Principal: Dr. Monica Barajas

Welcome to Alchesay High School’s website page.  My name is Dr. Monica Barajas and I have served in public education for the past 23 years.  I was an elementary school teacher for 7 years and for the past 16 years I have served in administration.  My passion is watching students and staff grow.  I especially love it when students and staff build confidence and are willing to share their knowledge with others.

I enjoy spending time learning about how to better serve the students and staff that I work with.  I have earned a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education, a Master’s degree in Counseling, a Master’s degree in Administration and Supervision, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership.  My passion is education and changing lives one day at a time.  In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my spouse and two children, riding the side by side, and trying different foods.

Associate Principal/CTE Director: Laurel Endfield

As a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe, who grew up in Whiteriver,  and a proud alumni of Alchesay High School, I returned home to the reservation because I wanted to serve my people through working with children.  I have my bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northern Arizona University and have completed all of my doctoral coursework, minus the dissertation (ABD) at Fielding Graduate University.  I have 35 years of experience in early childhood education beginning with Holbrook Head Start and now as Director of the Alchesay Beginnings Child Development Center.  I have taught college courses in Early Childhood Education since 2006 at NPC and have taught for Yavapai College and NAU as well.  I am beginning my 17^th year with Alchesay High School.  I began as a teacher and became CTE Director 15 years ago.  Now I am proud to serve as one of the Associate Principals and Career and Technical Education Director for the last several years.  I have four children and 8 grandchildren, 2 of which live with me.  I am excited to work with our new administrative team and look forward to a year of growth and success for all of our students from our Littlest Falcons through our Mighty Seniors!  We are Falcon Strong!

Associate Principal/Athletic Director: Dr. Christopher Johnson

I was born in Whiteriver and went to school in Lakeside. Spending time with my grandparents and extended family on the reservation was the most memorable part of my childhood. After high school graduation I moved away and attended several junior colleges including Eastern Arizona College, where I played football and graduated with an AA degree. Then, I transferred to ASU where I majored in Secondary Education and Biology. It was a lot of work and took me 10 years but, I finally graduated and started my dream job as a teacher and coach in Glendale. I taught science and math in addition to coaching wrestling, football, and tennis for 18 years at several Phoenix area schools. Most recently I was a district wide math and science instructional coach at Cartwright School District in Phoenix. During my time as a teacher I earned a masters degree in Educational Leadership from University of Phoenix and a PhD in Cognition and Learning from Grand Canyon University. I am a lifelong learner who loves working in education.

My K-12 teachers and coaches had a huge impact on me during some very hard times as a child. To honor them, I feel it is my duty and life’s work to have that same positive impact on our students and staff. I take great joy in helping others succeed. That is why I am so excited to be at Alchesay High School where I get the opportunity to work in the community I spent so much of my childhood in.

In my free time I am obsessed with hunting, fishing, and being in nature. I prefer archery hunting and have built my own hand made long bows. I also enjoy hiking and mountaineering, this spring I solo hiked over 600 miles of the Arizona Trail from Mexico to the Grand Canyon. I am also two mountains away from summiting the six tallest peaks in the western US. When I am not working or outside on an adventure, I spend cherished time with my wife, three kids, and two grandchildren.