By Rachel Dinh

Meet Ms. Kuntzelman, one of the newest teachers at TPA.Ms. Kuntzelman has been a teacher for about 19 years, with sixteen of those years beings spent in an after-school enrichment program. Now, she teaches 7th grade English and 10th grade Humane Letters at Tempe Prep.

Growing up, Ms. Kuntzelman didn’t always want to be a teacher. She explains, “I wasn’t interested in it because both of my parents were teachers.” Little did she know, she would end up having a Bachelor’s degree in History of Science and Technology in Western Civilization from Northern Arizona University and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the University of Texas.

She recalls the variety of jobs she held after college. “I realized I was always teaching in whichever job I had. I guess I couldn’t deny the calling.” She first encountered the Great Hearts Schools from the after-school enrichment program, where she talked with students and faculty from Veritas, Scottsdale Prep, and Tempe Prep. She noticed that the Great Hearts Schools constantly provided an outstanding curriculum, and “the faculty reminded me of the academic, collegial fell of grad school.” Her goal to one day lead discussions at TPA was fueled by a belief that education should always have a focus on the liberal arts and Western tradition.

Ms. Kuntzelman is an avid rock collector and animal lover. She especially likes horses and has four cats named Hal, Moshi, Bonnie, and Pearl. She enjoys walking everywhere, with some of her favorite places being Tempe Town Lake and Mill Avenue.

And guess what? She’s played the acoustic guitar in a punk/heavy metal band! She met some musicians that lived in her new apartment complex and they played together for seven years, until she moved to Tempe.The name of the band, The BT’s, comes from the prophecies of Nostradamus, in which the Antichrist will be recognized by his blue turban.

Welcome to the TPA family, Ms. Kuntzelman!