Our Team

The people who run this school.

Founders and guides. Each one chose this work for the same reason: every child is uniquely gifted, and our job is to help them discover what they're for.

Barbara Jauregui Wurst, MD MSc

Co-founder, Executive Director

Barbara is an Argentine-American physician specialized in global health and research. She has extensive experience implementing project-based learning, and is an adjunct professor at George Washington University, where she uses the Socratic discussion method. She has always been actively involved in her children's education and found a renewed passion for education innovation during the COVID pandemic. She delights in creating and documenting captivating projects with a multidimensional and multicultural approach for young learners.

"All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle."— San Francesco of Assisi

Hernan Dario Feler, MBA

Co-founder, Director of Finance and Operations

Hernan is a committed Argentine entrepreneur with post-graduate studies in Business Administration and Online Business. He specializes in toys, games, and other children-specific products, including educational and developmental materials. Hernan brings twenty-eight years of international experience as a business owner in Argentina, and is used to working in multicultural environments. He has a focus on innovative strategies and has travelled around the globe. Hernan found true inspiration in Acton, and hopes to make a difference for future generations.

"If the heart is empty, the head doesn't matter."— Jerry Maguire, 1996

Julieta Jauregui, PhD in Sociology

Co-founder, STEM and Spanish Education

Julieta is Barbara's sister and Hernan's wife, with a PhD in Sociology and a background in Graphic Design — blending her love for children and art with a passion for innovative education. She specializes in program design, believes deeply in hands-on, project-based learning, and currently contributes as a program designer at The Learning Quest, a nonprofit focused on learner-centered education and community outreach.

"Pray, hope, and don't worry."— Padre Pio

Tim Chen, American Montessori Society Early Childhood Credential

Head of School · Spark and Discovery Studio Guide

We feel honored to have Mr Tim as part of our foundational team — we couldn't have built this school without him. Tim is a Taiwanese American who has lived the majority of his life in the United States. After college, he enjoyed a productive 12 years as a youth pastor and is now a Montessori educator (15 years and counting). Tim was a Field Consultant and Early Childhood Instructor at a Montessori institute. He holds a B.S. in Biology from UCLA and received his AMS Early Childhood Credential from the Institute for Advanced Montessori Studies. He is also a certified Positive Discipline Trainer. Tim believes that making meaningful connections with his students is his primary goal as a guide.

"We cannot protect our children from life. Therefore, it is essential that we prepare them for it."— Rudolf Dreikurs

Cristina Villas, Psychology degree

Discovery Studio Guide

Born and raised in Mexico, Cristina brings a warm cultural perspective and a deep love for children. She holds a degree in Psychology and recently completed her Associate's degree in Education. Cristina believes every child learns differently and that it's an educator's job to meet them where they are — creating space to explore, discover, and build confidence at their own pace. She sees mistakes not as failures, but as one of the most powerful parts of learning. As a native Spanish speaker, she progressively incorporates Spanish in the Discovery studio throughout the day.

"Children are not things to be molded, but people to be unfolded."— Jess Lair

Marcela Montoya Hoyos, MS in Info & Comm Technology (ICT)

Spanish Language Acquisition

Marcela is a passionate languages specialist guided by her vocation and love for embracing learners into a new language. Born in Colombia, she has over four years of experience showing learners of all ages different ways to explore a language in a positive, loving, and holistic way at their own pace — which is why she believes the Montessori methodology is a wonderful environment to learn a second language. She holds a master's degree and specialization in ICT applied in the classroom, plus a TESL certificate from the TEFL Academy.

"I have a day. If I know how to make the most of it, I have a treasure."— Gabriela Mistral

Mary Pat Schlickenmaier, EdD

Catechist

Dr. Mary Pat Schlickenmaier retired as an elementary school principal after twenty-one years. A graduate of Loyola College, Mary Pat began her career by teaching high school chemistry, physics, and bioethics. She then moved to teaching junior high science, math, and computer technology before becoming a principal. Mary Pat holds a master's degree from the University of Virginia in School Administration and Supervision, a Post-Master's Certificate in Educational Leadership, and a Doctor of Education degree from the University of Phoenix. She has a Post Graduate Collegiate license from the State of Virginia with endorsements in Administration and Supervision, preK-12. She is currently mentoring first-year principals, is an adjunct in the education department at George Mason University, and is a Practicum Supervisor for the University of Phoenix. Mary Pat also has both first- and second-level certification in the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd and an Advanced Catechist Certificate from the Diocese of Arlington. Mary Pat advises us on school management and our faith identity, and she leads our optional after-school catechesis program.

"Integrity – Humility – Mission."— Her personal motto