Education
Learn about the women leading education in the Prescott area.
PHS Grad Georgia Harrington Heads to Juilliard in the Fall
With an alum list boasting celebrities like Viola Davis, Val Kilmer and Jessica Chastain, it is with true Prescott Pride that one of our own shares her journey from dream to acceptance at one of the most prestigious performing arts schools in the world: The Juilliard School. Georgia Harrington, a 2023 Prescott High School graduate, was accepted into Juilliard and will be majoring in acting there starting this fall.
Innovation Within Tradition
The Margot Fonteyn Academy of Ballet and Fine Arts (MFAB) reopens its world headquarters this August in Prescott, having relocated from New York and survived COVID. Sometimes it’s not just a dancer, but an entire Academy, that picks itself up off the mat.
Celebrating Success for Each Child
At Cedar Tree Montessori, learning is individualized, and the focus is on success.
Owned and operated by Debbie and Aly McMillan, the school, which just completed its 16th year, offers toddler programs for children 18 months to three years old, and a Montessori preschool program for children who are two-and-a-half to five years old.
Kickstart a Great Career
Yavapai College’s new four-year Bachelor of Science Business degree features three concentrations from which students can choose: Accounting, Entrepreneurship, and Organizational Management and Leadership.
Striving for Equity, Creating Opportunities
Young women who lay the right groundwork have more opportunities to follow the path that works for them. Helping people lay that groundwork—through education and empowering community partnerships and programs—is the goal of the American Association of University Women (AAUW).
Her Perfect Fit
Sheryl Blosel has found her perfect fit. With a vast background in Information Technology (IT) and Database Management, her position as the Prescott Unified School District’s (PUSD) PowerSchool Administrator is just right.
PowerSchool, the student information system, is a database connected to the Arizona Department of Education via AzEDS, an Ed-fi model for Arizona that automates student data reporting—the vehicle by which the state calculates PUSD’s student funding. Most schools use some type of student information system, and Sheryl said she makes it “a personal mission to do quality internal audits for each school within the district to make sure schools are compliant with state/federal rules and regulations.”
‘Early College Mom’
Director of Prescott Unified School District’s (PUSD) Early College Program, Molly Orr, has roots through her family’s three-generation heritage and contributions to the Prescott area education system. With a grandmother who was an educator in Arizona and California and a father who taught math at Prescott High School (PHS) from the 60s to the 90s, Molly said, “We don’t have buildings named after us, but my family has had a positive influence on this community since Arizona was just a territory!”
Nurturing the Seeds in Discovery Gardens
From student to educator, Discovery Gardens Special Education Preschool Director Stacy Williams has lived in Prescott since 1986, having attended Lincoln Elementary, Granite Mountain Middle School, and Prescott High School.
After her high school graduation, Stacy spent two years at Yavapai College where she had the opportunity to be a part of the team that brought the first Northern Arizona University (NAU) satellite campus to Yavapai County, catering to those students who wanted to become educators within the Prescott area without having to travel to Flagstaff for classes.
Maintaining the Foundation for Online Learning
For Christina Tymchak, Director of Online Learning at Prescott Unified School District (PUSD), her new role may not have evolved without the challenges faced in 2020. PUSD now offers online learning as an option and, while it may not be for everyone, Christina said she is pleased that it is offered to students who feel they would benefit.
“I Just Knew Lincoln Was Where I Wanted to Be”
From Parent to Principal, Elementary School Principal Karen Hughes Has Always Been Impressed with PUSD By Tara Fort From the very first day Karen Hughes walked one of her children to Lincoln Elementary School in Fall of 1999, she was hooked on what that special...
Farm to School
Former AmeriCorps VISTA (V olunteers in Service to America) member Sara Reveile had a goal for the Farm to School Program beyond her VISTA end date. She applied for—and was awarded—an Arizona Community Foundation grant to fund the continuation of the Farm to School Coordinator position with Prescott Unified School District (PUSD). In June 2022, district personnel hired her on as an official employee.
Investing in the Education of Local Children
Prescott Woman Magazine chatted with Dena Ford, Director of Skyview School, to find out what makes her enjoy Prescott and everything it has to offer.