Our Team
- Rebecca Hancock, Principal
- JD Corey, Instructional Coach
- Rey Carbajal, School Operations Manager
- Karen Herrera, Office Manager
- Griselda Ruiz, Behavioral Interventionist
- James Tippin, School Counselor
Rebecca Hancock, Principal

Rebecca Hancock, Principal
Rebecca Hancock has been an educator since she graduated from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2005. After earning her Bachelor’s in Education, Rebecca taught in a variety of grade levels from Kindergarten through 8th grade and held a variety of teacher leader roles as she earned a Master’s of Education from Northern Arizona University. These years were very formative in her growth as an educator and provided a solid foundation as she learned about instruction and leadership. She has been a principal since 2018 and is finishing her Doctorate of Education, which has allowed her to refine her leadership skills and understanding of schools as an organization. In 2021, she was honored to accept the position of principal at EAGLE College Preparatory Schools South Mountain, where is eager to partner with families, educators and scholars to ensure all EAGLE scholars soar.
Rebecca enjoys spending time with her husband and young son. She loves to cycle with her family, hike, and read.
JD Corey, Instructional Coach

JD Corey, Instructional Coach
Mr. Corey joined the EAGLE South Mountain family at the beginning of the 2019-2020 school year as the Dean of Students for 5th through 8th grade. He is a graduate of Point Park University in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania with a degree in Secondary Education with a focus in Political Science and History. He is a 20-year veteran of K-12 teaching and education, including 12 years as a classroom teacher, and has served in a multitude of roles such as Principal, Assistant Principal, Curriculum Coach, and Dean of Students during his administrative experience.
Mr. Corey moved to Arizona in 2004 after seeing enough snow and ice to last a lifetime and has been enjoying the Valley of the Sun ever since! He is a fan of the outdoors and his home sports teams and enjoys attending their games whenever possible. Mr. Corey is proud to serve at EAGLE South Mountain and looks forward to working with our EAGLE Scholars and families.
Rey Carbajal, School Operations Manager

Rey Carbajal, School Operations Manager
Rey Carbajal is Phoenix local who grew up in South Phoenix. He attended Valley View Elementary School, South Mountain High School, SMCC South Mountain Community College and later transferred to Arizona State University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in social work. His background is mostly in finance and customer service but for the past 6 years he has been part of the EAGLE family first serving as an Educational Assistant later taking the role of Wellness Coordinator and currently the School Operations Manager (SOM).
Karen Herrera, Office Manager

Meet our new Front Office Manager! After over a decade as a caregiver, Ms. Gonzalez is stepping into her fourth year in education and her very first year in school leadership. She is excited to support our families and scholars in new ways and looks forward to growing strong relationships across our community.
¡Conozcan a nuestra nueva Gerente de Oficina! Después de más de diez años como cuidadora, la Sra. Gonzalez comienza su cuarto año en educación y su primer año en un rol administrativo. Está emocionada de apoyar a nuestras familias y estudiantes de nuevas maneras y espera formar relaciones sólidas en toda nuestra comunidad.
Griselda Ruiz, Behavioral Interventionist

Griselda Ruiz, Behavioral Interventionist
Griselda Granillo-Ruiz has been an educator for 24 years. She is a graduate of Arizona State University, receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education. She has a minor in Native American studies and is also SEI endorsed.
She completed a twenty-year tour with the Bureau of Indian working on the Gila River Indian Reservation before joining our Eagle team in 2018.
Mrs. Ruiz enjoys cooking and spending time with her family. She is a proud member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe from the community of Guadalupe. She is a mother of four and grandmother of five.
Mrs. Ruiz is super excited to transition into her new role as Behavior Interventionist this coming school year.
James Tippin, School Counselor

James Tippin, School Counselor
I am honored to serve as the School Counselor of Eagle College Prep, South Mountain. I have been involved in helping families my entire career while in the State of Michigan. I served as Program Manager, Jackson County Department of Health & Human Services from November 2010 – December 2015 / Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, Lansing Michigan. This involved the management of Medicaid and Food Assistance programs for the County of Jackson, Michigan. I provided supervision of 6 managers and 54 employees and served on multiple boards and steering committees of partner agencies within Jackson County. I served in many other capacities for the Department of Health and Human Services, from entry-level in protective services, foster care, Guardianship worker, and Adult Services worker.
I earned a bachelor’s degree in religious education and earned my master’s degree in social work from Grand Valley University in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I am an avid Michigan college sports fan, and I enjoy collegiate-level sports of every kind.
I have a beautiful bride (52 years of marriage) and three adult sons; two are married with a total of 7 grandchildren. My wife and I moved to Phoenix after retirement from the State of Michigan in 2018. I started substituting for Eagle College Prep South Mountain, in 2019, then was offered the 5th-grade teacher position; teaching during the Covid year from home and then in the classroom with half students in the classroom and the other at home on live streaming; followed by applying for the position of School Counselor, of which I have been the school counselor for almost three years.
He is a husband, father of three sons, seven grandchildren, and considers his current position at Eagle College Prep South Mountain as a unique blessing.