Maria Boyczuk has been teaching French levels 2-AP for six years at Pine Creek. Before joining PCHS, she had three years of experience teaching French and Spanish at the middle school level and at two community colleges. She fell in love with the French language and francophone culture when she was very young and it became her passion to travel the world to discover language and culture. Those experiences traveling have shaped her into the person she is today. She is excited to pass on her passion for learning language to her students and loves watching them grow in their abilities and confidence. Originally from Western New York, she received her undergraduate degree in Modern Language: French and Spanish, and a graduate degree in Secondary Education. Outside of school, you'll find her hiking, camping and exploring beautiful Colorado with her husband and dog.
Ben Corley graduated from Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. He taught both English and Spanish in Missouri for three years before moving to Colorado in June of 2001 when he taught summer school in Aurora before starting at Pine Creek that August. He has continued to teach both English and Spanish at Pine Creek, although he has taught predominantly Spanish for the majority and most recent of his 16 years at Pine Creek. He is also the head men's soccer coach and freshmen basketball coach. Sr. Corley's Spanish language journey began as a 10 year old when his family moved to the city of Chihuahua, Mexico in 1985. Based out of this city of roughly 1 million people, his parents worked for 25 years with New Tribes Mission serving the Tarahumara and Tepehuán Native American communities in remote areas of the Sierra Madre Mountains. Sr. Corley lived in Chihuahua city for 7 years before finishing his high school senior year in Nebraska. Aside from his studies at Truman, he also studied for a summer in Spain at the Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca. He has lead student trips to Mexico and Peru and has traveled to Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica as well as many other non-Spanish speaking countries, often times with his wife Amanda and daughter Mia. Sr. Corley is passionate about inspiring students to embrace, appreciate, and explore the world of languages and cultural diversity.
John Frederick earned his Master's degree from the University of Phoenix, has been teaching Spanish for over 22 years, and is proud to have helped open Pine Creek High School! His love for Spanish started at a very early age as he was born and raised in Mexico until he was 11 years old. Experiences such as being a Missionary Kid in Mexico City, a metropolis of around 20 million people, have shaped his passion for soccer and Spanish. Having traveled overseas to places such as Spain, Argentina, Costa Rica, Sr. Frederick is convinced that he is just beginning his traveling adventures and is looking forward to many more! When not instilling his passion for the Spanish language or soccer in others, Sr. Frederick is supported unconditionally by his wife, Kristy, and is the proud father of three boys.
Sheri Henderson moved to Colorado Springs in 2015 with a special tie to Colorado Springs: her dad graduated from the Air Force Academy. As an Air Force "brat" and a Navy spouse, she called many places home and cherishes every friendship made in those travels. She graduated from Texas Christian University, began an on-again-off-again career in Maryland, and earned a Master's degree from George Mason University. From there she worked and volunteered in a variety of roles in and out of schools in Florida, Washington, Virginia, Tennessee, and California. Mrs. Henderson is ecstatic to be in the classroom teaching Spanish! Her husband is still on active duty and is attached to NORAD/NORTHCOM. They have a daughter and son who returned to the Pacific Northwest for college and are building lives there. She and her husband are happy to have "dropped anchor" and whenever possible they are outside enjoying the beauty of Colorado.
Jillian Lykens teaches German levels 1 through AP. Although she has been only been at Pine Creek since 2016, she has over ten years of experience teaching German to learners ranging from toddlers to adults! Jillian is a graduate of the University of Kentucky, completing both her Bachelor's degree in Secondary English and German Education and her Master's Degree in Teaching World Languages there. She also spent a year studying at the Universität Heidelberg in Germany, focusing on German as a Foreign Language and Literature. Jillian is very excited to call Colorado her new home and spends her free time with her husband and dogs out in the wilderness when she's not planning her next trip to Germany or beyond.
Linda Trumbauer has been lucky enough to be in the classroom with students for the last 35 years. At the age of nine months, she discovered her son was deaf and started learning ASL. From about 1983 she started interpreting. When she moved to Colorado and started her career as an English teacher with Pine Creek High School, Mr. Morris, the Principal, noticed she was interpreting for a Deaf family in the office. He then asked her if she would like to start an ASL program at PCHS. She was thrilled. In 2007, 16 students were enrolled in an after school class. PCHS now have about 200 students a year taking ASL with a waiting list. Mrs. Trumbauer feels privileged to be able to open the Deaf world up to so many students.
Amy Ver Duft has been teaching for a very long time and still loves it. Her 29 years of experience include six years in Covina, California, two years in Middletown, California, eight years in Auburn, Washington and 13 years here at Pine Creek High School. While in college working on her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics at Washington State University, Mrs. Ver Duft discovered that she loved the French language also and ended up getting a degree in both Mathematics and French. She loves teaching in two very different departments! Mrs. Ver Duft and her husband will soon be celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary. Their son is currently at Colorado State University studying Computer Science and Mathematics and their daughter will soon be a student here at Pine Creek High School. Mrs. Ver Duft loves to travel, camp, take walks, read, watch the Seahawks and visit with friends and family.
