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9-12 Faculty
Josh Hickey
Dean of Students / HS Biology
Josh Hickey grew up in rural Pennsylvania where he developed a love for the natural world through exploration of the rivers, mountains, and woods surrounding his childhood home. His love for the natural world inspired him to pursue a degree in Fisheries Biology so he could develop a better understanding of the creatures and natural environments that fascinated him as a child. His love for the natural world also drove him to seek out opportunities to be and play outside as often as he could. Consequently, at the age of 16, he began ski instructing at a local ski area near his childhood home. Through his experiences ski instructing, he became fascinated by the way people learn and began to develop a passion for teaching. As time went on, he realized that his love for the natural world and his passion for teaching drove him to share his understanding of natural environments, and creatures that inhabit them, with anyone that would listen. This realization led him to pursue a career in education so that he could be better equipped to pass on his knowledge of the natural world with the future (i.e., kids!). Josh believes that by helping future generations better understand how the world works at a biological level can help to preserve it for generations to come.
When Josh is not in school, he likes to spend as much time outdoors as possible. This could be mountain biking and camping with his wife, fly fishing a remote river, hiking a mountain peak to photograph the landscape, or tending to his garden with his yellow lab and chickens.
Victoria Campbell
HS Spanish
vcampbell@northstarcharter.org
Mrs. Campbell teaches Exploratory Spanish, Spanish 1, and Spanish 2 at North Star, as well as facilitates Yearbook this year. Having lived abroad in Mexico, she developed a love for the language, the people, the culture and the food! She loves helping others along in their language learning journey. Mrs. Campbell loves spending time with her husband and family, trying new skills (right now it’s learning how to snowboard), being outdoors, watching movies, and volunteering in the community.
Adam Collins
HS Economics & International Business Teacher
This will be the commencement of my 26th year of teaching, primarily in the subjects of Economics and Business, although I have taught several other Social Studies subjects as well. The majority of my teaching experience has come with my service to Eagle High School in Eagle, Idaho, and the Anglo-American School of Moscow in Moscow, Russia. I hold undergraduate degrees in Business Administration, History, and Political Science, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership. Prior to my teaching career, I have worked as a university administrator, Emergency Medical Technician, and Russian Language Interrogator for US Army Military Intelligence.
Shirley Rau
HS ELA Teacher and EE Coordinator
Shirley Rau is a lifetime learner—a reader, writer and researcher. An Idaho native, Shirley’s earned her undergraduate degree from Idaho State University. She earned her graduate degree from Middlebury College in Vermont, completing a summer residency at Lincoln College in Oxford.
Shirley has had more than 30 years of experience teaching in university, private school and public-school settings. She has taught Advanced Placement, college preparatory English at the secondary level. At the university level, she taught undergraduate English composition and writing methods, and supervised intern teachers. Shirley has held a number of educational leadership positions. She was education director and interim head of an independent school. She was Executive Director of the Idaho Charter School Network and had the privilege of serving under Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna as School Choice Coordinator.
She has long been an advocate of children’s right to a quality education. She has spoken to parent groups, teachers, administrators, business leaders and policy makers on a range of issues. She has published a number of articles about education and co-authored A Classroom of Teenaged Readers: Nurturing Reading Processes in Senior High English (Addison, Wesley, Longman) a research-based book that focuses on the development of critical reading in the high school classroom.
Other highlights of Shirley’s career included coaching a two-time national champion cheerleading squad, speaking in front of the US Senate Education Committee as a finalist for National Teacher of the Year, and participating in the Japan-America Grassroots Summit.
Shirley lives in Boise with her husband, their Bernese Mountain dog and cat. They share a passion for soccer, canoeing, gardening, the Oregon coast and international travel. Their most memorable family vacation was a birding expedition to Honduras. And nearly every month they drive to Reno to visit their new granddaughter Lili (and her parents).
Shirley says of teaching at North Star: “I feel as if my personal and professional life have come full circle. I love working with the engaged student learners, the committed parents and the outstanding teaching team at North Star. It offers me an opportunity, not only to share my knowledge, but to continue to learn and grow personally and professionally.”
Analee Reseigh
HS Math Teacher
Analee Reseigh was born in Logan, Utah and grew up in several towns in Utah and Idaho. From a young age, she knew she had an aptitude and passion for mathematics. Her passion was fueled by a couple of exceptional math teachers, and she decided during high school to become an educator herself.
After just one great year at Southern Utah University in Cedar City, Mrs. Reseigh followed her new husband to the University of Idaho in Moscow where she earned a B.S. in Mathematics with teacher certification in math and physics and a M.S. in Mathematics. While pursuing her master’s degree, Mrs. Reseigh was awarded a teaching assistantship which gave her the opportunity to hone her teaching skills. The next year, she and her husband moved to Pocatello, Idaho where she was awarded a fellowship to pursue a Doctor of Arts in Mathematics.
The early birth and health problems of her second child ended that pursuit and she and her husband moved to Boise in 1999. After taking a few years off, Mrs. Reseigh started tutoring high school and college students and teaching as an adjunct faculty member at Boise State University. While raising her four children, she taught a wide range of classes at BSU, including Survey of Calculus, Math in Modern Society, College Algebra, and Geometry and Probability for Elementary School Teachers.
Mrs. Reseigh started at North Star Charter in 2015 where she has taught IB Mathematics, Data Science, Survey of Calculus, and Integrated 2 and 3. She was also North Star’s district testing coordinator from 2018-2023 and helped students start a math club chapter of Mu Alpha Theta from 2017-2020. Mrs. Reseigh believes all students can become competent mathematical thinkers. She has helped hundreds of students realize their potential and loves watching students learn their true capabilities.
After teaching one year in a larger district, Mrs. Reseigh is excited to be back at a small school and looks forward to using her experience and enthusiasm for mathematics to empower and excite students at North Star.
When she is not teaching or preparing, Mrs. Reseigh enjoys hiking and camping with her husband, four children, and new grandson, Beckham. She also loves running, cross-country skiing, gardening, card games with friends, and math history.
Emily Savoy
HS Science Teacher
Emily teaches high school chemistry and physics at North Star Charter School. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Idaho State University in Pocatello, where she was an active member of the Chemistry Club. Some of her favorite college memories include organizing outreach events for National Chemistry Week and sharing her love of science with younger students. She later earned her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Washington State University.
Emily has several years of experience teaching and tutoring chemistry, including two years as an organic chemistry instructor at Washington State University. She is excited to join the North Star community for the opportunity to work in a small school setting and to inspire students to see the value and excitement of chemistry in everyday life.
When she’s not in the classroom, Emily can usually be found outdoors with her husband and two dogs. They are usually either golfing, hiking, running, or fly fishing. She also enjoys more cozy hobbies at home, like knitting and all things sourdough.
Kristen Van Diepen
HS Speech & Psychology
kvandiepen@northstarcharter.org
Kristen van Diepen grew up in Idaho and attended Boise High where she was the school’s mascot. She went on to Boise State and graduated with her bachelor’s in communication in 2005. Kristen is endorsed in several subjects: communication, psychology, theatre, journalism as well as English as a new language. Kristen received her master’s in education from the College of Idaho in 2012.
Kristen met her future husband, Nic right before she graduated college and they moved to his home country of New Zealand shortly after. Kristen and Nic were married in the beautiful country where they stayed for almost two years, until they moved back to Idaho.
Kristen lives with her husband in Garden City with their two rescue dogs. One bully breed mix named Val and a three-legged terrier named Chula they brought home with them from a Mexico vacation.
Heather Whitt
HS Art
Heather Whitt grew up in Boise, attending McMillan elementary school, with her mom as librarian. She then moved onto Lowell Scott MS, then onto graduate from Centennial HS. Heather grew up playing recreational and competitive soccer in the Treasure Valley. She played all four years on Centennial’s varsity team and earned a spot on the Idaho state team. This along with her academic achievements earned her a scholarship to College of Idaho for four years. There she met the love of her life, the famously epic, Ty Whitt! She finished schooling with a BA in Secondary English Teaching and then later acquired her Art credential.
After finishing college Heather was able to buy an “around the world” plane ticket allowing her to visit over ten countries over the course of a year. She taught summer school for the Boise School District along with Special Education and coached girls JV soccer at Capital HS. She then started the art program for the middle and high school at North Star Charter. For three years she was able to teach students from 6th-12th including introduction classes, multicultural art and commercial art in the high school. After taking a break to raise two feisty daughters she has been back at North Star for five years! She has taught 6-12 Visual Arts and for the last two years has taught IB Visual Arts as well.
In her spare time she loves to garden, camp with her family and friends, and create one of a kind mosaic art pieces for her and Mr. Whitt’s art business, R.A.D Mosaic.