Teachers
Courtney Angermeier
Humanities 10
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 204
Email: cangermeier@nmmediaarts.org
Courtney Angermeier is a teacher of 10th grade humanities and Comic book production. She also teaches at UNM, is a doctoral student in LLSS, and a local comic book artist and writer. She is committed to community building, critical thinking, social justice, and multicultural education.
Andrew Barrow
Film
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 203
Email: abarrow@nmmediaarts.org
Andrew Barrow is an Albuquerque native who earned his BA in Media Arts from the University of New Mexico and an MFA in Film from Ohio University. He has created numerous narrative films that have appeared in festivals across the country.
Every individual has an original story to tell. Through rigorous technical teaching and the fostering of individual creativity, those stories can all blossom into unique and memorable visual experiences.
Rachel Benner
Mathematics / Science
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 303
Email: rbenner@nmmediaarts.org
Rachel Benner is a native New Mexican and was born and raised in Albuquerque. She attended New Mexico Tech (NMT) and received her Bachelor’s of Science in Chemistry in 2011. A life-long learner, Rachel is currently pursuing a Master’s in Science Teaching through NMT. Along with her love of math and science, Rachel has always had a passion to teach and is excited to be teaching at MAACS.
Rachel’s prior teaching experiences include teaching chemistry at Sandia High School as a student teacher and working as a research assistant to students at Diné College on the Navajo reservation conducting environmental research and analysis projects. Rachel loves being with students and greatly enjoys helping them learn and overcome difficulties in math and science. She believes that comprehension of math and science is important in understanding the natural world and a basis for developing creative innovations for the future. As a teacher, Rachel hopes to help each student identify and develop his or her purpose in life. She believes that every student is capable of learning and hopes to instill a love of learning in her students so that they can pursue their dreams and be successful.
Shannon Beyer
Humanities II
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 107
Email: sbeyer@nmmediaarts.org
Shannon Beyer graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle with a B.A. in Communications, specializing in editorial journalism.
Jim Carlton
Mathematics / Computer Science
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 106
Email: jcarlton@nmmediaarts.org
Mathematics is one of the essential emanations of the human spirit – a thing to be valued in and for itself, like art or poetry.
Oswald Veblen
BBA Accounting – Eastern New Mexico University; MA Secondary Education/Educational Technology and Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning – New Mexico State University. Graduate studies in Mathematics and Science – New Mexico Tech. Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning, New Mexico State University.
40-year career in business including: Managing partner of CPA firm. Executive VP/Director of publicly traded Oil and Gas Exploration Firm. Officer/Director/Owner of various businesses. Held the following designations prior to retirement: Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), Certified Fund Specialist (CFS) Charter Life Underwriter (CLU), Charter Financial Consultant (ChFC), New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)/National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) General Securities Representative. (Series 7, 8, 24, 62,63) Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Teaching is the most rewarding of the many careers I have had the good fortune to experience. I enjoy helping young people realize their potential in their academic pursuits.
I believe that we must find each student where they are and design a course of study that will enable them to be successful not only in the subject being taught, but in the pursuit of higher education.
Vary Coates
Science
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 101
Email: vcoates@nmmediaarts.org
Vary Coates grew up in Washington, DC. Later, she earned a BS from NMSU in Biology, and her MA from UNM in Secondary Education. Before becoming a teacher, she was a tree farmer.
Anthony Conforti
Media Coordinator / TV Production
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 104
Email: aconforti@nmmediaarts.org
Anthony Conforti is a graduate of the University of New Mexico with a BA in English/Creative Writing and Theatre Arts. He began his professional career in media working in the, then, embryonic New Mexico film industry as a production manager and editor. Subsequently, he spent twenty years as a television news and documentary producer. Upon retiring from the television news business, Anthony traveled and lived abroad and wrote and published the historical novel, “ACALAN” which was the result of many years of research in Latin America.
While media has been Anthony’s career, it’s more than that now.
It’s a life skill. We are in the information age, and even if we don’t work professionally in the media, we’re all voracious media consumers.
Anthony takes a media literacy approach to the teaching of journalism and production.
To be responsible citizens and wise media consumers we must understand how media and especially the news media work. We must be able to recognize the processes that drive the media and hone our own critical thinking skills in order to evaluate what we see, read and hear.
I believe that anyone who can speak can write. Many of us have been taught that we simply cannot write and that has stifled our innate ability. We all have heard stories and the ability to tell a story is another inherent human quality. Media and writing is fundamentally about telling a good story. It all begins with the story. My goal as a teacher is to bring out the storyteller in my students.
Christina Garza
Spanish I & II
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 105
Email: cgarza@nmmediaarts.org
Christina Garza graduated from the University of New Mexico with a Bachelor’s in Secondary Education and Spanish. She has studied film and dance at Universidad Mayor in Santiago de Chile as well as studying flamenco for over five years at the National Institute of Flamenco and UNM. She currently dances and studies with pre-professional group Alma Flamenca. Ms. Garza has also lived and traveled through many parts of Central and South America, and carries a deep interest for culture and language. She is honored to be at MACCS in order to collaborate language with media arts.
Keya Lea Horiuchi
Film / Film History
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 201
Email: khoriuchi@nmmediaarts.org
Keya Lea Horiuchi has enjoyed a professional career that has been divided between the realm of education and the creative digital world. She previously taught on the Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico, as well as in Colorado. She made a transition into the world of film and video production after teaching the subject and making a short documentary about Tibet that screened at film festivals.
Being inspired by the creative process, she spent four months traveling around the world through ten countries filming a dialogue about how the rest of the world viewed the United States. The experience culminated in the production of Considering Democracy, 2008. Although a small, independent project, it went on a nationwide tour, was picked up by a satellite TV channel, selected as a film of the month with IronWeed Films and secured library, along with independent distribution.
Ms. Horiuchi is happy to be back in the classroom working as a film instructor to inspire students to see, engage with, and create insight into world that surrounds them. She believes that students should be inspired and productive, merging the iterative, collaborative, problem-solving nature of production into their educational experience and lives. She hopes to enrich student lives as part of a team that provides a strong base for students to be successful, responsible, creative adults.
Jessica Krichels
Art / Graphic Design
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 301
Email: jkrichels@nmmediaarts.org
Jessica Krichels was born and raised in the state of Maine. She received a B.A. in Visual Arts from Brown University and a Master’s in Education from Framingham State College. She lived and worked in Mexico as a teacher and artist for over twelve years and moved to Albuquerque three years ago to take a one year position at Sandia Prep. She has taught printmaking , photography and painting at several summer programs, including the summer program at the Oxbow School in Napa, CA. As a working artist, Jessica has had five individual shows and participated in over 20 collective art shows. This is Jessica’s third year at MACCS teaching studio art and graphic design, and she is thrilled to be a school with an arts focus.
Jessica believes that art requires risk and experimentation. Too often young people get stuck in a pattern or specific style of art making. Jessica encourages students to step out of their comfort zones and push themselves artistically.
Blake Minnerly
Audio
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 206
Email: bminnerly@nmmediaarts.org
Blake Minnerly holds a Masters Degree in Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a minor in music composition. He has been a professional musician and songwriter for over twenty years, as well as playing saxophone, guitar, mandolin and percussion in a number of bands in Madison, Chicago and Albuquerque. He has been a part of numerous recording sessions, including with the band Red Earth, which won two Native American music awards (NAMMIES) in 2000 and 2002 for best new artist and best world music album. In 2003, he began recording projects in his own home studio and composing soundtracks for short films. His composition for the film “Babof” won the best soundtrack award in the duke city digital shootout in 2004. In 2005, he lived for one year in Brazil, where he worked as sound editor for several Brazilian documentaries. He is a certified pro-tools operator and holds a certificate from the audio masterclass learning center in London. Along the way, he has gathered 15 years experience in the classroom as a teacher of math and physics at the secondary and post secondary level. He is extremely thrilled to be able to combine his love of teaching with his love of composing, playing and recording music.
Christine Penfold
Grade 6
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 304
Email: cpenfold@nmmediaarts.org
Christine Penfold is “Native” New Mexican and grew up and was raised in many parts of the United States, including Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas. She attended Central New Mexico Community College (formerly TVI) where she worked as an Educational Technician in the Developmental Division of both TVI and UNM. She earned her Bachelor’s in New Mexico History and Elementary Education at the College of Santa Fe. She is Highly Qualified in all core content areas and uses all types of Differentiated Instruction to teach students in her classroom. Christine is currently earning her Master’s in Science Teaching at NMT. Prior to beginning as the 6th grade teacher at MACCS, Christine worked in a public middle school for 12 years. Christine loves working with middle school aged students and enjoys teaching.
Christine is committed to education using:
- Problem and Project-based learning
- Hands-on, experiential education practices
- Use of technology and media for presentation of demonstration of student knowledge and mastery of understanding
- Uses collaborative learning
- And loves working with and teaching middle school aged students.
I believe that middle school is a place where students need to explore all the types of job fields and occupations that are out there for their futures. I try to provide experiences in all fields to allow students to investigate. I want them to know that anything they want to become is within their ability, from water technician, to science illustrator, to culinary artist, to architect or mathematician, to biologist, and photographer. I want my students to be able to synthesize what we have learned in my classroom and transfer it to any other situation or scenario they might be presented with in life. My job is to create confident, self-assured young people that are skilled in communication, collaborating and information seeking.
Tom Richardson
Photography
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 305
Email: trichardson@nmmediaarts.org
Tom Richardson has been working with photography for over the last 15 years in many capacities including commercial photography, fine arts, and academia. His personal photographs have been exhibited in the U.S. and abroad. He holds a Masters of Fine Arts from UNM and a Bachelors of Fine Arts from the University of Florida. As an advocate for photographic education, he is excited to be working with the young hearts and minds at MACCS. On photography, he states:
What excites me about photography is that it is grounded in reality but completely abstracted from it at the same time.
Sherry Russell
Special Education Coordinator
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 103
Email: srussell@nmmediaarts.org
Sherry Russell worked in business and many other things before she became a teacher, and once her kids were in school. Sherry earned her Bachelor’s degree in Art History. Later, she earned her certification to teach, then went on to get a Master’s degree in Special Education.
I love working with students, and feel that everyone can learn, maybe differently than other people, maybe faster, maybe slower. If your student needs something different to help them learn, I will be happy to assist them or help teachers work with them to help them succeed. I love working at MACCS!
Jessica Shoemaker
Humanities 9
Office: 505.243.1957 ex. 302
Email: jshoemaker@nmmediaarts.org
Jessica Shoemaker was born on Whidbey Island in Washington but grew up in Albuquerque. She received her B.A. in History with a minor in American Studies from the University of New Mexico in 2002. In addition to her love of animals and music, Ms. Shoemaker enjoys traveling and learning about history. She is especially interested in 20th century US and European history and had gained a deep appreciation for the history of New Mexico as well. Ms. Shoemaker believes that critically examining history is a crucial aspect of community building and social justice and this belief prompted her to become a teacher. She completed CNM’s Alternative Teacher Licensure Program in 2011 and is excited to be a part of the MACCS community where she hopes to share her passion for learning with her students.