ACADEMIC TEAM
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Larisa Nachman, BA, MA In Progress, Academic DirectorLarisa is the Academic Director at New Summit Academy. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Film Studies from Kennesaw State University. Before joining the NSA team, she was a park ranger and educator for the National Park Service in Atlanta, Georgia.
As a park ranger, Larisa’s classrooms were rivers, creeks, and hiking trails. She worked with a diverse community of K-12 students, teachers, and park visitors to teach History and Ecology lessons and to organize service learning projects. Through experience and training in the philosophies of experiential education, she learned the importance of embracing and nurturing students’ different intelligences and learning styles. At NSA, Larisa encourages students to explore their passions and think for themselves. She loves working with them to better express themselves through writing, speaking, and performing. She strives to provide a positive learning environment for each student while helping them to build college-level skills. |
Larisa values opportunities for travel, cultural immersion, and second language acquisition in academic and professional endeavors. She traveled to Quito Ecuador to participate in a Spanish language immersion program during her college years. She believes that learning a second language is extremely beneficial to young people as well, and so she developed a bilingual Junior Ranger program for metro-Atlanta youth. To improve her Spanish and strengthen the program, Larisa worked for the San Juan National Historic Site in Puerto Rico for ten weeks. She considers herself a lifelong learner and is thrilled to be living in Costa Rica where she can continue to work toward her goal of becoming fluent in Spanish.
Being part of the NSA community and helping students work toward their goals inspires Larisa to grow as an educator and as an individual. She especially enjoys exploring, learning, and challenging herself alongside the students on Aventuras. In her free time, Larisa enjoys hiking, practicing yoga, reading, and watching movies with her cats.
Being part of the NSA community and helping students work toward their goals inspires Larisa to grow as an educator and as an individual. She especially enjoys exploring, learning, and challenging herself alongside the students on Aventuras. In her free time, Larisa enjoys hiking, practicing yoga, reading, and watching movies with her cats.
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Amelia Nebenzahl, MA, Coordinator of Student SuccessAmelia is thrilled to be the Coordinator for Student Success at New Summit Academy. She has spent the past decade facilitating experiential learning for youth and is passionate about creating educational experiences that allow students to step into their full selves. Amelia first began analyzing systems of schooling while pursuing a masters degree in Peace Education. Since then, she has been constantly thinking about how education can be more holistic, nurturing, and accessible to the individuals who come through our schools and our society as a whole.
Through her undergraduate studies in International Relations, Amelia discovered that the world is a much better classroom than a room with four walls. She has lived, studied and worked on almost every continent, and the interactions with people with whom she formed deep relationships have taught her far more than any book or lecture possibly could. |
Her transformative experiences abroad inspired her to embark on the path of place-based learning and intercultural education. She has facilitated experiential learning programs in Senegal, Ghana, Rwanda, India, and the United States and is constantly inspired by the power of being immersed in a foreign milieu to expand one’s perspective and comfort zone.
Before coming to New Summit, Amelia taught Global Thinking at the Woolman Semester in northern California. Her class examined the macro-level systems that govern our society, their interconnected nature, and how they affect people around the globe in different ways. It was both exciting and humbling to see her students broaden their perspectives of the realities in which we live and grow into agents of change for a more just and equitable world. Woolman helped Amelia realize how powerful living in community can be and that rivers and oceans will always rejuvenate her soul.
Costa Rica has been her home off and on since 2013. She is excited to feel grounded here for a while and have more opportunities to help folks integrate Pura Vida into their lives.
Before coming to New Summit, Amelia taught Global Thinking at the Woolman Semester in northern California. Her class examined the macro-level systems that govern our society, their interconnected nature, and how they affect people around the globe in different ways. It was both exciting and humbling to see her students broaden their perspectives of the realities in which we live and grow into agents of change for a more just and equitable world. Woolman helped Amelia realize how powerful living in community can be and that rivers and oceans will always rejuvenate her soul.
Costa Rica has been her home off and on since 2013. She is excited to feel grounded here for a while and have more opportunities to help folks integrate Pura Vida into their lives.
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Peter Gottovi, MA, Humanities Teacher, Music CoordinatorPeter Gottovi earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Literature at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington. After a taking a break from academia while pursuing a career in music as a drummer/ percussionist recording artist and live performer in New York City, Peter went back to school earning an Honors Master of Arts in Secondary English Education at The City University of New York. During and for a few years after that degree, Peter joined the New York City Teaching Fellows Organization and Americorps program as a teacher teaching English, history, percussion, and music technology at a public school in one of New York City’s most troubled neighborhoods, located in the South Bronx. Peter left that position in 2008, when he relocated to Atenas, Costa Rica and began his work at New Summit Academy.
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During his Masters work in New York, Peter became inspired by such educational theorists as Lev Vygotsky and Howard Gardner. Working in the South Bronx, it became his mission to try to teach in Vygotsky’s “Zone of Proximal Development” through Gardner’s different “Multiple Intelligences”. Early on, it became clear to him that the incredible advances in technology at the time were not being utilized anywhere near to their potential in a vast majority of the classrooms he observed. His principal at the time (now a superintendent for the Department of Education of New York City) asked him to become a lead teacher in technology integration at their school. She gave him the autonomy to write his own curriculum for and integrate his own unique “Literacy through Music and Cultural History” program, which featured a recording studio he built at the school. She wanted him to incorporate his knowledge and skill from his career in music with his English and history curriculum. His students loved the new approach to literacy and history, which allowed them to pen and record their own lyric-centered compositions, in addition to learning much culture and history behind the music they loved. The work inspired his master’s thesis, which was a human study on the impact of technology integration into instruction on his students.
Once at New Summit Academy, Peter immediately got to work building a recording studio as well as bringing down and also acquiring various musical instruments in order to provide the equipment for an energetic, if unorthodox technology-centered music program. But his integration of technology into instruction did not stop there. As the history teacher, Peter has worked tirelessly in order to collect and integrate a large assortment of rich, multi-media content and technology-based, multiple intelligence-delivered products and project/ problem-based research into the standards-based curriculum he developed. It is not unusual that you can hear a group of students “rocking out” in the rancho or in a recording session in the studio while creating new music. It is also not atypical to see a group of students engaged in the creation of a film, a podcast, a song, or the design of a website about an historical event, based on a research assignment. Now, with the integration of iPad technology, Peter is exploring new music apps, such as Real Book for iPad in order to take full advantage of the technology in order to add jazz and blues improvisation to the NSA music program. In addition to his teaching and music collaboration, Peter brings his 35 years of surfing and ocean swimming experience in order to help facilitate surfing instruction, lifeguarding, and trip planning and logistics for NSA’s, student-led Surf Club.
Once at New Summit Academy, Peter immediately got to work building a recording studio as well as bringing down and also acquiring various musical instruments in order to provide the equipment for an energetic, if unorthodox technology-centered music program. But his integration of technology into instruction did not stop there. As the history teacher, Peter has worked tirelessly in order to collect and integrate a large assortment of rich, multi-media content and technology-based, multiple intelligence-delivered products and project/ problem-based research into the standards-based curriculum he developed. It is not unusual that you can hear a group of students “rocking out” in the rancho or in a recording session in the studio while creating new music. It is also not atypical to see a group of students engaged in the creation of a film, a podcast, a song, or the design of a website about an historical event, based on a research assignment. Now, with the integration of iPad technology, Peter is exploring new music apps, such as Real Book for iPad in order to take full advantage of the technology in order to add jazz and blues improvisation to the NSA music program. In addition to his teaching and music collaboration, Peter brings his 35 years of surfing and ocean swimming experience in order to help facilitate surfing instruction, lifeguarding, and trip planning and logistics for NSA’s, student-led Surf Club.
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Juan Diego Rodriguez, BS in Biology Education,
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students, including Rock Band, magic, graphic novels, sports, and video games. During football season, JD runs a fantasy football league (go Green Bay!). JD also helps the Experiential Education department with physical education classes, which gives him a nice and unique opportunity to interact with his students outside the classroom. He loves to go to the gym, play flag football, and especially play basketball with the students. Sports has always been a big part of JD’s life as he also played first division volleyball in Costa Rica and has celebrated a few championships.
JD is one of the staff who is native to the Atenas area. He loves being close to home and has a large family in the area, many of whom have opened their homes as homestay families to our students. JD enjoys spending time at home, talking to his family and sharing histories with them. He also loves to dance Salsa and other Latin rhythms although he claims he is not especially good at it.
JD is one of the staff who is native to the Atenas area. He loves being close to home and has a large family in the area, many of whom have opened their homes as homestay families to our students. JD enjoys spending time at home, talking to his family and sharing histories with them. He also loves to dance Salsa and other Latin rhythms although he claims he is not especially good at it.
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Christina Maupin, MA, Math TeacherHailing from Central Virginia, Christy teaches Math at NSA. She has earned a Masters of Arts in Teaching and, in addition to Math, the Commonwealth of Virginia also considers Christy highly qualified to teach special education and gifted education.
Before joining the NSA team, Christy spent several years as both classroom teacher in a juvenile detention facility, and as a teaching partner for a graduate-level education course focused on integrating art into the general education curriculum. This diverse experience helped her develop a unique teaching style that encourages success of all students, regardless of demographic. She strives to create a safe, challenging learning environment that encourages curiosity and values individuality. Christy’s greatest passion in life is inspiring and empowering others through holistic education. |
Outside of the classroom, Christy immerses herself in a variety of outreach activities. While she has come to terms about the impossibility of adaptive ski instruction in Costa Rica, Christy looks forward to finding other (warmer!) ways to harness her passions for live music, arts & crafts, and community involvement. After all, as W.E.B. Du Bois so eloquently stated: “Children learn more from what you are than what you teach.”
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Brooke Lyon, BA, English TeacherBrooke is the English Literature and Composition teacher at NSA. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a minor in Professional Writing & Editing from the University of California, Santa Barbara. During her time at UCSB, Brooke studied abroad at Cambridge University, exploring her love for literature, writing, and travel. Shortly after graduating, she left California again to teach English as a second language in Cusco, Peru. The next adventure lead her to San Jose, Costa Rica where she spent a year working with young, international volunteers as a volunteer coordinator. This position allowed Brooke to facilitate service-learning opportunities, teaching valuable life skills and encouraging personal growth in volunteers while increasing impact in local communities.
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Brooke loves working with young people, especially sharing language, literature, and culture. Outside of the classroom, Brooke loves to run, hike, and be outside. Her love for children and cultural immersion drive her to dedicate free time to volunteer in the community. She strives to bring each of her passions into the classroom, while also encouraging her students to seek opportunities to pursue their own passions through an academic lens.
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Stephen Kopels, Documentary Production & Photography TeacherSteven has been a working filmmaker, television director and educator for the past forty five years. His career started in 1968 as a combat photographer in Vietnam, Photographing the war for Stars and Stripes, The New York Times, Newsweek, U S Army Digest and other major publications. Upon completing his tour of duty, he returned to college and attended Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California, where he earned a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree with an emphasis in Filmmaking.
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For the next fourteen years, Kopels worked for PBS as a Senior Producer/Director. During his time with PBS, he created hundreds of documentaries and live television shows that won numerous national and international awards (the New York International Film Festival, the Gabriel Awards, and the San Francisco International Film Festival and two Peabody nominations to name a few) and was also honored as being named American representative at the Rockefeller International Independent Film Symposium in Venice, Italy.
In 1985, he became a partner with Imagemaker Productions in Nashville, Tennessee. Over the next ten years, he created dozens of commercials, music videos, corporate films, and documentaries.
In 1995, Steven moved to San Francisco, where he worked as an independent Producer/Director/Director of Photography for many Fortune 500 Corporations, including Levi Strauss, Oracle, Federal Express, Bank of America, Westinghouse, DuPont, Texas Instruments, and the Smithsonian Institution to name but a few.
In addition, he produced and directed three one-hour segments for a thirteen-part series for PBS titled Religions of the World hosted by Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley. In 2005, with his partner Jeremiah Birnbaum, he opened the San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking. For the past ten years he has been the President of the school and Director of Education. The school teaches students from around the world the art and craft of filmmaking. With his former partner, he has produced seven feature films for theatrical release with a sister company Fog City Pictures.
In 2011, Steven retired from The San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking and moved to Atenas, Costa Rica, where he continues to live his passion for filmmaking by teaching part-time at New Summit Academy.
In 1985, he became a partner with Imagemaker Productions in Nashville, Tennessee. Over the next ten years, he created dozens of commercials, music videos, corporate films, and documentaries.
In 1995, Steven moved to San Francisco, where he worked as an independent Producer/Director/Director of Photography for many Fortune 500 Corporations, including Levi Strauss, Oracle, Federal Express, Bank of America, Westinghouse, DuPont, Texas Instruments, and the Smithsonian Institution to name but a few.
In addition, he produced and directed three one-hour segments for a thirteen-part series for PBS titled Religions of the World hosted by Academy Award winner Ben Kingsley. In 2005, with his partner Jeremiah Birnbaum, he opened the San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking. For the past ten years he has been the President of the school and Director of Education. The school teaches students from around the world the art and craft of filmmaking. With his former partner, he has produced seven feature films for theatrical release with a sister company Fog City Pictures.
In 2011, Steven retired from The San Francisco School of Digital Filmmaking and moved to Atenas, Costa Rica, where he continues to live his passion for filmmaking by teaching part-time at New Summit Academy.
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Daisy Rojas, Lic Spanish as a Foreign Language Teacher,
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Daisy holds dear her spiritual beliefs, family values, and desire to serve her community. These have guided her work as a person, mother of two, wife, and professional educator. She is a loving person whose joy for life, unlimited hugs, and hope for the future make her a joy to work with and a person to admire.
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Vianney Medina, Lic Administration, Teaching Spanish as a Second Language, BA in Progress, Spanish TeacherVianney is the Integrated Spanish Teacher at New Summit Academy. She earned her degree in Administration with an emphasis in Human Resources and also earned a technical degree in “Teaching of Spanish as a Second Language” through the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica. She is also in the process of earning a Bachelor degree in English as a Second Language at "Universidad Técnica Nacional de Costa Rica (UTN). Vianney loves learning about other cultures, but she is also very passionate about her own, which is why she decided to become a Spanish professor.
Before joining our Academic team, Vianney worked in our Administration department for years, and has important knowledge about New Summit Academy’s internal functioning and its student community, which will be valuable as a teacher. |
Outside of the classroom, Vianney loves to run, ride her bike, hike, and many other outdoor activities. She also loves hanging out with her family and friends, and traveling.
As Spanish teacher, Vianney wants to share with our young community all her knowledge about Costa Rican customs and traditions so they can experience real cultural immersion while they learn. Her goal is that students enjoy her Spanish class so that their learning comes easy and naturally.
As Spanish teacher, Vianney wants to share with our young community all her knowledge about Costa Rican customs and traditions so they can experience real cultural immersion while they learn. Her goal is that students enjoy her Spanish class so that their learning comes easy and naturally.
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Maria Kajercline, BA, Academic InternAs an academic intern at NSA, Maria collaborates with the Spanish teachers and experiential education staff to help enrich the cultural immersion program. She also works closely with the teaching staff to assist with various academic programs and projects. Before NSA, Maria graduated summa cum laude from Whitman College with a bachelor’s degree in Spanish. During her time at Whitman, she worked as a student academic advisor and peer tutor, as well as an A.V.I.D. tutor at a local middle school. She also spent a semester studying abroad in Argentina, where she took classes at an Argentinian university, explored her love for travel, and volunteered teaching English at an afterschool program for high-school students.
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Maria is so excited to be a part of the NSA community she has always loved teaching and working with young people, and has a passion for the Spanish language and cultural immersion. She believes that education is the key to a better future and that language learning is incredibly important because it allows for connection, communication, and exchange between people of different cultures and perspectives. Outside of the classroom, Maria enjoys singing, dancing, acting, playing board games, and spending time with her wonderful friends and family.