Alturas Preparatory Academy

Saige Barlow grew up in Las Vegas, NV, and she has always had a passion for music! She obtained her Bachelors degree in Music Education from Utah State University, where she had the privilege to sing with top choirs, compose and premiere original music, and help start an a cappella group called Aggiepella!
Saige came back to Las Vegas to teach choir for 4 years, including 1 year where she started a mariachi program! She arranged and recorded many songs for her ensembles, including both traditional and popular music. She also loves to film music videos for her students to showcase their hard work and talents! She also teaches private voice lessons after school, and she loves connecting with all her students to help them succeed! She is incredibly excited to be working at Alturas Preparatory Academy, where she can expand her opportunities in multiple music subjects!
Aside from singing, she loves playing the piano, the flute, the trumpet, the guitar, the violin, the clarinet, and many other instruments! When she’s not making music or composing, Saige loves to go shopping, explore outdoors, travel (preferably to Walt Disney World when she can), exercise, bake, read books, watch Disney movies, and spend time with her family and friends! Her mom, who teaches fashion courses at BYU-Idaho, inspired her to become a teacher, and she hopes to inspire many students to love music like she does!

Julianne Bazzell serves as a Middle School Language Arts Educator at Alturas Preparatory Academy. She brings 5 years of experience in English education. Before joining APA, she worked in the front office at AIA. She also taught high school in Logan, UT and Glendale, AZ. Her professional interests include poetry and creative writing. She is passionate about making information accessible and clear for everyone, as well as making sure that the people who come into her classroom feel seen and heard. Bazzell holds a Bachelor’s degree from Utah State University. Outside of work, she enjoys family, mountains, boats, and books.

Jordan Burt was raised in many states, and even spent a few years in the Caribbean when she was younger. After high school Miss Burt attended the University of Idaho where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Animal Veterinary Science. Upon graduating college she was assigned a long term substitute teaching position in a 6th grade science class in Bonners Ferry, ID. It was during this time that she discovered her passion and love for teaching. Miss Burt returned to school where she recently received her Masters in Secondary Education from Grand Canyon University.

Traveling and experiencing new places and cultures is a major part of what Jordan does in her spare time. So far her favorite place she has traveled to is New Zealand, but anywhere tropical is a close second. She is also a major fan of all things sports. She played volleyball, basketball, and track and field growing up and has chosen to continue being involved in athletics through coaching, refereeing and learning to golf.

Miss Burt is excited to join the Alturas team, she looks forward to working with and learning from the students, staff, parents and community members. She is ready to help students succeed in their academic endeavors and is eager to aid students in understanding the important role science has in this world.

Carolina C. Carr was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico. She is married, a proud mother of three sons, grandmother to three loving grandsons, and the devoted human to a 75-pound dog named Amigo. She has a passion for teaching Spanish language and culture, inspiring her students to connect with the richness of the Spanish-speaking world. Carolina earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education from the University of Alaska and a Master’s degree in Teaching a Language from the University of Southern Mississippi. In Alaska, she taught Spanish in a variety of settings, including the International Baccalaureate Program, Spanish Immersion, Heritage Speakers, and courses from Spanish I through AP Language and Culture. She finds great joy in watching her students develop their language skills, and seeing them communicate confidently in Spanish is what fuels her dedication to teaching. Outside the classroom, Carolina enjoys playing pickleball daily and taking long walks with Amigo. She loves reading Isabel Allende’s novels and historical fiction, as well as practicing crocheting and embroidery. An avid traveler, she seizes every opportunity to explore new places and learn about their cultures.

Shannon Claver serves as the Visual Arts Teacher, as well as CAS and Senior Project coordinator at Alturas Prep. She brings 15 years of experience in education and the arts. Before joining Alturas, she worked as a PE teacher, classroom para, Title 1 tutor, and teacher at Grape Van Gogh. Her professional interests include painting, drawing, and sculpture. She is passionate about helping her students thrive at any creative level. Mrs. Claver obtained a bachelors of visual arts and a bachelor of education from Idaho State University. Outside of work, she enjoys time with her family, painting, nature, shopping and reading.

Megan Clements serves as an ELA teacher at Alturas Preparatory Academy. She brings one year of experience as a teacher. Before joining Alturas, she worked in the publishing industry as a writer and book editor. Her professional interests include publishing two books on the writing craft and her work in the nonprofit sector as a literacy advocate. She is passionate about helping students find their creative niche and a book they will love.Clements holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from Idaho State University. Outside of work, she enjoys being outdoors and spending time with family.

Shannon Coles was born and raised in East Idaho and resides in Shelley with her husband, 4 wonderful children, one wild dog named Moose (also known as Baby Dawg), and her kids’ 3 (very spoiled) black cats.

Mrs. Coles attended college at Western Governors University, where she gained a strong foundation in teaching practices. She believes in learning as a lifelong pursuit and strives to stay up to date with the latest teaching practices and methodologies.

Mrs. Coles’s most cherished moments are spent with her husband Brock and four beautiful children, Kam, CJ, Kash, and River— who bring immense joy and adventure to her life. They often find themselves on dirt road adventures, playing card games, or having dance parties in the kitchen. Their summer bucket lists always include treasured moments in Island Park, where they enjoy camping, bike riding, exploring, swimming in the creek, and fishing. They also make sure to visit Bear Lake, building sand castles, swimming until the sun sets, and returning home with gnarly sunburns. Their winters are filled with sledding, snow forts, hot cocoa and lots of movie nights.

Mrs. Coles is so thrilled to be joining the Alturas Prep staff as a middle school math teacher. She is excited about the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to the success of this wonderful school and to foster a positive and engaging learning environment.

Mr. Couch is the Middle School Math teacher at Alturas Preparatory Academy in Idaho Falls. He is excited to bring his strong passion for mathematics and love for mentoring students of all ages. With over 20 years of combined teaching experience and working for companies such as Walmart Corp, Sun Microsystems, and SunRun Solar, Mr. Couch has had the opportunity to teach at top rated schools in Colorado, Utah, and Idaho. He holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Computer Science from Oklahoma State University and a Master’s Degree from University of Phoenix. He is incredibly thrilled to join the Alturas Prep community because of its dedication to the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework and its focus on teaching the whole child.

Maaike Davidson serves as the Dual-Credit English Instructor at Alturas Preparatory Academy. She holds a PhD in Education: Curriculum and Instruction, an MFA in Dramatic Writing, and a BA in English. Her academic interests include building curriculum and professional development. Outside of work, she enjoys reading Science Fiction, Fantasy and pretty much anything about the universe. Learning is her forever passion.

Caleb Dorcheus is a Spanish teacher at Alturas Preparatory Academy. Before joining Alturas, he spent five years with the Jefferson School District in their Spanish Immersion program, where he taught both Spanish and Social Studies. Mr. Dorcheus holds a Bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University-Idaho in History Education, with a minor in Spanish Education, and earned his Master’s degree in Spanish from Idaho State University. Professionally, he is deeply interested in modern Spanish and Latin American literature—with a particular focus on cinema and the Franco era—as well as designing interdisciplinary curricula and helping students develop nuanced intercultural perspectives. He is passionate about creating engaging educational experiences that bridge language learning with broader global history and cultural understanding. Outside of the classroom, Mr. Dorcheus is a traveler who loves exploring the world with his family. He has lived in Chile and visited several nations across North and South America, Europe, and Africa. Closer to home, he performs music with his band The Opskamatrists and enjoys spending his free time in museums, reading philosophy and diving into historical research.

Sarah Droegemueller is a teacher, writer, wife, mother of four, and church member. She has taught at Rigby Middle School for the past five years, and prior to that worked at Taylor’s Crossing Charter School. She also homeschooled her children for many years. She has written for newsletters, newspapers, and magazines, and dreams of publishing a novel someday.

Sarah, or Mrs. D. as her students call her, grew up in Utah on a dairy farm. She graduated from BYU with a BA in English. She moved to Idaho after college and later pursued a Master’s degree at ISU until deciding to become a teacher instead. She also teaches math at CEI in their college and career readiness department.

Mrs. D loves reading, writing, good literature, and poetry. She also loves hiking, board games, cooking, and spending time with her family, who all love comics, movies, video games, Star Wars, and other “”nerd”” pop culture. But she much prefers Jane Austen books and movies.

Mrs. D is excited to come to Alturas and looks forward to developing a love of reading and discussing literature with her students.

McKenzie Garcia got her Bachelor’s degree from Idaho State University in Secondary Education
with endorsements in Biology and English as a Second Language. Garcia chose a focus in Biology because she is astonished by the true complexity and mystery to be learned and discovered in science, from the micro level (atoms) to the macro level (galaxies).
Mrs. Garcia is eager to be a part of Alturas Preparatory Academy culture; especially, encouraging students to explore and take ownership of their learning. She is looking forward to new challenges and opportunities in inquiry-based learning for the upcoming school year!
Garcia has had valuable experience teaching cross-culturally in Namibia and Zambia for a total of five months. Her time in Namibia inspired her to pursue a career in teaching.
Her previous work experience consists of creative freelance work in event management, marketing, sales, graphic design, lawncare, housekeeping, DoorDash, and photography. She has been employed in food service, cashiering, and most recently, as a substitute teacher for local school District #93.
Mrs. Garcia was married to her husband in 2025 and has aspirations to soon buy land, design and build their own home. Outside of work, she is enthusiastic about traveling, enjoys backpacking, cooking, reading, and spending time with family.

Madilyn Hatch was born and raised in Layton, Utah. She graduated from Layton High School and then continued her education at Utah State University, where she studied Physics and met her loving husband. She had the opportunity to work at Northrop Grumman as a Structural Design Engineer, where she stayed for a year. She also spent her nights working on research with the USU LIDAR team. After working in this field, she decided it wasn’t the right fit for her and chose to pursue education, starting with teaching Piano.

This decision led her to Idaho, where she began teaching at Alturas Preparatory Academy. She loves sharing her knowledge and fascination with the world with her students and enjoys finding ways to connect science and mathematics to everyday life.

Some of her favorite things in life are her husband, her two crazy dogs (Mac and Cassie), astronomy, sewing, painting, playing the piano, and running.

Emily Hathaway, though from Billings, Montana, has always considered Eastern Idaho as a second home, having spent most holidays here. She has always had a love of mathematics and helping others, so after graduating high school, she went to Brigham Young University – Idaho to get a degree in Math Education.

Mrs. Hathaway has been greatly influenced by the educators in her life, by what they taught regarding academics and regarding life, and she desires to bring a similar influence into her classroom. She loves and strives to see her students grow in their understanding and to help them find their passion, in whatever direction that might be.

Mrs. Hathaway is excited to bring her love of mathematics and of education in her MYP Mathematics classroom.

Allison Jenkins is from Rexburg, Idaho. She has been married for three years and is currently just a mother of 1 dog and many plants. She loves Idaho and has a passion for many outdoor hobbies. Those include snowmobiling, wake surfing, hiking, kayaking, cross country skiing, soccer, and snowboarding. Anything she can do with her family and dog she loves!

Mrs. Jenkins went to college at BYUI and got her Bachelor’s degree in Biology Education with a minor in Earth Science Education. She loves to share her enthusiasm and love for learning, especially in science, with others. Allison is excited to be at Alturas where she can share that passion with students here.

Case Jolley serves as the Physical Education teacher at Alturas Preparatory Academy. They bring 12 years of experience in strength and conditioning. Before joining Alturas, they worked as an Academic Counselor at Firth High School. Their professional interests include training and developing students so they can live long healthy lives. They are passionate about helping students learn and create healthy interests and habits. Jolley holds a Bachelor’s Degree from BYU-Idaho. Outside of work, they enjoy sports, exercising, good food, and relaxing.

Daniel Klein grew up in Canastota, NY where he enjoyed wrestling, swimming and football. He studied mathematics and education at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA and started his teaching career in Waianae, HI in 1996. After spending four years in Hawaii and one year in Las Vegas, he has spent the last 21 years in Alaska. He is looking forward to moving to the Idaho Falls area with his wife Eunsuk and children Aimee, Abby, Amber, and Alyssa. He is also very excited to be a first time grandfather from his oldest daughter Ann-Marie.

Mr. Klein is excited about starting the next chapter in his life. He wants to instill the confidence for all students to achieve in critical thinking skills and mathematical knowledge necessary to succeed in today’s society.

He is also looking forward to collaborating with other teachers to help students see the connection between mathematics and real world applications. He has experience teaching all levels of high school mathematics including Pre Calculus, Trigonometry, and AP Calculus, and he is looking forward to being a part of the International Baccalaureate program.

Mr. Klein loves spending time with his family doing various activities such as hiking, gardening, and watching professional football. He cannot wait to get to know his future students and start their pass towards a bright future!

Mrs. Alexa Moeller serves as a P.E./Health Teacher at Alturas Preparatory Academy. She brings 7 years of experience in Mathematics. Before joining Alturas, they worked as a Media Consultant at Local News 8 and a Substitute Teacher in District 93 and 91. Their professional interests include Mathematics and Physical Education. They are passionate about discovering mathematical strengths among every student. Moeller holds a degree in Secondary Physical Education and a certification in Mathematics 5th through 9th grade from Idaho State University. Outside of work, they enjoy being a mom, camping with friends and family, and traveling to new places.

Kailena Ransom loves to travel and learn foreign languages. She speaks English and German fluently and is learning Spanish in her spare time. She has lived in three countries: The United States, Germany, and Austria, and has traveled in total to nine countries outside of the United States. She also loves to adventure and try new things. She has gone repelling, rock climbing, white water rafting, and zip lining.

Mrs. Ransom was born in Virginia, but has lived in Idaho since she was 12, which was when she started teaching herself German. She has been married to her husband Chris for almost 5 years. They are a blended family with two daughters; an 11-year-old, and a sassy two-year-old.

Mrs. Ransom found her love of science while studying paramedicine at Brigham Young University – Idaho. While there she became an EMT. After completing her EMT certification she lived abroad for a while and completed a Bachelor’s degree in German Studies through Idaho State University. She went on to teach German for four years during which she completed a Master’s degree in Earth and Space Science through Western Governors University.

She is really excited to join the Alturas team and to dive into science education. She believes education should be a fun, hands on experience, where students can explore new concepts and develop critical thinking skills. She loves making connections with students and watching them grow as they work towards understanding the world around them.

Coralei Rodriguez serves as an MYP Spanish teacher at Alturas Preparatory Academy. She brings more than 20 years of professional experience in Spanish language acquisition. Before joining Alturas she taught all levels of Spanish in middle and high school settings and served as a teacher coordinator, providing training and support. She holds a B.A. in Spanish Teaching from Brigham Young University, Provo, and an M.A. in Counseling from Sam Houston State University. She is passionate about sharing the Spanish language and culture with her students and the global perspective this provides. She enjoys experiencing world cultures, languages and the outdoors.

Rebecca Scheunemann teaches HS History at Alturas Preparatory Academy. She has been with APA since 2023. Before joining Alturas, she taught 4th grade at Holy Rosary School in Idaho Falls. She loves introducing students to the joys of literature and is passionate about challenging students to think critically. Mrs. Scheunemann holds a bachelor’s degree in History from Idaho State University and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the same field. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, and hiking in the great outdoors.

Aaron Schwarzenbart serves as the High School Mathematics, Physics Teacher, Cross-country and Track Coach at Alturas Preparatory Academy. They bring 19 years of experience in teaching. Before joining Alturas, they worked in teaching in Mercer Island, WA. Their professional interests include Differential Equations and Mechanics. They are passionate about bringing out the best in all students. Schwarzenbart holds Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education, and Computer Science from Winona State University and Master’s in Physics Education from Western Governors University. Outside of work, they enjoy running, skiing, and rock climbing.

Braden Shaffer teaches middle school ELA at Alturas Preparatory Academy. They graduated from Utah State University with a Bachelor’s in English Education, earning the coveted A-pin, a spot on the Dean’s List, and a program GPA of 4.0.

As a firm believer in the world-changing potential of every student, Braden is thrilled to join the Alturas team and help students become engaged global citizens.

Braden’s professional interests include poetry and literary analysis. Besides work, they enjoy playing sports like pickleball and basketball, spending time at the gym, and any activities with loved ones.

Mr. Smith is a new science teacher at Alturas Preparatory Academy. He grew up an hour from Idaho Falls in Ashton graduating from North Fremont High school.When indoors he enjoys playing guitar and writing music. He can also be found outdoors fishing, running, or exploring.

He received his bachelor’s degree in biology with an emphasis in neuroscience at Brigham Young University-Idaho. His extracurriculars included working as a mentor for autistic and freshman students. As part of his education, he interned at the U.C Davis M.I.N.D Institute working with monkey and rat brains. Smith has participated in many research projects involving imaging cells, body image perception, and CRISPR gene editing at BYU-I. He also received his master’s in secondary education from Western Governors University.

Mr. Smith is excited to teach at Alturas because he likes the model for teachers teaching smaller groups at one time, and acting as facilitators in student learning. He believes that this is essential because all too often at other schools students are overlooked. Also, learning is more than memorizing facts-it is about interacting with information and developing solutions independent of subject content. He believes a person’s abilities are limited or enhanced by expectations; therefore, he sets high expectations for his students and for himself.

Carter Stucki serves as a history teacher at APA. Carter grew up with a military parent and moved frequently from state to state, living in Texas, Louisiana, North Dakota, and Virginia. After graduating from high school in 2017, he went on to live in three of Canada’s beautiful provinces—Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia. The diverse people he met there taught him more about life than he could have learned on his own. These experiences inspired in him a deep love for the peoples of the universe—not only Terrans, but all intelligent life—and an urgent desire to learn and understand their histories and cultures.
He began his study of people at Brigham Young University–Idaho and graduated in 2024 with a BA in History. He and his forever partner, Brylei Harris, met in Ririe before beginning this journey together and now have three beautiful children. Nothing is more important or fulfilling to him than being a companion to her and a father to them.
His other hobbies include aquarium keeping and reading, with dystopian science fiction being his favorite genre. While history and anthropology are his calling, one of his lifelong passions is biology—specifically microbiology, or life invisible to the eye.

Polly Suhr was born and raised in California. She attended Linfield College where she received her BA in History and Anthropology. Mrs. Suhr went back to school at University of Phoenix and received her Masters in Education. After college she married Vince and had 2 kids, Dominic (22) and Jasmine (20). Dominic is attending Purdue Northwest earning his Mechanical Engineering and Technology and playing hockey. Jasmine has earned her Vet Assistant Certificate from Truckee Meadows Community College and is working towards being able to apply for the Vet Nursing program. Jasmine also continues to figure skate. Mrs. Suhr has been teaching in Las Vegas, NV, where they raised their family, for the last 15 years.

When not teaching Mrs. Suhr loves spending time with her family, reading, sewing and crafting, hiking, camping and skiing. The family enjoys watching and playing hockey. Mrs. Suhr’s family also loves to travel and a long time goal of Mrs. Suhr’s is to visit all 7 continents. In moving to Rigby, they are looking forward to exploring the area and hiking and camping with their 3 dogs, Muppet, Trix and Jinx.

Mrs. Suhr is very excited to be continuing her teaching career at Alturas Preparatory Academy. She is looking forward to watching her students grow and learn in their academic journey. Mrs. Suhr wants all her students to become lifelong learners.

Jordan Tolman is one of the Individuals and Societies instructors for Alturas Prep. He has a deep love for history, and learning from individuals and their choices.

Mr. Tolman has been in the health insurance world for 20 years, but had a degree in History from Weber State University. In 2014, he started teaching health insurance to healthcare administrators at BYU-Idaho, and still does. He realized that he loved teaching, and wanted to combine his love of history and teaching with his degree and started teaching in Springville, Utah. He later moved to Idaho to be close to family, and was graciously received by Alturas Prep as part of the faculty.

Mr. Tolman is a father of 5 children (4 daughters and 1 son who is the youngest). Some of his greatest joys are watching his children in their extracurricular activities. He started one of Utah’s first Ultimate Frisbee Clubs when he attended High School in 1997.

When he is not spending time with his family, he is going backpacking in the wilderness in various locations. His favorite location is Yellowstone’s backcountry.