Dr. Christine Lenhart has been involved with Albuquerque Academy ever since her youth. She was part of the graduating class of 1994, and on the alumni council before returning to work at the Academy. Since her years as a student, a few things have changed. “I would say the way that the day is laid out when I was a student versus now is different. I’ve seen two different schedules since I’ve been here and both are different from when I was a student.” However, Lenhart says, “There’s a lot of things that are still familiar to me as when I was a student – a lot of the teachers are the same, the buildings look the same. But the school has continued to progress, as all schools should, [as well as] the curriculum and strategies for teaching and pedagogian things like that.” As a student. Lenhart was heavily involved in athletics. She played basketball, volleyball, and tennis. She still has a love for being active and on her off days, often can be found outdoors on long walks, hiking, or biking.

Lenhart is a role model for many of the Academy’s students. Her own role model growing up and to this day are her parents, “When I grew up, I grew up with really great parents who I looked up to. They’re very different from each other and I respect them for who they are… My mom really believes in being authentic and ethical and transparent with people… Really trying to be an ethical person is just how I hold myself.”
Lenhart cares strongly about helping those outside of her school community as well, especially those in New Mexico who experience homelessness and poverty. She spends time volunteering with Saranam, which is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping homeless individuals in Albuquerque. She also dedicates time to New Mexico Storage House – another nonprofit dedicated to helping those in poverty. “I feel passionate about those areas, so I’ve been actively engaging in organizations in those areas. I think it’s important to do so. We all get busy, but I never want to be too busy that I could proclaim I wouldn’t be doing what I’m passionate about at the same time.”
As a supporter of many kids, Lenhart can provide students with empathy during their years at the Academy. “What comes easiest to me is wanting to support kids… I was a teenager that pushed boundaries and had to talk to a couple of deans myself when I was here. It comes easy to me to support students when they make certain decisions. They’re trying to figure it out… they’re trying to figure out how things work…” In conjunction with providing students with the room to make mistakes and grow, the best compliment Lenhart said she received was her ability to remain patient with her students. “That is a big compliment because my biggest goal is to make students feel safe and taken care of at school.” Once a student and now a member of faculty, Christine Lenhart has definitely made a positive impact on the students and Academy.