Who We Are
Welcome to TGS
Dear Future TGS Parent,
How was school today? If your neurodivergent student’s answer to this question breaks your parent’s heart, it may be time to start looking for a new school. Your child’s adolescence is too short – and too critical to their development – to waste. Joining a school community that understands and embraces neurodiversity can be life-changing for your child, and for your family.
The Temple Grandin School (TGS) program is inspired by Dr. Temple Grandin, whose example reminds us that the world needs all kinds of minds. The students we serve are exceptional neurodivergent teens who are willing to risk sharing their whole selves – strengths and challenges – with our staff and each other. They come from a wide range of family and educational backgrounds, but share in common the challenge of finding a community of belonging. TGS provides a safe environment where these capable students can begin to believe in themselves, persist through their challenges, and achieve their full potential.
We invite you to explore our website to learn more about our educational community and program. Students – and parents – there’s a place for you here!
Warmly,
Jen Wilger
Co-Founder & Executive Director
Our Mission
and Values
We empower neurodivergent students to recognize and realize their potential, and equip them with the knowledge and skills they’ll need to accomplish their young adult goals.
We know what it takes to get students where they want to go next, at a pace that’s right for them. Our core values guide students to understand and embrace their neurodiversities so they can leverage their strengths and advocate for the accommodations they need to access meaningful, fulfilling employment.
The road to adulting starts now. Students, here’s how our values will help jumpstart your journey:
We want you.
Welcome to the “Us” group. We are all TGS, no one is “in” or “out.” Staff and students together are building an affirming and inclusive neurodiverse community where all kinds of minds—and identities—belong.
We get you.
When it comes to neurodiversity, we’re all in. We like the way you think, your sense of humor, your sensitivity…all of it. We know what bugs you about teachers and school. We deeply respect you, and you’ll feel that as soon as you walk through our doors.
We’ll meet you.
Tell us where you’re going, and we’ll help you get there – your way. Schedules, learning groups, course outlines…are all means to an end, and that end is you, ready to step out into the post-TGS world. We are constantly fine-tuning our program to better meet our students’ needs.
We’ll help you.
We work together here, teachers, students, and parents. Tell us your needs, and we’ll figure out how to meet them. If you have a problem or challenge, we’ll help you solve it.
We’ll push you.
Ask anyone – everyone here is working on something, even the teachers. We grow as we go, and we don’t give up even when things are hard. No matter how long you stay, you’ll leave knowing more about who you are, and what it will take for you to find your place in the world of work.
We love you.
Yes, love. The important thing about Temple Grandin School is the love. We care deeply about you, your family, and our shared communities – at TGS and beyond. If something’s wrong, we want to know about it. If something’s right, we want to join you in celebrating it!
Our Team
Jennifer Wilger
Executive Director, Co-Founder
For Jen, her role as Temple Grandin School’s Executive Director – guiding TGS’ collaboration with community partners for research, current program planning, and future organizational development – is more than her life’s work. It is a personal passion, begun when her now young adult son was diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome at age three. Outside of TGS, Jen enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, and exploring the great outdoors in Colorado and beyond.
Lisa Baba
Director of Community & Culture
Lisa knows that TGS is a safe and supportive community for neurodivergent middle and high school students – and their parents – and she wants them to discover that TGS is a school that will honor their strengths and help them reach their dreams. When she’s not networking with prospective parents and other organizations that serve the neurodivergent, Lisa spends time creating art, writing, and music and being active by teaching Nia, walking her dog, biking, hiking, and skiing with her husband and young adult children.
Mary Kay Braccio
School Psychologist, Transitions Director
Throughout her career, Mary Kay has been dedicated to bringing together the best services and instruction for neurodivergent students so they have the opportunity to grow to their fullest potential. At TGS, Mary Kay supports students in finding their path through high school and into meaningful college and career options. Mary Kay enjoys spending time with her family, taking walks with her labradoodle, Luigi, connecting with friends, and traveling to beautiful snorkeling beaches.
Matt Judson
Business Manager
Matt comes to the Business Manager role with passion for neurodivergent individuals and finance. Matt holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Finance. He most recently served at a local church, where among his duties he developed the church’s special needs ministries and spearheaded two major remodels, experience that help us maintain our building and property. Along with his friendly demeanor, this experience makes him well-suited to manage our Business Office. When not at work, Matt enjoys fly fishing, camping, running, and reading with his family.
Jordan Averill
School Social Worker, Support Team
Jordan brings her wide range of social work experience – in schools, wilderness, therapy, and hospitals – to TGS, with a special focus on family systems. She is passionate about working with teens who struggle with behavioral and mental health issues. Her favorite thing about working with adolescents is supporting their identity development and providing a space where they can be their authentic selves. When she is not at school, she loves to trail run, hike and backpack, knit, cook for friends, and cuddle with her cat Stevie!
Matthew Holm
Science Teacher
Matthew (known as Holm) is eager to share a love of science and to help young humans discover the world, its mysteries, and their place in it! He brings to TGS his experiences as a civil engineer, a teacher of subjects ranging from science to computer science to English, and a basketball and track & field coach. Outside the classroom, Holm hikes, volunteers, writes, makes music, and enjoys staying in touch with former students around the country.
Caleb Kulman
Social Studies Teacher
A lifelong learner and unabashed nerd, Caleb is deeply passionate about history, education, and working with young people. In his free time, Caleb can be found rock climbing, watching NBA games, walking around town, drawing, or at the movies.
Aedan Lynch
Personal Projects Teacher
Aedan is a TGS alumnus who spent six years here completing both middle and high school. Recently graduated from Sarah Lawrence College, Aedan is back to share his extensive experience with Personal Projects research and his hard-learned lessons. He has also shared his love of tabletop gaming with our students through our Plus Ones program. When not teaching, Aedan spends his time reading, writing, and painting miniatures.
Shella McMaster
Language Arts Teacher
Shella is excited to be on the TGS team! She has earned her Associate’s degree from Front Range Community College, her Bachelor’s in History from the University of Colorado, and her Master’s in Education from the University of Denver. She did her master’s apprenticeship at Emily Griffith High School. Neurodivergent herself, Shella loves working with neurodivergent students, sharing her love for books, and helping students through the challenges school can present. In her time off, she is an avid reader and does counted cross stitch.
Camille Renaud
Math Teacher
Camille loves math and school, but it hasn’t always been that way. She first discovered her love of learning through interests in environmental and climate science, and she loves to share her application-forward thinking in a mathematics classroom. Her personal experience helps her understand the struggles of building the foundations of math and inspires her teaching practices.
Camille recently graduated from CU Boulder with her Masters in Applied Math. She is youth mental health first aid certified and believes in a human-first approach to education and learning. Along with teaching math, Camille loves the outdoors, playing soccer, playing piano, crochet, and animals, especially her cat Bagheera.
Mike Ross
Academic Team Lead, Science Teacher
Mike serves TGS as science teacher and faculty mentor, supporting his fellow teachers in their endeavors to deliver the best possible education to neurodivergent students, especially in the STEM subjects. When not discussing physics with learners, Mike enjoys biking, backpacking, fly fishing, and spending time outdoors with his wife and three kids.
Maura Seidel
Middle School Specialist, Support Team
Maura loves to learn, and she has a passion for sharing that love for learning with neurodivergent middle school students through the areas of academic intervention, behavior support, and life skills. Maura is working on a certification in social work through the University of Michigan. Maura is a dedicated skier, an avid scuba diver, an inveterate global traveler, and a devoted golfer and tennis player.
Work With Us!
Board of Directors
Christine Keaten
Board Chair
Founder and President of Amplify Communications
Christine is motivated to set TGS up for a long, sustained future so it can help many students, just as it helped her own son graduate from high school and allowed her family to successfully transition to the next step in their lives.
Brian McCallion
Vice Chair
Retired IT Executive
Current Consultant and Educator
Brian joined the TGS board to give back to the community that has played a vital role in his son’s success in school and life. Driven by a passion for educating others, Brian is eager to contribute to TGS’s growth and ensure that future students and families continue to benefit from its impactful programs.
Julie Fouque
Secretary
Product Marketing Manager at Cisco
Julie fully embraces the philosophy that the learning environment has an enormous impact on students’ ability to thrive. She joined the TGS board to support the school’s commitment to fostering an environment that meets both individual and collective learning needs for neurodivergent young people.
Evan Icolari
Treasurer
Retired, Former Administrator in Finance Departments on University of Colorado campuses
The opportunity to become a board member for Temple Grandin School excited Evan because he has seen firsthand what can happen for young people when they don’t have a supportive environment that recognizes and embraces their individual and unique needs. Temple Grandin School does just that, and Evan welcomes the opportunity to be a part of the growth and success of such an important place.
Cindy Bishop
Director-at-Large
Sr. Talent Aquisition & Diversity Manager at MYR Group
Recently, Cindy was introduced to Temple Grandin School and to the biography of Dr. Temple Grandin, where her heart was captured, sparking new passion and purpose. Transitioning into a new season of life, Cindy welcomes the opportunity to serve others while contributing to the ongoing success of the TGS community.
Casey Grothus
Director-at-Large
Sketchup Community Programs Trainer for Trimble
As someone with an autism diagnosis, Casey is extremely passionate about doing good for the autism community, and serves on the TGS board to help it make decisions that will truly serve the neurodivergent population.
Thomas Hutchinson
Director-at-Large
Founder of Belvedere Trading
Thomas is thankful for the impact TGS has had on his son, and hopes through his board engagement to have a positive impact on the entire TGS community.
Brad Kemp
Director-at-Large
Chief Revenue Officer at Verblio
Brad remembers the incredible impact that the right educators, support staff, and school had on his younger brother, who was diagnosed with Möebius Syndrome at birth. When he learned about Temple Grandin School, Brad was extremely moved by its vision and mission. He’s excited to help TGS continue down a path of growth and sustainability, providing neurodivergent students with an opportunity to thrive and recognize their full potential.
Corine Waldau
Director-at-Large
Associate VP of Economic Impact Programs and Economic Council Executive Director, Boulder Chamber
After committing a tremendous amount of personal time to navigate the public school system to get her neurodivergent child from kindergarten through twelfth grade, Corine wanted to serve on Temple Grandin School Board to assure more families can access the wonderful resources and programming available at TGS.
Cindy Ward
Director-at-Large
Founder and Lead Consultant for ONWARD Education Consulting
As a special educator at heart, Cindy has seen the affirming and even life-saving impact that the right learning environment can have on students who don’t fit traditional educational molds. She sees serving on the TGS board as the perfect way to support a mission that resonates deeply with her values and experience.
Jason Lynch
Honorary Board Member
General Counsel and Chief Operating Officer at the Foundry Group
Jason serves on the TGS Board because while his son attended TGS, Jason saw firsthand how the teachers and staff at TGS are amazing engineers of human potential, and wants to support their work for future generations of students and their families.
David Hazen
Honorary Board Member,
Co-Founder
With decades of experience teaching neurotypical and neurodiverse students and seven years serving as a principal in charter schools, David knows that, given a good education, TGS students can offer the world extraordinary intelligence, creativity, and unique perspectives on our society.
David Millage
Honorary Board Member
Formerly Vice President of Global Sales at Sphero Inc., Currently advising early seed companies on sales processes
David serves on the TGS Board because he knows TGS is a special place, and he enjoys being part of an organization with the mission of helping young people recognize their full potential in education, relationships, and future career goals.
“From the moment we stepped into Temple Grandin School, my son knew it was where he needed to be. He was immediately accepted and understood. Kids and teachers spoke to him with interest and compassion. Since the beginning of my son’s “rebirth” with Temple Grandin School, we have growing hope that he will have a wonderful future.”
-Parent of a 2021 TGS Graduate
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