NATALIE BENNETT
On Faculty Since: 2021
Courses: Algebra 3-4, Trig/PreCalculus
Natalie is an NSAA alumna currently pursuing a degree in Psychology at Arizona State University. With a deep passion for teaching and mentoring children, she aims to earn her Master’s degree and continue her career in secondary education. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, Natalie enjoys expressing her creativity through art, exploring new shops, and relaxing with her two beloved cats, Shrimp and Lox.
KATY CARDENAS| MEd
On Faculty Since: 2003
Courses: Algebra 1-2
Katy Ferrell-Cárdenas graduated in Health Education in 1993 from U of A, and joined the Peace Corp for a tour to Sana'a, Yemen. Upon returning, she worked as a community educator for the County Health Dept. In 1996, Mrs. Cárdenas moved to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where she also worked for five years in private instruction. Mrs. Cárdenas earned three Master's Degrees; Curriculum and Instruction, Education Leadership and Applied Behavior Analysis from ASU and holds Principal Certificate and has passed the State Superintendent exam. Dean Cárdenas has written charters and been a consultant on curriculum development for many Arizona public charter schools and is a passionate supporter of Charter Schools. In 2003, Mrs. Cardenas joined the NSAA organization as Principal for the Middle School, and a full time teaching position. Dean Cárdenas accepted the position of Executive Dean for NSAA in 2006, upon the retirement of its Founder, Dean Caya. Katy teaches high school Algebra 1-2 and is the OCR 504 Accommodation Plan Coordinator.
JO ANNE CRAIG | JD, MEd, BA
On Faculty Since: 2005
Courses: Advanced US History
The 2024-25 school year will mark Jo Anne Craig's nineteenth year with NSAA, teaching both Social Studies and English Language Arts at both the High School and Middle School. This year, she will teach High School Advanced/Dual Enrollment U.S. History and Advanced World History/Dual enrollment as well as Government Dual Enrollment courses. In addition to teaching, she serves as the NSAA Director of Faculty and Instruction. She received her J.D. degree from Wayne State University Law School and a secondary education post-baccalaureate teacher certification from Arizona State University. She graduated in December 2016 with a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from Arizona State University. Mrs. Craig's philosophy for teaching is that every student can learn and reach successful learning outcomes. She provides numerous opportunities for students to succeed through discussion, collaborative group work, Socratic Seminars, critical reading and writing exercises, and art integration. She is also a big proponent of experience-based learning. Mrs. Craig loves to have her students think critically and challenge existing viewpoints. Outside of school, she spends time with her husband, children, and many adorable dogs.
VALERIE CRAIG | MLIS
On Faculty Since: 2023
Courses: World History, Advanced World History
Valerie will teach High School World History for the 2024-25 school year. In addition to teaching she will be acting as the College Advisor, School Librarian, and Model UN Faculty Advisor. She is passionate about lifelong learning and providing equitable access to information. With a strong background in teaching, librarianship, and research. Valerie brings a unique blend of expertise to create enriching learning environments for students and a valuable resource for students pursuing higher education. Valerie obtained a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from Syracuse University, in May 2023. Throughout her masters program she served as the President of the Library and Information Science Student Association. During this time she also participated in the development of a Holocaust Library for the Syracuse Jewish Community Center. Prior to pursuing her Master's degree, Valerie earned a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Arizona State University. Combining her knowledge in library and information science with their expertise in education, Valerie hopes to empower students to become lifelong learners and critical thinkers.
ERIC DAY | MFA
On Faculty Since: 2024 (He’s back!)
Courses: Creative Writing
Eric Day has taught writing for over 20 years. He earned his MFA in Creative Writing at Arizona State University, concentrating on fiction and the modern novel. His writing sometimes appears in literary journals. His book of essays, Raised by Trees, is available on Amazon.
MICHAEL EIDE | MEd, MBA
On Faculty Since: 2024
Courses: MS Math
Michael Eide has earned a Master in Business Administration degree as well as a Master in Elementary Education. before teaching he had a career in the insurance industry where he obtained the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter and the Associate in Insurance Data Analytics designations from the Institutes Knowledge Group.
JANE DOWELL | BS
On Faculty Since: 2003
Courses: MS Honors Science Investigations, MS Science Exploration & Inquiry, MS Science Investigations, MS Science Analysis & Survey
Jane Dowell has been with the middle school since 2003. However, she has been teaching for longer than that. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Hearing Sciences and a teaching certificate. She has taken the examination required to make her "Highly Qualified" to teach middle school science. She is a daughter, sister, aunt, wife, mother and grandmother; all roles in which she is proud to claim, but being a teacher, especially a teacher of science, explains the core of her being. Ever inquisitive, she searches to find the unknown and make it known to her students. She is a lover of learning, penguins and space, especially planet Neptune.
MARK JAY FREEDMAN | MFA
On Faculty Since: 2018
Course: US History, Art History & Literature, 2D Design
Mark Freedman and his work have been contributing phrases to his story of the in-between since he completed his Hunter College Master’s thesis two weeks before the end of the 20th century. Freedman draws from a journey that began floating wide-eyed in the suburban pools of color-soaked Los Angeles and shifted to the sands of the emerging American desert, where he unearthed vital found-object lessons. Freedman spent his creative energies out West establishing the Arizona based art group The TRA25 Capsule (2000 – 2006). The group represented the burgeoning downtown Phoenix art community with numerous gallery happenings, public art projects, lectures and private commissions all culminated in “Fresh Paint,” an exhibition celebrating the new voices of the West at the Phoenix Art Museum. He wandered head-up in New York’s steel canyons, beaches and forests of his artistic ancestors and continued to examine the shift from analog to digital. During his time in New York, Freedman showed at the Woodstock Biennial, the Katonah Museum of Art, New York Studio Gallery, executed several private commissions, consulted on interiors and was an instructor at the Silvermine Art Center.
Now he and his family returns to the desert where his heart has always remained. Be it by brush, scissor, pen, hammer or keyboard, Freedman aspires to produce work that can blind from the flash that birthed the 1980’s age of information, embrace the do-it-yourself aesthetic from the West Coast 1970’s and humanizes the technological flood that has ensued.
HANK FRIES | BFA
On Faculty Since: 2012
Courses: Geometry, Digital Mixed Media, Publication Design, Sculpture
Hank Fries has been making objects and artwork for over thirty years in the Valley. A Tempe resident, Hank has spent the majority of his years at New School for the Arts and Academics as a teacher in both Academics and Visual Arts. He is an autodidact that feels that teaching develops a mindset that is open to endless learning. Hank earned a BFA in Intermedia from Arizona State University. His artwork is heavily influenced by Neolithic art, game design, and science fiction as well as a fascination with numerical and geometric patterns. Besides artmaking and teaching, Hank enjoys many outdoor activities and fitness pursuits, photography, and exploring remote and occasionally abandoned locations and archaeologically significant places.
JESSICA JOHNSON | BFA
On Faculty Since: 2023
Courses: MS Language Arts, MS Photo Explorations
Jessica is an alumni of NSAA who is excited to be joining the faculty as a teacher for the Middle School. In spring of 2023, she got to know many of the students as a Paraprofessional at NSAA. She received her Bachelors of Fine Arts in Photography from ASU. She has immense passion for the arts and infusing creativity into learning. She is an avid reader and lover of literature, stories and writing. She often incorporates writing into her art as well. In her free time, you can find her chilling at home with her dog, spending time with family and friends, and finding any excuse to go to Target.
ASHER NIXON
On Faculty Since: 2023
Courses: Sustainability & Environmental Science
Asher Nixon is an NSAA alumni who has returned to Arizona to study at Barrett, ASU’s honors college. Asher is always striving to learn and help others find out more about the world, teaching is fundamental to his life and career. He worked before as a Kindergarten teacher, as well as the computer/tech teacher for all grades, at a Boys & Girls Club in Montana. Now in college, Asher is studying sustainability sciences specializing in issues of food insecurity and homelessness in our very own City of Tempe. He is thrilled to be continuing the environmental science/sustainability course at NSAA once again and helping students become more knowledgeable citizens of our globalized world. He is proud to call himself a mentor, educator, and teacher. In his free time, Asher enjoys making art, cooking, and bowling!
ALEXANDER MUTSAERS | BS
On Faculty Since: 2019
Courses: Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy
Mr. Mutsaers (Mr. M) has been at NSAA since 2019, joining Admin in the spring of 2023, and has taught Biology, Chemistry, Anatomy/Physiology, and Environmental Science. He holds a bachelors in biochemistry and has done quality control work in both the beverage and pharmaceutical industries before beginning his teaching career. When not in the classroom, he enjoys writing, tennis, playing music, and being a patron of the arts.
YOLANDA RATLIFF
On Faculty Since: 2000
Courses: Spanish 1-2, Spanish 3-4
Ms. Ratliff has been New School for the Arts and Academics' Spanish teacher since 2000. She has a friendly and enthusiastic personality. She was born and raised in Mexico.
In 1998, she worked for EMG the Educational Management Group Division of Prentice-Hall, in live-TV-quality distance teaching (i.e. giving the lesson in Arizona and at the same time viewed and interactive in Hawaii). She also taught for six years conversational Spanish for the City of Phoenix, and two years for BERLITZ. Ms. Ratliff holds a B.A. (Bachelor of Arts) in Communications with a minor in Humanities from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix. Ms. Ratliff’s passion is teaching and inspiring her students to always keep learning.
Ms. Ratliff has been an active member of our community and received awards from the Mexican Cultural Center, MUJER Inc., AZ Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Alma de la Gente, and the National Association of Bank Women. As a journalist she has written articles for CAMBIO Hispanic Bilingual Magazine, Hola Latinoamerica Magazine, Nuestro Milenio Bilingual Magazine, and Ave Phoenix newspaper. Ms. Ratliff served on the board of directors of the Agri-business Council of Arizona, Alma de la Gente, Arizona Theatre Company, Arizona Economic Council, Arizona Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Ariztlán, City of Phoenix Women's Commission, Friends of the Orphans, Self-Employment Loan Fund, and Western International University.
SAM THIELE | BS
On Faculty Since: 2023
Courses: Literature & Composition, Society & Culture in Literature
Mr. Thiele is thrilled to begin his teaching journey at NSAA. After graduating with a Bachelor's degrees in Political Science and Urban Planning from Arizona State University in 2020, he is excited to share his passion for politics and humanities with his students. He is eager to inspire his students, nurture their creativity, and instill a lifelong love for learning.
MATT VENTRE | BA
On Faculty Since: 2017
Courses: Trig/PreCalculus , Music Theory, Guitar, Advanced Guitar, Contemporary Ensemble
Matt Ventre has been a professional musician around the southwest for over a decade. When not teaching, he currently is working and touring as a session guitarist around North America. Additionally, Mr. Ventre has joined the academic department at NSAA as the TPC teacher where he is excited to draw from a unique arts background in his presentation of mathematics.
CLAIRE A. WARDEN | BFA, BA
On Faculty Since: 2017
Courses: Introduction to Photo (Photo I), Advanced Photography (Photo I-IV), Digital Photography, French
Claire A. Warden (b. Montreal, Quebec) is an artist working in Phoenix, Arizona. She received her BFA in Photography and BA in Art History from Arizona State University. In 2024, she will receive her MFA in Studio Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Claire’s artwork has been exhibited widely in the United States and abroad, including solo exhibitions at The University of Kansas Art & Design Gallery, Philadelphia Photo Arts Center, and Colorado Photographic Arts Center. She has been named LensCulture's Top 50 Emerging Talents, Photo Boite’s 30 Under 30 Women Photographers, and a Clarence John Laughlin Award finalist. She received an Artist Research and Development Grant from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Philadelphia Photo Arts Center Contemporary Photography Exhibition award and the Ed Friedman Award from the Griffin Museum of Photography. Her work has been featured in publications, including Real Simple magazine, Der Greif Magazine, Strange Fire Collective, Common Ground Journal, Prism Magazine, Lenscratch, and Diffusion Magazine. Claire was awarded artist residencies through the Alfred and Trafford Klots International Program for Artists, Art Intersection in Arizona, the Center for Photography at Woodstock, LATITUDE in Chicago, ACRE, and Light Work in 2022.
NOLAN WILLIAMS | BA
On Faculty Since: 2024
Courses: MS World History & Geography, MS We The People/Civics
Nolan Williams is in his first year of teaching, and served as a long term substitute teacher last year. He was born and raised in Gilbert, Arizona and went to school at Arizona State University with a double major in American History and Political Science. He is active in his local community, having graduated from the Tempe Leadership program and having worked on municipal issues
Mr Williams has worked as an Emergency Medical Technician on an ambulance. He has also worked on a mobile crisis team with Community Bridges Inc in Mesa helping clients with urgent psychiatric, substance, or emotional problems. He has an active real estate license and enjoys operating a used book stand at farmer's markets around the valley.
Mr Williams teaches We the People, World History & Geography, and a study hall. He is also a faculty advisor for the Model United Nations club.
JENS WINSHIP | BA
On Faculty Since: 2016
Courses: Government & Economics, Theatrical Design & Production
Jens Winship received their BA in Theatre Arts at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, where they also studied history, politics and government. This year they are teaching Government & Economics, and Theatrical Production. They are the Technical Director for the NSAA Performing Arts Department and are the sponsor of NSAA's Thespian Troupe and. They are also an Alliance for Decision Education Fellow and presented at the 2023 National Association for Media Literacy Education Conference.
LUKE YOUNG | MEd, BFA
On Faculty Since: 2012
Courses: American Lit, Beg/Int Acting, MS Drama 1 & 2
Luke Young graduated from the University of Arizona (UofA) with a BFA in Theatre. While at the University of Arizona, he completed the rigorous Actor’s Training Program, where he focused on American Realism, Chekhov, Shakespeare, Commedia Dell’Arte, Moliere, and Restoration acting styles. Luke also completed Rio Salado College’s Teacher Preparation Program and has received his Secondary Teaching Certificate in English, Structured English Immersion and Dramatic Arts. He has also completed his Master’s in Education Degree with a focus in Instructional Leadership at Northcentral University. He worked previously for Arizona Theatre Company managing their Education Department and outreach, and in his spare time directs theatre productions and writes screenplays.