Faculty & Staff Directory

What would people be surprised to learn about you? Colorado Springs is my hometown! I have been away since I went to college in South Carolina, which feels like forever ago. Colorado Springs has changed so much since I've been gone and am happy to be back!

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have and why? I would want to be in two places at once. There is so much to do in a day at school and at home that it would be amazing to be able to do both at the same time!

What did you want to be growing up? I have always wanted to be a teacher and truly feel like it is my calling. I feel so much purpose doing what I am meant to do!

What draws you to working with students? I love building relationships with my students as well as their families. Becoming a mom has emphasized for me how much trust parents are putting in me each day to make decisions that are in the best interest of their children. It is so rewarding to watch students grow throughout the school year because of the work we have done together!

What is your favorite spot in the world? Sitting on the beach at Kiawah Island, S.C., is my "happy place!" I feel relaxed and in awe of nature in the gorgeous scenery.

Lisa has been an educator for more than 10 years and truly feels education is her calling. She has previously taught Kindergarten and 2nd Grade in a public school district. In 2016, she was awarded the Distinguished Teacher of Reading by a local chapter of the International Reading Association. Lisa also participated in Clemson’s Writing Project summer institute as a teacher consultant. Teaching children to read and write truly is her joy, and she has a passion for reading and writing workshops. She is excited to continue her journey as an educator at CSS!

What would people be surprised to learn about you?
I'm a beekeeper. My girls and I refurbished a hive during COVID and now our colony of bees has been thriving for three years.

What is your favorite spot in the world and why?
The international arrivals terminal at Charles de Gaulle Airport. There is no greater confluence of human happiness in the world.

What would people be surprised to learn about you? I grew up on an island outside Seattle. I am a trained instructor of Infant Massage and Early Childhood Music (using the Music Together Curriculum).

What is one thing you’ve learned from students? I love the honesty, openness, and curiosity of the young learner, and I learn from them every day how to be a better, more empathetic, and authentic human being.

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have? Flying, for sure, and helping people see the good in other people.

What did you want to be growing up? A veterinarian. I love animals!

What draws you to teaching? My love of kids!

What is your favorite spot in the world? I enjoy being on the water, perhaps because I grew up on an island. Pretty much anywhere I can sit and look out over water is where I want to be.

What is one thing you enjoy about CSS? The community! My children have been in all divisions at the school, and I love how the interactions between age groups encourage a strong community. I also appreciate that the size of our school makes it so that every child is known on campus, even by folks who are not their current teachers. It creates a sense of safety as children move through the grades.

If you were a superhero, what powers would you have and why?
If I were a superhero I would have teleportation ability and I would definitely take my students to places where they could have a first-hand experience of the topics we see in class every day.

What is one thing you've learned from students?
One thing I've learned from students is the importance of feedback and recognition, it can truly make a difference in someone's day and life even, no matter how big or small the milestone is.

What did you want to be growing up?
I come from a huge family, so I was always surrounded by kids, older and younger, and I always felt compelled to take the lead or call the shots, and I would always find myself teaching them something. So teaching just came naturally to me.

What draws you to working with students?
Their ability to learn and their immense potential to shape and reshape the world as they see and experience it.

What is one thing you enjoy about CSS and why?
One thing I enjoy about CSS is the passion for teaching my colleagues showcase. They inspire me to raise the bar continuously.

Alfonso brings more than a decade of experience in language teaching. He enjoys using my professional skills as an educator to contribute to students' integral education through the teaching of a second language. He strongly believes in providing opportunities for students to partake in today's interconnected world and culture and in all the positive effects that speaking a second language could have on the way our brains work. Outside of work, he enjoys being active. He loves hiking and mountain biking with family and friends.

Dr. Ryan Kelly's career path started with a love for teaching chemistry and a desire to pursue it as a career. He attended the University of Colorado at Boulder (CU) to pursue a master’s degree in science instruction and curriculum. He continued his love for the outdoors and triathlon and joined the coveted CU Triathlon Team. Continuing a career in education in high-level science and mathematics, he eventually ascended to the administrative level.

After further growth, Dr. Kelly became the Head of the Upper School at Carrollwood Day School (CDS) in Tampa, Florida. While leading their Upper School through programmatic expansions, he continued to further his leadership knowledge by taking part in Harvard University’s Principal Training Program for New and Aspiring School Leaders. He was also named a fellow of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) Aspiring Heads’ Institute. Dr. Kelly was then named the Associate Head of School, and shortly thereafter, he became the Head of School at Carrollwood Day School.

During his time at Carrollwood, he pursued further education at the University of Pennsylvania’s Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership. Dr. Kelly’s dissertation focused on the STEM and Entrepreneurship programs at his school and how they impacted the students in grades 5 through 12.

After the doctoral program and working at Carrollwood for more than 12 years, Dr. Kelly expanded his career to China as the Founding Head of School of BASIS International/Bilingual School in Chengdu, Sichuan, part of a family of BASIS schools throughout the United States, Thailand, and Europe.

Dr. Kelly begins as Head of School for CSS on July 1, 2024.