Board of Trustees
When our school obtained 501 c(3) non-profit status a Board of Trustees was established under the name of Montessori Education Trust. This group has embraced the vision of the school and works to support and promote that vision in our community. They are charged with planning for what the school may look like in 10, 20 , or 30 years. As one Montessorian put it, “An effective Board is working to create the school we want for our grandchildren.” Our Board members have been very involved in the first Capital Campaign that took place in 2008-2009 and also our "Building Peace" Campaign for the addition to our Gordon Avenue school in 2017-2018. They are truly ambassadors of our school!
Soren Jones
MSC Admin Director, Board Treasurer
Soren is a Virginia native, growing up in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. He spent several years between Santa Cruz and Berkeley California where he got his undergraduate degree in History at UC Berkeley. During his time as an undergraduate, Soren worked for the Oakland Unified School District as a teacher in various before and after school programs.
Soren moved to Charlottesville in 2017 and started at MSC as an administrative assistant. Through his successful work on the annual MSC Truck Touch Event and management of our reopening after the pandemic, Soren was ready for more leadership responsibility. He completed his Montessori Leadership Credential in the Spring of 2024 through CGMS. As of the Fall of 2024, Soren now serves as the Administrative Director for the Montessori School of Charlottesville.
Kelly Carwile
Secretary
Kelly grew up in Washington DC and moved to Charlottesville after graduating from Washington College. She quickly fell in love with the area and settled in the downtown area of Charlottesville. She currently lives with her husband, Chris, and her two sons Reed and Ford, both of whom attend and love Montessori School of Charlottesville.
Gloria Boesenberg
MSC Program Director, Board Member.
Gloria grew up in Indiana, where she received a B.A. in Psychology from Earlham College. Besides working with children, she has also enjoyed working as a nursing assistant with the elderly and as a house parent for adults with developmental disabilities. Gloria joined our community as an assistant in 2014, and she completed her Early Childhood teacher training with the Center for Guided Montessori Studies in 2018. She finished her M.A. in Montessori Education and Leadership at St. Catherine University in 2023. In her free time, Gloria spends time crafting, reading, wandering outside, and appreciating her family.
Vrinda Abharyankar
MSC Guide, Board Member
Vrinda was born and grew up in India. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Care and Education from SNDT University in Mumbai, India and her Montessori training at VCMS, Richmond VA. Prior to joining MSC, she worked with COER (Center for Opportunities in Education and Rehabilitation) where she worked with typically developing children and those with special needs, a rare experience as mainstreaming in India. Vrinda served as the Rainbow Room assistant in the fall of 2011 and took over the lead teacher position in the fall of 2018. Outside of the school she likes to cook and go on hikes with her family.
Lindsey Munson
Former MSC Administrator, 1990-2024 Emeritus Member
Lindsey grew up in Staunton, VA. and graduated from UVA with a degree in Sociology in 1979. Lindsey came to the school as a parent of Caitlin and Jake in 1987 and worked with the original owner of the school. She became the Administrator of the school in 1990 and transitioned to a remote bookkeeper/advisor role in the summer of 2024.
Lindsey travels to Carlisle, MA as often as possible to spend time with her precious granddaughters Amelia and Lindy (and their parents!) She and her husband James also enjoy bluegrass festivals and exploring Virginia State Parks in their RV. With her new role they are excited to “go farther and stay longer”.
Caitlin Riopel
Chair
Caitlin grew up in Batesville, Virginia. She has a BA from New College of Florida and a Masters from St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She spent a decade working at Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville and has worked for the Equity Center at University of Virginia since 2022. She attended University Montessori School in Charlottesville as a preschooler. Her son, Kingston, started MSC in the Moonbeam class in 2018 and her son, Myles, is a kindergartener in the Dandelion classroom.
Julie Whalen
Board Member
Julie grew up in Rockville, Maryland. She earned her Computer Science degree from the University of Maryland and her first job was with IBM. She and her husband then started a consulting business, providing computer programming services to a variety of firms in the DC area. Julie continues to consult today, but on a very part-time basis. Remote work allowed Julie and her husband to follow their daughter to Charlottesville in 2022. She has two granddaughters that attend at MSC.
Dave Bosch
Board Member
Dave grew up in St. Louis, Missouri. He has a B.A. in English Literature from Marquette University, as well as a Master’s in Educational Leadership and MBA from St. Louis University. He has spent the last 15 years in K-12 education, serving in various capacities, including after school coordinator, classroom teacher (2nd-7th), instructional coach, assistant principal, and principal. He is currently working at Timely Schools, an education technology company who is using machine learning to build master schedules for middle and high schools. Dave and his family moved to Charlottesville in 2024 for his wife, Emily to pursue a PhD in Education at UVA. His youngest son Jay is currently in the Bluebird room and older son Robbie was part of the Dandelion community last year.