Faculty & Staff
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Mr. Arlyn Sundsted |
I was fortunate to have been born and raised on an eastern Montana wheat farm by my parents along with 2 brothers and a sister. I graduated from Western Montana College with a BA and the University of Montana with a MA in Educational Leadership. In my public life I've been a superintendent of schools in three Montana schools, an elementary principal in three Montana schools as well as one school in southern Idaho. My private life has taken me to Newfoundland, Canada where I served as the superintendent of schools for the Newfoundland Conference and West Africa where I served as the West African Union Superintendent of Schools for Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and Liberia. I also served as the President for the Burkina Faso West Africa Mission and as the Country ADRA Director for India. This is my third year as the administrator of Las Vegas Junior Academy and I am enjoying every minute I spend with the young people of this school. |
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Mrs. Tierra Wallace |
During most of my childhood I lived along the coast of North Carolina. There you could find me along the beach, skiing, swimming and boating. Although born in Patuxent River, Maryland, often my father's Naval career took him abroad. This caused my family of three sisters and one brother to move back to North Carolina, where most of my family lives. I still call North Carolina my home, even though I have lived in Las Vegas for 8 years with my husband Dave. In 2007, I came out of retirement to help Las Vegas Junior Academy as their Accountant/Treasurer, where my expertise can be utilized. When not in my office working you might find me golfing, working leisurely on the computer or seeing what new high tech piece of equipment is coming out on the market.
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Miss Dacyl Galicia |
I was born and raised in Mexico. I am the second of four children. My father is Mexican and my mother is Panamanian, so I grew up in a bicultural home. When I was seventeen my family immigrated to the U.S. due to my father's line of work; thus living in Miami, FL, for one year before going to college. After finishing my last year of High School I went to Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Best College in the world! I loved my time there, made many friends and finished a bachelor degree in Elementary Education. While at Union, I became an SM (Student Missionary) for one year. I lived in Poland and loved their language, culture and of course food. I had the privilege of visiting a great number of Western European Countries while living in Poland and it reaffirmed my love for other cultures, languages and cuisines. Anybody that knows me well knows that traveling is a passion of mine. Several years later, while already working, I finished a Masters Degree in Education with emphasis in Outdoor Education from Southern Adventist University. At the moment I am pursuing a second Masters Degree in Education with emphasis in Spanish Language and Culture from the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain. I never thought it possible to say, "I love Las Vegas." However, today I can honestly say that I do. I love my job, the friendships I have developed here and the people who touch my life daily. I am proud to call Las Vegas my home. |
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Ms. Sandra Depner |
Ms. Sandra Depner was born in Pendleton, OR. She grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, attending church school for all of her education. She graduated from Walla Walla College with a degree in Elementary Education. Ms. Depner has since earned a Fifth Year degree in Curriculum and Instruction from La Sierra University. Ms. Depner has taught for the SDA Church in CA, WA, and NV. She has taught all grades from first through eighth. Some years all in one room at one time! She has also taught ninth grade English and U.S. History. Ms. Depner is in her thirty-sixth year of teaching. The last twenty-one have been at LVJA. Ms. Depnerʼs mother, Grace Williams, lives with her. They have three four-legged babies Maddie, Lily, and Molly and four birds that they share their home with. Ms. Depner and her mother are members of the Centennial SDA Church.
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Mrs. Connie Wade |
Connie Wade has taught children for thirty-one years in public and private schools. She has taught kindergarten through grade ten specializing in English and phonics. She has taught in Africa, (American Embassy schools and Mission schools), Canada, and the U.S. Two years were spent as an associate superintendent in the Florida conference as a curriculum specialist. Connie prefers teaching to administration any day! Welcome to the third and fourth grade.
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Mr. D'Mariae Banks |
I am a proud Las Vegas native and longtime member of Paradise Church. Though I attended public schools for my formative years (K-12), my college education is from Southern Adventist University (BA in Elementary Education specializing in Language Arts). With this background, God has blessed me with a unique perspective on Adventist education: I love it and try to incorporate the positives from my public school background into developing and maintaining a Christ-centered classroom. An educational goal of mine is to show my students that it IS possible to have Jesus at the center of everything we do, even school. Teaching was never something I imagined myself doing for a career, but God called me to it while I was volunteering at Las Vegas Junior Academy (LVJA) ten years ago! In His service, I have had the opportunity to teach in South Korea (1 year) and California (3 years) before being offered this position at LVJA. I look forward to meeting and working with each and every one of you (and hopefully seeing some "old" faces as well as new ones).
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Mr. Merle Bradley |
I was born in Newton, Kansas, the youngest of six children, and grew up in Boulder, Colorado. I've enjoyed the benefits of a solid Christian education attending Seventh-day Adventist schools from elementary school through college. Having a passion for teaching, I attended Southern Missionary College and graduated with a degree in secondary education. Since then, I've gone on to hold the positions of Teacher, Principal, and Dean of Boys at several Seventh-day Adventist schools throughout the United States over the course of 27 years. I am happily married with three grown children and glad to be part of the faculty here at Las Vegas Jr. Academy.
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