meet our team
MEET OUR TEACHERS
Jen Sanders, HS/MS ELL
Hello! My name is Jennifer Sanders and I am the ELL teacher at Destinations Career Academy. I've taught English Language Learners for just over 15 years and I love the diverse cultures and backgrounds they bring into the classroom. I received my teaching license and EL endorsement from University of Northern Colorado and then later went on to get my masters in Special Education at Grand Canyon University. I am a Colorado native and when I'm not teaching I enjoy spending time in the outdoors and time with my family.
Becky Jenkins, HS ELA
Mrs. Jenkins has been teaching English at CODCA since 2010. She has her MA in Education, and is currently working on a DA in English Pedagogy. She enjoys getting to know her students and helping them achieve their academic goals.
Catherine Guerra, HS Math/Science
Miss G is passionate about helping her students. She never gives up on students. One of her favorite things to do is to help students to see that they can learn Math and learn it well. With a Bachelors in Science and two Masters in learning interventions, Miss G comes to us with a lot of experience and success in helping students become grade-level Math students and also gain a positive outlook towards themselves as a learner.
Jen Colestock, HS/MS Spanish Teacher
Mrs. Colestock is a National Board Certified teacher of Spanish and is thrilled to work with CODCA students at all levels, from los primeros pasos in Middle School through Advanced Placement courses at the High School. She has been fortunate to travel extensively and live abroad as well, and is excited to share with students her love of the people and places that make up the Spanish-speaking world. She is also the Team Lead for our Gifted and Talented program here at CODCA.
Cheri Williams, HS Math
Mrs. Williams has been teaching math at the middle school and high school levels for 19 years. Thirteen of those years have been as an online teacher. She holds a BS in Mathematics and MS Applied Statistics and Research Methods. Geometry is her favorite course to teach. She enjoys seeing her students find confidence in math and realizing that mistakes are okay since that’s part of the learning process. When she’s not teaching, she enjoys wakeboarding, skiing, and camping with her family.
Courtney Ludwig, HS Advisor L-Z
Mrs. Ludwig has been a HS Advisor for CODCA for 4 1/2 years. She works with students to be successful in their academic years with CODCA. Her goal is to help students thrive by incorporating good work habits, attendance, engagement, and schedules to achieve student's goals. Mrs. Ludwig has received her Ph.D. in Child and Adolescence Psychiatric from the University of Wyoming.
Hunter Staford, HS Social Studies
Mr. Hunter Stafford earned his BA in Social Studies Education from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Psychology. He has been teaching high school social studies classes at CODCA since 2020 and is developing outdoor programs at the school to provide students with the opportunity to get outside together and enjoy beautiful Colorado outdoors. Before teaching at CODCA Mr. Hunter worked on rivers in Utah taking students rafting, taught avalanche courses in Lake Tahoe, California, and traveled and taught social studies in Panama and Costa Rica. In his classes, he focuses on building relationships with his students and thinking critically about the world and its past. In his free time, Mr. Hunter loves to travel, read, backcountry snowboard, hang outside, and spend lots of quality time with friends and family.
Jen Hoerning, HS Special Education
Mrs. Hoerning has been working with special populations for 21 years. She also has her MA in Education with a focus on literacy but enjoys supporting students in all of their subject areas. She believes all students can learn, sometimes in unique ways, and strives to help them find what strategies work best for them so they can find success in their educational journey.
Jen Molnar, HS Science
Mrs. Molnar grew up both on the East Coast (New York and Connecticut) and the West Coast (attended high school in Los Angeles). She studied electrical engineering and political science at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, PA, and went on to work as an engineer in the transportation industry for 11 years in Philadelphia, PA. Along the way, she moved into management and training and discovered a love for teaching. She earned her MS in Instruction from Drexel University and has been teaching ever since (over 12 years in both middle and high schools). She moved to Colorado in 2014 and loves to spend time outdoors hiking with her family (including her German Shepherd, Gus). As someone for whom teaching is her second career, she strives to make connections between her curriculum and the working world of engineers and scientists. Currently, at CODCA, she teaches Physics, Physical Science, Environmental Science, Engineering Explorations, Intro to Mechanical Engineering, and Astronomy at the high school level.
Jenny Jones, HS Math
Mrs. Jones has been teaching High School Math for 20 years. She earned her Bachelor's Degree at Drake University in Secondary Math and Master's Degree at the University of Colorado at Denver in Curriculum and Instruction. Currently, she is taking courses in Mathematics at CSU Global in order to teach concurrent enrollment math courses at CODCA. Jenny enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 children playing golf, skiing, and hiking.
Jorge Gonzalez, HS Social Studies
Mr. Gonzalez has been teaching social students for 6 years. He has a MA in Secondary Education and an MA in Educational Leadership. He has played basketball since he was a child. He currently coaches basketball at Mesa Ridge High School. He is also an avid video gamer and is a coach for the esports team at CODCA. He loves getting to know and teach the wonderful students at CODCA!
Margaret Farnik, HS CTE Engineering and Math
Mrs. Farnik has been at Destinations since the school opened in 2008. Her degree is in Electrical Engineering. She has been involved in supporting education since 1995. She has taught all levels of Math, plus Programming and Engineering courses here at CODCA. She is enjoying working with the Middle School this year teaching Career Exploration, Art, and Photography, as well as her High School Engineering and Cybersecurity courses. Mrs. Farnik enjoys taking care of a large number of cats on her farm. When things open back up after COVID, she is looking forward to playing Soprano Sax again with the Platte Valley Band in Fort Morgan, CO.
Melissa Evans, MS/HS ELA
Melissa Evans has a MA in Education and a BS in Communications. Before becoming a teacher in 2012, Mrs. Evans worked in marketing in Kansas City and Chicago. She has taught for the International School in Sampedro Sula, Honduras as well as Kansas City Public Schools, Boston Public Schools, and Jeffco Public Schools. Equity is at the forefront of her teaching philosophy, believing that online school can be a tool in achieving an equitable education system. In her free time, Mrs. Evans enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and her dog Jolene "Jojo".
Nancy Atwood, HS Sped
Mrs. Atwood has all but her dissertation defense on her doctoral studies on the barriers of implementing the intervention in secondary schools. She has her Master's in Special Education from the University of Colorado-Denver and a Bachelor of Science-Biology from the University of Colorado-Denver. Mrs. Atwood supports students in about 20 different courses at CODCA. She loves teaching in the online environment, as the focus on instruction and learning is possible. Her biggest goal is to identify and remove barriers to student success in school.
Rachel Murphy, HS ELA
On my professional side, I hold a Bachelor’s degree in English from Oklahoma State University and a Master's in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. I have been working in education since 1999. I started out as an elementary school librarian. From there, I taught middle school language arts and literature and summer school high school English in the traditional classroom setting for four years. In 2005, I began teaching online middle school and high school English courses. I have also taught introductory research writing courses for the University of Phoenix online. I love being part of this innovative and exciting alternative educational experience, and I look forward to a rewarding and productive time learning and growing with all of you! Personally, I reside in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma with my husband and two children. Our family also includes one cat and three crazy dogs. We like to stay busy outdoors with activities like camping, fishing, hiking, and swimming. When the weather forces us inside, I love to read, cook, and cuddle with the family.
Renee Breur, HS Counselor
Ms. Breur has been a high school counselor since 2007. 8 of those years have been working with students online. Ms. Breur earned her bachelor's in Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado and her Master's Degree in School Counseling from the University of Pheonix. She has her CTE certification for School Counselors as well. Ms. Breur is passionate about working with students. Her goal is for all of her students to earn their diplomas and understand their postsecondary goals. She is excited to work with each and every one of you.
Shannon Smith, HS Advisor A-K
Ms. Smith has worked with youth and their families for over twenty years, and this is her sixth year with CODCA. She has a Bachelor's Degree in Educational Studies from Western Governors University (WGU) and is currently pursuing a Master's Degree in Learning and Technology at WGU. Working with students helping them engage in their coursework and ensuring they pass all of their classes is Ms. Smith's primary focus here at CODCA. And she finds it most rewarding to recognize and honor the uniqueness of each student, their strengths, and their challenges while helping them achieve academic success. She is very grateful to work as an advisor at Destinations because it allows her to do the job she loves to do every day - working with Amazing CODCA students!
Virginia Harris, HS Counselor
Mrs. Harris has been with CODCA since 2014. Her passion is career development and counseling. As a member of the Colorado and National Career Counseling societies, she is pursuing a CCC certification as a certified career counselor. She holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Bircham University in Spain. For her thesis, she wrote, "The Bard: Tales of Career Storytelling", a book on adult career development.
