Faculty

Nancy Dale is beginning her eleventh year at Allen and as always, she is looking forward to all of the exciting experiences Allen has to offer your child.

Her personal desire is to create a safe, warm, and inviting classroom environment, thus promoting a love for learning. In addition, it is her professional goal to help each child enhance his/her skills and knowledge in the areas of language arts, math, science, and social studies. With this, each child feels, and is, successful at his/her own level.

Mrs. Dale is grateful for the privilege of being a part of your child’s educational foundation and is looking forward to another great year.

Kylie Korthas teaches Kindergarten at Allen. She enjoys traveling the world and spending time with friends and family. Kylie recently opened her heart and her home to foster children, 1 year old Kaiden, and 2 year old, Chelsea.  She also has 2 mini dachshunds, Cali and Wiloh. Kylie has taught six years of preschool and this will be her fourth year of teaching kindergarten. She has been with Allen Academy going on 6 years. Working at summer camps for eight years has played an important role in her development as a teacher. Her experiences at Life for Youth (FL), Star Ranch/Charis Hills (TX), and Allen Academy have instilled a better understanding of children and learning styles. Respect, patience, and communication are very important qualities she holds high as a teacher. She is in the education profession because of the opportunity it offers to embed life skills and values into every child that steps through her classroom door. She views learning not as something that is forced, but rather as something taught without them knowing. Ms. Korthas believes that hands-on activities that actively involve students in learning, visual aids, and having children take responsibility for self and actions make learning fun and the environment comfortable. She views each of the children that enter her classroom as special and unique in their own way, and looks to find their individual qualities and bring them out of each child.

Originally from Huntsville, TX she has lived in College Station for eight years. She first came to College Station to attend Texas A&M where she majored in Interdisciplinary Studies. Mrs. Ray came to Allen Academy in February of 2006 as a long-term substitute in Kindergarten. Her stint as a substitute Kindergarten teacher led to her joining the Allen family full time. Mrs. Ray is excited to begin her fifth year of teaching. She loves watching her students learn and grow each day!

Bobbie Jill Lively joined the Allen Academy family in 2006. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with Cum Laude honors and also has a degree in Political Science. Prior to receiving her Interdisciplinary degree, Bobbie Jill worked eleven years for a medical risk management company as Director of Auditing. Bobbie Jill is married and has one daughter. She is very active in the community and has volunteered for organizations including Girl Scouts, American Cancer Society and MDA. Bobbie Jill is currently on the Board of Directors for the Brazos Valley Figure Skating Club and holds the position of treasurer. When she is not in her classroom, Bobbie Jill enjoys spending time with her family and working in her garden.

Lauren Kleiman will be teaching 3rd Grade for the 2011- 2012 school year.  She is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies and her Master in Education.  She has four years teaching experience.  Lauren is moving to us from Montgomery Independent School District where she taught first and second grade. She enjoys cooking with her husband and spending time with her family and friends.  Mrs. Kleiman said, “I have heard amazing things about Allen Academy and would love the opportunity to be a part of something so great!”

Heather St. Clair will be teaching Fourth Grade Language Arts and Social Studies this year at Allen Academy. She earned her Bachelors in Interdisciplinary Studies from the University of Houston in 2006, as well as her certification in ESL. Since then she has worked in the classroom as a Kindergarten teacher, Reading Intervention specialist, and coordinated the Gifted and Talented program for grades 1-4. This will be her second year teaching 4th grade here at Allen Academy, and she looks forward to continuing to work with the wonderful families and students that grace our campus. Coming from a family of bibliophiles, Mrs. St. Clair is always striving to instill a love for reading in her students, and can rarely be found without a book close at hand. In addition to her fondness for books, Mrs. St. Clair enjoys traveling, cooking, and enjoying all forms of art and music in her spare time. She and her husband moved to the Brazos Valley five years ago and have two daughters, both of whom will be attending Allen this year.

Rebecca Menser teaches 5^th Grade Language Arts and Social Studies at Allen Academy.  It is her fourth year teaching in Bryan/College Station and her second year at Allen Academy.  She also sponsors the Lower School Student Council and the Lower School French Club. 

Rebecca has a Bachelor of Arts in English and French and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Western Ontario. She is from Ontario, Canada and spent two years teaching in France, Poland and Canada before moving to BCS in 2008.  Rebecca loves animals and enjoys volunteering at the Brazos Animal Shelter in her free time. She also enjoys reading, traveling and being with family and friends.  Rebecca has been married to Robert for three years and they live in Bryan with their two wonderful dogs. 

Paula McMillan is a 22 year “veteran” of education at Allen Academy. Her responsibilities, besides being the Middle School volleyball coach, include Preschool-8^th grade Physical Education. She graduated from Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology. Paula and her husband, Robert, have two children that attend Allen Academy, son Brahm and daughter Brianna.

Nicole Homer will be teaching Lower School and Middle School Spanish this year at Allen Academy. She earned her Bachelor’s degree at the University of Georgia, majoring in Journalism and minoring in Spanish and English. By the end of her time there, she’d completed two study abroad programs in Spain—one in Barcelona and one in Seville. She then went on to earn her Master’s degree at Agnes Scott College the following year. This is her fourth year in education, and her second year teaching Spanish in the classroom.

Originally from Georgia, she recently moved to Bryan, Texas with her young daughter and husband, who works for Texas Parks and Wildlife. She’s looking forward to instilling a passion for multiculturalism and Spanish in her students this upcoming year.

Terri Horton teaches our Middle School math. She started at Allen in January of the 2007-2008 school year. Before arriving in the Bryan/College Station area, she taught Middle School math and science for 13 years in the Austin and Round Rock public schools.

Growing up in Ft. Davis, TX, Glenn Finley, developed an interest in science and the outdoors which eventually led him to Texas A&M University and a B.S. in Animal Science in 1997.  The fun of sharing his interests with others led him to earn his teaching certification and a Master of Education in Science Curriculum and Instruction in 2001.  Glenn taught IPC and Physics at A&M Consolidated for four years before taking a break from teaching to be a stay-at-home dad.  During his free time, he is working on his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and still trying to spend as much time outdoors as possible.  He and his wife have a son in first grade.

Elaine L. Smith

Elaine Smith grew up in Memphis, Tennessee, and graduated with a B.S. in Biology and Education from University of Memphis.  She later obtained the M.S. in Invertebrate Zoology and Botany from University of Memphis.  She taught biology at Abilene Christian University before attending Texas A&M University to obtain a Ph.D. in insect biochemistry.  During her years a Texas A&M she did research isolating hormones from insects and taught chemistry laboratories.

Dr. Smith taught basic biology, aquatic science, preAP biology and AP biology at A&M Consolidated High School for thirty years.  She served as Science Department Head for four years.  During the years at A&M Consolidated she mentored many student teachers, coached academic teams, developed lab activities, and presented workshops for teachers at the Conference for the Advancement of Science Teaching.  In the last three years she presented topics on learning tools for different learning styles, making science relevant, and plant physiology.  Other topics presented in previous years included:  Using Multimedia to Teach Interdisciplinary Units, Technological Education Addressing Multi-Level Students, and Teaching Marine Science Far Inland.  

She has three children living in the Dallas-Fort Worth area and one grandson.  

Rebecca Lea Patek joins us after twenty-eight years in public education. She has taught in College Station, Ingram, Sealy, and Flatonia. Her experience ranges from English IV AP to 5th grade reading improvement, with many assignments in between. Most of her experience is in language arts and English, but she has also taught psychology, journalism, yearbook, sociology, and newspaper. 

Rebecca graduated from Texas State with a triple major: psychology, English, and journalism with a concentration in public relations. She earned her Master's in Education Administration from Sam Houston and finished six hours of doctoral hours in Education Administration. 

Rebecca has a twenty-three year old son and a twenty-one year old daughter who attend college. When she is not reading or grading papers, she enjoys gardening, golfing, dancing, snow skiing, traveling, and visiting and laughing with her family, friends, and students.

Ruthie Schultz began teaching high school right after she graduated from college, initially in Minnesota and then moving to Texas. She retired from A&M Consolidated High School in 2004, and began teaching at Allen Academy that fall. Mrs. Schultz has taught Speech, Drama, and English 8,9,10,11 Honors and Advanced Placement. During the 2011-2012 school year she will teach English 8 and 9 and will be a part of the Advisory program. Ruthie is married to Roger Schultz, TAMU professor. They have four grown children and two grandchildren.

Louis Ferreira was born in South Africa, and spent most of his life there. He studied at The University of the Orange Free State where he obtained the following degrees; BA, majored in Political Science and Philosophy; BA. Hons, Political Science and International Politics; MA. Political Science; Drs. Phil., (Ph. D) Political Decision-Making and Economic Systems. He earned another Ph. D. from the University of Pretoria in International Politics and Foreign Policy.

Dr. Ferreira was involved in University teaching and University executive management for 30 years. During that time he was a visiting professor to Universities in Belgium, Russia, Finland, Estonia, Australia, USA, South Africa and Malaysia. He has published over 25 publications and book reviews, some of them international. He was also a Council Member of the University of the North when President Mandela served as University Chancellor.

Dr. Ferreira moved to the United States in 1999 and became a citizen in 2002. Allen Academy is his third teaching position in America. He currently teaches AP US History, AP European History, World History, Comparative Government and Politics, and Economics. He is married to Barbara, a Texas native, who also teaches at Allen Academy.