Growing up in Iowa, the University of Arizona brought Mrs. Gaintner to the Southwest. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Elementary. Mrs. Gaintner has 18 years of teaching experience teaching elementary and preschool students. Mrs. Gaintner and her husband love being parents in the Veritas community with two children currently in 4^th and 7^th Grade.  When Mrs. Gaintner isn’t teaching, she enjoys traveling, hiking, reading and most importantly spending time with her family and friends.

Miss Wintergalen is in her first year of teaching at Archway Veritas. She just recently graduated from Southern Methodist University in May of 2023 with degrees in Educational Studies and French Studies. Now, she is enjoying her time being back home in Arizona and beginning her teaching career as a fourth grade TA. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, exercising, and spending time with loved ones.

Miss Kile is a recent graduate from Grand Canyon University with her B.S. in Behavioral Health Sciences. She was born and raised in Portland, Oregon and moved to Phoenix in 2015. In her free time, she loves to spend quality time with friends and family, finding new coffee shops, and going to church.

Kyla Huisman has been working with children at Archway Veritas since 2018. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Family and Human Development at ASU. She has five children. Three of her children are students at Veritas Prep, and one is a student at Arcadia High School. She also has a daughter attending Hillsdale College in Michigan. Kyla enjoys yoga, reading, swimming, watching movies, exploring the outdoors, and traveling.

Miss Stevens is a first grade lead teacher at Archway Veritas. This is her fifth year teaching first grade. She attended Arizona State University and graduated with a degree in elementary education. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, cooking, reading, watching movies, and trying out new restaurants.

Mrs. Kain graduated from St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame Indiana with a BA in Elementary Education. She studied abroad for a year in Rome, Italy during college, and she had the opportunity to do a lot of traveling. She is the daughter of an Air Force fighter pilot and moved 8 times before attending college so has never met a stranger and loves people. Her military upbringing has sharpened her skills in teamwork, flexibility, adaptability and organization. She has taught elementary school for a total of nine years, in between raising her 3 children. After enjoying Chicago for 20 years, she and her family relocated to Phoenix six years ago. She loves living in the sunshine and the predictability of Arizona weather. Her hobbies are traveling, baking and spending time with friends & family.

Miss Tish is in her fifth year here at Archway Veritas. She has taught in 1st, 3rd, and now 2nd grades. She is earning her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education at Arizona State University. Miss Tish is originally from Oregon but was ready to move somewhere with warmer weather after high school. In her free time, Miss Tish enjoys hiking, taking care of her dogs, and spending time with her friends and family.

Skylar Fariello, an Arizona native, is in her fourth year as a second grade lead teacher at Archway Veritas. She had the privilege of being a teacher’s assistant in second grade for two years prior to becoming a lead teacher. She earned her bachelor’s degree in education from Northern Arizona University in 2020 as well as her master’s degree in early childhood education from Arizona State University in 2022. In her free time, Skylar enjoys baking and cake decorating, spending time with her friends and family, and is very excited to welcome her first baby boy this winter.

I am an Arizona native, with three kids, three step kids, a grandson and another grandchild on the way. I graduated from ASU with a BS in Organizational Communication & a Post Bac and Masters degree in elementary education. This is my 4th year with ACV. I have been working in schools since the 1990’s, and have experience as a TA, ESSA, front office assistant and assistant to the director of ESS. My hobbies are gardening, yoga, jigsaw puzzles, and pinball.

Sheena Barton is a third-grade lead teacher at Archway Veritas. This is her 1^st year in third grade and her 15^th year teaching at the elementary level. This is her 10^th year at Archway Veritas and she absolutely loves the families at our school! She is married with three sons, ages 17, 16, and 14. She loves reading, cooking, and going to Disneyland!

Miss Landtiser is in her third year as a fourth grade lead teacher. Before stepping into the role, she completed the Teacher Apprentice Program and served as a fourth grade TA. Miss Landtiser has been the costume director for two musicals at Veritas Preparatory Academy. Outside of teaching, Miss Landtiser has many creative hobbies including sewing, painting, and photography. She also enjoys reading, baking, and spending time in the great outdoors.

Mrs. Herbert teaches third grade here at Archway Veritas. She was a TA in third grade for one year before becoming a third-grade lead teacher. Before teaching at Veritas, Mrs. Herbert taught music at Prince of Peace Preschool, Christ Church School, and beginning piano and cello lessons from home.  She is a native Arizonan! She attended Tavan Elementary, Ingleside Middle, and Arcadia High Schools. Northern Arizona University was her next home where she earned a BA in Humanities with minors in Music and Spanish. Mrs. Herbert and her husband havetwo lovely daughters, a beloved boxer, a mischievous cat, and a small flock of chickens. She loves baking, reading, gardening, and spending time in the great outdoors.

Mrs. Lang graduated from Grand Canyon University with a degree in elementary education.  She has been at Archway for 8 years.  She loves the fourth-grade curriculum, especially the history. Outside of school she enjoy spending time with her three children,  husband, and huge extended family.  Her favorite things to do are read, hike, and cook.

Mrs. Engel has spent many years teaching children from preschool to middle school, and currently enjoys teaching in 4^th grade.  Her favorite parts of the 4^th grade curriculum are solving word problems using bar models, reading Carry on Mr. Bowditch in Literature, and studying processes that shape the earth in Science.

Trevor Guyette has been teaching 4^th grade at Archway Veritas since 2018. He has been teaching since 2015. He is a lifelong resident of Arizona and a graduate of both Arizona State University and Phoenix Seminary. In his spare time, he enjoys reading, drawing, and playing games. He is a co-sponsor of the Dungeons & Dragons club.

Julee was a professional ballet dancer before hanging up her toe shoes and going to work for the Division of Developmental Disabilities. After a decade with DDD, she left to stay home and raise her family. She has been with ACV for 5 years and has chosen to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. Julee enjoys welding, building, upcycling vintage cameras, collecting coins, and learning to play the Ukelele in her time off.

Miss Dycus earned her Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing from Grand Canyon University. She feels passionately about enriching the lives of children through great education. This is her first-year teaching at Archway Veritas. Originally from Denver, Colorado, she enjoys camping, hiking, and skiing. Since moving to Phoenix, she’s found a new love for the desert foliage, life in a big city, seeing live music and eating local food, reading, and spending time with her family and friends.

Carter Mogren spent ten years of her life in advertising, planning marketing initiatives for brands such as McDonald’s and Gold’s Gym International and managing national advertising campaigns including Sonic’s Drive-In’s “Two Guys in a Car.” She left her position as Account Supervisor to pursue her passion for teaching.  She earned her MA in Elementary Education and shortly after, found her home at Archway Veritas in our inaugural year in 2010.  She was a lead teacher in second grade through the end of the 2022/2023 school year.  The following year she switched to lead 5^th grade.  She has been a faculty advisor for since 2012.

Mrs. Nektalova has worked with Great Hearts for five years as Kindergarten Teacher Assistant. Her greatest joy comes from seeing the accomplishments of students who she works with individually, in small group or with the whole class. Spending time with her husband and 4 amazing children are another joy for her!

Carolina Curtis brings a rich and varied background to her role as a First Grade Teaching Assistant at Archway Veritas. With roots in Chile, her journey includes over 17 years as a dedicated mother of three children at Archway and Veritas, as well as a prior career in make-up artistry. Her commitment to education is reflected in her second year of assisting, where she delights in supporting student growth within the Great Hearts community .

Mrs. Enzmann is a first year third grade TA. She was a stay-at-home mom for the past decade.  She worked in the medical field prior to being home with her kids. Mrs. Enzmann enjoys being active and hanging out with friends and family:)

Carrie Martin is in her 4^th year teaching at Archway Veritas. She taught in 3^rd grade for the first two years before moving to 1^st grade. She has two children attending Veritas Prep and has been married for 19 years. She was a stay-at-home mom for ten years until she began her career with Great Hearts. Mrs. Martin has a Bachelor of Science in Applied Management. In her spare time, she loves interior decorating, refinishing furniture, and collecting local art.

Ms. Potts has worked at Archway Veritas for three years as a teaching assistant. She is an Arizona native who attended college and lived in the sunny state of California for several years. She spends her free time reading, expanding her record collection and visiting local art museums.

Mrs. Terlisner was born in Mexico City and raised in Sonora Mexico. She graduated in 2001 from “Northwest University” in Hermosillo, Mexico with a Bachelor’s in Communication. In 2003 she moved to Minnesota to learn English where she was given the opportunity to teach Spanish. That is when she realized her passion for Education. In 2008 she moved to Phoenix and became a stay home Mom. Mrs. Terlisner returned to teach in 2018. She loves to read and cook. She currently lives in Phoenix, AZ with her husband and 3 children. As a family they love to travel and go camping.

Mrs. Kanwal is an A-ESS at Archway Veritas. She is born and raised in Pakistan. She holds a Bachelor of Education(Allama Iqbal Open University Islamabad Pakistan, and Master of Islamic Studies(Bahauddin Zakariya University , Multan Pakistan). She loves teaching and likes working with one -on-one students. She has three children, Ali, Bilal, and Ayesha who attend Great Hearts Veritas and Archway Veritas. She loves reading, cooking, and spending time with her family.

Miss. Boskie will be coming up on her one-year anniversary with Archway Veritas in February of 2024. She was born in Scottsdale, Arizona and has no plans to leave her wonderful home town after receiving her degree from Arizona State. Miss. Boskie lives with her German Shepard dog, Harley, and her fiancé, Nick, in Mesa, Arizona after purchasing her first home in 2023. She adores reading almost as much as she loves to write stories and hopes to one day be a published author.

Mrs. Petra Jakubczyk is in her 6^th year as a TA at Archway Veritas. She and her husband of 40 years have raised 11 children and have 19 grandchildren. She has a degree in Biomedical Engineering and has taught various science classes at the middle school and high school level, however, except for teaching her own children, she feels her role at Archway Veritas is her most meaningful work.

Mr. Hosack is an Arizona native. He is currently attending college to get his degree in Clinical Exercise Science. Mr. Hosack’s hobbies include bodybuilding, powerlifting, and gaming. He can deadlift 620lbs!

Mr. Neese is teaching his 3^rd year at Archway Veritas. He has taught in both 2^nd and 3^rd grade. Mr. Neese graduated from a Great Hearts school in 2020. He is currently enrolled at Western Governors University, pursuing a dual degree in Elementary Education and Special Education. Additionally, Mr. Neese served as summer school director for the 2022-2023 school year at Veritas.

Isabella was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona.  She is a junior at Grand Canyon University and is studying Elementary Education. This is her second year at Veritas as a Floating TA. She loves spending time with family and friends, traveling, and dancing.

Peter Caschetta has been teaching at Archway Veritas as the PE teacher for the last thirteen years and assisting with the Dean of Students for the last four years. A proud graduate of Arizona State University, they were inspired to pursue a career in Physical Education after playing multiple sports growing up and Coaching Soccer in their early teenage years. Coach Caschetta enjoys the outdoors and spending time with his family during his free time. Also, he really enjoys learning how to play the piano, guitar, drums, and harmonica.

Dr. Atwood earned a D.M.A. in horn performance from James Madison University, a M.M. in brass performance from Florida State University, and a B.M. in horn performance for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has performed with many orchestras across the United States including Sinfonia Gulf Coast (FL), Charlottesville Symphony Orchestra (VA), and the Scottsdale Philharmonic (AZ). Dr. Atwood has given lectures at the Arizona Music Educator’s Association Conference, the International Horn Society’s South East Horn Workshop, and Auburn University. Dr. Atwood joined Archway Veritas in January of 2019 and currently serves as the 3-5 Music Teacher.

Miss Bates holds a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from Arizona State University and has been active in music education for 5 years. She is a member of the Arizona Opera chorus and is studying the Kodaly method of teaching. She works as a soprano at various churches around the valley and enjoys Pilates and playing with her cat Roscoe during her free time.

Maggie Medcalf has had a passion for art and classical education since being in a Great Books program in college. She enjoys helping students explore different art mediums and learn from the Masters, including her favorite artist, Henri Matisse. She has lived in the Phoenix area for almost twenty years and loves spending time with her husband and children.

Miss Merryman received a BFA in Art Education at Arcadia University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  She has taught art for the past 6 years here in Arizona.  She enjoys traveling, rock climbing, and ballroom dancing.

Madame Cawley is a French native. Her passion for education started 25 years ago when she started teacher school and earned a master of English in France where she taught both middle school and high school English. She also graduated from ASU with a Master of French and taught at the ISAZ, ASU and SCC. After 13 years at Archway Veritas, she is now a veteran teacher and is very grateful to belong to a community that values Truth Goodness and Beauty. Madame Cawley and her husband are the parents of bilingual twins and enjoy travelling together to discover new places, cultures and languages!

Karla Gemoets has been teaching French for over twenty years. Eleven of those years teaching at one of the top 100 high schools in the country. She became a French teacher because she fell in love with the language. She was so passionate about it that she wanted to share it with others. As a foreign language teacher, she aims to help students discover the wonderful opportunity of learning a new language.   

She wants her students to see how being able to communicate in a foreign language is like having a magic key that opens the door to a beautiful new world full of excitement and adventure. For her, teaching French is a great venue to guide her students in the pursuit of truth, goodness, and beauty as they learn about the history, the traditions, the culture, and the language itself.   

Mrs. Opitz has served at Archway Veritas since the inaugural year, 2010.  She began as a Kindergarten Teacher and moved to Dean of Students and Assistant Headmaster. She is currently serving as Headmaster. She loves to spend time with her family, hike, cook, and practice jiujitsu. Being part of this community has been an honor and delight.

Mrs. Gandy serves as the Assistant Headmaster.  She taught for 13 years in the Chicago Public School system before starting her own family.  She began teaching at Archway Veritas in a 3^rd grade classroom, and during the 2022-23 school year, she served as the Dean of Students.  She holds a Bachelor of Education and Master of Language and Literacy.  She was born and raised in the Midwest but loves the warm weather in the south.  Mrs. Gandy has two children, Grace and Griffin, who attend Great Hearts Veritas.  She enjoys working out, teaching reading and spending time with her family. 

Mrs. Van Leuven was born and raised in Arizona. She graduated from the University of Texas. After graduation she returned to Arizona and began her career with Archway Veritas as a Kindergarten and Frist grade teacher. She is now enjoying her position as the Dean of Students. She married her high school sweetheart. They enjoy eating takeout, watching movies, taking long walks with their 110lb. English Mastiff, Peaches, and spending time with their 14 nieces and nephews.

I am the current Dean of Academics and former lead teacher of 4C for five years. I am passionate about education, and working at ACV has been a great blessing in my life. I studied Elementary Education and Spanish at Benedictine College in Kansas and later studied Humanities and Classical Education at the University of Dallas. I am from Phoenix and enjoy hiking through all the mountains of Arizona. I love traveling, speaking Spanish, spending time with friends and family, and anything outdoors!

Mrs. Hosack has served as Director of Operations for Archway Veritas since it’s inaugural year, 2010. She was born and raised in Southern California, moving to Phoenix in 1996. Mrs. Hosack loves animals and volunteers at an animal sanctuary in Queen Creek twice a month. She is also the owner and handler of Karma, the school therapy dog.

Ms. Del Duca has a degree in finance. She has been the Office Manager for Archway Veritas since 2013. She is the proud mother of two daughters.

Mary O’Connor has lived in Arizona since 1974.  She graduated from Saguaro High School and then moved onto a three-year cooking apprenticeship through the American Culinary Federation.  She and her husband met as apprentices, married, have nine children, twelve grandchildren and counting.  In her spare time, she enjoys gardening, sewing, Sudoku, a little family time and a little alone time!

Erin Kinkel has served as a 4th Grade TA for 2 years. Teaching is a second career for Mrs. Kinkel and she is enjoying the journey so far. In her free time, she enjoys coaching and cheering for her 3 children in various sports activities. As well as staying active outside, traveling, and eating at local restaurants. 

Stephanie Lentz is an experienced educator and dedicated professional serving as an ESS Coordinator at Great Hearts. With a passion for shaping young minds, Stephanie holds a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Education and a Master’s in Sociology. Currently completing her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education, she demonstrates a commitment to ongoing learning and professional development. Stephanie brings a wealth of expertise to her role, having spent a decade teaching Kindergarten and contributing significantly to the educational landscape. Her journey in education is complemented by a background in mental health, where she honed valuable skills that enrich her approach to teaching and student support.

Miss Hintze works as an ESSA. She loves reading books in her spare time and is a rabbit owner. Her favorite vacation spot is her family cabin. She also loves to hike different places. This is her third year working at Archway Veritas.

As an ESSA dedicated to supporting students with special needs, she merges her passions for helping others with a genuine love for people, children, and animals. Her enthusiasm for art, history and above all, teaching children drives her to create inclusive learning environments where every student can thrive.

Julie Pitcl has been teaching at Archway Veritas since its inception in 2011.  She serves the community as a reading interventionist and literacy coach.  Julie has been in the field of education for 26 years and is passionate about teaching reading to all learners.  She enjoys practicing yoga, traveling and spending quality time with her family, friends and dog, Archie.

Katy Soukup has been an elementary school teacher for 24 years. She joined the Great Hearts family 5 years, specializing in reading instruction. Mrs. Soukup is a Certified Barton Tutor, she is trained in Linda Mood-Bell LiPS as well as Handwriting Without Tears. She is also a Dyslexia Screening Specialist. Mrs. Soukup is a native of Phoenix and has 4 children, all who are Greathearted students.

This is Mrs. Jenkins’s 19th year in education; prior to coming to Archway, she was a classroom teacher in Tucson and Phoenix. She has two daughters who attend/graduated from Veritas Prep. Mrs. Jenkins feels she has the best job at Archway and loves cultivating joy for mathematics!

Gina Sbragia was born in raised in Northern California and moved to Phoenix after graduating from the University of Arizona. She is a certified Speech Language Pathology Assistant and currently services students at Veritas Archway and Prep. She has previously worked with children in school, clinic, and home settings for the past 7 years. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with family, hikes with her dog Enzo, and traveling.

Nadia Miller is a certified Speech-Language Pathologist who is currently the supervising SLP for Veritas Archway and Prep as well as Great Hearts Online. She received her master’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston and has worked with both children and adults in hospital and school settings for the past 18 years.  In her spare time, she enjoys baking, playing pickleball, attempting to garden, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.