Ron Woods
MAOS Co-Director
English / Language Arts
Biography
I am a MAOS Concept Design Team teacher representing English/Language Arts. The 2005/2006 school year was my first at Monterey High and within the MAOS program; prior to coming to MHS, I taught English at Colton Middle School. I have been teaching for ten years and I hold both a secondary English and Multiple Subject credential and a Bachelor of Arts from Fresno Pacific University. MAOS offers a unique public school opportunity for both students and teachers; our academy is an intellectually and socially rewarding environment in which to teach and learn.
Jason Nicholson
MAOS Co-Director
MAOS Science + Biotechnology Teacher
Biography
I am a MAOS Science teacher, and started my teaching career at Monterey High in the 2013/2014 school year. Born and raised in Toronto, Canada, I originally imagined myself as an artist. However, as a young man I embarked upon a series of travels that introduced me to wilderness. My explorations triggered a keen interest in biological systems, and a desire to identify creative solutions to environmental problems. I initiated my studies at Cabrillo College and then graduated with Honors from the University of California, Santa Cruz, with a Bachelor of Science in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology focused in Conservation Biology. To complement my undergraduate degree, I opted to study abroad at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. In South Africa I discovered how important education is in achieving impactful and sustained change. This experience ignited my passion for teaching science. I returned to California and achieved a Master of Arts in Education from UCSC. I now hold Single Subject credentials in Biological Science, Chemistry, & Geoscience; certification in Advanced Placement Chemistry; as a well as a Career Technical Education Credential in Health Science & Medical Technology, with a focus in Biotechnology.
MICHELLE ZARAGOZA
MAOS Program Administrator
maosoffice@gmail.com (831) 392-3801 ext: #1071
Biography
I have been working with MAOS since I started teaching at Monterey High School in 2017 as a science teacher. I grew up in sunny southern California and attended UC Santa Barbara where I received two bachelor degrees, one in Environmental Science and the other in Spanish Language and Literature. It was my dream to work for the United Nations as an Environmental Officer and pursued a degree in International Environmental Policy at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in 2013. This is where I fell in love with Monterey. Before pursuing my dream of working for the UN, I joined the Peace Corps to get international experience. I worked as an Environmental Educator in Nicaragua for 27 months, and discovered my love for education. Upon my return to Monterey, I applied for a teaching position at Monterey High where I taught until the birth of my son in 2023. Since, I have been working in the background as the MAOS program administrative assistant.
Nikki Ahrenstorff
ib Specialist
Biography
I am so honored to be a part of the MAOS family and community. In 2007, I graduated from Monterey High and MAOS, and it was through the MAOS program that I fell in love with education. During my time in college, I was a swim instructor (some of the students I taught are now MAOS students) and an after-school tutor and coordinator for the Village Project in Seaside. I received my Masters and my teaching credential from the University of Southern California and I have been lucky to teach at Monterey High School for the entirety of my career. I started teaching seven years ago and have taught 9-12 grade language and literature at all academic levels, including MAOS classes. I am now the IB Specialist at Monterey High School and work with MAOS students, particularly those students in the IB Diploma Programme.
Steven Piña
MAOS MATH TEACHER & Activities Director
Biography
I graduated from Monterey High through the MAOS program in 2012. I started teaching at Monterey High in the 2019-2020 school year. Since high school, I always imagined myself working for Apple in some capacity. Throughout college, I worked at Apple Retail, ultimately as a technician, until I decided to switch careers and become a teacher. I earned my Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Marketing from CSUMB. I completed my teaching residency through Alder GSE in conjunction with the University of the Pacific to earn a Master of Arts in Education. I was named Resident of the Year for my graduating class.
susan castello
MAOS SCIENCE TEACHER
Biography
I am a MAOS science teacher, and I have been teaching at Monterey High School since 2015. I grew up in a small lakefront town in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York, and I have always felt a special connection with nature. As a child, I spent most of my time climbing trees, looking for salamanders in streams, and going fishing with my dad. I remember waiting every month to receive my new National Geographic Wildlife Fact Files in the mail and organize them in my binders. (Shoutout to you if you remember these from before we had the internet!) I earned my degree in biological sciences and education at New York University in 2007, taught at a school in New York City for four years, and moved to the Monterey area in 2011. I took some time off of teaching to run a healthy school lunch program that focused on providing access to local, quality food and health education to elementary schools in the area. Upon my return to classroom teaching, I have worked as a mentor for new science teachers, and I am continuously finding new ways to challenge myself and my students in exploring scientific ideas, techniques, and skills.
Ryan Harber
MAOS English TEACHER
rharber@mpusd.k12.ca.us
Biography
After my K-12 education in MPUSD, I graduated from Monterey High and MAOS in 2007 and continued my education in English and Economics at UC Davis. My teachers always had the biggest impact on my life growing up, so I knew I wanted to be a similar figure for others in the future; thus began my career in MPUSD in 2011, where I taught at Seaside High for ten years before transferring to MHS in 2022. I love teaching back at my alma mater, as well as sharing my passions for literature, traveling, and lifelong learning with my students.
Dakota Dietz
MAOS SCIENCE TEACHER
ddietz@mpusd.k12.ca.us
Biography
I began teaching at Monterey High in 2023 as a resident with Alder Graduate School of Education, earning my teaching credentials and a Master’s in Education. I grew up in Chico, CA, spending hours outdoors—climbing trees, swimming in creeks, collecting rocks, and dreaming of a future in marine biology. My passion for nature led me to UC Berkeley, where I earned a B.A. in Integrative Biology, focusing on Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity. Though I initially planned to become a marine biologist, college revealed a desire to connect science with life’s bigger questions. Inspired by authors Robin Wall Kimmerer and Wendell Berry, I pursued this connection by earning a Master of Divinity at Trinity International University in Chicago. This journey led me back to California with my wife and two sons (we have a third on the way!), eager to teach science as a tool for understanding the world. I now hold Single Subject credentials in Biological Science and Chemistry.
DIANA ALMARAZ
MAOS LANGUAGE TEACHER
dalmaraz@mpusd.k12.ca.us
Biography
I am a MAOS language teacher, and I am so honored to be part of the Monterey High community. I am a proud 2007 Monterey High graduate, who was born and raised on this beautiful peninsula. Having a passion for different languages and cultures, I attended California State University Long Beach where I received a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and a Masters of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature. During this time, I had the privilege of teaching Spanish at the university to students. This is where I found my passion for teaching and decided to return to school in 2020 and receive my credential in teaching High School.
Kelly Hertlein
MAOS Counselor, A-I LastNames
khertlein@mpusd.k12.ca.us
831-392-3801
Biography
I was born and raised in Tustin, a sunny suburb in Orange County, California. I received my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2009 from Fresno State University and participated in Division I athletics on the women's volleyball team. I received my Master of Arts in Education and School Counseling Credential in 2012 and an Administrative Credential in 2018. After 7 years of counseling at the middle school level, I'm thrilled to be at Monterey High and with the MAOS Academy.
Carol Bronzan
MAOS Counselor, J-Z Lastnames
dalmaraz@mpusd.k12.ca.us
Biography
I am one of two MAOS Counselors, and am thrilled to be back with the MAOS family. After earning a degree at UC Berkeley and counseling credential at CSU Fresno, I began my counseling career in 1987 at my high school alma mater in Turlock, CA. Several years later our family moved to Brentwood, CA and finally to the central coast in 2016. I worked at Colton Middle School for two years before transferring to Monterey High in 2018 as the MAOS Counselor. I retired in 2020, but continued to do occasional work for MPUSD and MHS. My husband and I made the decision earlier this year to make this area our permanent home, so when an additional counseling position was added at MHS, I decided to put retirement on hold and return to MHS and MAOS full time. I appreciate and enjoy the students, staff and culture at MHS and feel very fortunate to be a part of the team.