Faculty Biographies

Bianca Aguilar

Originally from El Paso, TX, Bianca Aguilar earned her undergraduate degree from St. Edward’s
University in Austin, TX and then went on to earn a Master’s degree in International Education
from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, VT. She has experience studying,
volunteering, and working in Spain, Peru, and Mexico. Through exposure to working with
high school students in summer camps and international programs, Bianca has been inspired
by their determination, creativity, and enthusiasm for learning. As a student of Catholic
education, she was drawn to San Miguel High School because of its commitment to education,
multiculturalism, and dedication to academic, personal, and spiritual development. Bianca is
excited to be working with the San Miguel community and exploring the city of Tucson.

Mrs. Karen Brady

Karen Brady is beginning her 16th year as an educator in the Diocese of Tucson. She is the Religious Studies teacher this year for all freshmen classes. Mrs. Brady received her Bachelor of Arts in Education and Master of Arts in Teaching and Teacher Education from the University of Arizona. In addition, she has received her Level One certification from the Diocese of Tucson and is currently working on the Level Two certification for Religious Studies educators. She currently oversees the school's Praise Band. On the weekends she sings at the Saturday evening Mass at St. Francis Cabrini Church. Mrs. Brady is married to John and has three children: Kevin, Caitlin and Brendan who are all in college.

Brother Dan Fenton, FSC

Brother Dan Fenton, FSC begins his 32nd year teaching, his 25th year as a De La Salle Brother, and his 5th year at San Miguel High School. Br. Dan has a BA in Biological Sciences and an MS in Environmental Studies, both from California State University, Fullerton. He has taught science at the elementary, high school and community college levels. Brother Dan is teaching biology and physical science this year at San Miguel High School. For the past six summers he has traveled with volunteers to the Philippines where he works with the Brothers and Lasallian teachers in a project (Bahay Pag-asa) for children in conflict with the law.

Mrs. Beth Foster

Beth Foster has been a teacher in Tucson for the past nine years. This year she will be teaching Freshman English and Intermediate Art at San Miguel. Mrs. Foster earned her Bachelor's degree in Art History, Art
Education and Photography from the University of Arizona in 2000 and finished her teaching credentials at the University of Phoenix soon after. In the past, Mrs. Foster has taught K-9 Art History, Language Arts and
Social Studies and sponsored Student Leadership activities and yearbook. In her spare time Mrs. Foster can be found at her home in Vail, where she, her husband Chris and their two sons, Max and Logan, live. When not busy with family or work, Beth enjoys taking pictures of nature, writing poetry and exploring new places.

Sr. Judy “Jay” Franz, SBS

Sr. Jay is beginning her third year as the school’s Teacher-Librarian. She is a Sister of the Blessed Sacrament, an order founded by St. Katharine Drexel in 1891 to serve the disadvantaged. Sister has 37 years of teaching experience in inner-cities and on reservations throughout the United States. She holds a BA in Education, an MST in Science Education and a Masters in Library Science. In addition to instilling the students with a love of reading, Sr. Jay works with the faculty to incorporate literacy skills, research skills, and 21st Century technology throughout the curriculum.

Ms.Phoebe Goodwin

Phoebe Goodwin is a transplant from the east coast, where she lived until she joined the Peace Corps in The Gambia right after college. Once she returned to the U.S. after three years spent in the hot sub-saharan climate of West Africa, she discovered that she was done with cold weather forever. Since moving to Tucson, she has taught middle school for eight years before making the switch last year to San Miguel. Now she teaches chemistry, geometry, and physical science. She holds a B.A. in Chemistry and a MAT in Teaching. Phoebe enjoys traveling, as she makes frequent trips to the African continent for various service projects. Her special interests include doing crossword puzzles, browsing in bookstores, and hiking in the desert.

Mrs. Deborah Gordon

Debbie Gordon has taught high school math for the past 25 years. This year she will be teaching Algebra 2 to juniors and Precalculus to seniors. After living 18 years in northern Illinois and attending Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin (where she received her BA in math) she moved to Tucson to thaw out. She got a master’s degree in accounting from the UA and then lived in southern California for 15 years. She moved back to Tucson 15 years ago, loves the desert and has no plans to ever move again. In her spare time, she likes to read but her passion is her dogs. She is raising her 12th guide dog puppy and is the leader of Paws for the Cause 4-H club, helping youth and adults raise guide dog puppies. She and her husband, Scott, also have a permanent dog named Carnie.

Ms. Rizza Husband

Rizza Husband is the 10th grade English Teacher and Student Life Director at San Miguel. A native of Southern California, she earned her bachelor’s degree in English from California State University, Long Beach and her teaching credential and master’s degree in Education from University of California, Santa Barbara. Mrs. Husband begins her seventh year as an English teacher and she especially likes to teach poetry and writing. She also thoroughly enjoys working with Student Life to organize a variety of activities for all students to participate in. A former volleyball and basketball player and coach, Mrs. Husband enjoys anything sports-related – from swimming to beating her husband in fantasy baseball. In her free time, she also likes to read, run, hike, cook, travel and hang out with her dog, Pau (Go Lakers!).

Mrs. Karen Jácome

Karen Jácome begins her thirty-second year as an educator, having taught for Amphitheater Public Schools for 24 years and previously at Nogales High School as well as in Texas. She will be teaching Advanced Placement Senior English and Junior English classes this year. Karen holds a BS in Secondary Education from the University of North Texas and a MEd in Educational Administration from the University of Arizona. In 1991, she served as one of Arizona’s five Ambassadors of Excellence in Education, as well as on the Governor’s Task Force for Educational Reform. Karen also was elected to serve on the Western Regional Advisory Council of the College Board and is a former member of the University of Arizona’s Honors College Advisory Board. Karen has also served as an educational consultant for the Vatican Observatory “Long Eyes on Space” publication. Karen is inspired by young people who seek to develop skills to prepare them for their futures. She lives with her husband Felipe and enjoys spending time with her family and friends, volunteering with the Alzheimer’s Association Desert Southwest Chapter, hiking in Sabino Canyon, gardening, listening to classical music, playing board games, reading, and cooking.

Mrs. Alma Mejia-Garcia

Alma Mejia-Garcia, a graduate of the University of Arizona with a BA in Education, is returning to San Miguel after a year off teaching formally in the classroom. Her last year was spent mainly staying home with her two
girls, Fernanda and Regina. She was part of the San Miguel family as the Lasallian Youth Coordinator, did some work with Student Life, organized immersion trips for the students, and coached softball. She now returns on her 7th year of her teaching career to teach the Sophomores Spanish II, and to continue her duties as Lasallian Youth Coordinator and softball coach. Because she is a great supporter of the Lasallian mission, she started her Masters degree in Education with an emphasis on Lasallian Studies at St. Mary's College in Moraga, CA She plans to graduate in 2011! Her favorite activities during her spare time are being with her
family, doing service activities, and playing softball whenever possible.

Mr. Jerry Meyer

Jerry Meyer is beginning his thirteenth year in Lasallian education as San Miguel's campus minister, and teaching Religious Studies II and IV. Mr. Meyer grew up in the Chicago area, and received his BA from Notre Dame and a JD from the University of Missouri. After practicing law in Kansas City, he turned to teaching, and has his Graduate Diploma in Theology from the Melbourne College of Divinity, University of Melbourne, Australia. He is a graduate of the Buttimer Institute, and is almost done (hooray!) writing his thesis for the Masters in Education/Lasallian Studies program at Saint Mary's College. Mr. Meyer misses his wife and son, who are teaching and finishing senior year, respectively, at Archbishop O'Hara High School, the Lasallian high school in Kansas City, but is excited to return to Tucson and be a part of a great community of marvelous students and teachers! He enjoys hiking, baseball, music, and chess.

Mr. Lawrence Moskal

Lawrence Moskal is beginning his 40th year as an educator. He is the Dean of Students and is the administrator for PowerSchool. Mr. Moskal received both his bachelor's degree in History and his master's degree in Education from the University of Buffalo. In the past, Mr. Moskal coached boys and girls in soccer, basketball, and baseball and is a former athletic director. He also spent three years teaching in Colombia, South America. His personal interests are in computers, photograpy, reading, sports, and travel. His wife, Cheryl Putnam volunteers in the school library. The family includes a dog named Charlie and they reside in Green Valley.

Brianna Mustard

Brianna Mustard is a graduate from Black Hills State University of South Dakota.  She graduated with a degree in mathematics and Spanish education.   She is currently a Lasallian Volunteer at San Miguel teaching geometry and algebra.  Much of her spare time can be summed up in three words: swim, bike, run.  She also enjoys reading, knitting, and sewing.

Mrs. Luci Paz

Luci Paz was born in Managua, Nicaragua and raised in Los Angeles. She graduated from UCLA with a degree in Spanish and received a Master's degree in Spanish with an emphasis in Latin American Literature from CSULA. Mrs. Paz has taught Spanish for over twenty-five years. In 1984, she started a translating business which continues as a scaled down version to the present. She and her husband moved to Arizona in 2003 when her husband retired The Lord brought her to San Miguel High School in 2005 where she works to impart a love for Spanish and for education. Mrs. Paz loves to learn and continues to take courses online to stay current with educational practices and technology. She is currently enrolled in the certificate program for college counseling through the UCLA extension. This is her second year as a part-time college counselor as well as teaching dual credit Spanish to the juniors. She loves her career and feels that she has the best of both worlds; teaching and counseling. She thinks the world of our students and wants to be the best that she can be to help them reach their potential and be successful in their lives and society.

Ms. Janae Renteria

Janae Renteria joins San Miguel after 2 years with TUSD’s School Counseling and Guidance Program. Originally from El Paso TX, she earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame. She then went on to earn her Master’s degree in School Counseling and Guidance from The University of Arizona. At San Miguel Ms. Renteria is the Director of Counseling where she assists students and their families navigate the college search and application process. She looks forward to working with every one in the San Miguel Community. Outside of San Miguel, Janae enjoys cooking, reading, and spending time with family and friends.

Richard Reyes

Richard has eight years of administrative experience and was selected to serve as the San Miguel High School principal effective July 1, 2010. Prior to that he served as a middle school and high school administrator for Tucson Unified and Sunnyside Unified School districts at Doolen Middle School and Desert View High School. He worked as a Program Coordinator with the College of Education, University of Arizona where he was responsible for managing a $1 million bilingual education teacher preparation grant.  Richard was a mathematics teacher for six years at Cibola High School in Yuma, Az.  Prior to entering the field of education, Richard served twenty years in the U.S. Marine Corps before retiring at the rank of Captain.  He served in various locations to include Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. He holds a BS degree in mathematics from Purdue University and an MEd in Bilingual/Multicultural Ed from Northern Arizona University.  He has been married to his wife Patti for 35 years and they have been blessed with three daughters and seven grandchildren.

Mrs. Maria Rosales

Maria Rosales is in her 17th year as a teacher. She will be instructing freshmen in Spanish. Mrs. Rosales received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in educational sciences at universities in Obregon and Guanajuato, Mexico. She worked in both public and private schools and a university in Mexico's Sonora state before coming to the United States. In her university post, she was a Spanish professor and curriculum coordinator for all classes concerning oral and written expression. As a native Mexican, she is thoroughly fluent in Spanish. To stay current with educational practices and technology, she is currently enrolled in the master in Applied Linguistics to the Teaching of Spanish as a Foreign Language (online). Her personal interests are spending time with her family, cooking, reading and traveling. She is married and is the mother of two beautiful girls.

Ms. Melissa Schwindenhammer

Melissa Schwindenhammer begins her 7th year of teaching art. She graduated from the University of Arizona in 2001 with a Bachelor's of Fine Arts in Art Education . Melissa's passion for teaching and art encourages students to find their own ways to peacefully and visually express themselves through a variety of materials as well as begin to understand the significance of art in their world. Aside from teaching art at San Miguel, Ms. Schwindenhammer is the advisor for the yearbook committee, a sophomore academic advisor, and teaches yoga to students and staff after school. Outside of San Miguel, Ms Schwindenhammer teaches yoga classes in the community and balances the daily acts of motherhood. Her special interests include working in the yard, yoga, and playing with her four year-old daughter Bella.

Ms. Karan Stewart

Karan Stewart joins San Miguel after 14 years with TUSD’s Alternative Education Programs. In that time she enjoyed working closely with families as an Americorps volunteer, Instructional Specialist, teacher, and Social Services Coordinator. As San Miguel’s new Reading teacher her work will focus on helping freshmen navigate the literacy demands of high school. Ms. Stewart holds a Bachelor’s in Secondary English Education and a Reading Endorsement from the University of Arizona. Her interests of hiking, swimming, and outdoor adventures have taken a backseat to a toddler daughter and work on a Master’s degree in Language, Reading, and Culture which she expects to receive this year. Ms. Stewart believes in expressing faith through service and is thankful to be a new member of the San Miguel community.