High School Faculty
At Sacramento Waldorf High School, education always takes place within the context of relationship, whether it is in the classroom, in the lab, on the playing field, on the working farm, in the studio, on stage, or in any of our many campus venues. The smaller size of our school allows students to develop meaningful relationships with both peers and teachers. Young people are challenged to consider the ethical components of their studies in life and in our school community.
Humanities Teacher
Alison Davis
Joined SWS 2022
Ms. Davis began teaching in Waldorf schools because, coming out of academia, she wanted to teach in a setting that promoted deep relationality, where people know, see, and value each other in as many ways as possible. She believes that children come into this world with their own unique mission and considers it her job to help them discover and live out that mission.
Ms. Davis received her Waldorf teaching certificate from Rudolf Steiner College in 2017. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas, graduate degrees from University of Notre Dame and Stanford University, and is currently working toward an EdD in Waldorf pedagogy at Antioch University. She is a certified group exercise, yoga, and meditation instructor.
A resident of Bannister Road in Fair Oaks, Ms. Davis launched a food justice program at her previous school through community organizing, is a published poet and scholar, and has run 17 marathons and two ultramarathons. She has lived on three continents and appreciates having had the chance, she says, “to experience the intimacy of the everyday in settings that are very different from where I was born in Detroit. As a queer person, I also know how important it is to showcase all the different ways that love can manifest in this world and treat them all with reverence and respect.”
Jazz Band Teacher
Ann F. DiPasquale
Joined SWS 2017
Ann is committed to helping students reach their fullest potential. She aspires to deliver the integrated, holistic pedagogy designed by Rudolf Steiner and intends to model an inquisitive nature, extol the importance of exploration in learning, and share the journey of striving.
She holds a BS in Music Education from Indiana University of PA and a MEd from Kent State University, where she was a Sinfonia Scholar. She has Credentials in Music, Reading Specialist K-12, and ESL, and has been a member of the American Federation of Musicians since 1975.
A Fair Oaks resident, Ann was inspired to become a teacher by her own joy of learning and the fun that learning can bring. Her parents and her siblings inspired her to teach, but her students keep her in the classroom.
Math, Science, Computer Skills, and Japanese Teacher
John Dreyer
Joined SWS 2018
John has been and continues to be an advocate for supplementary and continued education through the world of open online courses. His interests are broad and plenty, but his heart gravitates toward math and science. John also cultivates an active interest in world travel, cultures, and languages, as he continues to refine his Japanese and Spanish language skills.
With a BS in Exercise Biology from University of California, Davis, John spends his free time playing basketball and baseball, long-distance running, and pursuing art, hiking, and camping (with a special emphasis on America’s National Parks) He lives in Sacramento with his wife and is enjoying every minute of raising a puppy.
Fine & Practical Arts Teacher
Michelle Gallardo
Joined SWS in 2022
Michelle Gallardo (she, her) was born into a family of renowned artists in Guatemala, surrounded by beautiful art and given the freedom to play with art materials and ideas. Her creativity and imagination were always encouraged.
Her work as an art teacher for High School students began with creating a space for students to enjoy art and feel safe and seen. Michelle's goal is to create opportunities for students to give voice to their struggles and invite them to shine their light. She says, "As artists, we not only develop our technique but also learn to observe. Through that process, we open ourselves to colors, shapes, gestures, and qualities and thus realize we are connected to the whole world. We suddenly see beauty and harmony around us. I believe each person has the whole universe inside them and art is one way to discover that, as an inner process. Art is also a perfect way to express our voices and connect to others and the world."
Michelle studied Political Science in university but ultimately chose dance as her path. She opened a dance academy, where she developed a program to coach students through an alchemical creative dance process that included inner work, choreography, costume design, and dance technique, culminating in a final presentation. She later worked at the Waldorf School of Guatemala, where she taught movement class for several years before being invited to develop and teach an Arts program for the entire high school, from eighth through twelfth grades. Michelle deeply identifies with Waldorf education and loves studying Anthroposophy.
Science Teacher
Christine Gruhn
Joined SWS 2000
Christine (she, her) believes students come into the world with a desire to learn and engage with the material, and she loves teaching them. Her phernomena-based teaching methodology awakens and nurtures curiosity, while the curriculum strengthens developing intellects and social consciousness. She says, “Waldorf students are not afraid to care. Young adults are far more capable than they give themselves credit for. They deserve to be challenged by teachers who care about them as individuals, and who are passionate about their subjects.”
Christine holds a BS in Botany from University of California, Davis, an MS in Plant Pathology from University of Georgia, and a PhD in Mycology from Virginia Tech. She completed coursework at Rudolf Steiner College towards her Waldorf High School Teaching Certificate.
Previously, Christine taught two classes from Grades Six through Eight at Davis Waldorf School. She also taught at the University of the Pacific and at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY, where she designed and taught the college’s first service learning course in the sciences and did research on soil fungi on organic farms.
A Davis resident, Christine enjoys identifying mushrooms, hiking, and backpacking with her pediatrician husband and two Waldorf-educated sons, raising chickens, organic gardening, vegetarian cooking, canning, and learning to play the fiddle. She is excited to be advisor to the Sacramento Waldorf School chapter of the National Forensics League, a speech and debate society.
Spanish Teacher
Victor Gutierrez Cuellar
Joined SWS 2020
Victor was born and raised in Mexico, is fluent in English and Spanish, and has a passion for world languages and cultures. Victor graduated from University of California, Davis, where he studied International Relations, specializing in global environmental and human health with a focus on Latin America. He also studied oceanography and was a resident of the Bodega Marine Laboratory in Bodega Bay, CA, where he researched global ocean acidification. After graduation, Victor worked with a nonprofit organization as an outdoor science teacher. He then worked at Aspire Public Schools as a TK-5 STEM teacher. With a passion for education and a love of learning, Victor loves being part of Sacramento Waldorf High School.
Humanities Teacher
Melissa Hiatt
Joined SWS 2011
Melissa’s (she, her) career began as an exhibition designer for museums in California and New Mexico and evolved into curatorial writing for art catalogues and books. She has been published as an art writer and critic in magazines and newspapers.
Melissa has a BS in Environmental Design and Comparative Literature from University of California, Davis. She found Waldorf education at the Santa Fe Waldorf School, where she and her eldest daughter (who graduated from Sacramento Waldorf School in 2015) attended a parent-child class. When her family moved to Denver, they purchased a house two blocks from the magic that was Denver Waldorf School, and she was hired as a substitute teacher. Melissa was a class teacher at Davis Waldorf School before coming to Sacramento Waldorf School in 2011.
Math, Humanities, & Performing Arts Teacher
Jacob Hosler
Joined SWS 2012
Jacob (he, him) teaches mathematics and Music History in the high school, and is director of the high school orchestra. He also serves as chair of the High School Math Department, advisor to the Student Council, and is one of the sponsors of the Class of 2026.
Prior to joining the SWS faculty in 2012, he earned a BA in Music History and Theory from Oberlin College, an MA in Musicology from UC Berkeley, and studied mathematics at Rutgers University.
In his free time, Jacob likes to watch old films, listen to music ranging from J. S. Bach to Thelonious Monk, build geometric models, and go for bike rides along the American River.
Drama Teacher
Nancy Irene Kelly
Joined SWS 2022
Ms. Kelly’s (she, her) teaching philosophy centers on recognizing the unique abilities of each student: to see and hear them deeply, help them develop empathy and a strong moral compass, and experience the joys of the creative process. She chooses to teach at a Waldorf School because she appreciates working in an environment that encourages the development of the whole person and values the arts. In her teaching, Ms. Kelly draws on her understanding that it is critically important in this historical moment to maintain an embodied connection with each other and the physical world, as our society seems to be losing these connections. She maintains and continues to develop an engaging, lively, and meaningful drama program at Sacramento Waldorf School.
As a child, Ms. Kelly’s parents and educators taught her about civil rights movements; she was inspired by the idea of the arc of history bending toward justice. As an educator in New York City colleges and public schools, she worked primarily with students of color and immigrant students.
Ms. Kelly holds an MFA in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College, an MS in Education, TESOL, from City College at the City University of New York, a Graduate Certificate in Theater from UC Santa Cruz, and a BA in International Development Studies and Dramatic Art/Dance from UC Berkeley. A professional production of one of her plays was staged in NYC.
Ms. Kelly lives in Sacramento with her daughter, having recently relocated back to California after almost 20 years in New York City.
German Teacher
Marcella Livi
Joined SWS 2018
Teaching is not simply a profession to Marcella; it is an art. She loves that her profession is never static, always evolving. She was drawn to Waldorf education out of a desire to find a connection between student and teacher, and a way to encourage the unique gifts of every student. She says, “I love being in constant dialogue with my students as it sparks new ideas within all of us.”
Marcella teaches German in Ninth through Twelfth Grade. She holds a BA in Philosophy, an MA and PhD in German Language and Literature with a designated emphasis in Critical Theory and special interest in Feminist Theory, all from the University of California, Davis. She has taught German and French at various Universities and Community Colleges. Marcella was born in Italy and is a native German and Italian speaker from a small town called Northeim (near Göttingen) in Lower Saxony, Germany.
Marcella lives in Sacramento with her husband. She likes to travel and enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities, including running and hiking. She is a certified yoga teacher and practices whenever possible.
Visual Arts Teacher
Doug Morkner-Brown
Joined SWS 2004
A teacher of Eighth Grade Algebra and High School Art, Doug began his teacher training in 1997 and has taught in public and homeschool communities. At Sierra Waldorf School, he carried a class from Fourth Grade through graduation and then came to Sacramento Waldorf School. He also leads the Sacramento Waldorf School mountain biking team.
Doug appreciates the ability of students and teachers alike to thrive in a Waldorf school as it is founded in respect for the profound journey that life presents. He believes teaching requires a good sense of humor and a solid sense of organization, matched with the enthusiasm to push students lovingly into the unknown.
With a BA in Humanities from California State University, Chico, and a Diploma in Literary Studies from University of Wales, Doug completed his Waldorf Teacher Training Certificate through the Waldorf Teacher Education program in Eugene, OR.
A Sacramento resident, he lives with his wife, Christina; their three amazing children, Skylar, Tenaya, and Rowan, all graduated from SWS. His interests include carpentry, cycling, painting, gardening, cooking, and most things practical and DIY. Reflecting on the disappointment he felt during his own childhood schooling, Doug has always wanted to redeem and help recreate what education can and should be.
Humanities Teacher
Simona Moti
Joined SWS 2019
Simona was inspired to become a teacher by the belief that education is one of the most important things humans can engage in, both as disciples and as mentors. She teaches American Literature, Architecture, Modern Novel, Parzival, Sacred Texts of the World, US History, and World Cultures – a range of classes that explore the diversity of human experience. She chooses to teach in a Waldorf school because she enjoys working in an educational environment that strives to meet the full potential and dignity of human beings.
She holds a BA in English, an MA in American Studies, both from the University of Timisoara, Romania, and a PhD in German Studies with an emphasis in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Irvine. Before joining Sacramento Waldorf School, she taught language and cultural studies at various universities in the U.S.
She lives in Fair Oaks with her husband and their daughter, a current Sacramento Waldorf School student. She enjoys traveling, skiing, and playing with dogs.
Gardening Teacher
Stephen Payne
Joined SWS 2001
Farmer Steve, as he is known, came to Sacramento Waldorf School in 2001 and runs the campus’ 3.5-acre working farm, including our school’s Gardening curriculum. With 10 years of experience in organic farming and five years of experience as a market garden business owner, Stephen holds a BS in Business Marketing from Central Connecticut State University.
ELL Tutor and Information Technology Specialist
John Petering
Joined SWS 2001
John has taught in Waldorf high schools for more than 20 years, specializing in Visual Arts, Math, Science, and Computer Science. He teaches in Waldorf schools to empower future generations of creative change-makers through spirit, heart, and hands. His teaching philosophy begins with “That’s a very good question; let’s find out.” He utilizes Waldorf’s deeply enriching curriculum to help students think creatively, value authentic feelings, and take initiative.
He holds a BS in Unified Science from Wayne State University, an MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering from University of Cincinnati, and a Diploma of Waldorf Education from Waldorf Institute of Mercy College. Before joining Sacramento Waldorf School, John taught at Detroit Waldorf School and Shining Mountain Waldorf High School, where he helped pioneer their high schools. He was also a guest faculty member at Rudolf Steiner College.
Earlier in his career, John worked in biotechnology and medical clinical research. He has actively helped develop the phenomena-based aspects of Waldorf science teaching and contributed to several Waldorf science books. Outside of work, John enjoys back-country exploration, particularly stream ecology and water quality, and flow-form (rhythmic water flow) studies. A Fair Oaks resident, he is married to fellow Sacramento Waldorf School staffer Betsy Petering and is the father of four Waldorf alumni.
Humanities Teacher
Dunja Popovic
Joined SWS 2012
Dunja (she, her) loves helping students discover who they are and what is precious and important to them in this world. She chooses to teach in a Waldorf school because she wants to educate the whole human being and believes the study of humanities should not be about gaining particular skills but, rather, about exploring our values and what it means to be human.
With a BA in History and Literature from Harvard University and an MA and PhD in Russian Literature from Princeton University, Dunja obtained her Waldorf High School Teaching Certificate and Foundations in Anthroposophy and the Arts from Rudolf Steiner College. Before becoming a Waldorf teacher, she worked as an academic researcher and taught language and literature at the college level. Outside of school, she loves to explore the world's spiritual traditions and to engage in meditation.
A Carmichael resident, Dunja is married to faculty member Jacob Hosler; their two children have attended Sacramento Waldorf School. Dunja’s interests include foreign languages, travel, knitting, and pondering.
Art Teacher
Visnja Popovic
Joined SWS 2020
Visnja Popovic (she/her) is as a former textile designer and business owner who has always felt the pull to share her love of art with children and young people. Visnja was drawn to Waldorf education because of its attachment to nature and focus on the tactile experience. She appreciates that Waldorf pedagogy is holistic, humane, and focused on human development.
As a first-generation immigrant from Serbia, Visnja knows how it feels to be an outsider. This experience informs her teaching philosophy, which focuses on bringing equity into the classroom and making sure students feel accepted in all their differences. Visnja loved her teacher as a child: in Serbian schools, like in Waldorf schools, children have the same teacher for several years. She felt a strong bond with this teacher, and their connection was meaningful. “My priority is to make the students feel accepted, respected, and comfortable in my classroom; the thing we are learning is second to establishing rapport with each individual as relevant and worthy.”
Visnja has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Textiles from Rhode Island School of Design and a Master’s in Art Education from the Pratt Institute. She spent time in Ghana and South Africa studying printmaking and teaching. Before joining Sacramento Waldorf School, Visnja founded and ran The Textile Art Center in Brooklyn, a school, studio, and gallery space where Visnja ran a summer camp, after-school program, and an artist residency program. Weaving, screen printing and natural dyeing were a focus.
Visnja lives in Fair Oaks with her daughter, a student at Sacramento Waldorf School. They share their home with various animals, including rabbits, parakeets, cats, dogs, and the occasional garden snake or pet slug.
Chemistry Teacher
Robin Powell
Joined SWS 2023
Robin (she/her) has always been attracted to education and loves to share her enthusiasm and knowledge of the sciences with adolescents. She was drawn to Waldorf education and to SWS by the close community of a smaller school where each student can be seen and valued. She has loved getting to know her students and their questions.
A current resident and neighbor to the SWS campus in Fair Oaks, Robin grew up in Louisiana just north of the lake from New Orleans. Her curiosity and passion for Biology, conservation, and scientific inquiry and was born there, and she followed those passions in her own education. Robin has a BS in Biological Sciences from Louisiana State University and PhD in Conservation Biology with a focus in Reproductive Physiology. Her dissertation research was conducted at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species (ACRES).
Practical Arts Teacher
Shane Pugh
Joined SWS 2018
Shane’s teaching philosophy is experiential through and through, based on the essential tenant of Waldorf education that learning happens through doing. By engaging the whole body in working and learning, the whole child is met and needs are provided for. Shane comes to SWS from Wales and brings an artisanal sensibility and a surprisingly playful sense of humor to the practical arts that is much cherished by students and colleagues alike.
Humanities Teacher
Mindy Schiller
Joined SWS 2023
Mindy comes to SWS with many years of teaching in the Humanities and a wealth of experience and love for History, for writing, and for the stories we tell ourselves. “My mother was a principal and teacher for 30 years, and before that, ‘just’ a teacher. I spent my life watching and inspired by her and always knew I felt more alive in the classroom than anywhere else,” she says. “Also, kids make you a better version of yourself. I love having meaning in my life!”
She has a BA in American History and an Illinois certification in secondary education, specializing in Social Sciences from Northwestern University. Mindy also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University and has written a memoir about her years teaching at a boarding school in Connecticut. She taught and developed Humanities curriculum in Chicago before relocating to the Sacramento area; most recently, she was a teacher at Shalom School teaching Fourth and Sixth Grade. The creativity teachers utilize in the classroom and the relationships that develop in a co-creative learning space are the key factors that brought Mindy to Waldorf education and what she enjoys about teaching at SWS.
Mindy speaks passionately about her Jewish heritage and openly shares with her students her family’s heritage and historical experiences as they relate to helping bring history and story to life in the classroom. As a descendent of Holocaust survivors, she was raised “learning this history, and it has translated into an intense need to make sure that today’s students are inoculated from prejudice, bigotry, and the other collateral damage that comes from peer pressure, obedience to authority, and blind conformity,” she says. “I am grateful every day that I live in a democracy and believe that democracy is not a finished product. It’s an evolving story. If that story is not safeguarded vigilantly, it will disappear. So, as a teacher, it’s my job to help my students be the vanguards.”
Movement, Physical Education, and Athletics Director
Dean Stark
Joined SWS 1984
Since joining SWS in 1984, Dean has helped build our sports program into a successful and important part of school life. As a basketball coach, he has amassed 17 championships over his decades-long career. His more than 660 victories in Varsity Boys Basketball set the all-time record in California Interscholastic Federation Sac-Joaquin Section history. In addition to receiving numerous "Coach of the Year” awards in both baseball and basketball, Dean was selected as the 2017 CIF Sac-Joaquin Section and overall State Model Coach Award Winner. He was also the recipient of the 2016-17 California State Boys Basketball Coach of the Year. Dean has led our baseball program to eight league titles over his tenure. He is the author of Uncommon: Inside My Coaching Career at Sacramento Waldorf and A Waldorf Approach to Coaching Team Sports, as well as the producer of the video, High School Basketball: The Seven Defensive Principles of Building a Championship Team.
Humanities Teacher
Andrew Sullivan
Joined SWS 1996
A 1986 graduate of Sacramento Waldorf School, Andrew holds a BA in English and Anthropology from University of Notre Dame and an MA in English from California State University, Sacramento. He has also completed coursework at Rudolf Steiner College.
Andrew teaches humanities and has coached soccer at Sacramento Waldorf School. Besides teaching, he counts poetry, epistemology, interventionist art, and making tortilla soup as major interests. In 2004, Poet’s Corner Press published his first chapbook of poems, Islands of Earshot. In 2006, he founded the Waste And Vice Elimination Squad, a rapid-response garbage-mitigation collective (or community service club) at Sacramento Waldorf School.
Social Emotional Learning & Health Teacher
Megan Sullivan
Joined SWS 2006
Megan (she, her) has taught in Waldorf schools for more than 20 years, in grades K-12 as a Class Teacher and as a specialist in Australia and the United States. She also has experience in Administration in a start-up Waldorf High School, and extensive experience as a guest teacher, presenter, and lecturer in the fields of Sex Education and Social Emotional Learning. The Waldorf approach to the whole child and its depth of understanding of human development grounds her in her work.
Megan completed Waldorf Teacher Training at Chrysalis School for Rudolf Steiner Education in Australia. She also completed coursework at Rudolf Steiner College and has a BS in Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco. Megan began her Waldorf teaching career in 1994 at Casuarina Steiner School in Australia.
A Sacramento resident, Megan is married to fellow faculty member Andrew Sullivan; they have two daughters who attended Sacramento Waldorf School. She loves to read, take walks, garden, and visit Australia.
“I have the great privilege of teaching students from Sixth Grade to Twelfth Grade. During these years, I see tremendous growth and change,” Megan says. “The child who sits in front of me in Sixth Grade will unfold as they move toward young adulthood. Every child that sits in my classroom deserves my utmost respect. I do not yet know who they will become. As an adult, they will more likely be more intelligent, more courageous, more brilliant than me.”
Humanities Teacher
Isabelle Tabacot
Joined SWS 2005
Isabelle believes in empowering students to think for themselves. She loves sharing her passion for history and the lively exchange of ideas that occurs in the classroom.
With a BA in Education from Union Institute & University, Isabelle is completing graduate coursework in American History from Adams State University and holds a Waldorf Teacher Education Diploma from Rudolf Steiner College.
A Waldorf educator for more than 20 years, Isabelle graduated the class of 2018 from Eighth Grade. She teaches in various teacher education programs at Rudolf Steiner College, in the Bay Area, in Montréal, and at SWS’s teacher education program.
A Fair Oaks resident, Isabelle is passionate about history and enjoys writing, running, and traveling – especially to Iceland. She appreciates how Waldorf education has provided her with the freedom to respond flexibly to the students she teaches and to innovate in the classroom.
Physics Teacher
Nina Vice
Joined SWS 2020
Nina’s passion for teaching stems from her love of learning new things, and that passion is continuously strengthened by inspiring others to learn. She enjoys challenging her students to discover the world around them through phenomena-based interactions. She believes that curiosity about the world is an important tool for fostering learning not only in science, but also outside of the science classroom.
She has a Bachelor of Science in Physics from the University of the Pacific and a Preliminary Single Subject Teaching Credential in the subject of Physics from California State University, Sacramento. She has a passion for the sciences and math and is excited to share that passion with others.
She lives in Roseville with her husband, cat, and two adorably rambunctious Australian Shepherds. Her hobbies include, hiking, mountain biking, and snowboarding.
Math & Performing Arts Teacher
Jonathan Winfield
Joined SWS 2004
Father of two Sacramento Waldorf School alumni, Jonathan (he, him) performed all over England in some of the finest concert halls, as a member of Dulwich College Madrigal Group and choir. He has studied piano since the age of nine. After college at London University, where he earned a BS in Math and Philosophy, he became a professional pianist, working in many areas until musical theatre captured his attention in 1992.
Since then, he has served as Musical Director for more than 40 musicals. In 1999, Jonathan began working with school choirs. He is a member of the Performing Rights Society of Great Britain and his compositions have been featured on BBC Radio and in London’s West End.
He also holds a certification in Counseling and was a volunteer counselor for a victim support organization in London. He is married to our former Drama teacher, Sarah Winfield, and they live in Fair Oaks.