LINK SCHOOL - Key Persons
Since growing up around the waters of Southern California and Southern Michigan, I've become a complete mountain addict.
My love for history started with the Gold Rush in the fourth grade. From there, that love expanded into a fascination with the concepts of government and American history. While my major in college was rooted firmly in the humanities department, I didn't stick to one discipline. I've studied religion, legal processes, domestic and international political science; traveled abroad three times to study music, art, religious and political conflict; and played a variety of musical instruments in different settings. In the end, it was history that captured my love once again. History encompasses every area of study, answers my endless questions, and gives me infinitely more questions in return. I graduated from Principia College with a Bachelor of Arts in history and a double minor in religion and music.
While in college, my friends convinced me to spend my summers in Colorado at Adventure Unlimited. I fell in love with the mountains and spent my time enjoying the waterfront, building trails, and doing ranch maintenance in the off-season. After spending a summer in the archival research department of the Mary Baker Eddy Library in Boston, I decided I needed more outdoor living. I moved to Buena Vista directly following college and haven't looked back since. I currently spend my summers training counselors-in-training as a member of the Adventure Unlimited camp director team, and I love working at 100 Elk Outdoor Center in the fall and spring. I am so excited to be back in the worlds of history and government working at Link this year!
Job Titles:
- Residential Assistant / Program Staff
Born and raised in Fairbanks, Alaska, my love for Colorado has come very naturally. I discovered Buena Vista, Colorado, when I first visited Adventure Unlimited as a camper back in the day. I recently graduated from Principia College in the class of 2021 with a double major in Political Science and Environmental Studies. I was also a three-season athlete, competing in NCAA Cross country, Indoor Track and Field, and Outdoor Track and Field throughout all four years.
The last two summers I have worked closely with highschool aged staff members at Adventure Unlimited. This past summer I had the opportunity to work as one of the Camp Directors at Adventure Unlimited, where my specialty was training the youngest and newest staff members, CITs (counselors in training). As you can imagine, this summer deepened my love for working with highschoolers. Their excitement, passion, freedom, creativity, and spiritual boundlessness bring me to work inspired everyday!
My love for academics and athletic adventure are two of the many reasons I was drawn to The Link School. I cannot imagine a better place to work than one where I am asked to grow and learn right alongside the students from program activities to backcountry trips to metaphysical study. I am beyond thrilled to be a part of such an enriching environment, and if you ever stop by, I'd love to meet you!
After graduating from Principia College with a BS in Biology and a minor in English I stayed on campus to work as a Post Graduate Teaching Intern for the Center for Teaching and Learning and drove down to the Upper School twice a week to work as a tutor in the dorms. During this time I also met my husband, Micah, and started my Master's in Education from Southern Illinois University of Edwardsville. Micah and I got married in the Principia chapel the day after he graduated, and shortly after made our way down to Florida so he could teach people how to fly paramotors. In the last few years Florida and Colorado have been playing tug-of-war for the prize of becoming our home. My husband and I have always felt drawn to the mountains, and as a Link School alumna, I've always known I would return. In the spring of 2022 we brought our beautiful baby boy, Emmett, into this wild world and made our way back to Buena Vista so I could start teaching that fall.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Residential Assistant / Program Staff
The value of an alternative residential high school program strikes a chord with me because I was the kind of kid who needed something more. I was raised in a good home, with parents who were caring and attentive, but by the time I was 14 years old I was making poor choices and heading the wrong direction. Through the interest of a teacher I discovered an alternative high school program that was geared towards both students like me that needed to be there and students who were doing fine but wanted something more engaging and demanding.
That school helped me get on track, challenged me with an experiential education program, laid a foundation for sound decision making, and helped me become a constructive citizen. I graduated from high school confident with who I was, seeing myself as a capable student and with a desire to serve others. That experiential education program, coupled with the spiritual care I was getting from my mom, changed my life. Within a year I was getting all A's in college at Principia and serving in the Marine Corps Reserves.
Since 2015 I have been quietly supporting The Link School from the sidelines as the director's wife and as a stay-at-home mom. Getting to be part of the team at this incredible school is such a blessing.
Over the past 12 years I have worked off and on at Adventure Unlimited in a variety of capacities (office, kitchen, corral staff, 100 Elk counselor, and facilities). I have also loved getting to work as a personal assistant for a local Christian Science practitioner and teacher. I grew up on horseback and am still riding my horses multiple times a week. Recently, I bought a colt and learned how to train him, which was a big step outside of my comfort zone. Over the years I have learned to love and appreciate rock climbing, white water rafting, and mountain biking as I try to keep up with my husband and boys. I am a total amateur, but I am out there learning and trying new things.
"Teaching at Link has been a highlight of my long career. I deeply enjoyed the challenge of meeting the needs of several levels of students and celebrated the healings of academic limitations I witnessed over the years. Link certainly lives up to its purpose!"
Job Titles:
- Spanish Instructor
- Spanish Instructor / Program Staff
It's great to be able to teach at Link again this year. I live in Buena Vista with my family (including a Link Alum) and have been fortunate to have been able to teach a variety of courses over the years, including Spanish. In addition to Link, I've taught Spanish grammar and conversation at a private high school in Oregon and at Principia College. Most of my language skills come from living abroad and through lots of travel.
In Buena Vista, my wife Laurie and I roasted coffee for 15 years until this summer and I've been involved in the politics of Town, as an elected official and a staff member keeping an eye on water supplies. Now, I am very excited to be back in the classroom, speaking Spanish, sharing cultural knowledge, and going on expeditions.
I am thrilled to be able to join the staff at The Link School. Two of my three children attended Link for their senior year and I was able to see first hand what a special place it is. I have over 30 years of experience teaching math at all levels in a variety of school settings, but nothing can compare to the love and support I get from the staff and students here at Link. I can't think of a better place to culminate my teaching career.
One of my passions (outside of math) is taking long hikes. I recently completed part of the Camino de Santiago in Spain, Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, and I am working my way through the Colorado Trail a few sections at a time each summer. When I am not outside exploring mountains, I like to cozy up at home with a fun crochet project.
Hello! My name is Kevin Powers, and for three years I was the residential assistant at Link. In 2020, I took on the role of residential head. I'm originally from Columbus, Ohio, and I grew up going to the Adventure Unlimited Ranches (A/U). I graduated from Principia College in 2017 with a degree in Political Science. In my free time, I love to be outside taking photographs, and I also enjoy hiking and reading. I learned how to ski when I started working for The Link School, and I have been enjoying continuing to learn ever since. I also like being involved with my local branch church and serving in the Reading Room. Recently, I joined the local Search and Rescue team, and I have been loving that.
During my time as a camper at A/U, I fell in love with Colorado. Not only did I fall in love with the Colorado Rockies, but I loved how Christian Science was practiced. It was from camp that I began to see the practicality and effectiveness of Christian Science. At The Link School, it is very similar. We do activities in the outdoors, which require us to turn to God. In this type of environment, it becomes easy to see that Christian Science is more than a set of ideas; it can be used, and we can turn to under any circumstance.
I love The Link School for many reasons, but one thing that stands out to me is how much growth both students and staff experience. I certainly have grown in my time here. We (students and staff) spend so much time together that by the end of the year, we feel like a family. That doesn't always mean it's easy, but it's always rewarding. We go on incredible adventures in the backcountry. The trips we go on push us in one way or another, but a sense of accomplishment and growth comes when the trip ends. We see beautiful landscapes and have amazing moments. Those are just a few reasons why I love the Link School, and why I continue to work here.
Job Titles:
- Program Logistcs Coordinator
- Program Logistic Coordinator
I grew up in Laguna Beach, California, where I spent as much time as I could bodysurfing, surfing, and swimming in the ocean. Each summer, I traveled to the mountains of Buena Vista to be a camper at the A/U Ranches, a summer camp for Christian Scientists. After graduating from the National Leadership Council (NLC), I spent my summers through college giving back to the A/U Ranches as a counselor in mountain programs for high schoolers. These experiences shaped and inspired my devotion to Christian Science, moral leadership, experiential education/outdoor education, and environmental stewardship-and gave me a deep love for the Colorado outdoors.
I recently graduated from Principia College with a BA in Educational Studies. In particular, I enjoyed the opportunity to intern with The Link School, where I witnessed experiential education and project-based learning integrated into a beautifully holistic learning model. I was then drawn to work for Link because of the student interactions, opportunities for teaching and mentorship, outdoor programming, and spiritual-seeking atmosphere.
My husband, Eric, and I were married this past summer in Laguna Beach, before making the move to Buena Vista. We're so grateful to begin our marriage living in such a beautiful place with such a sweet community to contribute to (and I love adventuring here with my best friend!).
In my free time, I love to ski, care for indoor plants, and take prayer walks. I am a student of Christian Science and cherish my daily study, and I look forward to the spiritual growth and healing that this year is sure to bring.
The daughter and grand-daughter of teachers, I was raised in classrooms. I love the promise of challenge and progress that comes with learning. I am grateful to work with staff who are as curious, devoted, energetic, and knowledgeable as those at Link.
After many summers guiding on the Arkansas River, my husband, Steve, and I settled in Buena Vista full time in 2012, and I assumed a field instructor position at The Link School. I left Link to pursue my masters and to expand my teaching experience. I have taught English and composition at Colorado Mountain College in both Leadville and Buena Vista, as well as at The Link School.
I hold a BA in linguistics from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and an MFA in creative writing with a focus in fiction from Queens University of Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina.
When not teaching, I love to run, read, write, teleski badly, and wrangle my two girls, Robin and Heidi.
My career thus far has been a rich tapestry of work in education and business. After completing an undergraduate degree at Principia College in environmental studies, I began by working at the Christian Science Publishing Society doing special projects and putting on conferences. I then went to the Outward Bound School for a number of years where I was a logistician and instructor. Other teaching experience includes working with the Boojum Wilderness Institute in California, a Montessori school in Colorado, and homeschooling our two high school girls during our 3,000-mile hike on the continental divide. I spent 11 years at the Adventure Unlimited Ranches where I was the corral program director, the business manager and ranch director, working with teens and young adults from around the world.
Education
BA, Principia College, Environmental Studies
Moving from Laguna Beach, California to Buena Vista, Colorado more than a decade ago, I feel as if I moved from one paradise to another. I graduated with a degree in mathematics from Principia College many years ago. Although I always imagined I would be a math teacher and football coach, life took me down many other paths, from journalism, to marketing, to our family business buying and selling Native American collectibles to name a few. I did, however, find time to serve as a math tutor and even taught at a small private alternative school, and yes, I did get to coach high school football.
Words cannot express the joy I felt when I learned of the need for a math teacher at The Link School. I immediately applied and was so grateful when offered the position. Although the classes may be small, I was immediately impressed with the professionalism demonstrated by the staff, and the desire to learn expressed by the students.
Job Titles:
- Science Instructor / Program Staff