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Kerri A. Cottle is excited to step into the role of PK–3 Adventure Teacher at Rio Grande School in Santa Fe, New Mexico this year, alongside her ongoing work as the school's Learning Support Coordinator, where she has supported PK–6 students for over two decades through individualized academic planning and classroom accommodations. 

A lifelong outdoor educator, Kerri recently completed the 36-hour Professional Outdoor Leadership seminar through the Wilderness Institute, building skills in adventure program facilitation, backcountry hiking, environmental and cultural interpretation, and trail design and maintenance. Her outdoor and community leadership extends well beyond the classroom: she serves as Community Outreach Coordinator for the Santa Fe International Half Marathon, has directed after-school and summer programming in running, adventure, art, and geography, and holds certifications in trauma-informed yoga and USTA Track & Field coaching.

A former New Mexico State GeoBee Director for National Geographic, she is excited to bring geography into this year's Adventure program. Kerri holds a Master of Arts in Special Education (PK–12) from New Mexico Highlands University and a Bachelor of Arts in Studio Art and Psychology, and is deeply committed to family and community engagement, serving as the Santa Fe County representative for the Family Leadership Council of New Mexico, a current member of the Santa Fe Mayor's ADA Committee, and a longtime volunteer with the Santa Fe Sister Cities Committee. 

Outside of school, Kerri is the proud parent of Malaika Kosgei, a Rio Grande School kindergartner, and co-parent of Malaika's brothers, Nehemiah (10) and Ezra (15), who attend Pojoaque Public Schools. She has a passion for travel, whether visiting Kenya — where her partner, Abraham, is from and where the two of them run a coffee farm — or Turkey, where she received a competitive teacher's travel grant from the Turkish Cultural Foundation. In her free time, she enjoys running, biking, hiking, gardening, and photography. Whether leading a hike, coordinating a race, or guiding a student through a challenge, Kerri brings the same spirit of adventure, resilience, and care to everything she does.