Meet Our Staff
Jenny Darcy, Director
Jenny Darcy was born and raised in Boone, and graduated from Appalachian State in 2016. She went on to teach in 3rd grade in Greensboro and 4th grade in Wilmington; however, she missed the mountains so much that she came back to Boone in 2018. In her free time, she loves playing board games with friends and family, watching Science-Fiction shows, and playing with her dog, cats, and quail! Jenny first served as our Public School Enrichment lead, went on to lead Upper Elementary, and is now our Director!
Tori Pendleton, Primary Lead
Tori Pendleton graduated from Appalachian State University in 2017, and moved to Wilmington, NC where she served as a teacher's assistant in a various elementary classroom. She felt her teaching experiences lacked diversity and she began to research alternative teaching methods. She found Mountain Pathways School, moved back to Boone, and was hired in 2018 as an assistant teacher in the primary classroom. Tori is motivated by the sweet faces that walk through the classroom doors every morning, and has completed her Montessori Lower Elementary training through the Center for Guided Montessori Studies.
Maxine Staats, Pre-Primary West Assistant
Maxine Staats relocated from the Outer Banks of NC at the beginning of summer 2023. She and her husband fell in love with the area when their eldest son attended and graduated from ASU. Maxine has been working in education for 25 years! She spent many years in public and private schools in Dare and Currituck counties. Her major was Psychology with a minor in Early Childhood Education at Christopher Newport University in Virginia. She loves working with all children; however her passion is with preprimary, primary, and preschool aged humans. She is very excited to be a part of the Mountain Pathways Montessori School family!
Taylor Dillard, Assistant Director of education
Taylor Dillard graduated from Appalachian State University in 2017 with a degree in Psychology and a Human Services concentration. She spent a year teaching in a traditional five star preschool in Raleigh before moving back to the high country. After starting as one of the assistants in Pre Primary, she fell in love with the Montessori philosophy and knew this was where her heart belonged. She completed her training through the Center for Montessori Teacher Education in Huntersville, NC and received her Infant/Toddler Montessori certification in the spring of 2020.
Rach Miller, Primary Assistant
Rach Miller moved from Wilmington to Boone in 2017. They have spent their time in Boone studying and making art. Painting and printmaking are their favorite mediums. One of their biggest passions is helping plants grow. They have a four year old Goji berry plant and a new blueberry bush. They are looking forward to getting to know everyone and being a part of the team.
Bonny Becker, pre-primary east lead teacher
Bonny Becker is from Buffalo, NY and is one of nine children. She grew up always being outside and the love for the outdoors has carried over into adulthood for her. She started working in a Montessori classroom in 2014 as an assistant and quickly fell in love with the Montessori Methods. She became certified as a Lead teacher in 2017. Bonny chose the toddler level because the rapid growth and daily changes are amazing to see. She believes that the children learn so quickly and keeping up with the changes and offering new materials is an activity that she loves. From the words of Bonny, “I look forward to the new school year at Mountain Pathways School and promise to offer a loving and nurturing environment.”
Sara Drum, Primary Lead Teacher
Sara Drum began working in the 3-6 class at MPS in 1999 after graduating from ASU with a BS in Psychology and a concentration in Child Development, as well as Interdisciplinary Studies through Watauga College at ASU. She received her 3-6 yrs. Montessori Certification from The Center For Montessori Teacher Education in Raleigh NC. She has seen Mountain Pathways go through a lot of changes over the last 20-plus years and she is always inspired by the constant dedication and love the teachers bring to Mountain Pathways.
Noran Hussein, Pre-Primary West Lead Teacher
Noran Hussein is currently studying Children’s Development and Family Studies at Appalachian State University. She has worked at Mountain Pathways for two years this fall. Noran loves to spend her time by going on walks, playing her flute, and collecting crystals. Her passion for working with children is evident every day through her positive attitude and loving demeanor. She cannot wait to get to know you all more throughout this school year!
Jessica bryan, Pre-primary east assistant
Jessica Bryan is a Boone native. She graduated in 2020 with a Bachelor’s in Sociology from ETSU. She has worked for two years previously as an infant/toddler teacher. Jessica is a lover of anything outdoors - especially hiking along The Blue Ridge Parkway! During the winter months you can find her skiing down the slopes! One of her favorite hobbies is writing short stories.