Catherine, her husband Ian, and dog Mac live in Point Loma.  Catherine enjoys traveling, reading, spending time with family and friends, being active, volunteering, and much more!

I am fortunate to have a wonderful family. My parents, 2 brothers, wife, and 2 sons are the love of my life. Some favorite family activities include surfing, baseball, and camping with Francisco(9) and Carlos(7). We also spend lots of time skateboarding, riding bikes, and just cruising around Mission and Pacific Beach.

After growing up in Sacramento, I moved to San Diego in 1989 to attend UCSD. After graduating in ’93, I worked for a couple of years as a counselor at a group home facility. Later, I spent a year traveling, surfing, camping, and hitchhiking down the Pacific Coast of Mexico. I met many kind people, and learned a lot about the culture and language of the country. I also read the best book of my life,The Way of the Peaceful Warrior, by Dan Millman.

Upon returning to San Diego, I met my wife Luisa, and instantly fell in love. This also seemed like the time to cut the hair, buy a suit a get a “real job”. I had always known that I wanted to teach, and was ecstatic when I was offered a job at Chollas/Mead Elementary School for the ’96-’97 school year. After teaching for 2 years, I got married, and Luisa and I embarked on a year-long South American honeymoon (we saved $ and took leaves of absence from our jobs). Some of our trip highlights include surfing and playing on the beaches of Brazil, an 8 day trip through the Bolivian Amazon, camping throughout the Argentinian/Chilean Patagonia, and countless high altitude treks through the Andes. We also visited the beautiful cities of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Salvador(birthplace of capoeira), Buenos Aires, La Paz, Santiago and Lima. (5 extra credit points to the first 10 students who approach me on their own, and show me, on the classroom map, at least 5 of the places that we visited---just tell me you want the extra credit honeymoon points---I expect you to already know where the places are!) 

Upon returning to San Diego (again), I resumed teaching at Chollas/Mead, and before long, my wife and I were blessed with the birth of our beautiful Francisco. Two years later, we were again blessed with the arrival of Carlos.

After 8 years of teaching 5th grade bilingual education at Chollas/Mead, I decided to leave in order to be able to focus on my teaching passions: reading, writing and history. I am currently in my fifth year teaching 7th Grade Humanities at High Tech Middle Media Arts. I am also the Dean of Academics, working with the director on school and classroom leadership. I hope to see you soon!

Cara was born and raised in Rhode Island where she lived with her parents, her brother and sister, and her beloved grandmother. After graduating from high school, she grew a little tired of the tiny state and decided to go to Pennsylvania for college where she attended Millersville University. She graduated in 2000 with a degree in Biology, a concentration in Marine Biology, and a minor in Chemistry. After graduation, she moved back to Rhode Island where she worked as a technical writer and marine biologist for an environmental consulting firm. In 2005, Cara and her husband moved to San Diego where she accepted a teaching position at the Harborside School where she was responsible for creating an inquiry-based science curriculum for students in grades four through nine.  The opportunity to work at HTMMA was offered to Cara in 2007 and she jumped at the chance!  Outside of work, Cara enjoys spending time with her close knit "family" of friends in San Diego, going to the beach with her dog, Madison, and working to decorate her home.

Five years ago, Jamie came to the High Tech campus and saw students and teachers connecting with each other through projects.  Instantly, he knew that he wanted to be a part of this innovative educational experience where students learn through doing and experiencing.  Originally from Texas, he started teaching and working in education in the private school sector as Athletic Director, math teacher, coach, and most memorably, running a comprehensive Outdoor Education program.  Working with kids in the outdoors taught him many lessons including the powerful impact of community, integrated learning and interacting directly with the environment and lessons of the backcountry.  Compelled to further my education and shape his teaching philosophy, he and his wife moved to New York City where he earned a Master's in Education at Teacher's College.  After graduate school, he moved back to Texas and worked as an Upper School Dean of Students and math teacher for three years before making the move to High Tech Middle Media Arts.

However, missing the classroom and the personal connections he could make with students, he discovered High Tech and made the move to San Diego with his family in tow and helped opened High Tech Middle Media Arts in the Fall of 2005.

Now, in California, James has taken to the ocean learning to surf among all the other outdoor pursuits that bring him great joy- golf, hiking, fly fishing, camping and most of all hanging out with my family.  James and his amazing wife Julie of 13 years have two beautiful children, the oldest, Gavin and youngest Bella Grace. The energy of the project-based classroom and the adventure of working with the middle school child is what makes his work as a teacher so much fun.  Learning experientially and a love of making learning FUN is the hallmark of his teaching philosophy and is inherent in the project-based approach to learning.

Megan has been teaching at a variety of grade levels over the past ten years. Her first six years of teaching were in a small, private elementary school in North County, where she taught math, science and social studies in 2nd and 4th grades. From there, Megan moved to another independent school in La Jolla, in a school with project-based, emergent curriculum. While there, Megan was part of a pilot program launching a 1:1 Mac laptop program with her sixth grade students. Last year, Megan taught mathematics to 7th and 8th grade students in an independent school in Los Gatos. Megan considers herself a true life-long learner, as she completed her second post-graduate program in mathematics education in Spring of 2009, noting she had been a student at SDSU since 1994! Megan loves exploring new cultures while traveling, planning the next spur-of-the-moment trip, and attempting to practice her Spanish while traveling. She is an avid sports fan, hockey is her favorite as a native Michigander / Minnesotan! While Megan is excited to join an energetic group of educators at HTMMA, she cannot wait for the learning adventures in PBL with the students.

 

Darrick Hwang is from the San Francisco Bay Area. He moved down to San Diego in 1997 to attend college at the University of California San Diego. While in school Darrick started working at a local startup called Collegeclub.com providing systems administration. Upon graduating UCSD with a Bachelors in Visual Arts with a Computing Emphasis Darrick went to work at General Atomics where he provided technical support for their electromagnetics division. More recently Darrick did graphic design for a local classic car restoration facility. In his free time he enjoys working on cars, mountain biking, playing basketball, graphic arts, and being with friends.

As an arts educator, Linda has worked with a wide range of students from fifth graders to working professional actors. Locally, Linda has been a teaching artist for Playwrights Project, San Diego Junior Theatre, and the Academy of Performing Arts, and she is a founder of the San Diego Actors Alliance, a service organization for San Diego artists for almost 20 years. She taught all levels of theatre courses at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Maryville College, and Pellissippi State College.

Linda trained at the Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts and earned her Masters of Fine Arts degree from Temple University. Currently she teaches at High Tech Middle Media Arts where she formed the Drama department. Linda is a regular on San Diego stages. Her primary role has been as an actress but she has also produced, directed, written, and designed numerous productions. Because of her extensive professional experience Linda earned her teaching credential as a person of eminence; one of 27 such credentials issued since 1979. San Diego audiences have seen Linda onstage recently in “The Good Body” at the San Diego Rep, “Request Programme” at ion Theatre, and “Beauty and the Beast” at Starlight. Linda has performed in many world premiers including: Five Cups of Coffee for Lambs Players Theatre, and The Adoption Project for Mo'olelo. Awards include a Craig Noel San Diego Critics Circle Award for her performance in Cabaret at North Coast Repertory, a KPBS Patte Award for In Arabia We'd All Be Kings, a K.A.T. award for The Glass Menagerie, and two Dramalogue Awards for Six Women with Brain Death or Expiring Minds Want to Know. San Diego stage credits include: Lambs Players, Starlight, North Coast Repertory, Lynx Performance, Cygnet Theatre, and Mo'olelo. Internationally, Linda has toured to Far East Russia, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, and Toronto, Ontario. Her regional theatre work includes: Arizona Theatre Company, Clarence Brown Theatre, and Barter Theatre. If you watch carefully, you may catch Linda in one of several television commercials. Linda is also a musician - enjoying singing, guitar, piano and an occasional bout with a banjo. She loves to travel.

Stacey has always been passionate about education. Whether it was through teaching writing in college or working as a behavioral therapist for students with autism, she has always found herself drawn towards the field of learning. While at UCSD, Stacey majored in Human Development with an area of focus in Biology and Chemistry. Upon graduating, with the hope of further exploring the desire to teach, she moved to New Orleans where she taught for two years with a program called Teach for America. Those two years transformed her thoughts about education and inspired in her a passion for working with a diverse population of students and for finding a way to help all students to be successful. Most importantly, though, it was this experience that helped her decide what she really wanted to do upon returning to San Diego, which was to find a way to be involved in a more innovative and student-centered approach to education. And that is how she ended up at High Tech High. After seeing High Tech High featured on the news one evening and being inspired by the students and how genuinely excited they seemed about being at school, she knew this was the place for her! She started at High Tech Middle as a 6th grade math/science teacher and, the following year, was fortunate enough to help open High Tech Middle Media Arts and to work with an extremely talented and inspiring group of people in the process. Stacey feels very fortunate to be a part of such an amazing organization and to have a job that does not feel like “work”. In her spare time, Stacey enjoys practicing yoga, dancing, reading, biking, hiking, learning new things, cooking, and traveling. She was fortunate enough to travel with 25 HTMMA students to Costa Rica last year and also to spend the summer in Mexico studying Spanish and looks forward to future student travel adventures!

Zoe Randall is a proud to be at HTMMA, teaching for her third year as the Multimedia Teacher. Zoe studied Media in the Visual Arts program at UCSD and received her B.A. in 2004 with an emphasis in Film. She has a particular passion for documentary filmmaking, and currently she produces freelance videos for the Travel Channel after attending the Travel Channel Academy in 2006. Zoe's teaching career has led to many extraordinary opportunities of which she feels very lucky to have enjoyed with her students over the years. In 2003, she began her teaching career at the Birch Aquarium at Scripps in La Jolla, CA after a year of volunteering for their education program. It was there where she learned everything she knows about the ocean, as well as developing an interest in protecting the environment and enjoying ocean activities such as surfing, kayaking, snorkeling and diving. During the summer of 2008, Zoe had the privilege to be trained by French animators from the University of Rennes II, through a border project collaboration with SDSU and HTMMA and continues to teach animation workshops throughout the year. Last year, Zoe and her students participated in a nationwide project called Stories of Service, and produced digital stories about the wartime experiences of local veterans. They went to Washington, D.C. to represent HTMMA and came back with the Peter and Michael Almendarez Spirit Award. Zoe can't wait to work on fulfilling projects with her new students!

Zoe's personal passions include hiking, running, cooking, baking, and beading. She also is learning to knit. Zoe grew up in the desert of Palm Springs, CA with her older sister, Kate, and her mom, from whom she constantly finds inspiration. She also has two amazing dogs, Max and Jett. She loves to travel and has enjoyed her experiences abroad in Europe and Asia. She taught English during the 2004-2005 academic year in Bordeaux, France during an assitantship offered through the French Embassy. She loves French culture and speaks fluent French. It was there she truly understood the term, joie de vivre, joy of life. She also has traveled to South Korea, Italy, Spain, and Baja California, Mexico and looks forward to many more adventures and cultural immersions.

Zoe looks forward to an exciting year, teaching 6th and 8th grade multimedia courses and building a foundation program for teaching students to be adept learners in the digital generation. She's enthusiastic to see new creativity and original ideas and can't wait to watch her students grow into mature and repsonsible young adults!

Cady Staff loves kids and loves interacting with people. She also has a passion for literature, writing, poetry, U.S. history, being an auntie, playing soccer, surfing, and running around outdoors with her amazing dog, Gracie.  She found her dream job as a teacher at HTMMA the year it opened and loves teaching 8th grade with her fabulous Math/Science partner and friend, Jamie Holmes. She learns so much when she teaches and feels honored to be there to watch and support her students as they continue to develop into brilliant young men and women at HTMMA.

Before working at HTMMA, Cady was a 12th grade ELD teacher at San Diego High School and a 9th and 10th grade English teacher at Madison High School.  She earned her undergraduate degree in Literature/Writing, her teaching credential, and Masters in Education at UCSD.  She is currently working on a Masters in Teacher Leadership through the HTH GSE program.  She loves to discover new things, learn from history and to figure out solutions to problems with her students, while celebrating life and learning along the way!  Family is extremely important to her and she feels so lucky to be a part of the HTMMA family!

After graduating from Holtville High School in Holtville, CA (The carrot capitol of the world), I attended Point Loma Nazarene University right here in San Diego where I ran track & field and cross-country for 4 years. After realizing that being a music business major wasn’t helping my rock star career, I graduated with a B.A. in literature and a girl that said she would marry me. I earned a teaching credential at PLNU and finished my student teaching at High Tech High International where I taught 9th grade last semester.

My wife, Sarah, is a 6th grade math/science teacher at High Tech Middle school, and we live in Pacific Beach.

Raised in Houston, Texas, Ben attended the University of Texas in Austin.  Halfway through his studies, he ventured to West Africa to immerse himself in a different culture and language and to study the djembe drum. After almost two years of living in Senegal, studying at The University of Dakar, and traveling across West Africa, he returned to Texas and earned his B.A. in Anthropology and French with a minor in Biology.  From there, he followed his heart and moved west to live and work closer to nature and to be with his future wife, Lisa.  After a couple of seasons working in archeology in the national forests of eastern Oregon, Ben and Lisa took jobs at Yosemite National Park. There, he continued in archeology and started to work in local schools as a bilingual teaching assistant and community liaison. Working primarily with Spanish speaking students and their families, Ben chose to attend the CSU International Teacher Training Program in Mexico. With his bilingual credential, Ben has spent the last four years teaching the fourth and fifth grades in San Diego’s South Bay Union School District. A passion for empowering students in their learning led him to High Tech High.  He is very enthusiastic about working in this dynamic, innovative environment and hopes to grow as much as the students this school year. Besides teaching, Ben's passions include playing with his two girls, drumming, learning new languages, and running with his dog, Samy.

Marilen Tran attended school in the South Bay area of San Diego. She went to Bethune Elementary, Bell Jr. High School, and Morse High School.

After spending several years at Mesa Community College, Marilen was accepted to California State University of San Marcos and received her BA in 2001 in Liberal Studies. She then completed her Teaching Credentials at San Diego State University. In 2005, Marilen began her teaching career at Memorial Academy of Learning and Technology in Logan Heights. She taught Pre-Algebra and Life Science for three years.

Marilen’s passions include photography, dancing choreographed hip hop routines, playing flag football and basketball and spending time with her husband, family, and friends. She is a San Diego Charger fan and an ultimate San Antonio Spurs fan. She is extremely excited to start her second year at HTMMA and is ready to learn, live, laugh, appreciate, and teach the students from this amazing school!

Kyle Wagner is entering his third year of teaching at HTMMA and sixth year of teaching overall. His first teaching job began at Oak Grove Middle School where he taught Social Studies at both the 6th and 7th grade level. Kyle also helped lead and develop the After School Tennis Program and School Plays during those years. In addition, Kyle has experience with teaching music, drama and after school sports. An undergraduate of California Polytechnic University with a degree in History and a graduate of San Diego State University with a Single Subject Teaching Credential, Kyle is always seeking to learn new things. He has applied this curiosity to his hobbies which include tennis, soccer, singing, playing music, traveling (17 countries and climbing), activism, and writing. Kyle cannot wait to begin a new year at High Tech Middle Media Arts where he hopes to continue his growth as an educator while inspiring curious minds.

Katie has been working for High Tech High schools for over five years, and feels thrilled and honored to work for an organization that shares her vision and her hopes for public education.  This will be Katie’s third year working for HTMMA, and while she will miss her sixth grade Humanities students, Katie is looking forward to supporting all students at HTMMA in their mission to feel accomplished and successful in the classroom. Katie double majored in English and Spanish literature at UCSD, and graduated magna cum laude in 2004.  Prior to joining High Tech High Katie completed coursework toward her Master's degree in Education at UCSD. The most rewarding and exciting part of this program for Katie was the opportunity to work in bilingual dual-immersion programs, where she taught in both English and in Spanish. Katie has also taught analytical and expository writing classes at a private institute in San Diego.

Some of Katie’s passions include dancing, traveling, reading, writing, baking cookies, cooking, swimming, running, hiking, going to the beach, and spending time with family and friends.