Professor Hunter has been teaching for Saint Mary's College for going on 20 years and this is his 12th year with LEAP. This Spring, she is teaching Personal and Professional Assessment. In addition to her work as a LEAP teacher, Professor Hunter started her own theatre company in the Hi Desert in 2017, and produces the Hi Desert Fringe Festival. She recently received the Best Director of A Play award from Broadway World, Palm Springs, for a play that she not only directed but also compiled consisting of excerpts from Shakespeare pieces called “Shakespeare in Revue.” She was nominated for the 2022 Alan Schneider Directing Fellowship in Directing, sponsored by the The Theatre Communications Group.
Personal and Professional Assessment:
The exploration of the learning cycle, from reflection on experience to construction and application of knowledge. This analytical and self-reflective process is recorded in an Experiential Learning Portfolio, a collection of essays and supporting documentation, which may be further evaluated for transcripted academic credit.
Professor Hunter's favorite part of teaching this course:
"I love the students: diversity of experiences, backgrounds and the drive they all have. Their stories and their journeys through the world of dance show not only their drive and creative spirit, but their commitment to art and to themselves."
"We do not see things as they are; we see them as we are." - The Talmud
Jay has been teaching for Saint Mary's College for 22 years and this is his 4th year with LEAP. This Spring, he is teaching Seminar 104. In addition to his work as a LEAP teacher, Jay was a mentor to the winners of the 2011 International Science Fair and is a certified Yoga instructor.
Seminar 104: The Global Conversation of the 20th and 21st Century:
Building on the Western tradition explored in the second and third seminars, readings focus on the Great Conversation of the modern world, which includes the West but also includes important intercultural and global voices. The course focuses on issues of signi cant relevance for a 21st century student, as well as texts that allow for integrative thinking across the entire Collegiate Seminar sequence. The last portion of the course will include student reflections on what they have learned and how they have grown, revisiting the steps of their intellectual development in a capstone experience.
Jay's favorite part of teaching this course:
"I fondly refer to this as book club for college credit. With compassion, humility, and joy, we discuss some of the great works of modern literature, from a diverse group of authors (Achebe, Gandhi, Mandela, Angelou, to name a few). Our conversations leverage student experience and shared inquiry in order to decipher textual meaning but also to unearth the roots of modern injustice so that we can work together to create a more equitable and positive human condition."
"You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose." - Dr. Seuss
Jim has been teaching for Saint Mary's College for 19 years and the LEAP Program for 11. This Spring, he is teaching the Art and Practice of Math. In addition to his work as a LEAP teacher, Jim taught at UC Berkeley Extended Education for 20 years where he was named an Honored Instructor 2014. He also worked for a Nobel Prize winner prior to his work in education.
The Art and Practice of Math: A reflective examination of basic mathematical ideas and patterns. Through participation in the discovery and development of mathematical ideas the student will view the subject as a vehicle for human creativity. The course traces the historical and contemporary role of appropriate mathematical topics.
Jim's favorite part of teaching this course:
"I enjoy seeing the students confidence in their math skills grow and the smiles on their faces as it happens. Students will see that math makes sense and they may even enjoy doing it. We will also push the boundaries of their thinking about math."
"The people who say it can't be done...need to get out of the way of the people who are doing it." - Unknown
Shaunna Vella, LEAP Program Director and Assistant Professor of Dance
Claire Sheridan, LEAP Program Founder
English 05: Argument and Research
Christian De Matteo
Personal and Professional Assessment:
Kimmy Johnson, Erin Sweeney
Miri Hunter
Kathy Hairston
Seminar 102: Western Tradition:
Grete Stenersen
Christian De Matteo
Seminar 104: The Global Conversation of the 20th/21st Centuries
Grete Stenersen
Christian De Matteo
Anthropology:
Angel Roque
Margaret Cruz
Dance History:
Ryan Donovan
Todd Courage
Human Biology:
Jay Chugh
Dan Jaffe
Art and Practice of Math:
Jim Iler
Rosemary Farley
Principles of Performance:
Jamison Jones
Gary Ramsey
Theology and Religious Studies (TRS):
Peter Ajer