2022-2023 New Upper School Faculty

We are pleased to welcome our new Upper School faculty to the Bush community. Click below to learn more about this amazing group of educators. 

Sinead Coleman joins the Upper School as a Learning Specialist. Most recently, Sinead was an Upper School Learning Specialist at Seattle Academy of Arts and Sciences and prior to that, Sinead was an Upper School Learning Specialist at Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma. Sinead earned her B.A. in Psychology from University of California, Santa Barbara and a M.A. in Criminal Justice (Public Policy Emphasis) from The Graduate Center/John Jay College of Criminal Justice, The City University of New York. 

Rebecca Delacruz-Gunderson will be re-joining Bush as the Upper School English Teacher and College Counselor. Recently, Rebecca attended The University of British Columbia pursuing a Master’s of Arts in English Literature with an anticipated graduation date of 2023. Rebecca worked at Bush as a Coordinator of College Counseling and Student Success during the 2019-2020 school year, supported the inaugural Upper School Internships Cascades Program and co-taught College Essay Writing Summer Programs. Rebecca earned her B.A. in English from Williams College.

Mark Leuning joins the Upper School as a French Teacher. Most recently, Mark taught French at the Walnut Hill School for the Arts in Natick, MA. In addition, Mark has also been a voice faculty member at the South Shore Conservatory and a voice instructor at Northeastern University. Mark earned a B.A. in French and a Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Western Washington University, a Master of Music in Voice/Voice Pedagogy from The Boston Conservatory, and a M.A. in French studies from Brown University.

Mia Manzulli will be joining the Upper School as an English faculty member. Most recently, Mia taught English  at the Princeton Day School and served as the Dean of Classes (2020 and 2022). Mia was also a member of the English faculty at the Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart, in Princeton, New Jersey, and was an Assistant Professor of English at the United States Military Academy, West Point. Mia earned a B.A. in English from Stanford University, a M.A. in English and American Literature from New York University, and a Ph.D. in English and American Literature from New York University.       

Peter Pasterczyk will be joining the Upper School as a mathematics teacher. Most recently, Peter taught math at The Red Oaks School in Morristown, NJ.  Prior to that, Peter taught Math and science  and held the roles of advisor, residential life team member, theater program technical director and math department chair at The Purnell School in Pottersville, NJ. Peter earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Bucknell University. 

Sara Phelps will be joining Bush as an Upper School mathematics teacher. Most recently, Sara taught mathematics at Plano East Senior High School in Plano, TX.  Sara has also taught math at Caesar Chavez High School in Phoenix, AZ and W.T. White High School in Dallas. Sara earned a B.A. in Secondary Education, Mathematics from Ottawa University in Phoenix, and a M.A. in Education, Curriculum and Instruction, from the University of Phoenix.   

Ali Stewart-Ito will be teaching Upper School Health and Wellness. She has over twenty years of teaching experience and has taught at the International School of Dusseldorf, Hawaii Preparatory Academy, ‘Iolani School, The American School of the Hague, Frankfurt International School, and most recently Seattle Academy of the Arts and Sciences (SAAS) where she taught High School English and Physical Education. Ali is a certified personal trainer, yoga instructor, and coach who is extensively involved in the fitness field. Ali earned a B.A. in English and a Masters in Teaching (English, Anthropology and Language Arts) from the University of Washington.