Meet The Teachers
Jada Santoro is the founder and program director of Trailblazers Learning Community and serves as the lead science teacher. After more than a decade in Flagstaff, she created Trailblazers to offer homeschool students rigorous, hands-on science learning rooted in curiosity, critical thinking, real-world relevance, and community connection.
Her teaching focuses on environmental and earth sciences, emphasizing systems thinking, inquiry-based learning, and place-informed investigations that help students understand natural systems and the impact of human choices.
Jada’s work reflects a whole-child approach that bridges environmental science and health education. She integrates scientific thinking with social-emotional learning and mindfulness, grounded in the belief that caring for our inner ecosystems supports care for the land, water, and communities around us.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Nutrition and a Master of Education with a concentration in Social Emotional Learning and is a longtime homeschool parent. Outside of Trailblazers, Jada collaborates with local environmental and outdoor education organizations and continues developing programs that help young people feel capable, curious, and connected to the natural world.
Jada Santoro, M.Ed. | Science
Founder & Program Director
Cat Bennett, B.S. | Art
Cat Bennett is a recent NAU graduate and environmental educator with a passion for community engagement, sustainability, and creative expression. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Sustainability Studies from NAU, with a minor in Community Engagement, and has over three years of experience working with children. Cat has been part of the Trailblazers community for more than a year, first as an assistant teacher and student intern.
At Trailblazers, Cat's teaching style is built on the belief that art serves as an emotional outlet, helping students process complex feelings through creative expression and nonverbal communication. In her classroom, students are encouraged to try new things, explore creative possibilities, and express themselves in a nonjudgmental environment, trusting their intuition and embracing the creative process over a perfect final product.
Cat believes deeply in building a relationship with the natural world, and she aims to inspire students to explore their relationship with themselves, their classmates, and the world around them through nature-based, intuitive art practices. Outside of Trailblazers, she continues working with local environmental education organizations to foster positive outdoor connections for Flagstaff youth.
Holly Luky is a homeschooling mother and homesteader who embraces a nature-based, holistic approach to learning for her family. Education is seamlessly integrated into their daily life, whether through real-world skill application with their animals, hands-on culinary work, or reading aloud cherished books.
Holly brings a robust professional background, including over fifteen years in Education Technology spanning K-12 and Higher Education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts and an Associate of Culinary Arts degree. Before moving to Flagstaff in 2015, she was the local publisher of two magazines in Sedona, AZ, and directed the Sedona SEEDs teen mentoring program. She has also spent time teaching English as a Second Language online and coordinating outdoor exploration networks for homeschool families.
In her classroom, Holly fosters the belief that every student, at their own pace, can cultivate a positive relationship with reading and writing. She views a rich literary journey as the key to unlocking vivid imagination and creativity.
Holly Luky, B.A. | Language Arts