AMS is a staff-run school. Full time staff members share equal responsibility and compensation, no matter how long they have worked here. While we don’t have a head of school, we do have clerks. This role serves as a liaison to our parents and board. They also guide staff to think about the bigger picture when making decisions in our consensus based staff meetings.
We Are All Teachers
Most staff members have multiple positions: they can be houseparents, trip leaders, cooks, and fill one of the many coordinator positions all at once. One role we all fill is teaching. Whether it’s math class, a garden internship, or an elective, all full time staff (and most of our part time ones) teach students in some capacity. This structure allows students to recognize that everyone’s work is equally important and that we all have something to give.
Staff Bios
Arden Boyd (she/he/they)
Co-Clerk, Kitchen Coordinator, Teacher
BA in Environmental Studies with a focus in Sustainable Food Systems, The College of Wooster
arden@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Arden’s fifth year on staff at AMS. They grew up in the South and went to college in Wooster, Ohio. Her time in Wooster taught her to treasure opportunities for experiential learning. He enjoys listening to stories (and telling them!), knitting, making popcorn, meeting bugs, and learning fun facts.
Middle school memory: In eighth grade, I invented an animal called a “snorse,” a combination snake-horse. Drawing them on the back of every assignment became my “thing” from then on, so every paper I turned in or took home that year also contained a loving portrayal of my creation. I hoped my peers would also get excited about inventing new animals, but the idea never caught on.
Julia Bienstock (she/her)
Co-Clerk, Spanish Teacher
BA in Philosophy and Spanish, Kalamazoo College
julia@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Julia’s third year at AMS. She is from southeast Michigan. Before coming to AMS, she held various roles in education for students of all ages, such as writing consultant at IE University, K-12 after-school tutor, and arts and crafts teacher. She is pumped to work at AMS since she loves outdoor education and middle schoolers! You can likely find her working on her cat whispering skills, crocheting, reading philosophy, skiing, learning new languages, consuming modern art, or playing a word game.
Middle school memory: As a middle schooler trying to be different from everyone else, I needed a pet that my friends didn’t have. I chose a pet lizard, and I named him Carl. He loved eating live crickets and enjoying Michigan summers. The crickets lived in our fridge far enough away from our human food. This experience taught me valuable lessons about caring for another being at a young age.
Rebecca Zeldin (she/her)
Admissions Co-Coordinator, Houseparent, Language Arts and Spanish Teacher
MA in Philosophy and Education, Columbia University
BA in Spanish Literature, Haverford College
rebeccaz@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Rebecca’s eighth year at AMS. Since starting at AMS she’s taught a variety of subjects, served as a clerk, and academic coordinated. She’s thrilled to be houseparenting and Admissions Coordinating this year. Rebecca has spent her entire adult life in nontraditional schools: living and working in a Camphill Community and teaching at a cooperative school in Pennsylvania. At AMS, Rebecca cherishes caring for the kids, teaching the humanities, living in community, and trying her hand at many things.
Middle school memory: I had this incredible eighth grade English teacher. To my thirteen-year-old self, he appeared an ambassador of another world, a world in which words and ideas ranked more highly than TV shows, soccer practice, or most any of the other activities I was taken with in those days. So enthusiastic was this teacher about discussing books with us that he would sometimes bounce up and down with exhilaration. By the end of the day, his shirt would be streaked with chalk and sweat. I fell in love with many things at once that year–books, ideas, discussion, and indeed teaching itself. All this time later, who I am and what I’m doing can be traced back to the world my eighth grade English teacher first showed me.
Owen Edgington (he/him)
Admissions Co-Coordinator, Social Studies Teacher
BA in Philosophy of Education, Hendrix College
owen@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Owen’s second year at AMS. He grew up in Austin, Texas and moved to Arkansas for college. He’s a self-proclaimed board game nerd, an avid writer and birder, and rereads his favorite sci-fi and fantasy novels every year. He’s also really into fungal mycelium, octopuses, and bees.
Middle school memory: Lunch was always the hardest part of my day. I never knew where to sit, and the cafeteria felt like a fluorescent nightmare. But one day, in a spurt of uncharacteristic bravery, I sat down with a group of kids playing cards. They welcomed me in and showed me how to play. Before I knew it, the people at that table had become some of my best friends.
Adam Alexander (he/him)
Academic Coordinator, Houseparent
MA in Philosophy and Education, Columbia University
BA Philosophy and BS Psychology, Viterbo University
adam@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Adam’s eighth year at AMS. Adam is a curious young man from Wisconsin who moved out east for graduate school. His academic training is in philosophy, so he’s had a variety of jobs in IT, teaching, and manual trades. He enjoys frisbee, board games, photography, woodworking, gardening, and mechanical projects, as well as working with young people. As a child, Adam spent much of his time daydreaming about hypothetical societies and wishing he was an astronaut.
Middle school memory: I have fond memories of improvisational play-acting with a couple friends for forensics competitions, building sets for our school play, and dancing to “All Star” when it came out.
Sullivan Costa (he/him)
Maintenance Coordinator, Math Teacher
BS in Environmental Geoscience with a minor in Graphic Design, Michigan State University
sullivan@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Sully’s fourth year at Arthur Morgan School. Before AMS, Sully was studying Geosciences in Lansing, MI – Not too far from where he grew up. He really enjoys the silliness and creativity of young people, and feels very much like a student here himself. Sully also enjoys the cold, the dirt, swimming, singing, and the sun (when it isn’t too hot)!
Middle school memory: I’d spend a lot of my free time at school exploring unlocked doors, sneaking around, and finding little places that not a lot of other students would ever know about. I think that translated into my love of discovering niche places in the world that stay more untouched by the crowds.
Joseph Friedman (he/him)
Farm Co-Coordinator, Math Teacher
BA in Physics with minors in Astronomy and Philosophy, Allegheny College
joseph@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Joseph’s third year at AMS. He is a math teacher and excited to be coordinating the library this year. He grew up in Nashville until moving to Pennsylvania for college. Joseph has spent many summers as a counselor next door to AMS at Camp Celo. He is excited to lead hikes in the area and share his love of math and the sciences with students.
Middle school memory: I had an incredible English teacher who encouraged me to read what I liked. That led to me reading every science fiction book in the library and everything ever written by Isaac Asimov. That started my love for science and I haven’t stopped since.
Mikayla LaFleur (she/her)
Houseparent, Math Teacher
MA and BA in Art Education, Pratt Institute
mikayla@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Mikayla’s second year at AMS. She grew up in Massachusetts before moving to New York for five years to attend college. Before coming to AMS, Mikayla taught art at a local elementary school, started a small pottery business, and spent time living and volunteering in several intentional communities to learn about farming and natural building techniques.
Middle school memory: When I was in 6th grade, my middle school music teacher held me back after class to suggest that I join a local children’s choir outside of school. I was terrified of singing in front of other people because I didn’t think I had a very good voice—but secretly, I loved to sing. My music teacher must have picked up on my enthusiasm and kept encouraging me until I finally agreed to audition. Walking into the audition, my palms were sweaty, knees weak, arms were heavy. I completely forgot how to sing for a moment, but the choir teacher was very patient with me. I ended up having a great audition and was accepted into the choir. Being part of that group was one of my favorite middle school experiences. I learned so much about singing and got to perform all over the state, all thanks to the supportive adults in my life.
Emily Smith (she/her)
Houseparent, Teacher
BS in Agriculture and Natural Resources, Berea College
emily@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Emily’s second year at AMS. She is from Georgia, where she grew up in an intentional Christian community, Jubilee Partners, that works with refugees. During elementary school, Emily and her family moved to Egypt. She loves learning about new cultures and foods, exploring different lands, and connecting with people. Emily worked previously as a ranch and education volunteer with Heifer International as well as a professional baker in bakeries in Berea, KY and Oaxaca, Mexico. Some of her favorite things are reading, playing games and sports, baking, yoga, exploring the woods, playing with kids, and riding her bicycle.
Middle school memory: Learning to take care of our farm! We just bought a milk cow and I loved to bottle feed the calf in the morning before school. I learned how to process the milk for yogurt and butter, as well collect the chicken eggs. I worked in the garden and picked blueberries to sell at the farmer’s market. I appreciated both the learning aspect of these skills as well as the responsibility that
came from stewarding the land. These chores developed my love for plants and animals that I have today.
Rebecca (Rudy) Page-McCaw (they/any)
Outdoor Coordinator, Houseparent, Math Teacher
rudy@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Rudy’s second year at AMS. Rudy grew up in different places around the country, and discovered the beautiful South Toe valley in middle school by attending Camp Celo. After many summers as a camp counselor and attending college in Wisconsin, Rudy moved to Celo and spent time working at Spruce Pine Montessori School. Rudy likes singing, finding things in the woods, contra dancing, reading, and learning new kinds of work with their hands.
Middle school memory: When I was in eighth grade, I was the stage manager for our middle school musical. I attended all the rehearsals, took notes on blocking, and shepherded first graders when practicing the song they joined us for. I was used to these responsibilities from assistant stage managing last year — and then we got to tech week. I met with the guy who had designed the sound and lighting and added a hundred cues to my notes. I learned I was going to be on headset calling these cues, making the sound and lights happen, because I knew the show best. I remember sitting down in the middle of the stage, poring over my giant script binder, overwhelmed and excited and grateful to be trusted with an important role.
Becca Richie (she/her)
Houseparent, Language Arts Teacher
becca@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Becca’s first year at AMS. She is excited to complete the trifecta of Rebeccas on staff. She is from the DC area but is moving from New York City, where she worked as an activist and middle school teacher. As a kid, she spent time making forts in her neighbor’s bamboo until one fateful day, the neighbor got a dog who started pooping in her fort. But luckily, she escaped to Quaker camps during the summer, where she roamed woods along the Appalachian trail and satisfied her yearning for wild places. Becca loves making strange collages with friends, drafting fantasy designs of imagined museums or houses, yoga, playing sports, and reading books, articles, poems, any beautiful or amusing words. More than anything, she loves an adventure, especially one that comes with loud music at some point.
Middle school memory: I started at a new school and forged new friendships based on theatrical tomfoolery and shared love of Miniclip games. Middle School was tough, I didn’t develop good homework habits and rarely read anything at all! But I did get to go on a great trip in 8th Grade to the Tetons Science School. It was March, and still snowy, so we snowshoed between classes on ecosystems, owls, and pinecones. One night, we went out into the fields of snow to look at the Milky Way. We split up, giving each other plenty of space to commune with the snow and the sky. Before I found my way to communing with the world through books and reading, I most felt my place in the universe through quiet, independent time outside.
Chris Schmucki (he/him)
Houseparent, Spanish Teacher
BA in Comparative American Studies, Film, and Hispanic Studies, Oberlin College
chris@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Chris’ first year at AMS. He grew up near Philadelphia before moving to Ohio for college. Since graduating, he has lived in Colombia and Philadelphia, where he has pursued work in education and environmental justice. He enjoys woodworking, outdoor adventure, music & dance, and biking.
Middle school memory: In 6th grade I had the absolute honor of not only playing the titular role in Macbeth, but sharing the part with my childhood best friend (there were two Macbeths,
two Lady Macbeths, and two Macduffs in the same performance). It was an incredibly fulfilling experience, but I haven’t really acted since, so I’m hoping to try it again soon.
Erek Napora (he/him)
Houseparent, Math and Science Teacher
MS in Biology, Georgia Southern University
BS in Environmental Studies, Warren Wilson College
erek@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Erek’s first year at AMS. His academic background is in Biology, and he lived in Tanzania studying African elephant behavior. He has spent the last nineteen years building a homestead and farm in Northeast Tennessee with his wife, Megan, and their three children. That included working with friends to build our log cabin, barn, and pizza oven among other things. Other past jobs have included trapping invasive tree snakes in Guam and working for FEMA in Nome, Alaska. Erek enjoys getting into almost any kind of project and tries to finish at least 90% of it.
Middle school memory: Middle school was a trying time for me as I moved back and forth between divorced parents. I became immersed in books and developed my love for nature and wildlife as I explored my surroundings in North Carolina and Kentucky. I was often accompanied by my pet boa constrictors, Isis and Ishtar (who only occasionally got lost in the house).
Megan Cadwallader (she/her)
Houseparent, Spanish and Science Teacher
BS in Environmental Studies (Sustainable Agriculture), Warren Wilson College
megan@arthurmorganschool.org
This is Megan’s first year at AMS. She and Erek have raised pastured meat, a log cabin, and three kids on their Virginia/Tennessee homestead. She is thrilled that her family has a chance to be a part of this community of creative and spirited folks.
Middle school memory: I was lucky to watch the strife of middle school from a distance, owing to a fantastic group of wild and caring friends that weren’t quite ready to grow up. Insecurities disappeared when we spent days and nights playing capture the flag, climbing trees, and building human pyramids. Not to mention lots of distinguished 7th grade humor. Some of my favorite years!
Bethany Rountree (she/her)
Finance Coordinator
BA in Sociology, Women’s Studies, Creative Writing, University of Vermont
bethany@arthurmorganschool.org
Bethany is originally from Middlebury, Vermont, but has lived in western North Carolina for over 30 years. She is a member of Celo Community and lives down the road. Bethany’s three kids attended AMS and learned cool things like sheep shearing, bee keeping, how to make a mountain dulcimer and build a pizza over. Friday nights often brought nights-out boarding students with boisterous conversations around the dinner table. Bethany is grateful to be part of this school community that offers so many creative and outdoor opportunities to adolescents.
Middle school memory: My junior high years were tough. Lots of insecurities and trying to fit in, wearing a knock off rugby shirt with plastic buttons my Mom bought at an outlet store, rather than a name brand one with cool rubber buttons. However, my band teacher was amazing and I loved playing the trumpet. Also, I learned how to juggle. Not only that, but I started listening to music, tuning my radio to the top 40 hits and falling asleep to Duran Duran, Prince, the Eurythmics, and George Michael.
Aleshia Harding (she/her)
Bookkeeper
BS in Business Administration with a concentration in accounting, Mars Hill University
bookkeeper@arthurmorganschool.org
Aleshia was raised in Burnsville, North Carolina. As a native of Burnsville, she took for granted the beauty of the mountains and all they offer, but as an adult found new appreciation for the Blue Ridge Mountains and could not imagine a more picturesque scenery to call home. She lives with her 10-year-old son, Malaki, 4 cats, and one dog (aptly named Stray) who wandered inside one day and became a permanent fixture. She has worked in a variety of jobs but always desired to work for an entity which exists for the greater good. She is excited to take on the role of bookkeeper at Arthur Morgan where students grow, learn, and participate in a supportive community.
Middle school memory: Middle school consisted of trying to fit in where I thought I belonged and discovering my own unique personality did not fit the mold. There’s also a time I rode a horse upside down… first time I’d ever ridden one. I could feel the saddle slipping each time he would go off trail to graze but didn’t want to say anything to make everyone stop, finally the entire saddle slid over the side leaving me upside down, stuck in the stirrups. Terror does not begin to describe the feeling. Luckily, I was kindly saved by a ranch hand, and lived to tell this story.
Arthur Morgan School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity or expression, marital status, economic status, or disability.