Leadership and Faculty
Dr. Mari Talkin
Head of School, English
M.A. in English, Brigham Young University; MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults, Vermont College of Fine Arts; PhD in Literature and Creative Writing; University of Houston
A career educator, Mari has spent her adult life either being a student, teaching students, or mentoring other teachers. Having grown up in Washington State, she's also lived and worked in Idaho, Utah, Florida, Texas, Maine, and Belgium. Upon moving to California in 2010 to take a position teaching English at Cate School, she fell in love with both Santa Barbara and secondary education, so she's here to stay. A writer and podcaster herself, Mari believes in the power of storytelling to create community and spark ideas and empathy that can shape and heal the world. She's worked as a volunteer tutor for SOLA (School of Leadership, Afghanistan), the only Afghan-led boarding school for Afghan girls, and she's published stories and essays in various periodicals. In her spare time, she enjoys DIY home projects, cooking, reading, and going on long bike rides with her 12-year-old daughter.
mari@anacapaschool.org
Dr. Vicki Collins
Director of Activities, History
Ph.D. History, University of Southern California; MA History, University of Southern California; BA Anthropology, University of Chicago.
A recipient of a NASA Aerospace history fellowship and a Smithsonian Institution Fellowship, Vicki earned her MA and PhD in History from the University of Southern California with specialties in 20th century U.S history; sex and gender; pop culture; and medical history. In addition to her background as a historian, she’s also a journalist focused on lifestyle, culture, and travel. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, and The Los Angeles Times. Vicki is passionate about outdoor adventure, urban exploration, antiquated typewriters, and libraries. She recently moved to Santa Barbara.
vicki@anacapaschool.org
Summer Foster
Director of Admissions and Advancement
Masters of Education, University of California Santa Barbara; B.A. Psychology, University of California Santa Barbara
Born and raised in Southern California, Summer developed a strong foundation in psychology and earned a Masters of Education from UCSB, complemented by an administrative credential from the Santa Barbara County Education Office. With over a decade of teaching under her belt, she seamlessly transitioned into administration, driven by a desire to broaden her impact on education. Summer has collaborated with various school districts across Santa Barbara County, gaining leadership experience through teaching roles and board membership, and now demonstrates a deep passion for educational excellence at Anacapa School. Beyond her professional endeavors, she cherishes time with family and friends, and delights in exploring Santa Barbara’s natural beauty and engaging in outdoor activities for inspiration and energy.
summer@anacapaschool.org or admissions@anacapaschool.org
Elyse Grossman
English, Yoga
M.A. Education, University of California Santa Cruz; B.A. English, University of Southern California Santa Cruz
Elyse moved to Santa Barbara in March 2014 from the Bay Area; however, she is a Southern California native. She holds a B.A. in Literature and an M.A. in Education. She has been teaching English for over 15 years and feels grateful to have what she believes is one of the best jobs in the world. When she's not teaching English, you can find her teaching or practicing yoga, hiking or running on one of Santa Barbara's many amazing trails or beaches, reading, or spending time with her beloved family and friends.
elyse@anacapaschool.org
Brian Lunardi
Dean of Studies, Mathematics, Science
B.S. Biochemistry, Boston College; M.A. Environmental Science and Management, U.C. Santa Barbara (Bren)
Brian grew up in Massachusetts and received a BS in Biochemistry from Boston College. After spending countless hours in the science lab, Brian found his true interest in the great outdoors. He has worked as a park ranger at several national parks, including Yosemite, Denali, and Glacier. He has also worked as a researcher on wildlife projects with mountain lions in Canada, sea turtles in Texas, and hyenas in Kenya. Brian's passion for the natural world brought him to Santa Barbara to earn a Master's in Environmental Science and Management (MESM) from the Bren School at UCSB. For the past six years he has shared that passion with students as a science and math teacher at a local private school. In his free time, Brian enjoys getting outside to hike, backpack, kayak, and bike.
brian@anacapaschool.org
Matt Molloy
Music
B.A. in Psychology/Minor in History, U.C. San Diego; Degrees in Composition and Guitar Performance, LA College of Music; Certificate of Completion in Beginning and Advanced Sound Recording and Electronic Music, SBCC
Matt Molloy is a Santa Barbara native, with close to 30 years of solid musical experience. His main instrument is the guitar, but he also has experience playing and teaching the bass and drums. He has worked with numerous bands, helping them with songwriting, stage presence, promotion, booking, recording, producing, and more. Matt is a member of ASCAP (American Society of Composers Authors and Publishers) and has played guitar, bass, and percussion and done songwriting for a variety of projects, including nationally run TV commercials, film trailers, and independent film scoring. He loves to perform and has done so with many different bands. He has toured the country multiple times and played for crowds as small as 15 to as large as 15,000. Matt currently sings lead vocals and plays guitar for his band, People as Machines.
matt@anacapaschool.org
Pedro Pastor
Spanish, Math, Athletics
Pedro is a native Spanish speaker with a passion for math and science. After earning a degree in Biology with a minor in Spanish, he went on to teach high school and junior high school students across the science, math and language departments. Pedro is also an active soccer player and coach and has coached both men's and women's soccer for schools and private soccer organizations.
pedro@anacapaschool.org
Jacob Pepper
Assistant Head of School, Dean of Students, Director of Outdoor Education
B.A. Environmental Science, U.C. Santa Barbara
Raised in Tucson, Arizona, Jacob moved to Santa Barbara to pursue his education in Environmental Science and follow his passion for the ocean. After graduating from UC Santa Barbara, he focused his career towards youth athletics, working as a development coach and recreation program leader. For several years, he directed enrichment for Monroe Elementary School and spent time in the Santa Barbara Parks and Recreation Department. In 2006, Jacob opened Full Count Fundamentals, a business focused on supporting youth baseball development for local players and from 2014-2020, Jacob also served as the head coach for the varsity baseball team at San Marcos High School. Through his passion for coaching and youth athletics, he found his way into the classroom after earning his teaching credential from the University of LaVerne in 2018. He then spent two years in the Santa Barbara Unified School District and is starting his sixth year with Anacapa School. After teaching science for his first two years at Anacapa, Jacob has expanded his role and brings a wide range of skill sets and leadership that directly impacts the Anacapa school community. Jacob lives in Goleta with his wife Alisa and their two sons, Jonah and Alex. When he's not on campus, he spends time with family, volunteers in the community and enjoys the boundless outdoor opportunities offered in the Goodland!
jacob@anacapaschool.org
Marine Revel
Administrator, Registrar
In 2011, Marine decided she wanted to see what was beyond the mountains outside her bedroom window in the French Alps. That’s when she discovered Santa Barbara and fell in love with the city. After teaching French to children and adults from California to Australia, her positive attitude and unique experiences have shaped her into someone with whom people can readily connect. Marine’s vibrant energy, reliability, and French charisma are key to the way she treats all members of the Anacapa community.
marine@anacapaschool.org
Diego Villarreal
Spanish, Human Development, Director of Alumni Relations
Anacapa School Class of ‘15, B.A. Linguistics and B.S. Anthropology, University of California, Riverside
A native Spanish speaker, Diego attended Anacapa School for six years, graduating in 2015. Afterwards, he attended the University of California, Riverside, where he studied Anthropology before discovering his passion for languages and choosing to also pursue a degree in Linguistics. In college, he focused heavily on language learning, taking courses in Italian, French, and Arabic and eventually acting as Vice President for the Student Association for Latino-Spanish Affairs. He’s excited to take what he’s learned about language learning to inspire students to become multilingual. Diego is also passionate about the environment and our local ecosystems. You can often find him hiking, birding, and mushroom hunting on the Channel Islands or our local backcountry.
diego@anacapaschool.org