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Tanya Bartlett Notre Dame Preparatory

Born and raised in Scottsdale, Tanya Bartlett knew that wherever her career took her she would one day return to the warm weather and blue skies of Arizona. After graduating from the University of Arizona with a degree in history, Bartlett spent her first year teaching at St. Catherine’s in Phoenix on an emergency teaching certificate (a certificate to teach in high-need subject areas due to a teacher shortage). But life soon steered her in another direction and out of state.
After moving to Pennsylvania and pursuing a career in publishing, Bartlett returned to Phoenix and joined Scottsdale Healthcare. During her tenure in healthcare, Bartlett’s grandfather fell ill. His final words of wisdom to her: “If you do what you love, you’ll always be happy.” Bartlett knew her happiness was in education. The next week she enrolled at Rio Salado College and earned her teaching certificate. After graduating, Bartlett joined Notre Dame Preparatory as a social studies teacher where she just concluded her seventh year.
As a history buff, Bartlett teaches government and geography classes, including honors and advanced placement courses, to ninth and 12th graders. After school, Bartlett runs the Invisible Children’s Club as a moderator; in the club, students work to change the lives of kids in Uganda. She hopes that her faith, passion for learning and love of sharing knowledge will influence her students to follow their hearts and pursue their dreams, just as she did. “She has inspired me to always look for ways to improve myself and to not let the little things get me down,” says Kayla DeCant, a former World Geography Honors student.