“It’s not uncommon at schools like ours to have graduates come back to teach,” says Head of School Julianne Puente, “but we see it even more here.”
The impact of Albuquerque Academy’s alumni spans 70 years and countless industries, including education. Our Charger graduates are innovative leaders — and many have chosen to bring that expertise home. Currently, 31 alumni are employed across the school as faculty, staff, administrators, and coaches, enhancing the Academy with their unique skills and deep connection to the institution.
Returning to the Academy to teach is something that history teacher and speech and debate coach Elise Matton ’10 considered even as a student. “I remember writing in my journal that I thought that if I were to teach, I might one day want to be a history teacher at the Academy and/or coach speech and debate. It’s amazing how life turns out sometimes!”
“I was called to come back because I have always enjoyed school and felt most at home in academic environments, and also because I think I quite literally saw the Academy as a kind of second home from my adolescent years,” Elise says. “So many amazing people shaped my life during the years I spent on campus as a student, and I deeply admired what they had done for me and so many others. Following in their footsteps and joining their ranks as a faculty member felt like a natural next step in that educational journey. Now I’m charged with learning the art and craft of teaching rather than trigonometry or Shakespearean sonnets.”
“That our alumni want to give back and to send their children to Albuquerque Academy is a real sign of strength,” Julianne says. “They add so much — they are professional educators who have institutional knowledge and want to see our school grow, not stay static.”
Having taught across a wide spectrum of school environments, grade levels, and disciplines, Elise recognizes that the Academy is unique. She finds its greatest strength is offering an exceptional variety of experiences, which enables every student to find a specific niche where they can genuinely thrive.
“The Academy does not seem as guilty of pigeonholing kids into particular pathways, visions of success, or specific fields, like some college prep institutions tend to do,” Elise says. “Rather, it develops many high-quality programs so that any kid can theoretically find their community or ‘home’ within a particular niche of the school and know that they are getting an amazing experience within it.
“When I encountered other students in my undergraduate years who had attended other independent schools, I realized how unique the Academy was in intentionally working to make students feel valued, regardless of their background, and in helping ensure that there are always adults somewhere on campus with whom students can connect.”
