Having over 20 years of teaching experience at Cheverus High School in Portland, Maine, Daniel Lavallee is taking a sabbatical in order to teach math in the 10-12 division at the Academy.   After spending many years in Maine, Mr. Lavallee states, “I wanted to try something new so now I’m here in Albuquerque.” Grading AP Calculus exams with Dr. Vraspir for the past decade allowed him to learn about schools in the Southwest, something with which he was unfamiliar.   Mr. Lavallee states, “So when I was looking for a school in the Southwest I know how much [Dr. Vraspir] loved the place, so I got in touch with him and he made the connection.” Now being at the Academy for almost 5 weeks, he thoroughly enjoys the friendly community, students, and faculty. Outside of school, he likes hiking and visiting national parks throughout New Mexico and the Southwest.  “One thing that my wife and I do, because we are new to the area, is we’re trying to go out and hike or do something outdoors every single weekend. So we’ve already been up to Bandelier National Monument and Petrified Forest National Park. This weekend we are going to the canyon of the Gunnison National Park, so just really trying to get outside as much as we can. You know, take advantage of the area,” Lavallee states.  He also enjoys running competitively in master’s track and field as well as coaching soccer, track and field, and chess teams. We are excited that Mr. Lavalle will join the Albuquerque Academy, and we look forward to the year to come.