Niwot High School staff among the elite

Most high school educators do not have a doctorate degree, and yet Niwot High School currently has six staff members who hold doctorate degrees.

Eric Rauschkolb, Niwot High School Principal, finds that having six doctorate holders on staff at the school is inspiring to students and other staff members. "It shows their dedication to their craft, their work ethic, and their commitment to life-long learning," he said.

Each of these six professionals earned their doctorate in an area of study that is relevant to the work they do at Niwot High. Rauschkolb added, "Having six staff members who have earned their doctorates is a real point of pride for Niwot High School. We are proud of these professionals and we hope that more staff members will be inspired to follow in their footsteps."

Dr. Elzbieta Towlen, Dr. Lynn Ingegneri, and Dr. Stephanie Polutchko all have a background in the sciences, which Rauschkolb believes "is an inspiration for our students here to see women in STEM achieving such lofty educational heights."

Towlen earned her Doctor of Education from the University of Colorado Denver. She is currently the International Baccalaureate (IB) Coordinator for NHS, a position she has held since 2012. "As far back as I can remember, I aspired to be a teacher," said Towlen.

Ingegneri received her PhD in Crop Science from Oregon State University. She said that her teaching philosophy "centers on creating environments and opportunities that make learning accessible and enjoyable for all."

Polutchko earned her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EBIO) from the University of Colorado Boulder. She gives credit to two academic advisors for encouraging her to "seek and follow my passions from plants to teaching."

Rauschkolb is also proud of three more PhD staff members who have important roles at NHS, Dr. Felicia Reimer, Dr. Melissa Martinez, and Dr. Calan Anderson, who, in his words, "are all dedicated educators who help students reach their potential every day."

Reimer earned her PhD in Foreign Language Education from the University of Texas at Austin and is the current Dean of Students at NHS. Reimer hopes to continue to make a difference. She said, "I have been able to bring a lot to Niwot in both understanding a wide range of students, newcomers, foreign language learners as well as connecting with parents and families."

Martinez, who is part of the World Languages program at Niwot, earned her PhD from the University of Wyoming in Curriculum and Instruction, with a literacy focus and also earned a Native American Teacher Certification.

Anderson earned a Doctorate in Educational Leadership & Equity from the University of Colorado Denver and is currently a school counselor at Niwot High School. Anderson was inspired by her parents, who are retired educators, as well as her grandmother, who "inspired me to begin volunteering at a young age, which helped shape my future career choices."

Niwot High offers a rigorous college preparatory curriculum and advanced-level coursework that consists of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP), and Niwot Pre-IB (NPIB)/Honors courses.

The school was a top-ranked public school in the Washington Post's 2019 ranking of America's most challenging schools and was recognized by The Denver Business Journal as a top-10 high school in the Denver Metro area, also receiving the John Irwin Award for academic achievement 11 times since 2002.