Academic Team
Eileen Mullady - Head of School & English
A teacher for almost 30 years, Dr. Mullady came to Pacific Ridge after spending ten years as the Head of School at Horace Mann School in New York City. She began her career in independent schools at The Lawrenceville School in Princeton, New Jersey, where she served as the Dean of Faculty. Before entering independent schools, she served as the Associate Dean of Faculty at Princeton University and Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Columbia University. She believes that administrators make better decisions when they are teachers, too, and she is thrilled to be teaching 9th grade English at Pacific Ridge.
Dr. Mullady holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from Columbia University and M.A. and B.A. degrees in French literature from the University of Chicago.
Bob Ogle – Assistant Head, Academic Dean & English
Dr. Ogle came to Pacific Ridge most recently from Teachers College, Columbia University, where he completed his doctorate through the Klingenstein Center. As part of his studies he completed administrative internships at the Hackley School in Tarrytown, NY and the Collegiate School in Manhattan. Before re-entering graduate school he taught ninth grade and AP English and coached baseball and basketball at his alma mater, Francis Parker School. Throughout his career, he has served as a teacher and coach in public high schools in Marin County, Park City, Utah, and Long Island, NY.
Dr. Ogle holds an Ed.D. and a M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and an M.A. in English Education, all from Teachers College, and B.A. degrees in English and Economics from the University of California, Davis. He wrote his dissertation on global education in independent schools.
Jennifer Bjornstad – 9th/10th Grade Academic Dean & Mathematics
Ms. Bjornstad taught Algebra I, Geometry, Trigonometry, and Precalculus and served as a staff collaboration coordinator for the San Dieguito Union High School District. Before that she was the Math Department Chair and teacher of Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Probability and Statistics, Trigonometry, and Precalculus at Thunder Ridge High School in Denver, Colorado. She has a B.A. in Economics and Psychology from Northwestern University and did her teacher training at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Peyton Bray – Director of School Life & Mathematics
Before coming to Pacific Ridge School, Mr. Bray was the Dean of Students at Moravian Academy in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania for five years, where he also acted as a Director of Advisory, Coordinator of Community Service, Math and English teacher, and baseball coach. Previous to that, he was Director of the Resource Center, Physical Education instructor, and a Senior Dorm parent at Idyllwild Arts Academy. Mr. Bray’s move to Southern California was a homecoming of sorts; he graduated from La Jolla high school before heading off to Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, where he graduated with a degree in English Literature.
In his free time, Mr. Bray enjoys cooking and working on projects around the house.
Elizabeth Grossman - Curriculum Coordinator & English
Ms. Grossman has been a teacher and administrator in independent day schools for seventeen years. Before coming to Pacific Ridge School, she was Director of Curriculum at Tarbut V’Torah Community Day School in Irvine, CA, where she also taught AP English Literature.
Ms. Grossman graduated with highest distinction from University of California, San Diego, and continued her graduate study there in Comparative Literature. She has been Summer Fellow at the Klingenstein Institute and has served on two CAIS/WASC accreditation teams.
Ms. Grossman has many interests, some of which include travel, photography, reading, gardening, and following women’s collegiate basketball (especially University of Tennessee’s Lady Vols).
Hans Richter – 7th/8th Grade Academic Dean & English
Mr. Richter received his B.A. in English from Dartmouth College and his M.Ed. from Loyola College in Baltimore, MD. He has also completed a Klingenstein Summer Fellowship at Columbia University and Montessori Teaching Certification with Association Montessori Internationale in San Diego and Amsterdam.
Mr. Richter has taught at King & Low-Heywood Thomas School in Stamford, CT, for a total of ten years. During his tenure there he taught Middle School Math, English, and History, as well as Upper School English. He also acted as English Department Chair, Dean to eleventh grade, Director of Information Services, and coached ice hockey, soccer, and lacrosse. Mr. Richter has also taught at The Montessori School in Wilton, CT, the Brunswick School in Greenwich, CT, and the American Language Institute in Lisbon, Portugal.
Mr. Richter has crossed the country twice by bicycle and has traveled extensively. He enjoys simple pleasures: talking, walking, bicycling, and reading.
Pedro Afán - Spanish
A native Spanish speaker from Spain, Mr. Afán has been teaching Spanish for six years in the United States. Mr. Afan holds a B.A. and M.A. from Complutense University of Madrid, where he also earned a Certificate of Teaching Pedagogy with an emphasis in Spanish Literature. In 2003, he was selected for a visiting teachers program of the US and Spanish Departments of Education, during which he taught at Bolton High School in Memphis, TN.
Mr. Afán has also taught Spanish at Harborside School in San Diego and Spanish for Native Speakers at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Chicago, IL.
In Spain, Mr. Afán taught Spanish to North African immigrants in the language program of the Red Cross. He is an avid fan of soccer, especially his home team, Real Madrid.
Noureddine El Alam, Mathematics
Mr. El Alam has worked in private schools for more than 17 years as a teacher, mentor, coach, adviser, board member, and department chair. He comes to Pacific Ridge most recently from Sage Hill School, where he was a founding faculty member, department chair, teacher, and varsity boys soccer head coach. Before Sage Hill, Mr. El Alam taught mathematics and coached soccer at Northfield Mount Hermon School in Massachusetts.
Since 2005 Mr. El Alam has been a Master Teacher at the Klingenstein Summer Institute at Columbia University. At the Institute, he mentors private school teachers from around the nation on assessment, curriculum planning, pedagogy, and other relevant topics. He has also translated English, French, and Arabic documents for the United Nations in New York.
Mr. El Alam graduated magna cum laude with a degree in Mathematics from the City University of New York. He received his M.A. in Mathematics Education from California State University Fullerton. He has also undertaken graduate work in Mathematics at Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. An avid soccer player, he has accumulated several national and international soccer coaching licenses.
Alison Behr – Art
Ms. Behr graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in studio art and art history from Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME, and then earned an M.F.A. in photography from Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, GA.
After a brief stint in admissions at Williams College, Ms. Behr spent ten years teaching photography, digital art, drawing, and art history at St. George’s School in Newport, R.I. During that time she was a college counselor, soccer and ice hockey coach, yearbook advisor, and dorm parent.
Ms. Behr has traveled extensively in Europe and East Asia, and recently spent a month in the Amazon region of Brazil. When she is not on the road taking photographs, Ms. Behr enjoys playing golf and tennis, listening to NPR, camping, and playing with her dog.
Renee Bertken, RN - School Nurse and Health Educator
Nurse Bertken graduated cum laude from Arizona State University with her BSN, and summa cum laude from a joint San Diego State University and University of San Diego program where she received her MSN in Community Health. She holds a credential in School Nursing and Public Health Nursing, and is certified in School Crisis Management, Pandemic Planning, and FEMA–Multi-hazard Emergency. She also has clinical experience in the areas of health & wellness, counseling and referral. Nurse Bertken has acted as an educator for CBS television segments, Scripps Health, American Red Cross, American Heart Association, and various School Health programs.
Nurse Bertken is a skier, gardener, certified scuba diver, and committed community service volunteer. An avid traveler, she has visited six continents.
Doug Blackington- Science
Mr. Blackington, who grew up in Coronado, has taught high school science for nearly twenty years. Thirteen of those years were spent at Punahou Academy in Hawaii, where he was a Conceptual and AP Physics instructor. He was also twice voted best teacher by his students.
Mr. Blackington graduated with a B.A. in biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and completed his M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction from National University. He spent several years as a research scientist before finding his avocation in teaching.
Mr. Blackington has visited over 15 countries, but in his free time he mainly enjoys spending time with his family. He also likes to surf, play guitar, participate in a variety of sports, and has a 2nd degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
Todd Burckin – Science
Dr. Burckin holds a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz and a B.S. in Molecular Biology from the University of California, San Diego. He has worked as a scientist for two local biotechnology firms, and has taught biology and chemistry at Palomar College and Mira Costa College.
Dr. Burckin and his wife Amy Wasserman, a Pacific Ridge math teacher, live in Encinitas and can be seen running along the coast on most days.
Rachel Ching, Science and Math
Ms. Ching joined the Pacific Ridge staff after teaching math and chemistry for six years at High Tech High International in San Diego. She also acted as an Advisor, Immersion Program Coordinator, and Immersion Trip Leader, during which she organized and led day and overnight trips that included college visits, community service activities, camping and snowboarding trips. Ms. Ching coached the High Tech Village Girls Varsity Basketball Team and led them to a league championship in the team's fourth year of existence.
Ms. Ching graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in Chemistry from Columbia University, where she was elected Phi Beta Kappa. She has attained teaching credentials in both Mathematics and Chemistry and received her college counseling certificate from University of California, San Diego.
Although it has been many years since her playing days in college, Ms. Ching still plays basketball and water polo in her free time. She also recently picked up snowboarding and looks forward to honing her skills.
Shirley Chu – Chinese
Ms. Chu has served as a Vice-Principal and a teacher at the San Diego North County Chinese School for six years. She attends professional development seminars in Chinese language teaching at the Southern California Council of Chinese Schools and holds an M.B.A. from the University of Maryland and a B.A. in International Business from National Taiwan University.
Ms. Chu is teaching Mandarin to the entire Pacific Ridge community and helped plan the 9th grade trip to China.
Greg Cooper – English and Theater Arts
Mr. Cooper attended Horace Mann School in New York City during Dr. Mullady’s tenure as Head of School. He then went on to graduate magna cum laude with a B.A. in English and Theater Arts from the University of Pennsylvania and complete an M.A. in Arts and Humanities Education at New York University.
He has worked in the Education department at both the Joyce Theater and Manhattan Theatre Club in New York, and as the Chief Administrative Officer for the New York City Arts in Education Roundtable. He was also a Preceptor for an undergraduate humanities seminar at New York University while attending graduate school there.
Mr. Cooper lives in Carlsbad. In his free time he enjoys reading, particularly about the history of American Musical Theatre and 20th Century Art.
Ellen Cothran – Librarian & Media Specialist
Ms. Cothran graduated phi beta kappa from Lake Forest College, with a degree in Philosophy. She also completed graduate Classical Rhetoric Studies at University of Tennessee and Graduate Theology Studies at Moravian Theological Seminary. She has been an English instructor in Taiwan and the Czech Republic, and has taught high school Philosophy, History, Government and English as a Second Language (ESL) Composition in the United States. Prior to joining Pacific Ridge school, she served as Assistant Librarian at United Friends School in Quakertown, PA.
Steven Dziekonski – Music
Mr. Dziekonski has over 20 years of experience as a secondary school music teacher. He worked as a Music Department Chair at the Oakwood School in North Hollywood, a Performing Arts Chair at the Windward School in Los Angeles, a music teacher at the Brentwood School in Los Angeles, and a music and drama teacher at the Winchester Thurston School in Pittsburgh, PA. He has taught choir, Orchestra, AP Music Theory, Musical Theater, Jazz Band, and Drama.
Mr. Dziekonski received his B.A. in Music Education and Film Scoring from Boston’s Berklee College of Music, and his M.A. in Music Education from California State University-Northridge.
Mr. Dziekonski is the founder of two web-based music businesses, choirpractice.org and gsworks.com. When he is not involved in music and teaching, Mr. Dziekonski finds ways to help animals and animal rescue organizations.
Ceci Enge
Ms. Enge graduated cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in History. While at Harvard, she also distinguished herself as an athlete, earning National All-American in both lacrosse and field hockey. Ms. Enge was inducted into Harvard Varsity Club’s Athletic Hall of Fame in May, 2007.
She earned her M.Ed. in secondary education with a concentration in history from Boston College. She has taught history, as well as coached field hockey and lacrosse, at Shady Hill School in Cambridge, MA, at The Governor’s Academy in Byfield, MA, and at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, VA.
Ms. Enge loves running, walking her dog, reading, spending time at the beach, and being outdoors.
Kasia Hollis - French
Ms. Hollis received her B.A. in French and Biology from the University of Southern California, and her M.A. in French Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. She has also studied abroad at the Sorbonne in Paris, the Institut d'études françaises d'Avignon in Avignon, France, and the Babilonia Italian Language School in Taormina, Sicily.
Ms. Hollis has a wide range of experience teaching French at many levels. She has been a French instructor at the University of Pennsylvania, University of California, San Diego, Mesa College, San Diego City College, La Jolla Country Day School, and Francis Parker Middle School.
In her free time, Ms. Hollis enjoys cooking, especially Indian and Thai food, spending time with her husband and rambunctious Siamese cat, and traveling. She was born in Poland and lived there for ten years.
Andrea Juskaitis, English
Ms. Juskaitis comes to us most recently from The Winter Sports School in Park City, Utah, where she acted as Academic Dean, English teacher, and yearbook adviser. She also taught English and Journalism at Park City High School, as well as coached the girl’s varsity soccer team. She brings more than ten years of experience teaching and coaching to Pacific Ridge School.
Ms. Juskaitis earned her B.A. in English from University of California, Santa Barbara, where she was a team member and captain for their Division 1 soccer team. She also holds a Masters in Education from Westminster College in Salt Lake City.
A first-generation Lithuanian-American, Ms. Juskaitis speaks Lithuanian fluently. She enjoys travel, and has built houses in Peru with Habitat for Humanity. In her free time, Ms. Juskaitis enjoys hiking with her Australian Shepherd and taking weekend camping trips with her family.
Megan King – Math
Ms. King graduated with a B.S. in Secondary Education from Villanova University. She spent four years teaching high school math before coming to Pacific Ridge School, the last two of them at Classical Academy High School in Escondido, CA.
As an undergraduate, Ms. King received a concentration in Irish Studies (and minored in Math), and she spent a year living and working in Ireland prior to starting her teaching career.
Ms. King is a dedicated runner. She als likes to travel, camp, see movies, read and cook.
Matthew Kraynyak – Science
Mr. Kraynyak received his B.S. in chemistry, with Honors, from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA, his M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Oregon, and his M.S. in Organizational Dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania. For eight years, he taught Chemistry (and AP Chemistry for six of those years) at The Hill School in Pottstown, where he has also coached Squash, been a Dorm Parent, and acted as a Student Advisor.
Mr. Kraynyak has seen much of the Unites States, as well as Japan and the Czech Republic. He is an amateur photographer and a rabid sports fan, with a particular fondness for the Phillies and Eagles.
Bonnie Laughlin – College Counseling
Ms. Laughlin recently "retired," after spending more than 25 years as a high school counselor in the San Diego area. She has spent the past eight years as the Co-Director of College Counseling at Francis Parker School and the eight years before that as the counseling Department Chair at Torrey Pines High School. She has served as the President and an Executive Board member for the Western Association for College Admissions Counseling (WACAC) and a lead presenter for the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC).
Darren Lawlor - Director of Athletics & Coach
Mr. Lawlor brings over 25 years of experience in business and athletics. As the founding Director of Athletics for Pacific Ridge, he enjoys the opportunity to combine his passion for athletics and his expertise in leading business start-ups. He has held various management positions at Spalding Sports and Callaway Golf, where he played an integral role in the start up of the Callaway Golf Ball Company.
Throughout his career he has coached athletics at all levels. He was the Assistant Coach of Women's Soccer and Men's Lacrosse at Harvard University and Assistant Coach of Men's Lacrosse at Washington and Lee University. At the youth level, he has been involved with the La Costa American Youth Soccer Organization program for the past seven years. In 2004, he launched the first youth lacrosse program in Carlsbad. He was voted "Coach of the Year" by the United States Club Lacrosse Association in 1992 and 1993, and selected as a member of the U.S. Lacrosse Men's National Team Player Selection Committee.
An All-American lacrosse player at Syracuse University, Mr. Lawlor captained the 1983 National Championship Team. He went on to play at the post collegiate and professional levels. He received his Bachelors' degree from Syracuse University in Physical Education and an M.B.A. from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.
Steven Le – English
Mr. Le graduated with honors from the United States Naval Academy, where he majored in English. He then received an M.A. in English Literature from the University of Maryland before returning to the United States Navy as a Department Head of the Deck Department. He also acted as a Diving Officer, Arms, Ammunitions and Explosives Officer, Anti-Terrorism/Force Protection Officer, and a Search and Rescue Officer. After leaving the Navy, Mr. Le spent four years at The Taft School in Connecticut, where he instructed Core and AP English classes as well as senior electives.
In his free time, Mr. Le enjoys cooking, reading, discussing politics and current events, working out, and writing. He has visited 43 of the United States and traveled on four continents.
José Leonor, Spanish
Mr. Leonor comes to Pacific Ridge from Horace Mann School in Riverdale, New York, where he has taught French and Spanish as well as coached the wrestling team to four consecutive league and state championships. While at Horace Mann, Mr. Leonor also co-directed the upper division Service Learning Team.
Mr. Leonor graduated from Princeton University with a degree in Comparative Literature. He is fluent in Spanish and French, and has worked as an interpreter and translator for a number of different films. He has also directed and produced several short films on his own. Mr. Leonor has lived, studied, and led high school groups abroad to China, France, Italy, and Spain.
Cara Matzen, College Counselor
Ms. Matzen joined the Pacific Ridge College Counseling team after working most recently as a college counselor, math teacher, and head swim coach at St. John’s School in Houston, Texas. She has also taught math and served as a Development Associate at Episcopal High School in Houston, Texas, and worked as a dorm parent, math teacher, and swim coach at the Cate School in Carpinteria, CA.
Ms. Matzen completed her undergraduate work at Williams College, where she graduated cum laude with a degree in Mathematics. While at Williams, Ms. Matzen swam on the varsity team, studied abroad in Australia, and co-founded the Williams Hawaii Club. She later earned her Master's in Education at Harvard University, where she did research in school leadership. In her free time, Ms. Matzen enjoys camping, traveling, doing sprint triathlons, and watching movies with her husband, Evan, and their two cats.
Allegra Molineaux – Social Studies
Ms. Molineaux graduated magna cum laude from Barnard College in New York, where she was also invited to join the Phi Beta Kappa society. Ms. Molineaux earned an M.A. in Social Science at the University of Chicago, after which she spent four years teaching History and English at Xaverian High School in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Ms. Molineaux’s travel experience includes a junior year abroad at University College London, as well as shorter journeys throughout Europe and North America. She enjoys opera, theater, art history, and film.
Rajshree Mudaliar – Math
Mrs. Mudaliar was raised in Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal, India, and received a B.A. and an M.A. in Economics from the University of Madras in Chennai, India. She also earned an M.S. in Industrial Management from the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, and has extensive experience in the corporate world. She has lived and worked on three continents, though for the past several years Mrs. Mudaliar has been teaching math nearby at Del Mar Pines School.
Mrs. Mudaliar speaks Tamil and Hindi and understands Urdu, Telugu and Malayalam. She enjoys cooking different Indian cuisines and reading. She has also spearheaded a group to establish a House of India International cottage in Balboa park.
Ai-Lien Nielsen, Chinese
A native Mandarin speaker, Dr. Nielsen earned her Masters and Doctoral degrees in Bilingual Education from Texas A&M University. Most recently, she has served as Vice Principal at the San Diego North County Chinese School, where she also acted as a Chinese language instructor. Dr. Nielsen also has experience teaching English at Tungnan University in Taipei, Taiwan.
Dr. Nielsen completed her B.A. in Arabic Language and Literature from National Chengchi University in Taipei, Taiwan, and went on to earn her teaching credential from National Taichung University in Taichung City, Taiwan. She is certified to teach from the elementary to the college level by the Ministry of Education in Taiwan, and was twice voted “Best Teacher of the Year” in Taipei County, Taiwan.
Sybil Obiri - Mathematics
Ms. Obiri received her B.A. in mathematics from Mount Holyoke College, after which she completed a Klingenstein Summer Institute Fellowship at Columbia University, and attained an M.A. in mathematics education from Towson University.
She has taught mathematics at Sage Hill School and Roland Park Country School, where she also mentored students and advised the Student Diversity and Spirit Committees.
A native of Ghana, Ms. Obiri is fluent in English, Twi, and Ga.
Lisa Paysen – Visual Arts
Ms. Paysen comes to Pacific Ridge from South Carolina where she served as visual arts teacher at West-Oak High School and cross-country coach for nine years. Her art students delve into a range of visual art mediums from painting and drawing to ceramics and printmaking. An artist herself, Ms. Paysen has won awards for her work in painting, printmaking, and ceramics. She holds a B.F.A. from Winthrop University and is a National Board Certified Art teacher.
An avid runner and outdoors enthusiast, Ms. Paysen also coaches Pacific Ridge's cross-country team.
Noah Rachlin – History
Mr. Rachlin graduated cum laude from Brandeis University with a B.A. in History and Philosophy. While an undergraduate, he interned for the St. Paul’s School Advanced Studies Program, where he supervised a dormitory of 24 boys and coached sports. After graduating, he taught Civilizations and World History at Rodeph Sholom School in New York City, as well as devised and ran club activities for students.
At Brandeis, Mr. Rachlin was a member of the Swimming and Diving Team for all four years, and Co-Captain of the team during his senior year. In his senior year he also received the Charles A. Napoli ’58 Scholar Athlete Award, an honor bestowed upon the outstanding Brandeis varsity athlete who has excelled in the classroom and in the athletic arena.
Mr. Rachlin enjoys surfing, biking, and running when he is not teaching.
Patricia Adriana Ruiz – Spanish
Ms. Ruiz, a native Spanish speaker, graduated from The Bishop’s School in La Jolla. She then earned both her B.S. in Operation and Management Information Systems and Spanish, and her M.A. in Teaching and Learning with Technology, from Santa Clara University.
Prior to joining the team at Pacific Ridge School, Ms. Ruiz Galvin spent three years teaching Spanish at Sacred Heart Preparatory School in Atherton, CA. She integrated SMART board technology, digital video, blogs, and voice recorders into her classes. She also coached tennis and lacrosse and chaperoned student trips to Italy and Spain.
Ms. Ruiz Galvin enjoys rock climbing, dancing, knitting, yoga, and travel.
Heather Ryan - Science
Dr. Ryan completed her Ph.D. in Biology at the University of California, San Diego, where she developed novel tools for studying cancer biology. She received her B.S. in Biology from Yale University, where she was a member of the Varsity Women’s Rowing Team.
Before coming to Pacific Ridge, Dr. Ryan taught Biology at the University of San Diego and at Episcopal Academy, an independent school in the Philadelphia area. She also coached basketball at Episcopal Academy. As an instructor, Dr. Ryan takes pleasure in helping students relate classroom learning to their daily lives.
In her free time, Dr. Ryan enjoys running, cooking, and spending time with her family.
Nohemi Salazar - Spanish
Ms. Salazar taught Spanish for four years in a college setting and eight years in public high schools. Most recently, she was a member of the founding faculty at the Collegiate Institute for Math & Science in Bronx, NY, where she taught Spanish for five years. She was also Coordinator of Student Activities, Advisor for Student Government, and Yearbook Co-advisor.
Ms. Salazar is fluent in Spanish and graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.A. in Spanish Language. She then went on to earn her M.A. in Spanish Literature from New Mexico State University.
Ms. Salazar enjoys photography and scrabble, and collects anything with Frida Kahlo on it.
Scott Silk – History
Mr. Silk spent five years teaching world history, American history, government, and geography at Lycée francais de Chicago, where he also served as advisor to the school's Model United Nations. He facilitated coexistence dialogue among Palestinian, Israeli, and American teenagers in Chicago as part of his work with the Hands of Peace organization and served as a mediator in the areas of employment, special education and community disputes for Chicago Mediation Associates. He holds an M.Ed. in Secondary Social Studies Education from Depaul University, a J.D. from the Denver University School of Law, and a B.A. in political science from the University of Michigan.
Mr. Silk is an avid sports fan, cyclist, golfer, and basketball coach.
Melissa Sullivan – Science
Ms. Sullivan has taught physics, chemistry, and biology at The Taft School in Connecticut. Before Taft, she spent a year teaching biology around a Harkness table at Phillips Exeter Academy and another year teaching at the Boston Latin School. After graduating from Phillips Academy in Andover, MA, Ms. Sullivan received her B.A .in biology from Duke University and her MAT in secondary education from Suffolk University.
At Duke, Ms. Sullivan captained the crew team and was awarded a varsity letter each of her four years. She has also coached both volleyball and crew at the high school level.
Alison Trattner – English & Dramatic Arts
Ms. Trattner taught English and Theater for sixteen years before joining Pacific Ridge School. Most recently she taught AP English, Freshman English and Drama at Estes Park High School in Colorado. Before that, as part of the founding faculty, she headed up the English, French and Theater programs at Eagle Rock School in Estes Park for almost nine years. She began her career as an educator in New York City, where she taught at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn, then at Baisley Bay High School in Queens, for a total of five years. In addition to her work in schools as director and acting coach, Ms. Trattner also served as a Teaching Artist for the Denver Center Theater Academy. She holds an M.A. in English Education from Teachers College, Columbia University and a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Yale University.
Ms. Trattner grew up in Switzerland, Poland, France, and Belgium and graduated from The Madeira School in Virginia. She worked as an actress for many years in New York City.
Amy Wasserman – Mathematics
Ms. Wasserman taught Advanced Placement BC Calculus and AB Calculus, Pre-calculus, and Algebra I and Algebra II at La Costa Canyon High School and Carlsbad High School for eight years. In between, she got her MA in Mathematics Education from Stanford University and taught at Henry Gunn High School in Palo Alto. She holds a B.A. in Applied Mathematics from the University of California, San Diego.
Ms. Wasserman is a marathon runner, a classical pianist, and an avid biker, surfer, and reader.
Chris Webber – History
A native of South Africa and speaker of Afrikaans, Mr. Webber graduated from San Diego State University in 2004 with a B.A in Social Studies.
Before coming to Pacific Ridge School, Mr. Webber taught Advanced Placement and Honors World History and Economics at Escondido Charter High School. During his tenure at Escondido Charter, he received both the Crystal Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching and the UCSD Teacher Recognition Program award for Outstanding Dedication to Students in a Classroom Setting. Mr. Webber was also the school’s surf coach, a position he holds at Pacific Ridge School as well.
Mr. Webber enjoys time with his family, travel, surfing, and the outdoors.
Darcie Webber – French
Ms. Webber taught introductory and intermediate French at San Diego State University and tutored French students for five years. She holds an M.A. in French from SDSU and a B.A. in French from the University of San Diego.
She is an avid surfer, traveler, and lover of languages.
Michael Wilper – English
Mr. Wilper received his M.A. in Education Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University, during which he completed Klingenstein Internships at Harlem Academy and Horace Mann School. Prior to that, he taught English and Social Studies for four years at Dwight-Englewood School in Englewood, N.J., where he also coached Soccer, Track, Baseball, and Basketball.
Mr. Wilper received his B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Idaho and his M.A. in Philosophy from University of Reading, U.K. He likes talking Boise State football and he is an amateur arborist.
Allison Winston – English
Ms. Winston earned her B.A. in English from California State University, Sacramento and her M.A. in Literature from University of California, San Diego. Before joining the faculty at Pacific Ridge School, Ms. Winston taught interdisciplinary courses in composition, humanities, literature, and world history at UC San Diego.
Ms. Winston was raised in Mt. Shasta and loves the outdoors, especially high-altitude pine forests. She enjoys mountain biking, rock climbing, camping, backpacking, sea kayaking, reading, painting, music, and travel.
Wayne Winters - Science
Dr. Winters graduated with a B.S. in Honors Physics, summa cum laude, from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He then went on to receive his M.A. and Ph.D. in Astronomy from the University of Virginia.
Dr. Winters has over ten years of experience in research and teaching, primarily in the fields of physics and astronomy. Most recently, he worked as an Engineer Modeler at the Science Applications International Corporation. Before coming to San Diego, he taught Physics and Astronomy at the Latin School of Chicago.
Chris Wright – Mathematics
Dr. Wright holds a Ph.D. and an M.S. in Mathematics from Stanford University. He has served as an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Duke University and a software engineer and designer. For more than 15 years, Dr. Wright has devoted his time to teaching math in and around San Diego County. He has taught students as a San Diego Math Circle instructor, with a community group in Irvine, and privately as a tutor.
Dr. Wright has written a series of math books for parents helping their children with math called Dr. Wright's Kitchen Table Math. He and his family are longtime residents of Encinitas.
Namir Yedid – History and English
Mr. Yedid, who joined the Pacific Ridge faculty in 2007, brings an interdisciplinary education in the humanities from St. John's College on both the Santa Fe, New Mexico and the Annapolis, Maryland campuses. Before coming to Pacific Ridge, he taught seventh grade history and English and ninth grade history at the San Diego Jewish Academy . He also taught eighth grade World Religions and tenth grade Hebrew Scriptures for The Bishop's Schools' summer program. Mr. Yedid holds B.A.s in Philosophy and the History of Math and Science from St. John's College.
Mr. Yedid grew up in Encinitas and was a founding graduate at San Dieguito Academy. In his free time, Mr. Yedid enjoys cooking, photography, art, discovering new music, trying new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends. |