The Team

Michael is the Mathematics Instructional Specialist at Eagle Rock. He was the mathematics fellow at Eagle Rock from 2007-08, and has been driving to engage youth in their own lives and education ever since. In the years since his fellowship, Michael has worked in NYC, Denver, and Nashville as a math and science teacher, and was also the COO of a startup. He believes that everyone is a mathematician and that everyone can love and understand math. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business and Economics from Asbury University and his Master’s degree in Education from Framingham State University. Michael has 3 inspiring kids and 2 goofy dogs with his partner, Hanna.

Throughout his academic and professional career, Tyson has served as a teacher, administrator, mentor, advisor and advocate for students supporting access to education and developing a life-long love of learning and education. His own life experiences with mentors and supporters served to ignite his passion for supporting young people to take an active role in changing the world.

Prior to joining Eagle Rock, Tyson was a faculty member at the University of Hartford. He served for 6 years as Director and Principal Investigator for the Upward Bound Program at the University of Massachusetts. He has provided academic support to high school students to graduate students, numerous programming projects, and organized and facilitated workshops and training for staff and students. Tyson is an author and community activist, publishing articles on Hip Hop based Education and Access to Education.

Tyson served as the Assistant Residential supervisor at the A Better Chance House in Amherst, MA supporting high school students who travel from northeast states to pursue their educational goals. Tyson also worked for 12 years as a Civil and Environmental engineer in Massachusetts and California.

He is one of the original members and organizers of 3rd EyE Unlimited, a social justice, Hip Hop-based youth advocacy, activism, and community development organization. He served as an organizer and facilitator for the Julius Ford/Harriet Tubman Healthy Living Community, an intergenerational, anti-racist organization dedicated to fostering social justice and healthy, vibrant communities.

Tyson received a Bachelors’s in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a Masters’s in Social Justice Education from the University of Massachusetts.

Tyson has two sons, Phoenix and Onyx who are pursuing their own life goals in New York and Massachusetts.

Courthney Russell, Jr. is our residential life program coordinator. Courthney is responsible for fostering a safe and secure environment within the Eagle Rock community. He is a key member of the student services team and coordinates activities for students with staff and houseparents. Courthney was born in Fort Knox, lived in the US Virgin Islands for a time, and eventually moved to East Atlanta, an underserved community devoid of options. His neighborhood taught him survival skills, but his family wanted more for him and made education a priority. Unfortunately, Courthney didn’t always share this priority. By the time he graduated from high school, his tendency toward stereotypical behavior had him on a collision course with incarceration or death. In a last-ditch effort, he applied to medical school and was surprised to be accepted. There he found a passion that was unquenchable and made the choice to dedicate his life to humanity. The road wasn’t easy. He experienced homelessness which meant juggling the responsibilities of being a student and the realities of living on the street. As a result, he shifted his perspective and set his life in a new direction. He graduated in 2011 with a medical degree and a new mission: to leverage his knowledge in a non-traditional way to become an authentic, determined, humble leader by example. Because of his past, Courthney is uniquely qualified to serve the Eagle Rock community.

Mark Rutberg is Eagle Rock’s Human Performance & Athletics Coordinator. Mark is responsible for creating and implementing a vision around empowering students to lead healthy lifestyles. Prior to joining Eagle Rock, Mark spent 6 years at Sanborn Western Camps, most recently as a director for the camp’s summer residential adventure program in Colorado. He grew up in New York and has a B.S. in Kinesiology and Pedagogy from the University of New Hampshire, where he also played football. After university, Mark worked as an athletic director and educator in New York City for 4 years prior to moving to Europe to teach at an American International School in the Netherlands. Mark holds a Masters Degree in Health Education, a certificate as a K-12 teacher, a level 2 ropes course instructor, a single pitch climbing instructor, and Wilderness First Responder. He has also participated in a NOLS 30-day outdoor educator mountaineering course. Mark finds passion in helping youth discover their potential and self-worth. As someone who struggled in traditional academic settings, Mark uncovered his own confidence and sense of self-worth through experiential education and team sports throughout his academic career and, more recently, through outdoor education. Mark and his partner Sara are Piñon houseparents and they live on campus with their dog Jerry.

Tanya is a recent graduate from Colorado State University with a Bachelor’s in Sociology and a minor in English. Throughout her time at CSU, she has been very passionate about elevating marginalized voices through reading and writing, and has interned with CSU Community Literacy Center’s SpeakOut! Program where she led weekly creative writing workshops at a women’s housing shelter and published an annual journal of their work. Additionally, Tanya has been published herself in CSU’s Literary Journals, Spiritus Mundi and The Greyrock Review, and in the University of New Mexico’s Literary Journal, Scribendi.

Ever since reading Wild by Cheryl Strayed in 4th grade, Tanya fell in love with the outdoors and backpacking, which led her to work as an instructor for both day and overnight camps at Avid4 Adventure, where she led students ages 3-12 in various outdoor activities and found her passion for working with youth. Tanya is a strong believer in the importance of introducing people to the outdoors in order to foster a sustainable and empowering connection with nature.

Tanya’s Sociology coursework has provided her with a critical lens that is always analyzing culture and power structures to question accepted norms. She is passionate about empowering individuals to resist unjust hierarchies and building a more equitable future.

Fox Stoddard (they/them/theirs) is a part of the Eagle Rock Outdoor Education Department. They support the facilitation of Eagle Rock's three week long backpacking trip as part of the new student orientation; as well as offer year-round support with various outdoor, and adventure, education opportunities for the Eagle Rock Community. They have been working in experimental and outdoor education for over a decade, ranging from Montessori classrooms to month long trips in the backcountry with the National Outdoor Leadership School. Fox has been fortunate enough to instruct wilderness based trips in Wyoming, Idaho, Nevada, Washington, and Alaska. They are looking forward to having a more consistent home base in Estes Park and plug in with the staff and students. Through the years, Fox has combined their passion for adventure with their passion for social/emotional coaching. They firmly believe in, and work towards, developing young leaders who are competent, empathic, and resilient in the face of adversity. In addition to teaching the technical and leadership skills needed in the backcountry, Fox has become a passionate advocate for gender equality and safety for the LGBTQIA2S+ community, not only in the outdoors, but all areas of life. They are absolutely stoked to be joining the Eagle Rock community, to share their knowledge, and learn alongside both staff and students as they start their journey at Eagle Rock!

Cami is the Director of Belonging and Professional Development at Eagle Rock School & Professional Development Center, where they lead the implementation of strategies rooted in antiracism, social justice, and belonging. With experience in educational program management, youth development, and racial equity, Cami is dedicated to fostering transformative educational environments that prioritize the power of youth-adult partnerships and the possibilities of liberatory education.

Cami’s background includes a BA in Africology and an MA in African and African Diaspora Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Their career has been marked by a deep commitment to the liberation of Black and queer communities, beginning with their work in economic development and financial independence for Black communities. This commitment evolved into a focus on healing justice, particularly through their role as co-founder and Policy and Advocacy Director of Maroon Calabash, a reproductive justice organization. Cami has also served as an equity consultant for non-profits and educational institutions.

Cami’s leadership is grounded in right-relationship ensuring that all members of the Eagle Rock community—and the broader educational landscape—experience a sense of belonging and are equipped to engage in meaningful, transformative work. Their approach is deeply influenced by healing justice and beloved community frameworks, emphasizing the importance of relationship building, community care, and the belief that “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free,” as Fannie Lou Hamer famously stated.

Justin J. Torres Martinez, Chef Instructor at Eagle Rock School, was born in Connecticut. He was raised in Caguas, Puerto Rico. After high school, he joined the Puerto Rico State Guard Air Force where he started his interest in cooking. He currently lives in Estes Park, Colorado with his wife Ana and their two daughters. Justin has been professionally cooking for six years. He first started as a Banquet Chef at The Stanley Hotel cooking for weddings and big events. After three years as a Banquet Chef there he decided to join a local restaurant as Sous Chef at Seasoned-An American Bistro with his mentor and Chef-owner Rob Corey. Justin joined Eagle Rock where he is able to cook and share his flavors, experience, and culture through his delicious meals.

Jesse has a masters degree in clinical psychology from Geneva University in Switzerland and has successfully participated in multiple trainings regarding therapy with couples, families and teenagers. He has extensive experience working with teenagers and families in different mental health institutions. Jesse also has been involved in diverse programs relating to violence prevention, community and leadership in multicultural’s settings in different countries. Previous to Eagle Rock School he was directing a training center in Palo Alto, Calif., dedicated to providing professional development to a large variety of professionals working in the mental health and medical fields. Here at Eagle Rock, Jesse provides individual and group counseling, coordinates student mental health services outside the school, coordinates student psychotropic treatments with appropriate providers and provides support to teachers and house parents on campus.

Griffin is one of our Health & Wellness Fellows, helping students navigate their mental health needs. He’s currently pursuing a Master of Social Work degree at Smith College. Based in Philly, Griffin spent the last few years working as a union organizer with the United Home Care Workers of Pennsylvania (part of SEIU), a union of healthcare workers taking care of people in their own homes. Before that, he worked as a field instructor for NYC Outward Bound Schools, guiding public school students on weeklong wilderness courses upstate. Griffin likes old movies and new sushi.

Caitlin joins Eagle Rock School as Special Projects Coordinator where she works to create opportunities for students to learn and practice horticulture, maintain and manage access to the library collections, and collaborate with staff to guide students’ off-campus learning experiences through the Real World Learning program. Having grown up in the deciduous forests and freshwater lakes of Michigan, Caitlin has found joy exploring the unique natural environment she has called home while also working to protect and share those places with others as an educator and environmental steward through organizations like AmeriCorps (Massachusetts), San Joaquin Outdoor School (California), Summer in the City (Detroit), AIM Academy (Pennsylvania), and Philadelphia Parks and Recreation. Most recently she spent 5 years supporting avian conservation as an assistant bird bander, educator, and curriculum consultant for Willistown Conservation Trust in Newtown Square, PA. This is also where she put her years of experience weeding and tending her mother’s extensive gardens to use as a farm worker for the community-supported agriculture program at Rushton Farm. Caitlin earned her bachelor’s from Indiana University and a Master’s in Environmental Studies from the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in advocacy and education. When she’s not coddling seedlings and slinging library cards, Caitlin enjoys riding her bike, romping with her dog, Kelly, getting to know the local wildlife, baking banana muffins for the Juniper House family, and reading the next epic fantasy series.

Eliza Kate Wicks-Arshack, L.S.W., is our Health & Wellness Counselor.  As a member of the Health & Wellness Team, Eliza supports students in finding success at Eagle Rock in relation to their wellbeing both for the whole student body and with more targeted interventions and support when needed. Specifically, Eliza supports students in navigating their mental health and wellbeing through psychoeducation, individual counseling, group spaces, family conferences, and other individualized support offerings. She helps coordinate student mental health care through both internal and external resources and serves as an advocate for students in their journey.  Eliza helps facilitate the personal growth rite of passage process throughout students’ time at Eagle Rock—supporting students in honing their social emotional learning capacities starting with the wilderness orientation course and continuing through to graduation.  She also supports ERS staff through professional development and group spaces. As part of the Health and Wellness team, Eliza collaborates with our School Nurse, Health and Wellness Fellows, Director of Health and Wellness, and interdisciplinary teams in effort to provide holistic support for ERS students. Eliza is a DORA Licensed Social Worker as well as a DOE licensed School Social Worker. In addition, Eliza serves as a House Team member in Aspen House and as an advisor for students in that house. 

While she grew up on Lenape land in New York City, Eliza has called the Ute, Arapahoe, and Cheyenne land of Colorado home for the past fifteen years (with stints in Alaska, Oregon, and California).  She earned her bachelor’s degree from Colorado College where she studied Sociology, her masters degree in Social Work from Columbia University, and is a licensed social worker in the state of Colorado.  Eliza first joined the Eagle Rock team in January of 2012 as a wilderness instructor and subsequently served as the Public Allies Fellow in Outdoor Education at ER in 2012-2013. She then worked for several wilderness therapy programs facilitating therapeutic extended expeditions. She came back to ERS in 2016 and was our Outdoor Education Program Manager 2017-2022.  She is a dog mama, a proud sister and daughter, an avid outdoors-woman, a cook, an artist, and a crafter. 

Lydia Wilbon is our Science Instructional Fellow at Eagle Rock. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Lydia earned a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Loyola University Chicago (LUC). Lydia grew up with a love for the environment and a strong ecocentric thinking for making choices that benefit future generations and the planet. Her passion for environmental education and climate communcation was sparked while writing in ChiArts’ Creative Writing Conservatory and through her two years of volunteering at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo (LPZ). With eight years of experience in childcare, working with children from infancy to twelve years old, Lydia discovered her desire to pursue a career in nature-based learning and early childhood education while at LUC. When she’s not busy, Lydia enjoys crafting, bowling, and spending time with her dog, Zippo.