Meet Ms. Liesl!
FAQ: Are you named after the Sound of Music? Yes. Yes, I am.
Hi! My name is Ms. Liesl, and I am so happy to be part of the crew here at REMS. When I was young, my father was a teacher and I absolutely loved going to school and the idea of lifelong learning. As my mom put it, someday I would end up “being a camp counselor, park ranger, teacher, or some combination of all three,” and it feels like I’ve found my perfect match!
I grew up in northern Colorado and spent my school time in choir, band, and theater. Outside of school my family went on frequent trips camping, backpacking, and rafting, but our favorite sport was fly fishing which I started at the age of five. I knew in High School I wanted to be a musician, but it was once I started at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, I found my love of teaching and earned my undergraduate degree in Comprehensive Music Education. After university I moved back home to Colorado and earned my Masters Degree in Choral Music Education while spending time with family and simultaneously working four part time jobs.
And then, adventure came knocking at my door. In undergrad, I had spent a semester abroad in Vienna, Austria, and consequently caught the travel bug. So when the opportunity to teach abroad presented itself, I jumped at it! I moved to Chiang Rai, Thailand (you know that place where the boy’s soccer team was stuck in the cave in 2018?) and spent the last three years there teaching PreK-12 Music at Chiang Rai International School. These experiences taught me so many things, but proved without a doubt: Music is a universal language, and is one of the best ways we can share the experience of what it means to be human. To say I will miss it is an understatement, but I chose to move home to continue my teaching career and be 13 time zones closer to family. And I’ll be honest… I missed the snow.
My favorite outdoor activities include mountain biking, hiking, snow shoeing, rock climbing, kayaking, fishing, and muay thai. I’m always up for any adventure, and am happy to have so many opportunities in my Colorado home! And if you need a conversation starter but music and theater aren't really your thing, my “random fandoms” include (but are not limited to) Harry Potter, D&D, Magic the Gathering, web comics, Marvel, and more!