Ricky Alegria (he/him) joined the Mountain View High music department in the fall of 2020.  

Alegria started his teaching career in the Morgan Hill Unified School District in California. He served as Director of Band at Sobrato High School and Murphy Middle School. Most recently, Alegria taught at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, where he held the position of Director of Instrumental Music and Music Department Lead. While at Monta Vista High, Alegria re-started the marching band, toured Spain with the Wind Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra and served as Librarian for the Santa Clara County Band Directors Association. Alegria holds bachelor's degrees from Illinois State University and a master's degree from Sam Houston State University in Texas. Alegria is supported in his teaching career by his wife, Thessa, and his two kids, Belle and AJ.

ricky.alegria@mvla.net

Jo Smith-Nilsson (she/her) became an Instrumental Music Director at Mountain View High School in 2022. 

She graduated in 2014 from Long Island University’s Global College with a BA in Global Studies, in 2016 from San José State’s music credential program and, finally, in 2018 from San Francisco University with an MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Jo splits her time between Mountain View High and Los Altos High Schools. When she's not teaching she is usually reading fiction, tending to her houseplants, or visiting family in New Mexico. 

jo.nilsson@mvla.net