Josh is the Associate Director of IT at HTHMA. He is originally from the great state of Idaho and earned his BA in English at BYU in Utah. He grew up on a farm and knows how to handle heavy equipment and raise livestock but he has always had an affinity for computers. He likes to study philosophy, psychology and comparative mythology and enjoys wide open spaces in nature. Fair-minded and essentially a non-conformist, he cannot tolerate injustice, whining or bad manners. He has been married for 14 years and has no children (yet!)

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever. – Gandhi

Throughout my education I have had many inspirational teachers that have truly guided my path leading me to teaching. I graduated from Point Loma High School in 2002. It was here that I had a wonderful learning experience and realized that I loved learning about the world, its people, its culture, and the diversity that ties us all together. In May 2006, I graduated from the University of San Diego, receiving my Bachelors in History and Languages and Literature: Spanish and am currently a semester away from completing the teaching credential program. In my free time I enjoy spending time with my boyfriend and family, sipping on coffee, watching movies, shopping at Target, and learning about the world I live in.

I was born in Homer, Alaska, and lived in this town of only 4,000 people until I was 18. I spent my time there catching huge king salmon, swimming thousands of yards (though not in the ocean), climbing in fishing nets suspended in trees, jumping off of giant wood chip piles, and working summers as a "halibut cheerleader," or a worker on the slimeline. Yes, that's an offical job title.

However, as you may imagine, by the time I was 18 I was ready for larger crowds and warmer climates, so I headed south to attend UC Berkeley, where I germinated in a hotbed of radical thinking, direct action, and intellectual stimulation. While studying abroad in Chile with the School for International Training and participating in "The Battle in Seattle," I also managed to major in Peace and Conflict Studies, which focused on conflict prevention and resolution from the individual to the global scale. I graduated from Berkeley with an amazing education, a passion for politics and peace, and a deep belief in the global connections between individuals and societies.

Contrary to all popular predictions by naysayers, I had no problem at all finding a job with my obscure degree. After working as a State Coalition Organizer (read: grant writer and lobbyist) at YouthBuild USA for a few years, I once again wanted warmth, and traveled to Thailand, where I spent 8 months living on the tropical island of Koh Tao, and getting my divemaster certification in SCUBA diving. I was lucky enough to swim with whale sharks, manta rays, and sea turtles. Diving is once of my absolute passions, and I can't wait to get in the water again.

While I adore diving, and plan to retire to a boat in the tropics, I eventually decided that I should come back to the US. I ended up attending graduate school at Stanford, obtaining a Masters in Education, marrying my husband, and getting hired at High Tech High Bayshore in quick succession. I am extremely excited to be in San Diego this year at HTHMA (The weather! The ocean!), and am really looking forward to this year of teaching.

Born and raised in Littleton, Colorado I became a die-hard Denver Bronco fan at a very early age. I attended the Metropolitan State College of Denver, where I double majored in Behavioral Science and Anthropology. While in college I spent a summer abroad studying in Guadalajara where I realized there was much more to see and experience than those beautiful Rocky Mountains, so I headed to San Diego where I’ve lived since January 2000. I began at HTH as a tutor and shortly after took the position of Executive Assistant at HTHMA. I am also working as the Athletic coordinator for the HTH Village sports program. I’m delighted to be part of such a unique and innovative team and excited to see what the future holds.

I earned my Juris Doctorate degree from the University of San Francisco in 1998. After practicing law for a few years I realized I had missed my true “calling”. Much to my family’s surprise, I decided to change careers and started teaching high school.

My philosophies of teaching are reflective of the Ten Common Principles from the Coalition of Essential Schools, which rest on two central beliefs. First, high schools should focus on teaching all students to use their minds well. Second, teachers should know their students well (personalization), coach them to learn in active contexts (projects), and require them to demonstrate what they know and can do (presentations of learning).*

My husband, our two boys, and our two dogs all live together in Sera Mesa. We enjoy spending family time together, at the park, the beach, or just playing at home. Owen loves the playground at Sea World. He is an excellent T-ball player. Currently he is in gymnastics, or Spider Man Training as we like to call it. Levi loves everything. I am so fortunate to have such a happy, healthy and supportive family. I also consider myself extremely lucky to be working at such an esteemed school as High Tech High and to be surrounded by such amazing colleagues.

*Schooling for the Real World by Adria Steinberg, Kathleen Cushman, and Robert Riordan

Johanna Jorfald was born in Fribourg, Switzerland and raised in Lake Forest, Illinois. She attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where she received her BA in Communications, spent a semester living and studying in Madrid, Spain, and then she moved to San Diego to receive her Masters in Education at the University of San Diego. She has two younger sisters, a Colombian mother, and a Norwegian father who she adores and admires with all her heart. Johanna has 3 passions in life: her family, traveling, and teaching. Her multi-cultural background has given her opportunities to travel all over the world and to get to know and experience numerous different cultures. She loves teaching her students at HTHMA about these cultures and hopes not only to be able to teach her students how to speak, read, and write in Spanish, but also to teach them the importance of cultural awareness, and maybe even bring them to a different country to experience it themselves!

In my heart I am a farm boy. I carry a hard work ethic along with a desire to plant seeds, cultivate ideas, enjoy flowers, and ultimately reap a harvest. Though my roots still draw from the rich soil of Northern Illinois, the wind has taken me to live, teach, and learn in Vienna, Austin, Caracas, and San Diego. The journey, I believe, truly is the destination.

I was born and raised in San Diego. I went to college at the University of Colorado at Boulder where I studied Mathematics and began my careers in both competitive skiing and biking. As I got more involved in my studies, I decided I wanted to explore something more academic and took a position at the Aeronomy Laboratory at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Boulder where I studied Atmospheric Dynamics. I did research for about two and a half years, during which time I realized that I was doing better as a bike rider than a researcher. For the next four years, I traveled the country riding mountain bikes for a living. I was racing on the national circuit, doing photo shoots for magazines and videos and teaching instructional bike racing clinics. Eventually the risk of injury outweighed the rewards and I hung up the bikes while I searched for my next endeavor. My brother went to High Tech High for all four of his high school years and graduated in 2005. I saw what an amazing experience he had going to such an incredible school and was inspired to be a part of something that can have such positive impacts on people’s lives.

Edgar Montes began his role as the Director of College Advising at High Tech High Media Arts in the fall of 2006. Prior to this, Edgar worked as an admissions counselor at the University of San Diego. During his time in the admissions office, Edgar worked with various outreach organizations in the San Diego and Imperial counties to encourage and inspire students of all ages to attain a higher education. He is an active member of professional national and regional college admissions organizations.

Margaret Noble started her career in the sound-arts as an electronic music DJ in the underground club community of Chicago in 2002. From 2003 to 2004, she traveled as a performance DJ throughout the United States. In 2004, she branched out from dance floor DJing into more experimental interests and created a monthly sound arts showcase in Chicago called, “Spectacle.” Throughout this period she received multiple press write-ups including UR, Newcity, The Sun Times, The Chicago Tribune and Vogue. From 2005 to 2007, she completed an MFA in sound art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. During this time she performed as an experimental composer using synthesizers, drum machines and acoustic instruments.

Her collaborative works include short experimental films, video installations and audio recordings which have been exhibited nationally and internationally. In 2007, she received the Hayward Prize to study multi-media at the Salzburg International Academy of Fine Art.

Concerned by the broad separation between academic and urban art, Margaret decided to teach audio arts to inspire new artists to bridge the creative gap between the universities and cultural communities. She hopes to demonstrate in this ever-evolving technological culture that artistic and musical expression should be not be limited to the ideology established by the canonical icons and that work which is genuine is above all the most valuable.

Lawrence, or “Law” as known by many, was born at a very young age. Law always wanted to become a superhero, but found out that his super power was not flying when he tried to jump out of his tree house and broke his ankle trying. However, he did realize that his true super power was to help people.

A San Diego local, Law received his BA in Mathematics Secondary Education from UCSD and his MA in Counseling from USD. He is currently the Director of Academic Internships at High Tech High Media Arts. Prior to HTHMA, Law was the coordinator of a youth development program, called Friday Night Live, where he focused on promoting positive alternative activities away from alcohol, tobacco and drug use. He was also a coordinator for Friday Night Live Mentoring, where he trained and mentored high school students to become mentors for at-risk middle school students.

In his personal life, Law likes to dance (Latin Ballroom), play music (in his church choir), and go to the beach (body boarding and skim boarding). Law is also an avid traveler. Last summer, Law visited China and the Philippines and hopes to visit Japan, Brazil, Argentina and Australia in the near future.

Chris received a B.A. in Broadcast and Electronic Communications, with an emphasis on Writing for Media from San Francisco State University. Upon graduation, Chris worked various television production jobs -- the pinnacle of his television career came when he operated the radar gun behind home plate in the 1998 NLDS between the Padres and the Braves (which the Padres won). Chris is ecstatic about his career switch to teaching. He is currently working towards his CA teaching credential through the High Tech High Teacher Credentialing program. When not working, Chris enjoys camping and surfing in Baja with his wife, Amy.

William Arthur Ward once said, “The mediocre teacher tells, the good teacher explains, the superior teacher demonstrates…the great teacher inspires.” As a Chemistry/Math II teacher at High Tech High Media Arts, I hope to inspire students to think critically and creatively. I received my BS degree in Chemistry at SDSU and worked in the Pharmaceutical Industry for three years as a Medicinal Chemist. Although I enjoyed being a scientist conducting research, and occasionally starting fires while using air sensitive chemicals, my true passion has always been helping students develop a genuine interest in such a fascinating subject. I am currently working on my credential and a Masters in Secondary Education with an emphasis in Science. When I’m not at school, you can usually catch my husband and me hanging out at dog beach with our lab named Belle.

Diana Cornejo-Sanchez is a San Diego native. She attended the University of San Diego where she received her Bachelors degree in English and Spanish, as well as her credentials. She also attended USD where she received a Masters in Education with an emphasis in Language Literacy and Culture. She has previously taught at Serra High School and works every summer for the USD Upward Bound Program that houses Kearny High School students. Diana knew teaching was the route for her and has done so since she graduated with her B.A. in 2004. On her free time she loves to hang out with her husband Adan and her family. Her favorite part about teaching is getting students to experience the power of the word; hearing their stories is what keeps her moving.

Randy Scherer teaches Humanities at High Tech High Media Arts. Prior to joining the HTH Village, Randy was the Production Manager for three national magazines in New York City, edited a book titled the Antiwar Movement and taught English at San Marcos High School. He received his teaching credential from University of San Diego and his B.A. in Political Science and Creative Writing from Binghamton University. When he's not at school, Randy is probably out playing with his dog, traveling or shaping surfboards.

Lacey grew up on a street called Uranus near the geographical center of San Francisco. The city was an inspiration to her—always different, always shifting. Then, she discovered the outdoors at the age of 15. It was a two mile photography hike, and it was enough. She moved to Colorado for college, South America to study abroad, and then to San Diego to teach and study English. Upon beginning her eighth year of teaching, Lacey realizes more and more that her inspiration comes from an internal wellspring. Nothing is more important than really being alive; and, education is tool that has the power to inspire growth, curiosity, and most importantly, vitality. In her free time, Lacey is usually outdoors, surfing and practicing qigong; or, she's in the house on the sofa, reading and writing.

I was born and raised in St. Paul Minnesota where I attended the traditional public schools getting very little out of them. The counter culture of skateboarding influenced my early education and this gave me the unique opportunity to see the world through a different set of lenses. After graduation I was fortunate enough to come across a few books that inspired a true interest in the world around me. I couldn’t put down Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States, for example. This spark of intellectual curiosity led me to the UCSD physics department where I realized that math and physics are fundamental in explaining the wonders of the world. Before coming to High Tech High Media Arts I worked for the Mineral Physics Institute where I performed theoretical calculations of the high pressure behaviors of deep earth minerals, especially Magnesiowustite (MgFeO). Now that I’m at HTHMA I feel so fortunate to be teaching mathematics. My goal is to inspire a future generation of thinkers who are not afraid to tap into their own curiosity as well as tackle some of the real world problems that humankind will have to face in the future.

Chris teaches 9th grade Math/Physics at High Tech High Media Arts. Prior to coming to HTHMA, Chris worked as a Golf Course Engineer for 3 years and taught Physics for 5 years at various public and charter schools in Virginia and California. Chris earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Virginia and a Masters Degree in Education from George Mason University. When Chris is not teaching you can find him falling off his surfboard, biking around on his beach cruiser or watching his beloved Washington Redskins and Virginia Cavaliers.

Karl grew up in Northern California and East Tennessee. He spent a lot of time taking things apart and building things with his father. He was always interested in innovation and invention. As a young student he was often frustrated by the "one size fits all" approach to education. Questions like, why is my academic achievement dependent on how well I do on a test that has only one set of answers, how can putting students in "low performing" groups improve their chances to succeed? Why can't we do more learning through doing instead of listening?

In Junior High and High School he had several teachers who provided tremendous support and many opportunities for his talents to shine. He went to Auburn University and majored in Industrial Design and graduated in the top of his class. While in college he designed and built; bent wood furniture, mechanical toys, exercise equipment, fiber optic lighting systems, park benches, and several other products. In short he learned to manage complex projects.

After college Karl designed and built a popular educational exhibit for the Children's Museum of Oak Ridge. Karl then went on to work for J. L. Troupe Engineering as a product design consultant. Once his initial contract was completed he went to Maytag Appliances as an Industrial Designer. He designed and was awarded nine patents for several key components on Maytag's first three rack dishwasher. He also designed variety of appliances for Hoover, Amana, Jenn-Air, and Magic Chef including: vacuums, washing machines, dryers, ranges, refrigerators, and cook tops. While at Maytag, Karl became a project designer and then the Amana brand manager. Karl also found solutions to some of the company's systemic issues. With the help of corporate IT built he developed and designed a database that streamlined operations for the ID division of the company. Karl continued to be active in the community while at Maytag by coaching soccer, taking courses, working with the elderly and volunteering.

While at Maytag, Karl began to reflect on his educational experiences. He felt that he could make a bigger impact on the world by getting involved in education. He left Maytag to study education at Vanderbilt University. While completing his masters degree Karl discovered High Tech High schools and it's project based learning. He is looking forward to making a difference and changing the world one student at a time.

Dawn the Dean was born and raised in St.Louis, Missouri and earned her Bachelor's degree from Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. While in college Dawn had the amazing experience of spending a semester in London studying at Regents College, as well as studying in Turkey and traveling all over Europe. After college, Dawn began to pay off her college debt by serving as an AmeriCorps volunteer with the Youth Volunteer Corps in Seattle, Washington for two years and found this so rewarding that she then volunteered in Mexico City for a year with a program called Visions in Action. It was after this year in Mexico that Dawn decided to live and teach in San Diego, California. She began her teaching career at Granger Junior High in National City, spent a year teaching in Watsonville, California and then returned to San Diego to teach at HTHMA. Family is a very important part of Dawn's life. She has a husband, a twin sister that lives in Minneapolis and an older sister living in Santa Cruz. Both of her sisters have children so Dawn has the joy of spending her vacations with 3 nephews and one niece!