Mrs. Baumgartner was born and raised in Romania. Her family immigrated when she was 11 years old, and she became a citizen of the United States in 2014, shortly after completing her Bachelor in Forensic Biology at Virginia Commonwealth University.
After more than a decade of laboratory experience in which she lead Academic Microbiology Research and Industrial Vaccine Research, she decided to go back to VCU for a Master in Teaching Science. She valued the connections she made with the young adults whom she trained and taught along the way, and she wanted to contribute to the education of future generations in the field of Science. Mrs. Baumgartner has taught for 5 years at the high school and middle school level, all within Henrico County Public Schools. What drew her to Cristo Rey was its promise to every student for the opportunity to attend college and the opportunity to gain valuable skills through the Corporate Work Study Program. She can’t wait to be a part of the Cristo Rey vision!
When she is not teaching, Mrs. Baumgartner enjoys going on hikes, traveling abroad, watching plays, ballet, and live music concerts, snowboarding, cuddling with her cat and a good book, and she has recently learned how to make stained glass art, which she hopes to do more of this year.
