taught full day kindergarten for two years at St. Sebastian School in Akron, OH and while taking graduate classes at Notre Dame of Cleveland and Malone College. From 1997 to 2000, Cami served as Class V teacher at Waterford School. She took a short leave from the classroom to care for her young children from 2000-2005. During that time, she privately tutored at the secondary level and maintained her Utah teacher’s license with graduate coursework at the University of Utah. In 2005, she returned as Class II teacher. In addition to her classroom responsibilities, Cami was Lead Teacher at Waterford School for 9 years. A devoted mother, she spends most of her time with her family. When she is not reading, cooking, or bird watching, she works on puzzles, dines with friends, or plays with her dog. As a parent who adopted out of foster care, she has a special place in her heart for those in need of a family. 

Betty grew up in Salt Lake City with 4 sisters.  She enjoyed catching pollywogs, playing kick the can, swinging on the playset, and being outdoors.

She graduated from West High School and attended the University of Utah, majoring in Elementary Education with a minor in Fine Arts. She began her teaching career teaching first grade in Fillmore, UT.  After two years, she moved to Orem, UT, and taught for three years where she met Nancy Hueston.  She was the first teacher hired to teach on the Sandy campus.

She lives in West Jordan where she enjoys gardening, knitting, being outdoors, and reading.

Lori Qian holds a BA in Anthropology with a minor in Philosophy, and an MA in Applied Linguistics, both from the University of Illinois. She has completed graduate coursework at Columbia University in Literacy Instruction and has earned her Teaching Certification as well as her Advanced School Leadership certification from The College of New Jersey’s Global Program in Mallorca, Spain. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Educational Leadership & Literacy at Utah State University. 

Lori began her teaching career as an ESL Instructor in Chicago. Since then, she has taught elementary homeroom, as well as middle and upper school Literature, Writing, and ESL. She has also taught writing courses in the English department at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has served in a variety of school leadership positions, particularly in curriculum and instructional strategies, and most recently taught grade 3 at the American International School of Guangzhou, where she also served as a Literacy & Instructional Strategies coach. Lori  enjoys writing and has published several articles, as well as a book. 

Lori and her husband, William, are the very proud parents of three children: Abraham (17), Annabelle (16), and Alex (14). The family spent 10 years living in Guangzhou, China and moved to Alpine, Utah in 2018. Spending time with her family, watching movies, being outside, and seeing her kids participate in things they love are some of her favorite past times. Lori has enjoyed getting to know the Waterford community and loves being a part of the Lower School faculty.

Sam Sather Brogna earned her Master of Arts in Teaching degree from Westminster College. Prior to her graduate studies, she received her undergraduate degrees from the University of Utah and the San Francisco College of Arts and Crafts.

As a lifelong learner, Sam has served in a variety of schools and classrooms. She began her teaching career at Soaring Wings International Montessori School and has spent the last decade dedicating herself to becoming a highly-skilled teacher. Before coming to Waterford, Sam most recently taught Kindergarten at The McGillis School and was the Outdoor Education Supervisor for Rowland Hall Independent School. 

Sam’s heart is with education that fosters independence, creativity, critical thinking and most importantly, a love of learning. She feels deep gratitude for the opportunity to teach Class I at Waterford and to be a part of this phenomenal community. 

Witnessing the ah-ha moments and recognizing that children are natural scientists and artists, she is inspired daily by the joy that curiosity and discovery brings to her student’s lives. When she’s not in the classroom, Sam finds every possible chance to get outdoors and take advantage of this beautiful world! She also enjoys reading, watching films, and sharing a meal with family and friends. 

Brittany Smith, Class IV Teacher, graduated with her B.S. in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University and M.Ed. from Utah State University. She taught grades 1, 2, 4, and 6 in Utah’s public school system then moved to California and taught grade 5 for 7 years in San Jose. She has been teaching Class IV at Waterford since the fall of 2010. Brittany really enjoyed teaching from the “Step Up to Writing” program in San Jose and was able to share this writing structure with Waterford. She attended a “Step Up to Writing” conference in Texas. Upon returning, she trained administrators and Kindergarten through 5th grade teachers in this program. Brittany loves to learn, serve, and travel. Some highlights for her were traveling to Honduras, El Salvador, Peru, and China to do humanitarian work. She enjoys American history and has traveled to many significant U.S. sites. Brittany plays the piano and relishes reading historical fiction books. She has loved learning more about the Middle Ages since teaching Class IV and has been able to visit several European countries and learn more about castles and life on a manor.

Cindy Brandol, the Lower School Computer Lab Manager and Lower School Scheduler, attended early childhood classes at Salt Lake Community College along with an independent study while raising a family in the 1980’s. Prior to starting her family, she was an executive secretary at Van Waters & Rogers from 1974-1982. Prior to arriving at The Waterford School in 1994, Cindy worked at Bellview Elementary in the Jordan School District. From 1986-1994, Cindy was an early morning computer specialist when the district implemented their breakfast program for students. She also volunteered with the PTA at Bellview during her childrens’ elementary years. Cindy is married to her high school sweetheart, and has raised two fabulous sons. She dabbles in golf, and enjoys traveling and camping at various spots in Utah with family and friends. Her pride and joy is her new grandson, Kallen, whom she absolutely adores.

Dana Carlson, Lower School Librarian, graduated from Indiana University with a B.S. in Elementary Education. She began her teaching career in the Texas public school system where she taught second grade and was a Reading Support teacher. During her career in the public schools, she served on a variety of district-wide curriculum committees and was selected to present at the Texas State Reading Conference. After five years in the public schools, Dana began teaching second grade at The Hockaday School, an all girls independent school in Dallas.  This teaching experience helped her realize the value of a liberal arts education and is the reason why her own daughter has attended independent schools. She believes they offer the best in education and challenge their students to be lifelong learners. Dana was the recipient of the 2003 Freedom Foundation’s Leavey Award for excellence in teaching students about entrepreneurship.

Dana has been married to her husband, Eric, for twenty years and they have one daughter, Avery, who is a student at Waterford. The Carlsons enjoy traveling, spending time with family and friends and the beauty of the Wasatch mountains.

Kylie Geci will begin her teaching career at Waterford in the Fall of 2019. Kylie graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2013 with a Bachelor Degree in Music Education with an emphasis in voice. She began her teaching career at Otto-Eldred Junior-Senior High School, where she conducted the choirs for grades 5-12. Kylie also developed a number of music elective curriculums, including Guitar, Piano and Modern Band. During her tenure at Otto-Eldred, Kylie organized many choral performances, as well as assisted the band director in other concerts, fundraisers and events. Kylie returned to Indiana University of PA to receive her Masters in Music Education and graduated in 2018.

In her spare time, Kylie built a strong fan base as a local musician in an acoustic group where she played guitar and sang lead vocals. Kylie also recorded a song on a Christmas complication CD, “Christmas Wonder” in 2017. Besides music, Kylie enjoys the outdoors, staying active biking, skiing and hiking. She is excited to begin her journey at Waterford where she hopes grow professionally and personally through collaborative, educational opportunities and threw rapports developed with her students. 

Alexander Gustafsson, Specialty Teacher: Chess, Alexander has been a specialty teacher at Waterford School since 2018, and has been teaching online, in schools and homes with student ages ranging from 4 to 85 years old since 2012. He has trained hundreds of students, many of whom went on to compete in local competitions with great success. As well as being a full-time Chess instructor, Alexander rigorously studies Chess games played by the great players of past and modern eras, regularly competes in online, state and national Chess competitions and has over 100 first prize victories under his belt. In the United States Chess Federation he holds the titles of Expert and Candidate Master. Having been in the top 5 active Chess players in Utah for many years he is currently ranked #3.

Heather Miller is a graduate from Brigham Young University where she earned a B.S. in Physical Education Teaching/Coaching (K-12) with a minor in History Teaching. Before coming to Waterford, she taught Elementary PE in the Granite School District for 7 years at Hunter Elementary and Roosevelt Elementary. While teaching, she received endorsements in Health and ESL. Her love of teaching increased with that experience and she takes great joy in helping students discover a love for exercise and finding as many activities to keep them active as possible. In 2016, she was awarded Elementary Physical Educator of the Year through the Utah Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance. She believes in being an advocate for her profession and enjoys being physically active and playing sports. In her free time, she hikes, paddle boards, snowboards, plays a variety of sports, and constantly looks for new adventures to embark on.  One of her favorite adventures was going to 5 National Parks in 8 days. Although she’ll always be a Colorado country girl, she’s learning to love all that the Utah Mountains have to offer!

Rayann Sandstrom is a graduate of BYU-Idaho where she earned a BS in Health Education with a minor in History Education. During her education training, Rayann was nominated and elected president of the Health Education Society. In this role, she organized public events promoting health awareness and facilitated additional training meetings within her department. As Student Director of the volleyball program within the athletics department at BYU-Idaho, she organized club tryouts, oversaw student coach training, and ran several leadership training events. Rayann, prior to these roles at BYU-Idaho, played volleyball at the collegiate level. She later coached at the college club level. Rayann began her teaching career after her collegiate volleyball experience and prior to earning her degree. In 2004 she worked at Horizon Elementary in Murray as a teacher in the after school program. During the remaining years of her formal education, she tutored college peers, as well as students at Rexburg High School. Rayann was fully immersed into teaching as a student teacher at RIgby High School. After starting a family, she came to Waterford in 2006 as a tutor in the reading program. As the tutoring program for Waterford's Middle School expanded, she quickly transitioned to tutoring students of various ages in reading, English, writing, history, and math. She substitute taught Lower Schools homeroom classes while also working as a tutor. When a full-time teaching position in 2009 opened, Rayann was offered a demo-teach and was hired immediately as a Class IV teacher. She has served on the Lower Schools technology committee since 2010 and as the Lower Schools Community Service Leader since 2015. She is currently assisting with the Class VI volleyball team which her daughter plays on. In addition to her school responsibilities, Rayann and her husband, Justin, are busy parents of a daughter and three sons. When she can find a spare moment, Rayann enjoys playing volleyball, singing, building or refurbishing furniture, decorating her home, and gardening. She has lived in the shadows of the Wasatch Mountains for most of her life and enjoys outdoor activities including hiking, fishing, backpacking, and snowboarding.

Joy Bruce graduated from The University of Winnipeg with a Bachelors of Arts Degree. After spending eight years in Boston, she and her husband Scott moved back to Salt Lake City in 2011. They are parents of two Waterford alumni, Isaac ‘18 and Hanna ‘20. Joy has served for over 10 years as a substitute teacher and reading specialist at Waterford and in several other school settings. Joy loves to read and looks forward to sharing that love with her students. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing and spending time with her family and friends.

Shira Fagan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Grinnell College and an Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She teaches Lower School creative dance, Middle School English and Upper School dance, as well as overseeing and teaching Lower School students in the Dance Academy after school. Her past responsibilities at Waterford have included tutoring, care of the garden, planning formal dances, helping during Middle School lunch and attendance monitoring. Before moving to Sandy, she lived in the Riverwest neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In 2007, she performed in the Florentine Opera Company’s production of the Merry Widow and with Danceworks Performance Company II. Her master’s thesis piece, collaborating with a fine-art quilter, was presented at Danceworks in their annual show Art to Art. Since arriving in Salt Lake, Shira has participated in two seasons of the collaborative dance company, co.da, based out of SugarSpace and has done two years of the Ririe Woodbury Dance Teacher workshops. Shira enjoys reading, watching terrible movies, roller skating, pretending to organize, baking and funny cat videos. She has two daughters here at Waterford and her husband teaches in the history department. It makes the morning commute very efficient.

Erika Munson is a graduate of Harvard University where she received a B.A. in Fine Arts. She began her career in the Park City School District where she was a reading intervention specialist at a Title I school.  She joined the Waterford English Department in 2011 and in addition to teaching she is Class IX Dean, Middle and Upper School Librarian and Internship Coordinator.  In 2016 she was awarded an Oxbridge Teacher Fellowship for summer study focusing on The Library and the Academy at Oxford University. She spends weekends and vacations bringing diverse communities together for conversations around faith, values and identity. She is a co-founder and board member of Emmaus LGBTQ ministry and Utah State Coordinator for Braver Angels, a citizens movement to strengthen democracy by teaching individuals to listen to each other across political divides. Erika is a mother of five and grandmother of three. She and her husband Shipley live a few blocks from Waterford where they garden, read, and walk their rescued greyhound together. 

Lisa Rands graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brigham Young University where she earned a B.A. in Math Education. Lisa also holds a Professional Educator License for the State of Utah with endorsements in Mathematics (Level 4) and Physics. After completing her student teaching at Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah, Lisa joined the Waterford Math Department in September of 1999. She enjoys teaching math at all levels—from Pre-Algebra to AP Calculus. In addition, she serves as Class VII Dean and has been involved with Middle School Student Government and Community Service for many years. In 2010 she received the Waterford Award for excellence in teaching. Lisa loves baking, biking, traveling, reading and gardening. She is a certified Master Gardener, and she enjoys taking classes during the summer from the Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah.

Maria Katzman, is an artist and educator who has been based in NYC for the past three decades. She received her B.F.A from The Kansas City Art Institute and her M.F.A from Yale University. Several years after moving to New York City, Maria established a studio in Woodstock, New York at the historical Byrdcliffe Artist’s Colony.  She has been selected for several Artist in Residence Programs, and most recently traveled to Cappadocia, Turkey to paint at the “Babayan Culture House.”

Traveling, living abroad and experiencing other cultures firsthand are themes that have inspired Maria as a teacher, and as an artist. In 2017-2018 Maria taught art to middle school students at the American Community Schools, in Athens, Greece. She also completed a series of paintings, while living in Greece, that were inspired by her travels to the Cycladic Islands. Upon returning to NYC, she founded an organization called On-Site Art, where she led weekly after school art classes that provided exposure to art spaces including museum and gallery locations. Maria has taught art at the National Academy Museum, Adelphi University, Saint David’s School, the Metropolitan Montessori School, and the Brearley School. She has exhibited her work in museums, galleries and universities, throughout the United States. Images of her paintings can be viewed at Mariakatzman.com

Priscilla Stewart has loved teaching art at Waterford since 2018. She has a MA in art education from Brigham Young University. Her research interests include art education combined with place-based education, ecology, experiential learning and outdoor education. Priscilla's art work explores functional wheel thrown pottery, sculpture, and painting, usually inspired from travels around the world.  Priscilla's other interests include epic climbing adventures, summiting mountain peaks and eating food from the garden. 

Brenda completed her BFA Modern Dance, University of Utah. She is certified in American Ballet Theatre's National Training Curriculum, Pre-Primary-Level 3. She is also certified in Progressing Ballet Technique an innovative program for students to understand the depth of training muscle memory. Brenda is a certified Pilates, yoga, fitness instructor. Currently she teaches as Assistant Professor, Ballet Department, University of Utah, and for Ballet West Academy, Park City. She performed as a member of Mountain West Ballet company and was a Children’s Rehearsal Assistant  for Ballet West’s Nutcracker for 3 years. Brenda recently completed her ballet MFA at the University of Utah with research interests in dancer wellness and injury prevention.​ 

Matthew Adams is a graduate of Stanford University with a Ph.D. in linguistics. At Stanford, Matthew worked on how and why languages vary and change over time.

Before Waterford, Matthew taught at High Tech High, a charter school in downtown San Diego devoted to project-based learning. In addition to teaching English and history, Matthew collaborated with colleagues on projects that ranged from building parade floats, built by middle school students for local nonprofit organizations, to staging variety shows that demonstrated student learning about multilingualism and the histories of San Diego communities. Before taking a teaching position, Matthew worked as an editor at a Silicon Valley startup, supervising the creation of computer science online courses.

Earlier in his educational history, Matthew completed an M.A. in German literature at Georgetown University, with interests in second language acquisition, post-war German literature, and the German Romantics. While pursuing a double major in linguistics and German at the University of California, Irvine, Matthew spent a year as an affiliate student in Göttingen, Germany, where he began reading German and English literature in earnest.

Matthew is an avid hiker who enjoys writing about travel and human interactions with the natural world. In addition to living in the Bay Area and Southern California, Matthew has lived for extended periods in Düsseldorf, Germany, and Aix-en-Provence, France. Matthew's wife is a linguist and cognitive scientist, and both enjoy the outdoors, travel, and good Korean food.

Erica was born and raised in Salt Lake City and is the youngest of three siblings. She attended Waterford as an Upper School student and graduated in 2010. After high school, she attended Utah State University. During her time there, she worked in the school library and studied abroad in Logroño, Spain. She graduated with a BA in English Teaching and minors in History Teaching and Spanish. After graduating, Erica received a teaching position at Matheson Junior High School before moving to Murray High where she taught for three years. Aside from teaching, Erica enjoys traveling, reading, doing Crossfit, and spending time with her dog Oliver, a lab border collie mix. 

Kirsten Jorgenson is the Class VI Dean and a homeroom, Humanities, and English teacher at the Waterford School. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Alabama, an MA in British and American Literature from the University of Utah, and a BA in English and Creative Writing from Lake Forest College. She is the author of one full-length collection of experimental poetry, Sediment & Veil (Horse Less Press, 2014). Her poetry and prose has been widely published in both indie and established venues.

Before joining Waterford in 2015, she taught in the Writing and Composition Program at Appalachian State University. During her time at Appalachian State, she served as Co-Director of the University’s Hughlene Bostian Frank Visiting Writers Series, which not only hosted diverse, influential writers from across the country, but also mentored students as they learned how to run and host reading series of their own. Though currently on hiatus, she also co-founded, co-edited, and co-curated Ark Press, a boutique independent poetry press and reading series with her husband.

When she isn’t teaching, Kirsten enjoys cooking, reading, and hiking with her husband, son, and dog.

Casey O'Malley grew up in Minnesota and moved to New York City to attend Columbia University, where she double majored in English and Russian Language. While an undergrad, she studied abroad in Moscow, Russia, and was the captain of the Columbia University Sailing Team. Casey moved to Utah after graduating and has been at Waterford ever since. She completed her master's degree in school leadership from Vanderbilt University in the summer of 2018. 

Casey loves to backcountry ski in the winter and hike and garden in the summer. 

With over a decade of experience teaching Mandarin Chinese at independent schools, Betty Bienert joins Waterford as the newest addition to the high school Chinese program.

A native of Changchun, China, Betty began training for a career in foreign languages at age 13, when she was selected to study at one of China’s specialty language schools established to support the country’s opening up to the West.  She later attended the Foreign Language School of Changchun University and graduated with honors with a degree in English Language, with a focus on teaching and international business.

After college, Betty moved to the United States to marry her husband, Phil, and began a career in business.  She worked through a series of successful corporate roles in the retail and technology space until leaving the workforce for the birth of her two girls.  It was during this time that she (re)discovered her interest in teaching. As she researched and applied how to successfully raise her own children to be multilingual and multicultural, she found herself being asked to share her knowledge of Chinese language and culture as a volunteer at local schools in California and Florida.

This newfound passion for teaching quickly became her full-time career when the family moved to Atlanta, and Betty was asked to join the foreign language department at Woodward Academy.  In her first year of teaching, she was named a Star Teacher for the State of Georgia, and during her time at Woodward, she rebuilt the Chinese curriculum, adding new cultural activities, class immersion trips, and exchange programs.

When the family moved from Atlanta to Phoenix, Betty joined the faculty at Phoenix Country Day School, first as a part-time teacher, then taking over a program that spanned 7 levels of Mandarin Chinese for grades 7 to 12.

Betty’s move to Utah is the 7th with her family, and she is excited to take advantage of all the outdoor activities the Salt Lake City area offers with 4 full seasons.  During her spare time, she also enjoys traveling to different parts of the world with her family.

Eric Cox, a Latin teacher at the Waterford School, graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with his PhD and with his M.A. from Florida State University in Classical Studies. Eric formerly completed a Bachelor’s degree in Latin and Classical Art & Archaeology at Indiana University. Eric also was a Regular member of the American School of Classical Studies in Athens during the 2008-09 academic year and during the 2006 summer program.

Prior to his arrival at Waterford, Eric taught Greek, Latin, and classical topics at the Hill School (2011-12), Brigham Young University (2012-15), and the University of Utah (2015-17). Eric also taught similar courses throughout his time as a graduate student in Florida and Wisconsin, and he regularly teaches an accelerated Latin course for Johns Hopkins’ Center for Talented Youth in the summers.

In his spare time, Eric enjoys outdoor life, camping, hiking, and backpacking. Eric also plays classical guitar, likes mathematics, pleasure reads, and continues working on translating Greek and Latin. This year, Eric has added Modern Greek to his repertoire of languages.

Nathalie Ricci was born in France where she earned a D.E.U.G. in Spanish Language and Literature at the Université Paris-X. She later moved to the United States and lived in several western states. She earned a B.A. with a double major in French and Spanish Literature from the University of Montana and a Master's degree in Spanish Literature and Culture from the University of Oregon. After graduating in 1992, she taught both Spanish and French at the University of Oregon and was a second-year supervisor, leading teaching graduate students in the Foreign Language Department. In 2005, Nathalie started working at the Waterford School as a Spanish teacher. Shortly after joining Waterford, she served as Dean for Class XI and Class XII. Later, she served as the Foreign Language Department Chair. She continues to teach Spanish as well as French and yoga. She has worked as both an Upper School and Middle School advisor as well as a tutor of French and Spanish during the summer terms. In addition to teaching Spanish, Nathalie has spent the last two years developing curriculum in the History Department, where she offers a course titled “Mexico through Film: Mexican American Relations in the Twentieth Century.” In her free time, Nathalie enjoys yoga, camping, traveling, cooking, and watching foreign and indie movies. She is the Executive Director of Inbody Outreach, a local non-profit organization that offers free yoga to at-risk populations in the community. She lives in Salt Lake City with her family.

Ashley Achee joined Waterford in 2021 and is in the process of completing her PhD in American History from the University of California, Irvine. She holds a B.A. in History from Scripps College in Claremont, California. Before moving to Utah, Ashley lived in Southern California for eight years, where she taught college courses at UC Irvine - ranging from American history to Animals, People, and Power.  At Waterford, Ashley is teaching Human Geography, Debate, and a Senior Elective on race and gender in American history. Outside of teaching, Ashley enjoys fostering kittens and watching too much reality television. She lives in Salt Lake City with her fiance and their three cats. 

Annor has tutored humanities at Waterford for two years which led to this amazing opportunity to teach Class VII Ancient History.  Before moving to Utah nine years ago, she spent 10 years in the classroom as a history teacher creating and teaching both International Baccalaureate and AP programs and two years as a high school librarian in Olympia and Bothell, Washington.  Annor holds a BA in History and Secondary Education from the University of Northern Colorado and has a Library/Media Endorsement from the University of Washington and while teaching high school in Washington earned National Board Certification in Social Studies and History. She currently holds a Washington State teaching certificate, with extended coursework emphasizing literacy and executive function. Upon moving to Utah, she enrolled her son at Waterford (he is now in Class X!), learned to ski, began to study TaeKwonDo and tactical self-defense and added a daughter to her family, all of which continue to enrich her free time.

As a veteran educator, Emily is working towards a second M.A. from Middlebury College Bread Loaf School of English and another M.A. in History from Harvard University. Her academic research is focused on women’s contributions to literature, economies and cultures. She enjoys time with her three adult daughters and several granddogs. Emily and her husband work (and work, and work) a humble urban farm a few minutes to the east tending an orchard, beehives, a flower farm, and vegetable gardens. She created a garden-to-table ecology program for children which she taught for several decades, and found joy sharing her love of all things soil and nature. Raised in Alaska and happiest in the wild outside, Emily enjoys rejuvenation in the mountains, either the Wasatch or Chugach, skiing, biking, hiking or fishing.

Dr. Aaron J. Stockham, a History Faculty Member as well as the Director of Professional Review and the NWAIS Self-Study Coordinator, is a graduate of Grinnell College, where he earned a B.A. in History and Economics, and Marquette University, where he received a M.A. and Ph.D. in American History. His research concentration is on the history of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He served as the Chair of the History Department from 2011 to 2016 and has taught AP US History, Standard European History, Human Geography, US Government, Medieval European History, Medieval Islam, and Medieval Japanese History. Before arriving at The Waterford School in 2008, Aaron taught introductory American history courses at Marquette University. He was a recipient of the 2008 Smith Family Fellowship and was President of the History Graduate Students Organization and the secretary of the Alumni Memorial Union Advisory Committee. He also currently serves on the Grinnell College Class of 2001 Committee and the Waterford School Alumni Council. Aaron continues to publish articles on the history of the FBI, most recently with an article in The Historian in 2014. Besides his research, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two young daughters, going to movies, supporting the local dance scene, and exploring Utah's highways and byways.

Ray Barton comes to Waterford after having taught AP Calculus and AP Statistics at Olympus High School for 38 years. He received a BA in Mathematics Education from the University of Utah and an M.Ed from Utah State University.  Teaching runs in Ray’s family. His father taught Calculus at Olympus for 27 years before Ray taught there. 

Ray was an Associate Instructor at the University of Utah for over 30 years.  He is a national instructor for Teachers Teaching With Technology and conducts workshops for teachers across the country. He is the recipient of several awards including the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science and Mathematics Teaching and the Utah PTA Outstanding Educator Award. 

Ray says he has the best job in the world because of amazing students and fascinating topics. Outside of the classroom he enjoys running, biking, astronomy, and spending time with grandchildren.

Lisa Rands graduated Summa Cum Laude from Brigham Young University where she earned a B.A. in Math Education. Lisa also holds a Professional Educator License for the State of Utah with endorsements in Mathematics (Level 4) and Physics. After completing her student teaching at Lone Peak High School in Highland, Utah, Lisa joined the Waterford Math Department in September of 1999. She enjoys teaching math at all levels—from Pre-Algebra to AP Calculus. In addition, she serves as Class VII Dean and has been involved with Middle School Student Government and Community Service for many years. In 2010 she received the Waterford Award for excellence in teaching. Lisa loves baking, biking, traveling, reading and gardening. She is a certified Master Gardener, and she enjoys taking classes during the summer from the Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah.

I am excited to join the Waterford community this year. My previous teaching experience has been at Olympus High School in Holladay, Utah. I love to spend time outdoors taking in the sights, sounds and
smells. The sunshine warms my soul, and the beauty of the mountains never grows old. One of my favorite relaxing activities is running my toes through warm sand and watching ocean waves roll in. I
love flowers and tend to plant too many in one space. My husband is a chocolatier, and I am a chocolate lover so that works out nicely for me. We have 4 sons, 3 daughters in law, 1 dog, 3 granddaughters and 3 grand dogs. I love to spend time with all of them.

Heidi Hicks is the Assistant Orchestra Director and Viola Specialist at the Waterford School and has been teaching there since 2006. She graduated from the University of Utah with a Bachelors of Music with an emphasis in Viola Performance. Following her undergraduate degree, she moved to Boston where she attended Boston University's College of Fine Arts. There she earned her Masters of Music, also with an emphasis in Viola Performance. While in Boston, Heidi's string quartet was invited to perform in many venues, including Boston Symphony Hall, as live performers on Classical Radio Boston, and in Moscow, Russia, as part of a collaborative program with the Moscow State Conservatory. She was also a member of the Kalistos Chamber Orchestra, which performed regularly around the Boston area. Heidi has participated in the National Orchestral Institute, Blossom Festival where she performed with the Cleveland Orchestra, and was personally invited to perform with the Spoleto Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. Upon returning to SLC, UT, Heidi became a member of the Ballet West Orchestra, where she met her amazing husband in the bassoon section. Music is very much a part of their life. In addition to music, Heidi loves DIY, and constantly has a project going. She and her husband have a darling little girl who is hoping to play the flute someday.

Hillary Williams received her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Exercise and Sports Science with a concentration in Athletic Training from the University of Utah in 2008. She returned to school in 2009 to work on her Master’s degree in Sports Pedagogy while working as a full-time Athletic Trainer for the University of Utah’s Club Sports as well as the ballet and modern dance departments. She received her Master’s of Science degree in 2011 with the completion of her Master’s Thesis project on ‘Motivation to participate in high school physical education classes. Hillary Williams started her career at the Waterford School in 2011. She joined the Physical Education and Athletics Department as a full-time faculty member in 2012, teaching both Middle and Upper School students. She started coaching the Middle School girls basketball team in the Winter of 2012 and became the Class XI Dean in 2015. During her time at Waterford, Hillary has worked as a full-time Athletic Trainer, providing coverage to Waterford athletic teams and athletes. Hillary enjoys being active and sharing her passion for fitness with others. She enjoys the outdoors, going on hikes, camping and fishing. She participates in recreational sports in her spare time such as softball and basketball.

Kimi Miyashima is a College Counselor, soccer coach, and long-time community member at Waterford. Her family moved to Utah from Los Angeles after learning about Waterford in 1994, and she has been invested in the school ever since. Upon graduating from Waterford in 2009, Kimi headed back to California and earned her B.A. from Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, where she majored in Theatre Arts, and minored in Film Studies and Peace & Conflict Studies. While at LMU, Kimi played 4 years of Division I soccer for the Lions. After spending several years as a working actress in Los Angeles, Kimi returned to Utah to pursue a career in Education and spend more time with her family. She received her M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy with an emphasis in Student Affairs from the University of Utah. Kimi loves anything related to sports, enjoys gardening, and is passionate about adopting senior dogs. 

Mr. Bromley grew up in Downey, California. After earning a degree in Zoology from B.Y.U., he taught science at Orem High School and Orem Jr. High School. In 1981, Mr. Bromley joined Waterford in its inaugural year. He has taught all manner of biology courses in the last thirty-five years and has led field trips to Belize, Kenya and many trips to the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Prior to moving to the Sandy Campus in 1990, Mr. Bromley earned an M.S. in Zoology. He keeps company with fifty-five mounted animals, seventy-two skulls and several hundred pinned insects. His room is a perfect place for a Victorian biologist. Mr. Bromley’s extracurricular interests include wildlife watching, making furniture, reading murder mysteries and achieving deep frustration with his latest project: building a Shelby Cobra replica in his garage. Mark and Lee have raised six Waterford graduates and currently have thirteen grandchildren with names Mark can occasionally remember.

Bob Capener returns to Waterford as a physics teacher after an 11 year hiatus.  He first joined Waterford in 1983 as the Upper School Dean, math teacher, and soccer coach.  During the next 27 years he added physics teaching and lacrosse coaching to that mix. Also during that time he married Peggy. They raised 5 children and now count 5 grandchildren.  

Bob grew up in Upstate New York, at the south end of Cayuga Lake, home to Cornell University, where his father was a professor.  He ended up earning a B.S. degree in civil engineering at Cornell, but claims his bigger interest in attending was playing both soccer and lacrosse on it’s nationally ranked teams.

Bob’s enduring interest in athletics manifests itself now in the mountains of the Wasatch Front, where he enjoys mountain biking and backcountry skiing with dog Joey, his adult kids, and any friends that he can still keep up with.

Justin Joslin, a MS/US Science Teacher and Robotics Team Mentor, began working at Waterford School in the fall of 2017. Justin's path to Waterford has been an adventurous one. A native of New Hampshire, Justin attended university in central New York at Syracuse where he studied environmental engineering. On the recommendation of his advisor, he matriculated to the University of Colorado for his graduate work and his first stint in the west. Justin earned an MS in Environmental Engineering with a focus on natural hydrologic systems. His research took him all the way to Antarctica, twice, where he met his wife Bekka, who also teaches science at Waterford. Justin moved back east while Bekka finished her graduate work at Dartmouth. They worked for a time as scientists in Vermont, but quickly transitioned into the independent school world because of their passion for learning and teaching. After moving back to New Hampshire, Justin and Bekka worked for 10 years at the New Hampton School, a private boarding high school. Justin taught science and math, but quickly developed a unique program focused on engineering and design. He coached rock climbing and alpine skiing, was the Director of Experiential Learning for 4 years, was the Technology Integration Coordinator for a year, and worked in the school life realm as an advisor, house parent, and administrator. Outside of school, Justin enjoys spending time with his daughters, Kaleigh and Jenna, exploring the natural resources of Utah (mostly through skiing, climbing, and trail running), traveling, and tinkering.

Dr. Daniel Osipovitch, chemistry teacher at Waterford, received his Ph.D. in Experimental and Molecular Medicine from Dartmouth College (NH) in February of 2015. His thesis research used protein engineering/bioengineering to develop new ways of treating drug-resistant Staph. infections with engineered enzymes. Daniel also has a B.S. in chemistry and a B.S. in forensic science from the University of New Haven (CT). Daniel spent much of his life (from tenth grade on) as a tutor, either working independently, for a school, or for a tutoring company. It was through this work that he developed his passion for teaching and recognized that he needed to be in the classroom inspiring our future scientists and engineers; he hopes to show students that chemistry, although challenging, is a beautiful and exciting view into how the world around us works. Daniel believes that science is one of the best ways to connect to the world around us. Other passions of his include playing competitive Scrabble, cooking (which includes canning jam, baking bread, and making cheese), hiking, and traveling. Daniel brings these passions into the classroom--his Scrabble club at Waterford helps to build critical thinking skills. At Waterford, Daniel regularly teaches sixth-grade chemistry, honors chemistry, and AP chemistry. In 2016, he worked alongside Dr. Pope to create a pharmacology senior elective, a topic that is relevant to everyday life, and that helped to unite all areas of science that the students have learned at Waterford. He has also developed a forensic science summer class for class VI titled “Solving Mysteries with Chemistry.” This engaging class has allowed students to explore how chemistry can be used beyond the classroom, providing an opportunity for students to get hands-on experience in many lab activities including fingerprinting, casting footprints and tire tracks, identifying art forgery, and analyzing potentially poisoned samples. It is Daniel’s goal to develop in his students a curiosity about the world, and he hopes his students leave with a true understanding of Rosalind Franklin’s poignant statement, “science and everyday life cannot and should not be separated.”

Alisa Poppen joined the Waterford School in fall of 2021.  She earned a B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Davis and an M.A. in Computing and Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.  After starting her teaching career at a high school in Sacramento, California, she embraced her love of travel by teaching at international schools in Athens, Greece and Prague, Czech Republic.  She returned to the US to teach at an independent school in the Bay Area of California and moved to Utah seven years ago to teach Biology and Chemistry at Rowland Hall.

A native of the Pacific Northwest, Alisa loves to take road trips to the West Coast.  She also enjoys reading (especially British mysteries), baking, listening to music, and watching sports.  She loves teaching science for its many opportunities to allow students to experiment and make sense of the world around them.

Camilo Castillo first joined Waterford in September of 2013. Camilo first started working nights at Waterford as a custodian on the custodial crew. 

He now works full time on the Buildings/Operations Team. Camilo’s main role is to keep the buildings up and running. He enjoys his line of work, he likes working with his hands and enjoys building & fixing things. Camilo is a Licensed Contractor by the State of Utah.  

He enjoys mountain biking, weight lifting, long walks with Jazi (his Belgian Malinois), camping & fishing and most importantly spending time with his family. Camilo's wife Diana works at Waterford as a Pre-K Teaching Assistant. The Castillo’s have 1 child, Camila Isabel Castillo.

Amy Dolbin, Registrar at the Waterford School, is a graduate of Brigham Young University where she received a BS in Recreation Therapy.

Prior to her employment at Waterford in 2006, Amy worked at IHC in the Rehabilitation unit as a recreation therapist. After taking some time off to raise her five children, Amy began her employment as the Middle and Upper School scheduler when her youngest child began Nursery 3’s. Her role expanded to include School Registrar in 2011.

Amy’s children include four Waterford graduates, who all began attending Waterford’s Preschool program and her family has been very involved in the Waterford community for many years.  In her spare time she enjoys spending time in the outdoors with her family hiking, biking, boating or hanging out at their Midway getaway. She also enjoys gardening and home projects. 

Rich Gaebler is a retired financial professional and New York emigre who lived and worked in the canyons of Manhattan for most of his adult life. He grew up only a short hitchhike away from the great white sand beaches of Long Island, and has many fond memories of his teenage summers at the beach, as well as his frequent frustrations golfing the Bethpage Black course with his friends. He has a BA in Economics from Cornell University, an MBA, and is also a CPA, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), and a Financial Risk Manager (FRM.) Rich has tutored mathematics at the Waterford School since 2013, and he has enjoyed every minute!

Rich loves spending time with his wonderful family. He met his wife Deborah, a registered nurse who once ran a St. George Marathon in under 3 hours, in the New York Public Library. His younger son Tristan is a voracious reader, a tough debater, and on his way to becoming a great writer. His older son Trevor, a recent BYU grad in Statistics and Math, lives across the street with his amazing wife Brandy (and their two dogs.) Rich always looks forward to cooking sumptuous dinners every Sunday for his family, but he has not yet figured out how to get everyone sitting at the table while the food is still hot.

An ardent Cubs fan and former college baseball pitcher, Rich still relishes playing on a beautifully green baseball field, grooving batting practice fastballs to his son Trevor and watching him hit majestically-arced home runs, both father and son reveling in a spectacular afternoon together amid the backdrop of the sun-drenched Wasatch Mountains! Rich also enjoys a great read, winning a hotly contested family board game, watching his son’s baseball games, playing with his kettlebells, indulging in the occasional long family hike, and sometimes listening to the 60’s music he grew up with.

Rich is enlivened and inspired by the students at Waterford and he feels indeed privileged to teach math and work closely with so many wonderful, potential-laden young people.