Shana Dinner de Vaca

*If you would like to email Shana, please contact the PLC professional staff to get the email address.

Hours available for mentoring per month: 5-10

Degree(s): French (Language & Literature); Spanish (Language & Literature)

Professional background, interests and expertise:

Shana Dinner de Vaca is a Denver native. Most recently, she was the Managing Director of Program Design for Teaching Trust after serving as the Director of School Partnerships for the National Academy of Advanced Teacher Education. Before transitioning to education nonprofits, she was the principal of STRIVE Prep - Westwood, a Denver public charter middle school. During her tenure, the school moved from green (Meets Expectations) to blue (Distinguished), the highest rating on Denver Public Schools' School Performance Framework. Prior to that rewarding endeavor, she was STRIVE Prep's (then West Denver Prep) founding sixth grade writing teacher and later served as the Chief Curriculum Officer for the growing school network.

At the beginning of her career, Mrs. Dinner de Vaca taught at Denver Summerbridge for three summers and then spent two years in Quito, Ecuador, where she helped start an elementary school. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Colorado at Boulder and holds a B.A. in both Spanish and French (language and literature) and an M.A. in Education from the University of Denver. She enjoys running and, as a result of her love of languages, has now begun studying Italian.

Best professional advice: I'd love to speak with anyone interested in education and/or languages. I have found so much value in both endeavors.