Meet our Founders, Amy and Carla!

We are Amy Tijerina and Carla Ruiz Velasco. We’re practically family, best friends, parents, and entrepreneurs. We’ve never done things the “traditional way”. From starting a small business for women and children in Mexico to raising our kids together, and now launching a non-traditional bilingual micro school for our kids and their peers, the excitement of re-imagining what’s possible drives us and inspires us!

As parents of three young children between our two families, we have been thinking about education a lot recently. We all attended public school, currently live in a great school district, and have confidence that our children would do just fine in that setting. However, the more we thought about it, the more we wondered, should we settle for “fine”? We’ve heard about the excessive homework and standardized tests that start in the early elementary years, not to mention sitting at desks for hours at a time. Will this approach adequately prepare our children for a successful, fulfilling life in the 21st century?

As we began searching for answers to these questions, we remembered back to our days living in Austin, Texas, and seeing co-workers’ friends at Acton Academy. We were intrigued by the innovative school and seeing how our friend’s children were learning, and thriving in this “non-traditional” way. Instead of an institution, school is viewed as a community of learners who are each on their own “Hero’s Journey” to discover their passion in life. The standards are extremely high and nothing short of excellence is acceptable. Success is not about completing worksheets or memorizing facts to pass a test. Instead, the goals for students are simple and bold: find a calling and change the world.

Meet our Elementary Guide, Ashley!

Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Ashley brings an impressive blend of experience and expertise to Acton Academy NSA. Armed with a background in Early Childhood Education and French from the University of Oklahoma, Ashley's journey has finally led her to our great city of San Antonio.

Ashley flourished while teaching at an internationally-renowned Reggio Emilia-inspired school in Tulsa. Her commitment to excellence led her to traverse the globe, attending professional development conferences in locations such as Tulsa, Boulder, and even the birthplace of the Reggio Emilia approach itself—Italy. Not only did Ashley participate as an eager attendee, but she also had the honor of sharing her own insights as a presenter, focusing on project-based and child-led education.

Eventually, Ashley's path led her to Texas, where over the past seven years, she has thrived as a lead guide at Acton Academy West in Austin. She has witnessed the transformative power of the Acton model firsthand and is so excited to share the life-changing Acton magic with the AANSA families.

Having recently relocated to NW San Antonio, Ashley, her husband Guy, and their son Leo eagerly await creating a new community. Outside of the Acton NSA Beehive, she loves cultivating gardens and farm-to-table cooking, practicing and teaching yoga, and creating art and jewelry. She is a voracious reader, a passion she loves sharing with the young heroes at Acton.

With Ashley as our new guide, we can't wait to embark on an extraordinary hero's journey where learning knows no bounds and pursuing our calling is an exciting adventure.

Meet our Honeybee Guide, Claudia!

A true San Antonian, Claudia brings a wealth of knowledge in childhood development, child psychology, Montessori, and Reggio Emilia. As a mother of four, she pours her heart and soul into crafting incredible experiences for our Honeybees.