My Story My favorite free time activity is spending time with family and friends! A long, shared dinner or adventurous outing with a chance to connect with others nourishes my soul. I’m also an avid reader of mostly short fiction, essays, and poetry – the kind you can find in magazines like The New Yorker, The…
Read MoreFaculty Feature: Nicholia Patellis, Middle School Social Studies
My Story I’m really passionate about so many things it’s hard to say all of them. Some things I love to do are, sing, read, write songs, and play with my puppy. I also love handcrafts like spinning, knitting, crochet and cross-stitch. My friends tease me that I was born in the wrong era. My…
Read MoreStaff Spotlight: Nicole Soriano, Digital Marketing
My Story My story began in the dreamy desert landscape of Tucson, Arizona. In search of my next adventure, I moved to Boston, Massachusetts when I was 19. I came to Albuquerque almost 7 years ago, to be close to my mom. She spent her childhood years in the village of San Juan, north of…
Read MoreFaculty Feature: Katherine Torres, Upper School Science
Katherine Torres is a 6-12 licensed level 3-A instructional leader with Endorsements in Science, TESOL and Mathematics. She has a Certificate of International School Leadership, a Master’s of Education with concentration in International Teaching, and a Bachelor’s of Science in Geology. About Me I come from a family of global nomads. I spent most of…
Read MoreFaculty Feature: Christopher Schifani, Upper School Chinese and College Guidance
Chris Schifani has his Master’s in Translation from National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei, where he lived and studied for 9 years. We hope you enjoy learning more about this fine member of the Menaul School Community. My Family My parents are retired. I have one sister who works as Head of Snowmaking in Vail,…
Read MoreStaff Spotlight: Arianna Duran, Head of School and HR Assistant
Arianna Duran is a proud New Mexican with a BA in Social Work from CNM. She is known among her Menaul peers as “Ari.” My Story Arianna joins Menaul School with more than seven years’ experience in executive assistant roles. She has enjoyed working alongside executives and many different teams. With a track record of…
Read MoreFaculty Feature: Leon Lake, Director of Performing Arts
My Story I am married to a wonderful man named Skyler. Skyler is a barber and we live in the mountains with our dog. I love music, eating, and naps. What I Love About Menaul School Being able to share music with kids. They always make me laugh and think. I love getting to see…
Read MoreStaff Spotlight: Marian Bock, Registrar and Academics Assistant
My Story I am the oldest of three sisters. Raised in Albuquerque, mostly–with long periods in the San Francisco Bay area, Seattle, and New York. My parents were both academics, so it’s fitting that I made my way to a school! Before working at Menaul, I worked for New Mexico Legal Aid, giving administrative support…
Read MoreAdmin Team Spotlight: Lindsey R. Gilbert, President and Head of School
My Story I met my wife Laurie at Wheaton College on a summer mission trip to Amsterdam. Together we have spent the past 40 years working at the same schools, raising our five children, traveling, and exploring. We have four grandchildren and two boisterous Brittany spaniels, Chaco and Tex. In my free time, my favorite…
Read MoreAdmin Team Spotlight: Chris Ferrara, Assistant Head of School and Upper School Director
My Story I met my wife, Xiao, while working in China. We had two daughters there, Eris and Ceres, who are now 7 and 9 years old. After the younger was born, we moved back to the United States and they’ve grown up here. Xiao had to reconsider her professional training after coming to the…
Read MoreAdmin Team Spotlight: Melanie Davis, Director of Institutional Advancement
My Story I am married to Rev. Tom Davis Jr., a hospice chaplain. We have a lovely blended family that includes our little dog Lily and four adult children and a grandson. Unfortunately, they are spread out all over the country including California, Washington, Illinois and Mississippi. Needless to say, we feel so fortunate to…
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