Kathleen Banks
Lower School Art

Kathleen earned a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and a Master of Arts in Organizational Communications from BYU. Since she was a child, Kathleen has always loved art, color, and design. She sees art as a way of communicating visually. “I have used the elements and principles of art in my everyday life-: decorating my home, planting my garden, detailing my journal, and teaching my children are just a few ways.” In 2002, Kathleen took her love of art to a new level when she joined the faculty at Meridian, teaching the students in grades 1 - 6. Her favorite artist is Paul Klee because “his lines are clean and simple, while his colors hold so much depth and emotion.” She also enjoys the work of Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Picasso, and local artist, James Christensen. Kathleen and her husband, Brian, have two children, both of whom have attended Meridian since Kindergarten. “We love it here! Meridian feels like family and has a way of bringing out the best in everyone”.

Rachel Barlow
Assistant Headmaster, Director of Admissions

Rachel has been working at Meridian School since 1996. She began working here as the bookkeeper and attendance clerk and has had all kinds of responsibilities over the years, from cleaning the school at night to touring the school with prospective families. “I have loved my time here, working with the students and their families.” She graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.S. in Sociology. “Sociology was a natural choice for me because of my desire to work with people and it has been an asset to me as I fulfill my responsibilities here. My next goal is to complete a Master’s Degree in Psychology so I can further my skills in working with students.” Rachel has one daughter who has been enrolled at Meridian School since she was old enough to attend Pre-Kindergarten. “She has loved it ever since and doesn’t ever want to leave!”
 

Ursula Bohn
Foreign Language Department Chair, French

Ursula Bohn teaches lower school, middle school and the advanced French classes at Meridian School. She has taught continuously either part time or full time except for a year and a half when she had leave while accompanying her husband to Washington, D.C. where he directed the BYU Washington Seminar Program. She has served as acting department chair, department chair and presently as a member of the curriculum committee.

Madame Bohn, as she is called by her students, started teaching at Meridian in 1990 to cover the cost of tuition at the school of her son, Marc and later her daughter, Rebecca. She had concerns about the declining quality of public education with large class sizes and dwindling discipline. Madame Bohn discovered a real love for teaching. In order to become a more effective teacher, she decided to return to BYU to complete a teaching certificate in French and German. During that time, she had an opportunity to work in the public educational system at the junior and senior high school levels but decided to remain at Meridian, even after her children were no longer there. She has been enthusiastic about starting a foreign language program in lower school and enjoys awakening a love for language learning in younger students. She loves her work and has successfully taken students from first year French to the AP level.
 

Cameron Cahoon
Fine Art Department Chair, Lower School Music, Middle School Drama and Choir, Upper School Choir

Cameron graduated from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ with a degree in Music Education. He began teaching at Meridian in 2004 and teaches music and choir to Pre-K through 12th grade. Cam is an avid theatrical performer who first begin performing at the age of seven. He has toured extensively throughout the US, Canada, Russia, and Europe with numerous musicals, plays, choirs, and various performing groups. He was selected in November 2005 as a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Cameron’s middle school drama students have achieved great success at the Utah Shakespearean Festival competition, finishing in the top three for ensemble the last two years.
 

Kris Crowther
Director of Public Relations, School Nurse, Yearbook Advisor

Kris began working part-time at Meridian in 2003 as the editor of the school newsletter. Her role has expanded to include PR, marketing and development responsibilities, health and safety concerns, and teaching the yearbook class. “I especially love working with the students in yearbook and recording the memories of the school year through photography and print media.” She graduated cum laude from BYU in 1993 with a bachelor’s degree in nursing and spent 13 years working as a registered nurse in the medical/oncology field. 

Kris has been an active and involved parent at Meridian School since her two oldest children began attending in 2000. She and her husband, Dave, are pleased to currently have all five of their children attending Meridian. An avid reader and lifelong learner, Kris enjoys the challenge of acquiring new skills as she works to fulfill her duties at Meridian. “It is my pleasure and passion to be an advocate for Meridian School and the unique education it provides.”
 

Lynn England
Middle and Upper School Provost, History

Lynn has taught the senior seminar, which is now called Fighting the Lazy Brain Syndrome, since 2002. The class covers great ideas including material from Plato, Confucius, Tao, Buddha, Mohammed, the Maya, and Africa. The students write essays expressing their ideas and providing arguments for them. “I believe students should always leave class with a question in their minds.”  In 2006, Lynn accepted the role as Provost of the Middle and Upper School, and has enjoyed his expanded role as mentor for both students and teachers. Lynn taught sociology at BYU, especially theory, international development, and change in Latin America and is a former chair of the Sociology Department. He has a HBA and MA in Philosophy from the University of Utah, and a PHD in Sociology from the University of Pittsburgh. He has five children and seven grand children.
 

Maureen Fletcher
Career Planning

David Hennessey
Headmaster

"Dr. Dave" has been a Meridian parent for 17 years, and has served as the school's Headmaster since April 2002. He has a Ph.D. in Social/Organizational Psychology, and comes to Meridian with nearly 20 years as a non-profit human services executive, and 13 years as a successful management consultant. He championed the ‹person-centeredþ and self-advocacy models for disability services in Utah, and advises local disability providers regarding quality of life, quality assurance, and quality improvement activities. He currently serves on several local, non-profit volunteer boards. "Since high school, I have worked with children and people who are considered devalued or disadvantaged in our society. My passion and calling seems to be the creation and/or administration of exceptional human development opportunities. I love Meridian, for the education and the environment we provide for children and families, and for the community we have created. Every day I watch our fantastic teachers carry out the school's mission—helping ordinary kids achieve extraordinary results. Most days, I feel I have the ideal role - to assist and share in the growth and transformation of both students and teachers."
 

Gail Higgins
Finance Clerk, Receptionist

Gail works as the finance clerk in the mornings and in the main office in the afternoons, answering phones, greeting visitors, etc. Her youngest child currently attends Meridian and her two oldest are in college. “We’ve been a "Meridian family" since 2003 and have loved the association with such great people.” Gail’s father was a career Army officer, which translated, means she moved about every three years of her childhood. “For my personality that was not a hardship, but a wonderful adventure. I have lived in West Virginia, Alabama, Washington DC area, Kansas, Florida, Germany, Hawaii (which is where I graduated from high school at Punahou School), Georgia (I graduated with a BA from Mercer University), Virginia (I married my husband, John), New Mexico, and finally Utah for the last 12 years. My traveling helped me learn to enjoy meeting new people, which now helps at Meridian.”  Gail and her husband have three daughters. “There are two aspects of Meridian that appeal to me the most. First, is that each student's uniqueness is supported, and secondly, there are many opportunities in different areas for every student to excel. I love being a part of a smaller school, where we can know one another and support one another.”
 

Matt Kennington
English, Creative Writing

Matt teaches literature and creative writing courses at Meridian. He serves as the Middle School Supervisor and has taught full time since 1996 except for a three year break to attend law school. After passing the bar in 2002, he returned to teaching at the school he loves. Originally hired to teach the life sciences (his undergrad degree was in pre-medicine), Matt has gradually drifted into the humanities. He is the author of dozens of publications, including fiction, poetry, and essay, and he has recently begun writing plays for the screen and stage. He also teaches Creative Writing at Brigham Young University.
 

Sarah Kimball
Librarian

Sarah came to Meridian in 2005 to serve as the school librarian. She has an AS in Elementary Education and a BS in Human Development. She believes students should explore and ask lots of questions and search resources for the answers; she wants them to know that dictionaries and encyclopedias are great! In addition to her duties at Meridian, Sarah works at the Orem Library and enjoys house renovating and traditional crafts such as weaving, knitting, and spinning.

Kathleen Langston
Receptionist

Kathleen works in the afternoon as the office receptionist at Meridian School. She is the parent of two Meridian students, and two Meridian graduates. “We have been at Meridian since 1998 and are so pleased with the experience the children have had here.” She is currently attending UVSC working towards a degree in elementary education. She grew up in San Diego, California, but has lived in Utah for the last fifteen years.

Kim Lynn
Business Officer, Human Resources, Yoga

Kim serves as the Human Resources Director at Meridian School, and also teaches yoga classes to the Lower School students. She has bachelor and master degrees in Organizational Behavior. Kim has two daughters who have attended Meridian since
Pre-K, and has been a long-time supporter and volunteer at the school.

Travis Madsen
Athletic Department Chair, Girls Volleyball Coach, Girls Basketball Coach, Student Council Adviser

Travis was born in Mt. Pleasant, Utah, graduated from North Sanpete High School and has a Bachelor Degree of Integrated Studies from UVSC. He also has a coaching certification through USEP and the UHSAA.  He is in his tenth year of coaching and eighth year of teaching for Meridian School. He has taught Health, Ethics, Science, and P.E. at Meridian. He has coached Boys and Girls Basketball, Baseball, Volleyball, Boys and Girls Track, Boys cross country, and Girls Soccer while at Meridian. “My philosophy for education is to treat the student with the respect I hope will be returned. I give my best as a teacher and expect the same from my students. My mentor was Boyd Erickson, one of the founding parents of Meridian. He treated everyone as an equal and was a genuinely kind person.” Travis enjoys learning and hopes to further his education with a Master's degree on Psychology with an emphasis on Recreational Therapy.
 

Kim McCloskey
English, Lower School Science, History

Kim has a Bachelor of Arts in English from BYU and has homeschooled for ten years. While homeschooling, she helped to organize several co-ops and held leadership positions in local and county-wide organizations. She has recently obtained her license to teach secondary education and has thoroughly enjoyed using her years of hands-on training in the Meridian setting. She is a member of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and the Utah Council of Teachers of English (UCTE). She has two children currently attending Meridian and two Meridian graduates.
 

Adrianne Miller
Math

My name is Adrianne Miller and I will be teaching two math classes at Meridian this year. This is my first year teaching and I am very excited. I am also excited to have my oldest son attending kindergarten at Meridian this year.  I have another son, Lewis, who is three and a daughter Lillian, who is 20 months. I have been married for six years. My husband Brett is an English teacher at Springville High School and is the golf coach. In 1994, I graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Classical Civilizations and a minor in Business. I also had the opportunity to serve an LDS mission to Nashville, Tennessee. I am currently pursuing a degree in Mathematics education from Western Governors University. My interests include reading, playing golf with my husband and camping with my family.

Alison Mueller
Lower School Supervisor

Alison has been teaching math at Meridian since 2002. She grew up on a cattle ranch in rural Idaho and attended a public school about the size of Meridian. After graduating from high school, she attended Brigham Young University .It was while working for two professors in the Sociology department that she developed her interest in mathematics. While there, she learned to code data and enter it into the computer for statistical analysis. She also learned to run the SPSS program. “I decided that I would like to understand the numbers that the computer was generating in the statistical analysis so I began to take math classes culminating in a statistics class. I found I truly enjoyed doing and explaining math. At that point, it just made sense to go ahead and major in math!” Alison graduated cum laude from Brigham Young University in 1997 with a degree in math education. In 2006, she accepted the role of Curriculum Committee Chairman. Her excellent work there and rapport with teachers led to her appointment as the Lower School Supervisor in 2007.
 

Eileen Nagle
Class 6

Eileen is a displaced NORTHERN Californian!! She loves the redwoods and the ocean. Her favorite job was home schooling her own children for 17 years. Eileen’s education includes: A.A. degree is in Theatre; B.A. Interpersonal Communication with a public speaking & small business emphasis; M.Ed. Elementary Education. Eileen has taught all ages in a variety of settings and states. For the past 3 years she has taught at charter schools in Utah. She is excited to bring her experience to Meridian into weaving a curriculum for 6^th grade using a thematically based history of Europe. This will thread itself through the reading, language arts, social studies, public speaking and theatre that the class will be studying.
 

Sherry Neiger
Kindergarten

Sherry Neiger graduated from Brigham Young University with B.S. degrees in Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education. In 2000, she continued her education by taking Master’s level classes in Reading Diagnosis and Emergent Literacy at Brigham Young University. She also attended a four day workshop entitled Project LEAD (Literacy Education and Development) taught by Steve Dunn, a specialist in Balanced Literacy. “I love teaching children and have taught pre-school and Kindergarten for 9 years.” Sherry taught Kindergarten at Westmore Elementary and Vineyard Elementary in the Alpine School district. In 2002, she received an Alpine Foundation School Award for her work as a teacher at Vineyard. Her husband, Brad, is a professor and department chairman in Health Science at Brigham Young University. They share a passion for teaching, and for their three children.
 

LeAnn Nyman
Class 5

LeAnn spent a year at Utah State University before transferring to Idaho State University, where she graduated in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education with a minor in Library Science. “Music has been a passion of mine since I begged my parents to let me have piano lessons when I was in first grade. I continued with this throughout middle school and high school participating in the Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Marching Band, and Choir. It wasn’t until my senior year that I had the courage to try out for West Side Story with our community players that I discovered my love for drama.” LeAnn was married this past March to her biggest supporter, Brian. She is the youngest of 8 children and an aunt to 22 nieces and nephews, who she loves and adores. “It was these children who first invoked the passion for teaching within me.”
 

Josh Ostraff
Art

Josh is in his first year of teaching at Meridian School, instructing Middle and Upper School students in art. Josh is currently a student at Brigham Young University pursuing a bachelors in fine arts with a minor in art history. His goals are to teacher as a high school arts teacher and to continue to pursue his education by attaining a Masters and Doctorate in Art Education.

Tawnia Palmer
Lower School Science

Tawnia grew up in the great state of Oregon, then attended college at Ricks College and Utah State University. Since graduating she has been a music specialist, substitute teacher, teaching assistant, and taught fourth grade for two years. She is currently working on a second Bachelors degree through USU. She will be applying to grad school in January in order to get a Master’s Degree in Speech-Language Pathology. She loves to sing, play guitar and piano, knit, tap dance, learn ballet, and laugh.
 

Pamela Penrod
Class 1

Pamela received her B.S. in Elementary Education from Brigham Young University in 1990, completing her student teaching in 4th grade at Lone Peak Elementary School in Sandy. She has continued her education through Masters course work in Elementary Education at Syracuse University and Brigham Young University. Pamela is currently certified in California and Utah, and previously in New York. Pamela taught 4th grade in Singapore at Overseas Family School. After moving back to California she was a Reading Intervention teacher in Simi Valley at Lincoln Elementary School. There, she worked one-on-one with first graders helping them improve their reading by teaching them skills to decode words. She has also taught in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District in Orange County, California. After moving to Utah in 2002 Pamela became the 1st grade teacher at Meridian School. She appreciates the parental support and involvement at Meridian School as well as the small class size which enables her to individualize instruction to fit different learning styles and needs. She and her husband have two boys.
 

Ana Preto-Bay
Accreditation

Ana is the accreditation specialist at Meridian school, guiding the school’s efforts toward accreditation through PNAIS. Ana’s son first came to Meridian in 2003; she now has three sons enrolled here. She has a BA in English, German and Modern Literature from the University of Lisbon, an MA in Applied Linguistics and TESOL from the University of Utah, and a PhD in Instructional Psychology and Technology with a focus on language acquisition. Ana enjoys entertaining, cooking, movies, and all types of handiwork and reading..  

Karen Reeder
PreKindergarten

Karen is one of the two Pre-Kindergarten teachers at Meridian. “I claim to have the best job in the whole world! I have been lucky enough to be a Pre-K teacher at Meridian since its conception in 1989.” She graduated with a BA from BYU in Family Economics and Home Management, where she was trained and taught at the BYU pre-school. “I was able to put these skills to good use when raising and teaching my own five children. When my youngest son was three and one-half I became his “official” teacher at the Meridian Pre-Kindergarten” In 2001, Karen entered a program at BYU in Counseling Psychology and Special Education. She finished this program with a teaching certificate in Special Ed for Kindergarten through twelfth grade. “This experience expanded my knowledge in this area and therefore increased my ability to help children. Also, after completing this program I have been able to tutor after school and help children with reading difficulties. I find it to be very rewarding to make a difference in a child’s life.”  Karen is fortunate to work in the Pre-K alongside Mary Taylor, who has also been at Meridian from the beginning. Together they have been able to cultivate a Pre-K program that is both challenging and fun for the children. “We enjoy teaching and are able to support each other and bring varied resources and experiences to the Pre-K. We feel strongly about the importance of having a small student/teacher ratio to meet the needs of this age and having two teachers helps make this a reality.”
 

Katherine Rucker
Purchasing Agent

Katherine works in Meridian's Administration as the purchasing agent, ordering books and materials for the school, running the book fairs, and assisting with bookkeeping. She and her husband, Denny are the parents of one Meridian student and one Meridian graduate, who have been at the school since 1999. “We love the education that Meridian provides to our children.”

Sandra Russell
Spanish, TOEFL

Sandra is new this year to Meridian School, teaching all Middle and Upper School Spanish classes. Sandra has a BA in Spanish and art from BYU and a MEd in Curriculum and Instruction with endorsements for Middle School Education, Bilingual Instruction, and ESL from Weber State. She has taught English, reading, and Spanish at Box Elder Middle School and AP Spanish and ESL at Box Elder High School. “I believe all students can learn. In fact, most students have a fascination with and an innate drive for learning. The teacher’s role is to create an environment where students can interact, think, discover, and learn and where student feel secure, unthreatened, and accepted.” Sandra has three grown children and seven grandchildren.
 

Stefanie Slade
Science

Stefanie’s first year at Meridian was in 1993. She taught AP Biology and progressively picked up more classes through the years. She graduated with a bachelors from Brigham Young University in April 1993, majoring in Biology with a Zoology emphasis as well as a teaching certificate. She was Meridian's Teacher of the Year in 2003-2004. Stefanie and her husband John have four children, Trevor, Jennifer, Elizabeth, and a son Kevin who passed away at the age of seven in 2001. “Meridian is a great place to be together as a family. Kevin also attended until his death. He loved it here.”
 

Mary Taylor
PreKindergarten

Mary started at Meridian from Day one with the three-year-old class. She and her husband have two sons, Wade and Zach, who graduated from Meridian and both now have successful careers. Mary graduated from Brigham Young University with a B.A. in Art and a minor in Child Development. She taught at the Indian Hills Montessori Preschool, at the Nevada Avenue Summar School, and at the neighborhood preschool. She has also taught community parenting classes on preparing children for kindergarten. “I love team teaching this age of children (prekindergarten) with Karen Reeder. It can be be a very creative job and we learn new things each day about our varied subjects. I love the freedom we have at Meridian to meet the needs of the children and encourage their love of learning.”
 

Philip Townsend
Dean of Students, History Department Head,
Library Director

Phil comes to Meridian from Valley Forge Military Academy in Wayne, Pennsylvania where he was the Dean of the Academy. He received a BA in History from the University of Utah, a MSLS in Library Science from Villanova University, and an EdD in Education from Nova Southeastern University. Phil has taught history for five years and mathematics for seven years. He also served as the Library Director at Valley Forge Military Academy for fifteen years. While at Valley Forge, Phil was the tactical officer and Director of Student Activities for 150 boarding students. He has taught ESL, biology, bagpiping, drumming, religion, and Hebrew classes. Phil owns a family home in Ireland where he spends his summers.
 

Keri Wahl
Class 4

Keri is the second of nine children, born in California and raised in New Zealand and Alaska by an American dad and a Kiwi mum. At 17 she attended BYU, graduating with a BS in Elementary Education. She taught both 2nd and 4th Grades in Glendale, Arizona and 5th Grade at Alpine Elementary in Utah. While her husband was employed in Germany for ten years, she taught English in the Am Rhaeden Elementary School and tutored adult education classes. “My mum taught art at Meridian while we were in overseas. Consequently, we heard a lot about it and enrolled our five children when we moved back to Provo in 2000! We have been impressed with both the individualized instruction that the class sizes offer and the security the honor code affords.” Keri taught Middle School German for one year and Fourth Grade for seven years. “I enjoy a crazy, Fourth-grade level sense of humor and being creative. I believe in teaching through fun activities. “If it’s not fun…I don’t want to do it” is one of my motto’s. As a result, my students are allowed to give input as to how they would like to learn various units throughout the year! It is my goal to give personal attention to children, to get to know their interests, strengths, and talents. It is a wonderful thing to empower children and let them realize their potential.”
 

Annette Warnick
Class 2

Annette received her B.A.E. degree from Arizona State University in 1991. She completed her student teaching in Kindergarten at Phoenix Country Day School, Phoenix, AZ, where she began to develop her ideas about thematic approaches to teaching. After graduation, she was certified in Elementary Education with an endorsement for Early Childhood Education (K-3). She then taught First Grade at another private school in the area, The Tesseract School, Paradise Valley, AZ, where she continued to develop creative techniques to help children employ their imaginations as an effective engine for learning. In 1993, she moved with her family to Cambridge, Massachusetts, for graduate studies. Taking a leave from teaching in the classroom to raise her own preschool aged children, she began her graduate work in 1998 and completed her M.Ed. in Elementary Education from Lesley University in 2000 and received her teaching certificate. In 2003, Mrs. Warnick moved with her family to Orem, Utah, where she taught First Grade at Wilson Elementary in the Nebo School District. During this year she explored the concepts and practice of Balanced Literacy through special seminars and conferences, but found the reality of execution difficult with the overloaded class sizes in the Public schools. Mrs. Warnick joined Meridian in 2004 as the Class 2 teacher after seeking a school with low enough student/teacher ratios to execute her highly thematic, individualized approach to teaching. Meridan’s commitment to excellence and exceptional student body have resonated with her personal veiw of education and made her feel at home in this educational community.
 

Claire Watabe
Math

Claire currently teaches mathematics at Meridian School. She began teaching in 1970 in Kahuku, Hawaii and for several years taught parttime at BYU-Hawaii. She began teaching at Meridian in August 2004 and has hosted several ESL students who also attend Meridian. Claire has a BS in mathematics. She enjoys cooking and quilting and believes "a logical mind is a necessity."

Masasue Watabe
Math Department Head, Boys Basketball Coach

Masasue came to Meridian in 2005, teaching math, Japanese, and helping to coach the boys basketball team. Mas was named the 1A Utah High School Coach of the Year in 2007. He was born in Yokohama, Japan in 1958. He graduated from Yokohama Hiranuma High School in 1977, then attended Utah State University from 1977-1978. At that time, he went on an LDS mission to Japan until 1980. Upon completion of his mission, Masasue transferred to Brigham Young University, graduating from there with a degree in mathematics in 1984. He taught math at Utah Valley State College in 1984 and 1985 before beginning his graduate work at California State University/San Francisco in 1987. Mr. Watabe returned to Utah in 1989 to work for the Waterford School teaching mostly math and Japanese. He was also the Upper School boys basketball coach at Waterford starting with the 1990-91 season. Masasue and his wife Junko are the parents of four children.
 

Jennifer Willoughby
German

Jennifer is in her third year of teaching at Meridian. She has a BS in linguistics and a BA in German from Western Washington University with endorsements in ESL and German and a teaching certificate. Jennifer studied for a year in Heidelberg, Germany and has taught in Department of Defense schools and in the Lake Washington School District. She is a member of the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) and is Meridian’s German American Partnership Program (GAPP) coordinator. Jennifer and her husband Kyle have been married since November 2005.
 

Devin Windham
French, Debate, Computers

Devin is teaching at Meridian School for the first time, leading classes in French, debate, and computers. Devin attended the College Andre Malraux in Amboise, France receiving Le Brevet des Colleges. He also attended the Lycee Leonard de Vinci in Amboise, France. He achieved a BA in mathematics from Yale and was a candidate for Doctor of Law from Harvard. Devin is fluent in seven languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Greek and Latin. His interests are varied, but center around the sciences: M-theory, electromagnetism, anti-gravity, clean energy, mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, chemistry, and computer science. 
 

Beverly Wood
Class 3

Beverly has been teaching at Meridian School since 1989. She has been a private tutor, a second grade teacher at American Heritage School, a Preschool teacher, a Director and teacher at the American Embassy School, and has assisted with home schooling to supplement education received in the public schools. 

Kurt Wood
Science Department Head, Physics, Chemistry, Math

Kurt comes to us having taught for more than seven years at public schools in California and Utah. His experience as a science teacher includes courses in Physics, AP Physics, Earth Science, Aerospace Science, Meteorology and Astronomy as well as courses in algebra. Originally pursuing a professorial career he has degrees from Stanford, BYU and UCLA, holds two masters degrees and has done work toward a PhD. In addition to his strong background in science and math, Kurt is a scholar of Slavic Languages and Linguistics with near-native fluency in Russian. Besides his academic fields, Kurt has strong interests in music, being an experienced vocalist and amateur pianist as well as a collector of folk instruments and music. Kurt loves the outdoors, being somewhat of a naturalist, and dabbles in art and creative writing. He is very enthusiastic about being here at Meridian and has long desired to teach at a school with such high academic standards, one where the majority of students are highly motivated and interested in preparing for college. Kurt feels that the role of a teacher is summed up in the statement “teachers open the door to learning, but the student must walk in.”

Tasi Young
Financial Literacy, Ballroom

Tasi Young first came to Meridian in 2003 with his daughter, Toshina, and currently teaches Financial Literacy and Ballroom dance to the 9th grade students. He has a Bachelor of Science and a Juris Doctorate from Brigham Young University and runs a successful business teaching college students to prepare for the LSAT and other graduate tests. His hobbies and interests include musical theater, competitive ballroom, volleyball, and running marathons. He recently competed in the Boston Marathon.