Rebecca Waitz

Hello, I am Becca Waitz and I am so grateful to be joining the AMS family this year. I grew up just north of Philadelphia in Bensalem, Pennsylvania. I have traveled to many places around the world and have lived in Florida, Utah, Hawaii, and now North Carolina. I moved to the mountains of Asheville this summer and have been enjoying the outdoor lifestyle by hiking, swimming and exploring waterfalls ever since. My love of people and nature led me to pursue Psychology and Environmental Studies in college. After college I spent four years working with troubled youth in various therapeutic settings. I led groups of teens through a wilderness therapy program out in the desert of Utah, I led young adults through a horticultural therapy program in the tropics of Hawaii, and I have spent time working with youth in an inner city elementary school in Philadelphia. Throughout my time working with teens and young adults I began to realize the astounding impact the first years of life have on a person’s development. This inspired and motivated me to work with younger children. I was first introduced to the Montessori philosophy during an environmental education class I took during college. I was moved by so many aspects of the Montessori Method and have been attracted to the concept of experiential education ever since. I have begun my Montessori teacher training and I am thrilled to join your children on their educational journey this year!