Hello, my name is Dana.

I want to support our community and to be a guide for our youth as they navigate this world. As a young person, and even as an adult, I wish I had more structure and support in developing my goals, education, career, and finding my place where I could succeed. This includes growing within the horse world and improving my riding and equestrian knowledge, which can be a difficult environment to navigate. My idea is academic success using a holistic program that supports both the parents/guardians and the student with tools that they can use throughout life.

My Education & Experience

I have a Master’s degree in education with a licensure in K-12 World Languages Spanish, supported by a graduate certification and licensure in K-12 Reading. For more than a decade I worked in the U.S. and overseas. I became certified and knowledgeable in the International Baccalaureate education system. I lived and taught in Minnesota, Florida, Turkey, Thailand, and Barbados. My experience focused on language skills for both native English speakers and English Language Learners. I taught a variety of age groups and subject areas from the early years through high school, helping to get students in the right place for their development and growth.

Lifelong Learning

Learning is a passion and I am always dabbling in something new to put myself outside of my box, to grow on an individual level, and connect within our community. Right now I am enrolled in life coaching certification courses to provide me with additional knowledge and tools to support you and your child. In the last couple years I have been certified in equine massage in order to understand my horse’s physical needs and increase my knowledge of biomechanics, I completed a course on herbalism to understand how I can improve my health naturally and prevent issues as I age, and I did an intensive study on equine assisted learning and coaching to explore how we can become our most authentic selves through working with horses. Most recently, I started taking polo lessons with the Ocala Polo Club, which I am having a blast with and I believe it will help improve my riding skills in competitive dressage.

In addition to my education degrees I have a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Spanish, with a focus in Latin America. After school I spent six months working with the Fulbright Commission in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which was the first time I went overseas. Through all my travels I learned many lessons about moving to and navigating through another country and culture. More recently I was on the advisory committee for the Customer Experience Program at the University of Colorado Boulder as a program mentor. On top of all that, I currently work as a program manager for enterprise clients in a large translation software company, which I hope to eventually transition out of as I build Stadium Academics.

My Passion for Horses

I have been in and around the competitive equestrian world for over 30 years, I am an established part of the community. I have had a horse obsession and have ridden since I was a kid. My mom joined me and we ended up each with a horse and a lifelong passion that we still share. In the beginning I rode and participated in everything we could try: western events, breed halter classes, barrel racing, endurance riding, stadium jumping, eventing, driving, and dressage. I found a special love for dressage and have ridden at all levels on multiple mounts in competitions and clinics across a lot of time and space. In 2022 I received my USDF Gold Medal Rider Award for Intermediare I and Grand Prix. My new horse and I are working our way through the levels and I am excited to grow with him while competing at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala. In addition, for good measure and fun, I have started to learn how to play polo with the Ocala Polo Club. Horses are an integral part of my life.

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