Editor’s note: We have continued the tradition of including Q&A profiles of new teachers in the Ridgway and Ouray school districts in the newspaper this year, to help introduce these new leaders to the community. We invited teachers to submit responses and received the information you see printed here. Ridgway School District also has a new art teacher, Katie Orpet; a new learning specialist, Bethany Geist; and a new middle school science teacher, Jenny Brown.

Kristen Bushaw’s profile has been corrected to reflect she is teaching for Ridgway, not Ouray. 

Kristen Bushaw

Name: Kristen Bushaw

Position: Ridgway Secondary School science teacher

Years in education: 17 years

Relocating to Ouray County from/most recent job: Relocated from Broomfield High School in Broomfield

What you’re most excited about doing in your new job: I am so excited about the small class sizes!! I feel like we are able to do so much more with students.

Why you’re excited to be part of the community here in Ouray County:  I love seeing how much this community rallies around our kids. I am excited to be part of such an open, kind and caring community that prioritizes the people and the amazing place we get to live.

Mariana Satterly

Name: Mariana Satterly

Position: Ridgway Elementary School music teacher

Years in education: 4+

Relocating to Ouray County from/most recent job: My partner and I moved here this summer to take on new jobs and further our own investment in music education and journalism. Prior to this move, I taught classes (and was a student!) at Atlanta’s Frank Hamilton School of Folk Music and led agricultural internships for high schoolers. Outside of education, I’ve spent the last decade farming and landscaping along the East Coast.

What you’re most excited about doing in your new job: I am so thrilled to meet all of the students here at Ridgway Elementary and help them discover how they can incorporate music into their creative identities as well as their academic work. And don’t worry, we’re going to have fun while we do it!

Why you’re excited to be part of the community here in Ouray County: Even from a distance, it was clear that Ridgway boasted a deeply intentional community, and now that we’re here, the town’s investment in its arts scene, its public infrastructure, the surrounding ecology, and its students and their education could not be more evident. Everyone has already been so welcoming and supportive; I hope to learn a thing or two from you all and eventually be a part of this driven and kind community.

Dan Wade and Kelly Teitelbaum Wade

Name: Dan Wade

Position: Ridgway Secondary School science and outdoor education teacher

Years in education: This will be my 11th year in education. I began my teaching career through the Boettcher teacher residency where I completed a master’s degree in education through their intensive teacher residency program. After completing my master’s degree, I spent the entirety of my teaching career at Nederland Middle Senior High School. During my tenure there, I was responsible for teaching courses in advanced Earth and physical sciences, outdoor education and photography.

Relocating to Ouray County from/most recent job: My partner, Kelly Wade, and I are relocating from Rollinsville, Colorado. We are incredibly excited to join the Ridgway community and have been overwhelmed with the amount of positivity and support that we have received.

What you’re most excited about doing in your new job: I’m most enthusiastic about helping Ridgway Secondary School to grow its science and outdoor education programs. The school already has an excellent reputation and I’m looking forward to refining our course offerings and increasing positive post secondary outcomes for our students.

Why you’re excited to be part of the community here in Ouray County:  As a lifelong resident of Colorado, I fell in love with the San Juan region while completing my undergraduate in geology at Fort Lewis College. Southwest Colorado provides a unique quality of life that combines local charm, tightly-knit communities, natural history and outdoor recreation. I’m thrilled to be back in what I consider to be the most scenic part of the state.

Name: Kelly Teitelbaum Wade

Position: Ridgway Secondary School Special Education teacher

Years in education: 22

Relocating to Ouray County from/most recent job: Rollinsville, Colorado. Boulder Valley School District-Special Education, assistant principal, instructional coach, Gen Ed teacher

What you’re most excited about doing in your new job: Connecting with students and families in a mountain community. This was my favorite thing about living in Rollinsville and teaching at Nederland Elementary, our local school. I have missed this and am excited to rekindle the closeness.

Why you’re excited to be part of the community here in Ouray County: See above, plus San Juan mountains hiking and skiing trails, enjoying the river with dogs, small, cozy Ridgway, beautiful Ponderosas on our new property.