Hands-On Learning, Heart, and Community: Meet This Week’s Featured iLEAD Family!

At iLEAD Agua Dulce, our vibrant school community is built on the strength, connection, and passion of our unique families. Today, we are thrilled to shine our family spotlight on Heather, Jon, Liam, Maddox, and Nixon! From hands-on project-based learning to caring for farm animals, Heather and her family truly embody the spirit of iLEAD Agua Dulce. Read on as Heather shares their story, favorite campus memories, the dedicated facilitators who inspire them, and some amazing fun facts about their family history and pets.

Why did you choose to enroll at iLEAD Agua Dulce?

I was inspired by the core believe of growth mindset learning and the PBL styles of facilitation. The bonus was the Animal Science and Gardening class. I liked that the high school program was engaging to build future thinkers and has plenty of options to help learners reach those goals. There was comfort in knowing that a child can absorb their curriculum and apply it in a way that reflects their strengths.

What is your best memory of your time at iLEAD Agua Dulce so far?

When all three of my children were old enough to be enrolled, I started to get a strong sense of how close the school atmosphere really is. Being able to witness firsthand the sense of belonging that my three children have will be a daily reminder of why we continue to choose iLEAD Agua Dulce.

They have yearly events like the Jamboree, performances, and block parties. My children look forward to attending those events, getting involved in events. They inspire me to get more involved and volunteer.

A memory that we as a family will always take back home is the way the school as a whole has brought our family together and closer: learning to be a community helper, learning to be a kinder person, and being able to show up for those outside of our family — together.

What do you LOVE about iLEAD Agua Dulce?

I love that my children love being there. Being able to witness firsthand their ability to show up for their peers and show kindness toward them.

Learners have a sense of belonging. Being an individual and being different is a strength.

The staff make it easy to love being there as well. I know that my child is going to be supported and seen. If they have a bad day, they are going to be encouraged. If they are being uniquely themselves, above all they are going to be treated with respect, kindness, and compassion each day they attend.

All of those social-emotional supports create this special experience of learning that inspired each of my children to be curious and passionate for learning more. Learning no longer becomes a task to keep up with standards but a genuine sense of overall curiosity. I love that iLEAD Agua Dulce fosters that style of learning and inspires more of it!

What are some of the events you enjoy at iLEAD Agua Dulce?

During school hours, my children love being able to have Animal Science opportunities. They love caring for various farm animals and learning how to not only take the responsibility of caring for another but of leading with love toward animals.

One opportunity that I enjoyed experiencing was when 2nd grade did a PBL activity that had learners set up their own farm stand, create products to “sell” and manage the “money” and customers. The sense of community and financial literacy that experience taught my child was something so unique that a textbook could never have re-created.

Their Jamboree and Block Party events are great to be able to connect to the community.

Also their involvement in the Agua Dulce Country Fair and Parade is always a fun one.

Can you name a favorite project you’ve worked on at iLEAD Agua Dulce? What made it memorable?

The 2nd grade farm stand project was most memorable. Being able to observe my child collaborate, create, and make that entire project successful was a great experience.

It was a pivotal moment of watching my child learn how to work independently. The full autonomy the facillitator gave to the learners was a refreshing experience. They truly allow the learners to express themselves and create something that reflects their abilities. On top of that, the support that the families gave to each learner was heartwarming. Each learner’s hard work was rewarded with each family purchasing their products and engaging in the process.

It was a nice experience to see that each family that attends iLEAD Agua Dulce has the same common interest, and that’s supporting all the children in their learning experiences.

Who (facilitator/staff…) would you like to give a shoutout to at iLEAD Agua Dulce? Who has helped you and how?

• Stephanie Byrne is one that I have to give a shoutout to. She creates this space for her learners to really engage in learning. She is always going above to find opportunities for her learners to experience and is constantly working toward giving them opportunities to grow. She has created a very special space for high schoolers to continue to love to learn and prepare for their next chapter post-high school.
• Sienna Musquiz is an amazing facillitator. She creates this space for her kindergarteners to explore and learn. She implements these learning techniques that are not only useful but make the learners feel like they are just playing, yet they are learning. My child is always excited to go to school, to learn and to be able to experience whatever new learning experience she has created.
• Les Vion has been a great facilitator to communicate with. He has been so welcoming, inviting learners to be a part of helping their animal science program and makery program. Each of my children know who he is, and they are always eager to offer a helping hand. He is always patient enough to include them. He truly leads with kindness, and I believe all the learners feel the same.
• Ms. Miranda is an amazing facilitator who leads the kitchen service and cooking classes. All three of my children appreciate her just as much as I do.

Each of these facilitators has helped our family develop a sense of connection and safety, understanding and kindness through hardships and challenges. They are an extension of my children’s weekday life, and I feel extra grateful that we have these facilitators. They are above and beyond and just really amazing for the education system.

Please name three to five fun / interesting facts about you. Extra credit for lots of details. 

1. Fun Fact about Heather: As a teenager, I did competition snowboarding.
2. Fun Fact about Jon: I did competition desert dirt bike races.
3. Fun Fact about Liam: I traveled to over four states before I was five years old.
4. Fun Fact about Maddox: I helped work on an old-school car before I was five years old.
5. Fun Fact about Nixon: I wear my long hair to represent the heritage of my “Ama” (grandmother), the Turtle Mountain Band in North Dakota.
6. Fun Family Fact: Dad’s side has ancestors who worked alongside Chief Little Shell lll, representing the Pembina Band of Ojibwea. Mom’s side had ancestors who helped construct the first formidable, large-scale coffee mill in Kona Hawaii, known as Kona Coffee today.

Tell us about your family’s pets!

• We have 8 pets: Dogs: Australian Shepherd Roscoe, our senior rescue from the Brittany Foundation Daisy Mae and Cattle Dog Bluey. Guinea pigs: Coffee and Marshmallow, rescued three years ago. Birds: Sprinkles, who we had from a baby and mom hand raised; and Green, found in a bush in LA and flew to our uncle. Spider: Fernando, a tarantula Liam rescued and raised.

A heartfelt thank-you to the Dinson family for sharing their kindness and story with our school community! Families like ours—who bring curiosity, community involvement, and warm support every day—are what make iLEAD Agua Dulce such an extraordinary place to learn and grow. When you see Heather, Jon, Liam, Maddox, and Nixon around, be sure to say hello!