Meet Our New Team Members!

Meet Andrea Johnston, Associate Director of Learning & Instruction - Middle School

Aspen Academy is delighted to welcome Ms. Andrea Johnston as our new Associate Director of Learning & Instruction for the Middle School. Andrea brings more than 25 years of classroom and leadership experience, including over a decade leading instruction and curriculum at top international schools in Mumbai, Tokyo, and most recently, Paris.

At the American School of Paris, Andrea served as Instructional Coach for kindergarten- 8th grade, directed the Middle School English and Social Studies departments, led teams across disciplines and served on the school's accreditation team. She's an accredited instructional coach trained in Jim Knight’s  Impact Cycle, GROWTH, and Cognitive Coaching models, with deep experience using data to close achievement gaps and design curriculum that holds together across grade levels. Most recently, she's been leading work on Ai integration, understanding Executive Functioning and their impact on learning, and differentiating for gifted and talented students. 

Andrea holds a Master of Arts in Education, earned Summa Cum Laude, and a Bachelor of Arts in History and Art, both from the University of Northern Colorado, and a degree in Visual Journalism. Now she's bringing her global perspective home: Andrea grew up in Colorado and is excited to put her international experience to work in the bold, entrepreneurial environment at Aspen Academy.

When she's not in the office, Andrea can usually be found exploring the mountains with her golden retriever, tracking down authentic Mexican food, or splitting her time between the theater and the ceramics studio, camera always close by.

Welcome to the Aspen team!

Meet Sandra Hwang, Associate Director of Learning & Instruction - Lower School

Aspen Academy is thrilled to welcome Sandra Hwang as our new Associate Director of Learning & Instruction for the Lower School. Sandra brings more than 14 years in education leadership roles, most recently as Director of Curriculum & Instruction at DSST: Green Valley Ranch Middle School in Denver, where she coached and developed a 15-teacher staff, led six grade-level teams through new instructional programs, and used data analysis to drive campus-wide academic achievement.

Sandra's path to Aspen has taken her through instructional coaching, curriculum leadership, and interim academy direction, including standing up a successful Dual Language Program serving 150 students across two campuses in Washington, D.C. Across every role, the thread has been the same: mentoring teachers, mediating conflict with a steady hand, and turning data into real classroom action. She holds a Master's degree in Special Education and a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from the University of Colorado, and she's currently completing her Ed.D. in Education Innovation and Leadership.

Sandra says she's excited to join Aspen Academy because of the values she sees lived out daily here, through learning that's genuinely innovative and transformative rather than just labeled that way. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time outdoors with her family, hunting down new coffee shops, and cooking. Welcome to the Aspen team! 

Meet Clay Muench, Athletic Director & Programs Manager

Aspen Academy is excited to welcome Clay Muench as our new Athletic Director & Programs Manager. Clay brings more than 15 years of K-12 athletic and academic administration experience, with leadership roles spanning charter, public, private, and elite academy settings, including Del Valle ISD in Austin, Suncoast School for Innovative Studies in Sarasota, and IMG Academy, where he helped oversee Division I caliber operations for more than 400 student-athletes and ensured safety and facilities for national combine and NFL Pathway events.

At Suncoast, he surveyed students and families directly, then used that feedback to add new sports and clubs, growing participation by 25 percent. At Del Valle, he did the same to launch new summer camps built around learning and diversity. Across every stop, Clay has worked at the intersection of athletics and academics, tracking eligibility, and coordinating with teachers and registrars.

Clay played college football at Randolph-Macon College, where he was named Freshman of the Year and earned All-Conference honors. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology, an Education Certification, and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership. Before his athletic administration career, he served with AmeriCorps VISTA, coordinating community mentoring programs for youth, early proof of a commitment to service that still shows up in how he leads today.

Outside of work, Clay stays active, walks his dogs, and spends time outdoors with his family. We're glad to have him on the Aspen team!