Nellie first moved to the Roaring Fork Valley ss a summer educator at the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies, then joined Aspen Country Day School in 2024. Originally from Chicago, she holds undergraduate degrees in both Theatre and Studio Arts from CU Boulder. She also has a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of Chicago.
Which ACDS core value is most meaningful to you, and why?
Community. Anything is possible when we face it together!
What led you to a career in education?
I had a professor in college who really took the time to get to know the nuances of my mind. He was the first educator who taught me how to look at my learning style and I became pretty invested in the notion that we can learn anything if we understand how to learn it. I wanted to stand in that legacy of liberators.
Hidden talent or special skill?
I’m president of the Aspen Yodeling Club.
What’s an itch you’d like to scratch? An interest or passion you’d like to pursue?
I want to sail around the world one day. I also want to ski Japan. I have a huge bucket list: meet Klaus Obermeyer, copy a Michelangelo sculpture in marble, sleep in a Westfalia, dedicate a bench, have a big giant swing, own a motorcycle, be featured in the New York Times for art, sleep in a lighthouse, learn the harmonica…the list goes on.
What trend do you hope makes a comeback?
Using the United States Postal Service to send letters.