Upper School Faculty

Rachel Aanestad ’94 joined Sun Valley Community School in 2013 as Assistant Director of Development and currently serves as the school librarian and also teaches Intro to Architecture & Design in the Upper School.

Rachel holds a BA in architecture and a BA in theater, both from University of Oregon.

Rachel’s decision to return to the school as a faculty and staff member was a result of her love for the school community and the approach to education that guides learning here. “I appreciate the independent thought, genuine love of natural places, creativity, and uniqueness that are still foundations of this incredible place,” she says. In her teaching role, Rachel is inspired by her students’ love for learning and by her colleagues. “I am constantly amazed by the students capacity to create, absorb, and learn, and by the incredibly inspired and talented faculty with whom I work.”

When she’s not at school, Rachel loves to spend time with her two daughters and enjoys hiking, doodling, and performing with any of the many amazing theater companies in the valley.

Jackson Flynn joined the Upper School Arts team in 2024 as the Upper School Creative Arts teacher. In 2025, he took on the role of Creative Arts Academy Director.

Jackson holds a BFA in Studio Art and Design with a minor in Architecture from University of Idaho, Moscow. He brings diverse experience and skill sets involving both art and teaching. As an undergraduate, Jackson served various art-related positions including teaching Art 101 Studio and Sculpture and Ceramics Studio Advisor.

Prior to his US role, Jackson served as the 5th grade teaching assistant at Community School for the 2023-24 school year. Prior, Jackson worked with youth of all ages and abilities both in the outdoors and in the classroom. He currently is the Lead Ceramics Teacher at Boulder Mountain Clayworks as well as the Lead Youth Instructor at Sun Valley Mountain Guides. Prior, he was the Lead Art Teacher at Sun Valley Museum of Art working with ages 12-15 after school. Jackson substitute taught at SVCS for ECC-10th grades from January 2019 until he joined the Elementary School team in 2023. Also since 2019, Jackson served as a substitute Lead Preschool Teacher at Neighborhood Sprouts in Boise. 

Jackson also leads youth summer bike camps and guided hiking and biking trips for Sun Valley Mountain Guides and was an adaptive ski/snowboard instructor for Higher Ground in 2017 and 2018.

Caleb Horowitz joined the Marketing and Communications team as its new Video Production Manager and the US faculty as a Creative Arts Teacher in 2023. A 2019 graduate of Tulane University, Caleb holds a BA in Digital Media Production and Public Relations. Caleb has prior experience in the film industry and digital media production as well as outdoor recreation.

He served as a Digital Media Associate for New Orleans’ Urban South Brewery in 2019, creating high quality digital content to be used as promotional material on a variety of social media platforms. He also served as a Set Production Assistant for various film productions, helping maximize workflow efficiency on set for projects including Filthy Rich and NCIS: New Orleans. Since 2019, he has worked as a licensed Raft Guide and Safety Kayak for Idaho’s Payette River Company, The River Co., and North Carolina’s Rolling Thunder River Co. and since 2021, as a snowboard instructor for Sun Valley Resort and Grand Targhee Resort. 

Ben Larroquette, joined Sun Valley Community School as the Upper School music teacher in 2020. A former Sun Valley Community School student, Ben is a lifelong musician. He began piano lessons in 1st grade and guitar lessons in 4th grade. As a former Community School student himself, Ben began recording his own music at the age of 13. After high school, he completed a Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts (class of 2010). Since then, he has appeared on numerous albums, toured across the country, and is the singer/songwriter/guitarist for his three-piece rock band called Mom And Dad. When Ben isn’t making music, well, he’s probably still making music. It never stops.

Colleen Sullivan joined the SVCS community as its Upper School Theater teacher in 2025.

Colleen brings a wealth of experience in and passion for the arts and teaching. She has 20 years as a teacher, professional theater director, and acting coach. Most recently, Colleen served as an Assistant Professor for Chapman University’s College of Performing Arts and a Senior Professional Lecturer at American University’s Department of Performing Arts in Washington, DC where she also trained UN diplomats in communication skills. She has also taught at Manhattanville College, Gettysburg College, Mary Baldwin College, James Madison University, and SUNY Westchester.

Ever passionate about sharing theater with others, Colleen was the Founding Artistic Director for Shakespeare Academy at Stratford in Stratford, CT, and the Associate Director of Education for the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, VA. Professionally, she has directed over 30 new plays in New York City, directed numerous academic theater productions, and toured original work with her own theater company.
 

Colleen holds a B.S. in Accounting and Information Systems from Virginia Tech, an MA in Education from Boise State, an MLitt in Shakespeare and Performance from Mary Baldwin College, and an MFA in Theater from Sarah Lawrence College. 

Phil Huss joined Sun Valley Community School in 2000 and currently teaches a variety of literature and writing classes in the Upper School, including: Interpretations in Law and Literature, American Environmental Literature, Moral Philosophy and Literature, Writing Across the Curriculum, and Hemingway. He also teaches Fly Fishing as an elective course in the Outdoor Leadership Academy curriculum and coached varsity tennis for many years.

Phil holds a BA in English from Amherst College and a MA in English from Boston College.

Phil has served as Upper School Head, Department Head of English, Summer School Director, and currently holds the post of Upper School Teaching and Learning Coordinator. Inspired by "the high level of academic work students produce," Phil appreciates the opportunity to observe his students progress through their years at Community School and witness them flourish in college and in life. He also feels "the quality of teaching and the faculty's ability to lead in the classroom and the outdoors," set the school apart.

When Phil is not in the classroom, he can often be found with a fly rod in hand: "I am happiest standing in an eddy and fly fishing with a trout that is feeding ten feet above me," he says.

Phil and his wife, Chrissie, are parents to two Cutthroats: Nils '21 and Gretel '23.

Caroline Bomstein joined our Upper School history team in the fall of 2020. In addition to teaching, Caroline also serves as the Upper School History Department Head and the US Student Senate Head. Caroline is a graduate of Amherst College and earned her MS in Education from Johns Hopkins University in 2021. 

During her time at Amherst, Caroline played ice hockey and served as a co-captain her senior year. She also earned NESCAC All-Academic honors her final three semesters, while also being a double major in History and Environmental Studies. 

An alum of Teach for America, Caroline cut her teaching teeth in Memphis, Tennessee, teaching world history, government and economics, and U.S. history with that program, which fueled her passion for education. She is an avid outdoorswoman and has taught skiing in Park City, Utah and has led three-week hiking trips in Switzerland, Italy, France, and Iceland for 9th-12th graders.

Caroline brings intelligence, vibrancy, and passion for history to her Upper School history classroom!

J. Drennan Wesley joined Sun Valley Community School in 2015 and currently teaches Upper School United States History, American Government, First Nations, and History of the Holocaust, among others.

Drennan co-coached the Upper School track and field team from 2015-2025 and also served a year as the Upper School's cross country running coach in 2024. He is is active in the Outdoor Program, serves on the Outdoor Leadership Academy staff as an advisor, and is the Senior Project Co-Coordinator.

Drennan holds a BA in history from University of Michigan and a MA in the Art of Teaching from Pacific University.

Prior to his position at the school, Drennan spent nine years teaching and coaching at Neil Armstrong Middle School in Forest Grove, Oregon and was an adjunct professor in Pacific University's Outdoor Leadership program.

Drennan says he feels most successful in the classroom when students bring themselves to question their own understanding of themes and events of the past that then allow them to develop more insight in to the world they live in today. "This motivates them to be more mindful, kind, and thoughtful world citizens," he says.

Sun Valley Community School's commitment to student-teacher relationships through small class sizes and the Outdoor Program were powerful inspirations for Drennan to find a home at the school. He values and admires "the school's commitment to utilizing the outdoors to encourage students to push beyond comfort zones, find confidence in leading and working with others, and strive to be stewards of wild places," he says. "The transference of soft skills, relationships, and confidently facing challenges from the outdoors to the classroom is impressive."

When not in the classroom, Drennan's passions are his family and the outdoors. He and his wife, Heather, are parents to two daughters, Mikayla '25 and Amarah '28. The family loves to "explore wild places, strive to serve others, and aspire to learn about the world around them," he says. "We feel more than blessed to be a part of the Cutthroat family and love calling the Wood River Valley our home."

The Upper School welcomed Stanley Fonseca as its new history teacher in 2025. Stan received his PhD in U.S. History from the University of Southern California in 2024, studying U.S., European, and Environmental History. He earned his B.A. magna cum laude in History, with a minor in Computer Science, from Lewis & Clark College in 2015. Prior to joining the school, Stan taught history at USC and Lewis & Clark and worked as a walking historical tour guide in Portland, OR.

Stan takes joy in sparking students’ curiosity about the world around them and helping them find themselves by exploring the past. His classes bring history to life as a subject through which we learn how to be responsible citizens, inquisitive thinkers, and passionate advocates for a better world. Stan’s teaching focuses on individual student-teacher relationships that push students to develop and pursue their passions.

Outside class, you can find Stan hiking, biking, and camping; playing jazz trumpet; drinking copious amounts of tea; writing crossword puzzles; and perpetually trying to make the perfect pizza. 

Fiona Ahearne joined the Upper School faculty as the new French teacher in 2022. Fiona was already a familiar face on the Cutthroat campus, having joined the Teacher Training Academy for the 2021-22 school year. Fiona also serves as the school's Cross Country running coach and as a Nordic coach for Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation. 

During her time as an intern here, Fiona worked with the 8th Grade in humanities, with Nancy Parsons-Brown in French, and as an active leader on many outdoor trips. A 2020 graduate of Bowdoin College (where she also served as co-captain for the Bowdoin College Varsity Nordic Ski Team), Fiona holds a degree in Government and Legal Studies and Education and a minor in Francophone Studies. Fiona's passion for her subject, the outdoors, and Nordic skiing make her a great addition to the Upper School team.  

Jake Atwood joined the Upper School faculty as a Spanish teacher in 2022. Jake is a graduate of Bates College, where he studied both English and Spanish. He also spent a semester living in Spain while in college to advance his Spanish. In addition to teaching Spanish, Jake helps coordinate Service Learning and The Community Table." He is also WFR-certified. 

Prior to joining SVCS, Jake completed a Fulbright Scholarship in Guadalajara, Mexico, where he taught in a public school. Jake’s international experience has only strengthened his deep appreciation for other cultures and, certainly, his command of the Spanish language. His experiences both inside the classroom and in the backcountry, coupled with his enthusiasm for working with high school students serve our community well.

Leila Hauser joined the Cutthroat faculty as the US Spanish teacher starting in the fall of 2022. A graduate of Whitman College with a BA in Classical Studies and Spanish, Leila also holds a Masters in English from Middlebury College Bread Loaf School of English. She is currently pursuing a Masters in Spanish from Idaho State University. 

Prior to joining SVCS, Leila taught humanities and math at Carrabassett Valley Academy in Maine, where she also served as a tutor and dorm parent. Leila is no stranger to the Cutthroat campus, having served from 2020-21 as a Teaching Training Academy Intern, Residential Advisor, and Upper School Track + Field Coach. During her time with the TTA, Leila designed and co-taught curriculum for 7th-11th Grade Spanish, 10th Grade British Literature, 9th Grade World History and 6th Grade Math. 

Leila is WFR certified and has multi-year experience guiding week-long backpacking, canoeing, and canyoneering trips. When she isn't teaching, Leila enjoys trail running, sailing, backpacking, and adventuring on skis with her Husky Sitka.

Former Teaching Training Academy Intern and Residential Advisor Taylor Alexander joined the Upper School faculty as a full-time math teacher starting in the fall of 2023. He also serves as a Residential Advisor the Boarding Program and as a coach for the MS/US Mountain Bike team. 

Taylor is a 2022 University of Utah graduate with a B.S. in Environment + Sustainability Studies and Communications. He spent the 2022-23 school year interning with Upper School faculty members, Jud Ford and Scott Runkel, teaching sections of Algebra 1 and Algebra II Honors and Chemistry. 

The Cutthroat community welcomed Louis Cappucci as the Upper School’s new math teacher in 2025. Louis is a Harvard University graduate, with a BA in Economics (1988), MBA in Finance (1996), and a Master of Liberal Arts in Mathematics for Teaching (2022).

Before joining SVCS, Louis was a Lecturer for the Department of Management for the United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut, where he taught classes in Macroeconomics, Financial Management, Investment Principles, and Personal Finance. Prior, he was a high school teacher at Fairchild-Wheeler Science Magnet School, teaching Aerodynamics and Aeronautical Engineering.

Louis is a veteran of the U.S. Navy where he served as a pilot. He then worked for Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank as an investment banker. Following his Wall Street stint, he returned to aviation, flying for the Department of Homeland Security, and later for United Express. Louis brings a wealth of experience and applied mathematical knowledge to our school.

Johanna (Jo) Edwards joined the Upper School Mathematics Department in the fall of 2016. She currently teaches PreCalculus, PreCalculus Honors, Trigonometry, and  Calculus BC. She served as the Head of the Mathematics Department from 2018-2024. 

A graduate of the University of Oxford, where she earned a BA and a MA in Mathematics, she has worked on A Level curriculum design for the national examination boards in the U.K. and has extensive experience as Head of Mathematics on both sides of the Atlantic. Prior to joining Sun Valley Community School, Jo worked at Alton Convent School in Hampshire, U.K. as the Head of Mathematics for grades six through twelve, and also at Latymer Upper School in Hammersmith, London. Jo was also Head of the Upper School Mathematics Department at Rowland Hall - St. Mark's in Salt Lake City for ten years. 

Jo initially came to the U.S. in 1996, when she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. Her desire to return to the mountains and the wide open spaces of the American West and to work at a school that incorporates an academic setting with an outstanding Outdoor Program brought her to Sun Valley Community School.

Scott Runkel joined Sun Valley Community School in 1994 and currently teaches chemistry, ornithology, and other science electives in the Upper School and serves as Sustainability Coordinator, leads the Green Team, and coaches the Ultimate Frisbee team.

Scott holds a BS in natural resources from Cornell University.

Prior to joining the faculty, Scott taught middle and upper school science courses at Knox School on Long Island and at Mission Hill School and St. Sebastian's School, both in Boston.

At Sun Valley Community School, Scott appreciates the fact that learning happens everywhere. "I enjoy the value that the school community here places on authentic learning outside the bounds of a traditional classroom—through the Outdoor Program, of course, but also in a million other ways as students engage with learning through real-world projects and connections with the greater community and environment," he says. "The school supports this kind of learning and the students get excited by it."

Scott's life outside of school mirrors much of what he does on campus, which, he says, is a good thing: "I get to pursue so many of the things I love in my work, which is actually the reason I love teaching here—environmental work, fly fishing, ultimate frisbee, gardening and growing food, and all things to do with creating a sustainable way of life."

Scott and his wife, Naomi, are parents to two Cutthroat graduates: Sara '15 and Eric '12.