Staff Profiles

Todd Legge

School Principal

720-833-6796 Office

303-902-0772 cell

Mr. Legge is a veteran educator in his 21st year in education, having served in a variety of roles throughout the metro Denver area. He served as an Assistant Principal, Dean, ELD Specialist/Coach and taught all levels of Spanish and English Language Development from AP Spanish Literature to Spanish 1 and everything in between. Having spent time as an educator in both comprehensive middle and high schools and most recently in an alternative high school, he has a great deal of experience that will benefit our community. This will be Mr. Legge's third year as the principal and it is a challenge that he is extremely excited to be a part of. Outside of SOAR Academy, he is the co-founder and coach of one of the top wrestling schools in the U.S. that serves over 250 wrestlers throughout Colorado. At home, Mr. Legge is a proud father of five kids, two boys (the oldest and the youngest) and three girls (the sweet middle of it all), and is married to his high school sweetheart, going on 25 years. Mr. Legge lives a life dedicated to serving others and has spent his career and prior preparing for an opportunity like the one at SOAR Academy. He is very grateful for this time in his life.

Karla Galindo

Principal Secretary

[email protected]

720-833-6707 Office

720-833-6797 Attendance

My name is Karla Galindo, I am the principal secretary at Soar Academy. I grew up in North Denver and have worked as a paraprofessional in DPS. In my free time I like spending time with my daughter and family. I am excited to be on board and helping everyone around.

Karen Galindo

Student Engagement Coordinator

[email protected]

720-833-6829 Office

My name is Karen Galindo and I am the Student Engagement Coordinator at SOAR Academy. I work side by side with our families to make sure our students feel supported in every step of their education and help students reach their highest potential. In my free time, I love spending time with family and my 3 dogs, traveling and exploring new places.

Alma Arellano

School Counselor

[email protected]

720-833-6786 Office

My name is Alma Arellano. This is my 26^th year in education and my 3^rd alternative school program. I have a B.S. in Family and Consumer Science, a M.A. in Cultural and Linguistic Diversity Education and am completing a dual M. A. in School and Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I am passionate about helping students find their path after high school and helping them get there successfully. I am married and have two children. We have two energetic chocolate labs. Outside of school I love to fish, camp, boat and ride 4-wheelers or motorcycles. I am excited to be here at SOAR and am looking forward to a great year!

Madeline Gebhard

Social Worker

[email protected]

720-833-6770 Office

My name is Madeline Gebhard, and I am the school Social Worker at S.O.A.R. Academy. I have worked with youth for 15 years in a variety of settings and found Alternative High Schools to be my favorite. I grew up in Minnesota and have lived in Los Angeles, San Diego and Denver.

I received my bachelors in Social Work from Winona State University and Masters from University of Denver. I love working with humans and am grateful to be working with the best at S.O.A.R.

Katie O'Connor

ELA Teacher/SPED/ELD Support

[email protected]

720-833-6776 Office

Hi all! My name is Katie O'Connor and I am proud to be the English teacher at SOAR Academy. This is my tenth year in education, of which all of my experience has been in alternative education settings. I have a B.A. in Special Education and an M.A. in Educational Equity and Cultural Diversity. My work as a special education teacher got me excited about literacy, and now I love teaching English at SOAR! I am passionate about serving students that need an alternate pathway to graduation and are determined to succeed. It is my belief that there are many different paths to achieve a goal but is up to the individual to construct their own roadmap. The staff at SOAR Academy is here to support our students along that journey and to help them see their own potential!

Jen Wheeler

ELA Teacher/Literacy Support

[email protected]

720-833-6830 Office

Where do I begin? I'm honored to be joining the SOAR Team. I've been in education for 12 years -- two as an elementary school librarian, two teaching overseas in Mongolia, and eight teaching high school in North Denver. I have a B.A. in English Literature and an M.A. in English Education, but here I am teaching Social Studies! I am passionate about literacy, sitting with hard questions, and encouraging student voice. I grew up in southern California, attended high school in Colorado, then moved to Washington for college. I love all things SUN: hanging out on the beach, hiking, wake-surfing, hanging out on a patio, whatever! I got married this summer -- we had a very small ceremony in our backyard -- not what we'd expected, but exactly what we needed.

Kevin Vicente

GED Coordinator

[email protected]

720-833-6831 Office

Greetings, my name is Kevin Vicente and I am a new GED cooridinator at SOAR! This is my 20th year working with youth and I truly appreciate being a support for students in this pivotal time of their lives. I have worked with youth in a wide variety of settings from the soccer field, to residential treatment centers, and in the classroom. My hope is for all whom I get the pleasure of interacting with is to widen their view of the world and of themselves. Outside of school, my wife and I are raising our two kids(7 and 10) to be active and caring people whom leave the world a better place. Go Colorado Rapids!

Steve Livingston

Math Teacher

[email protected]

720-833-6794 Office

I am a passionate, caring, fun and calm teacher. I love to exercise, read, play cards and board games, and watch movies.

Cree Duane

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Social Studies Teacher

[email protected]

720-833-6648 Office

Hello, My name is Cree Duane and I am very excited to be joining SOAR Academy as their new Social Studies teacher! I will be entering my 3rd year in education and bring with me experience as a prior behavioral therapist. I have a Double B.A. in Criminal Justice and Psychology and a M.A. in Clinical Psychology. I am passionate about helping students recognize their potential and teaching them how to use critical thinking and reliable sources to inform their decisions and understand the history and relationships that exist within this great global community we are all a part of. In my free time, I enjoy experiencing other cultures and traveling, reading, gaming, being outside with my horse, taking a hike, or even paddling down a river in a kayak.