Wichita Collegiate School

Chris Ashbrook

Head of Upper School

After graduating from Newman University in 1995, I spent three years as a Middle School teacher in the Wichita Public Schools. Over the last 18 years I have been an Upper School Administrator in independent Schools in Wichita, earning my Masters in School Leadership from Baker University in 2002.  I have spent the last 8 years as Head of Upper School at Wichita Collegiate, and consider myself very privileged to work at the premier school in the state of Kansas.  Each day, I marvel at the talented faculty and students I work with and am grateful for their dedication and kindness.  I sincerely love the work I do and appreciate that my wonderful wife Elaine and two beautiful daughters Maeve and Julia get to share the Collegiate experience with me.  I have always felt that my primary goal as Head of Upper School is to make sure students enjoy coming to school every day and that the faculty enjoy coming to work every day.  When those things are happening, excellence is sure to follow.

Trent Nesmith

Dean of students

Trent has been a familiar face around Collegiate as a former student, parent, coach and administrator since 2006.  Trent attended WCS up to the 7th grade.  Trent's children have been Spartans since day one.  Son Caleb, class of 2015; daughter Cayden, class of 2018; and son Canon, class of 2019.

An administrator since 2009, Trent is the Upper School Dean of Students. Prior to becoming the Dean, he served as the Athletic Director for the Upper School from 2007-2010.

Gary Buettgenbach

Video, Photography, Video Magazine, Junior Class Sponsor

As a teacher, I want my students to learn and appreciate art and its history. It is my conviction that art is a subject worth knowing.  The most valuable lesson that an art student can learn is to pursue their own vision, defining and refining ideas while developing the material skills and craft necessary to execute them. I’ve been at Collegiate for twenty-six years because the school will give a teacher the time and the tools to pursue their goals. I graduated from Wichita State with a B.F.A. and a B.A.E. I was an Assistant Curator at the Ulrich Museum of Art. I’ve taught at the Wichita Art Association and I currently teach glass blowing at City Arts.

John Bullinger

Innovation Lab, CATIA, Engineering

After receiving a Masters in Chemistry with a minor in Physics from Wichita State University, I found myself looking for a rewarding career that would utilize my passion for science as well as inspire others to think like a scientist. The obvious choice was to become a teacher and I’m lucky enough to teach at one of the best high schools around.  I have been teaching Physics since 2009 at Wichita Collegiate School and really enjoy sharing my passion for science. When I’m not at work; I enjoy camping and fishing in the great outdoors and spending time with my two-legged and four-legged family. Wichita Collegiate School has become a second family to me and I look forward to many more years.

Ron Darmon

AP Government & Politics, Economics & Society

A rare stroke of luck found me reentering education at Wichita Collegiate after almost twenty years in the business community. I hold a Masters from Wichita State in Educational Administration, a Bachelors in Education from Emporia State, and a couple of years of undergraduate work at Kansas University. Having spent half of my professional career in education and the other half in the private sector business world allows me to bring a unique, real-world, perspective to the AP Government and Economics classes I teach.  I feel honored to be on this faculty and respect the culture of academic achievement that has been nurtured at Collegiate since its exception.

Brooke Finan '92

French

I am a WCS graduate and can attest to the high quality of a Collegiate education. It has been a special privilege to be a part of this community again as a member of its faculty. I began teaching at Collegiate in the fall of 2007, when my husband Brian (sixth grade science) and I moved to Wichita. I taught fifth grade English in the Middle School before moving to the Upper School to teach French. I earned my B.A. in English and French from Manchester College, and I earned my M.A. in English from the University of Kansas.  In addition to a junior year abroad in Strasbourg, France, I did a Fulbright year in Amiens, France, working as a language assistant in a French high school. I began teaching French in 1998, and since then I have taught English in various positions before returning to French. I want my students to become confident students of French and for them to experience first-hand how important and empowering it is to learn a second language. I value fostering connections with my students and want them to know I am always in their corner, supporting them and guiding them. My husband and I have two wonderful children, and it has been a blessing to have them at Collegiate with us.

Troy Fischer

Band Director

I am a graduate of Wichita State University, where I completed both Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Instrumental Music Education. I strive for passion and excitement in the instrumental music classroom, and hope the musical experiences of the Collegiate student lead them to a lifetime of Fine Arts Appreciation! When not in the classroom, I am active as a professional musician, performing on upright and electric bass in area jazz groups, musical productions, and with the pop/rock cover band, Lucky People.

Sarah Gruetter

Mathematics

I was raised on a farm in south-central Kansas. Growing up in a Jayhawk-loving household, I was thrilled the day I arrived on campus in Lawrence! After earning degrees in Mathematics and Business Administration, I spent a year working as a financial accountant for Raytheon Aircraft. I then followed a call into ministry and spent two years traveling and sharing my faith throughout the United States and Australia. I was very blessed by this experience, especially because this is when I met the man who would eventually become my husband. I have always loved studying mathematics and have always wanted to play an important role in caring for and nurturing young adults. And so, in 2005, it felt very natural to pursue a career as a high school math teacher. I began teaching in Toms River, New Jersey before moving back home to Kansas. I am honored to be a Collegiate Spartan and love getting to teach Algebra II, Introduction to College Algebra, and AP Statistics. My passion for teaching grows each year, as does my love for helping students discover their own joy of mathematics. 

Sam Hake

Drumline Director, Assistant Band Director, Music Technology

I graduated from Friends University with a Music Business Degree in 2008 where I was highly involved in the percussion department and jazz program. I have now been teaching instrumental music at WCS ever since and I love it! I strive to help each student find their own voice on their instrument, and with that find an outlet to be creative. Outside of work I perform professionally on percussion and drumset for local jazz concerts, musicals, and many other live music productions. I also enjoy going to concerts, composing, running, golf, roasting/drinking coffee, and most of all my family.

Maricar Harris

Chemistry

What a blessing it has been to be a part of the WCS family. Teaching here is a great privilege and I hope the students are feeling challenged to work to achieve their personal best. My family and I moved here in July 2014 as my husband joined an oral & maxillofacial surgery practice here in Wichita.  We moved here from Virginia Beach, where I was a middle school science teacher (for the past six years), teaching grades 6-8 at a parochial school. I have a BS Chemistry degree and love all things science and math. With no family in the area, we have enjoyed the warm welcome offered to us by fellow faculty members as well as Collegiate parents  & students and are thankful to be part of the community here. This is a great place to be!

Virginia Kehoe

Latin

For over thirty years I have had the privilege of sharing my love of Latin with the students of Wichita Collegiate School. Together we investigate and analyze the essential grammar and vocabulary of Latin, the admirable prose of Caesar and the amazing poetry of Virgil. I love having the opportunity to work with the students over a number of years, and enjoy seeing them become such wonderful thinkers, learners and leaders of tomorrow.  Although I was raised in Massachusetts, Kansas has definitely become my home.  My two sons attended Collegiate, and my husband taught Latin and Greek at Wichita State University.  I have a bachelor’s degree in Latin, a master’s degree in Classical Studies and PhD course work in Latin.

Joanna Kerby

AP Biology

Joanna earned both her M.S. and B.S. in Biology from Fort Hays State University, where she also taught for two years as a graduate assistant and then two years as a Biology instructor.  We are fortunate to have her teaching Advanced Placement Biology to our students!

Marilen Morales

Art

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, I came to the United States with two purposes: To study art at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and to stay in this beloved land. I hold a Bachelor in Fine Arts Degree from SAIC and a Master’s Degree in Art Education from the University of New Mexico. I have taught art for the last 12 years at different schools and universities in the states of NM, TX and KS. It is my WCS goal of art education to facilitate a safe environment for meaningful exploration and creativity, where Spartan students can be awakened to the interconnectedness of themselves as individuals to the whole through real life experiences, current events, and creative ways of classroom interaction. 

Kevin Mykel

Dean of Upper School, Humanities

One of the great joys of my life has been the opportunity to work as a member of the Wichita Collegiate School community, and the school has been at the center of my life since August 1988. During my years at WCS, I have served as Head of Upper School (twice), Director of College Counseling, and as a teacher. Currently, I have the best job in the school, serving as the Dean of Upper School and, most importantly, as the teacher for the senior Humanities course. In addition to the pleasure of working with our wonderful students, parents, teachers, and administrators, WCS has provided the opportunity for me to work with my wife, who teaches sophomore English and Advanced Composition, and for my son (Class of 2005) to receive the benefits of being a Spartan.

Jerry Nixon

Globalization & History, History Seminar, Modern History

I have spent fifty-four of the last fifty-five years in school. I have studied in nine schools (ten if I include boot camp and seamanship school). The best of those was Southwestern College, in Winfield, from which I graduated in 1977. I have taught in five schools, the best of which is Wichita Collegiate School. During my twenty-six years at WCS I have taught a variety of cultural and social studies classes, and still do. I came to WCS as a result of coincidence too complicated to explain here. Like many, my WCS experience immediately became a family affair. Our immersion was complete, with a child in Early Childhood, another in the Lower School, a spouse teaching in the Middle School, and myself in the Upper School (although two of my classes were freshmen, which don't qualify for that). Yes, WCS is a family, and you can never leave your family.

Shane Phillips

History Department Chair, AP History

Being able to share my passion for history and learning with the Wichita Collegiate School community has been one of the great joys of my life.  In my career, I've had the opportunity to teach subjects ranging from United States History, World History, and Government, to Macro and Microeconomics, Psychology, and Sociology; all of which have given me a unique range of experience and knowledge to integrate into my classroom.  With both graduate and undergraduate degrees from Wichita State University, along with National Board Certification (2006), I currently serve as the Head of the History Department, the Academic Dean for the Sophomore class, the Pro-Humanitate sponsor, and I am the head coach of the Lady Spartan Golf team.

Ruth Powell

Fine Arts Department Chair, AP Music Theory

My husband and I moved to Wichita from the United Kingdom in 1997 for a three year job opportunity and I am pleased to say we loved Wichita so much that we decided to stay. I graduated from the University of North Wales, Bangor with a B.Mus(Hons.) and also completed my Post Graduate Cerificate of Education. Prior to WCS I worked at Clifton College and Redmaids in Bristol and Wycombe Abbey School just west of London. We have two boys who have both attended Collegiate and who thrived on the ethos that ‘at Collegiate you can do it all’. Currently I teach the AP Music theory class, vocal music in the Middle School and I am the Fine Arts Department Chair. I enjoy sharing my love for music with my students both in the classroom, on the stage and in the community. Music should be fun!

Amy Reisner

Administrative Assistant

I became a part of the Collegiate community in 2000 when I joined the Early Childhood division as the Administrative Assistant.  I’ve had also had the pleasure of working in the Middle School for over ten years.  I am currently the Upper School Administrative Assistant and also assist the Athletic Department.  I have such a sense of pride to be able to work every day with such great students, faculty, and staff!

Byron Ruhter

Mathematics & Physics

I was born and raised in Hastings NE, a town in southcentral Cornhuskerland.  After graduating from high school and Hastings College, I moved to Wichita and began a 30 year career teaching calculus and physics at Heights High.

I am married to Elaine Ruhter, a native Kansan, and have two children and two grandchildren. My hobbies include motorcycling, weightlifting, and caring for our beautiful collie dogs.

It is wonderful teaching here at Collegiate in the warmest, kindest atmosphere imaginable.  The high level of academics are second to none. 

Barbara Stokley

English Department Chair, AP Literature, Composition I Seminar

I have enjoyed teaching at Wichita Collegiate since August of 1988. Throughout those years, I have relished the opportunity to discuss great literature with students and to watch them develop as thinkers and writers. The way our language works to convey meaning and move people has intrigued me ever since I earned my BA in English Literature at Manchester College long ago, and I have found ample ways to explore and share this fascination with my English students at WCS. As chair of the English department, I have also had the good fortune to work with a group of language arts teachers who are exceptionally talented, knowledgeable, and caring. My two daughters graduated from WCS, so I know firsthand the power that this community has to nurture each individual learner (teacher as well as student). It is my privilege to be part of that.

Jorge Trinchet

Spanish

I have been teaching Spanish 01 and Spanish 03 (Language and Culture) at Wichita Collegiate School since Fall 2011. As a teacher, one of my main goals is to create an interesting, dynamic and challenging classroom environment.  I stay informed on current methods and incorporate new ideas into my classes in order to teach more efficiently and creatively.  As a native speaker of Spanish (I was born and raised in Spain), I am able to provide my students with an authentic exposure to the culture, history and language of my home country. I earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Alcalá de Henares in Madrid (Spain), and two graduate degrees from Illinois State University: a Master of Spanish and Master of Communication.  I started teaching Spanish in 1996. I acquired most of my experience at different colleges such as Illinois State University, Murray State University and Wichita State University. Transitioning from College to High School has been a truly enriching and exciting experience.

David Trombold '71

Science Department Chair, Chemistry, Environmental Science

I first attended Collegiate as a sixth grader and went on to graduate. It has been my distinct opportunity to return to teach in 2008 after completing masters degrees in science and systematic theology, working in the chemical supply and hazardous waste industries, and teaching for thirteen years in middle and high school. I have thoroughly enjoyed my return to Collegiate where I can help high school students develop their study and reasoning skills and become mature young men and women prepared to succeed in college. Outside the classroom, I have been able to interact personally and provide unique experiences with students as they become involved with the Collegiate Vegetable Garden and accompany me on the annual wilderness canoe trip that I take with students each summer to the border lakes of Minnesota and Ontario, Canada. I have very much appreciated the atmosphere here at Collegiate where I can flourish as a teacher and be a part of seeing young people prepare to meet life's challenges and have a well-rounded exposure to many interests that they will carry beyond their experience here.

Matt Webber

Vocal & Music Director, Music Theory, Dynamics & Madrigals Director

I am a graduate of Wichita State University, where I received both my Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Vocal Music Education.  I am in my 12th year of teaching vocal music.  I joined Wichita Collegiate in 2014 and I look forward to carrying on the rich tradition of high quality Performing Arts.  When I am not teaching I am participating in the Barbershop Harmony Society.  I direct the South Central Kansas SmorgasChorus, and I sing in several quartets in the Wichita area.  Also, I help lead worship at Central Christian Church and I keep a very busy schedule as an honor choir and youth barbershop chorus clinician.  My wife Kim and I have three beautiful children: Jordan, Natalie, and Lilian.  We are so excited to be a part of the Wichita Collegiate family.

Gabriele White

Foreign Language Department Chair, Spanish

I was born and raised in the Canary Islands, Spain where all of my family still lives. I came to the United States to attend college, receiving both graduate and undergraduate degrees from Wichita State University. I have had the privilege of teaching at Collegiate since 2004 while also watching my daughters’ receive a Collegiate education.  I love teaching Spanish and sharing with my students the language and the cultural diversity of all the Spanish speaking countries. Observing the growth of students through their year’s in the Upper School and their ability to communicate, love and appreciate the language and culture is the greatest reward I have as a teacher. I currently teach Spanish 2, Spanish 3 and AP Spanish Language and Culture. I also serve as Head for the Foreign Language Department, and Junior Class Academic Dean.