Welcome to the MasZen Foundation. My name is Monja Evans Nordyke, and this organization grew from both lived experience and a lifelong commitment to public education. I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology (1997) and a Master of Arts in Educational Psychology (1999), both from the University of Colorado at Denver, as well as a Master of Arts in Language, Literacy, and Culture (2005) from Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado. These studies shaped my understanding of human behavior, learning, emotional wellness, and the cultural contexts that influence our schools—and they continue to guide the mission of MasZen today.
Personal Story
I grew up as a hippie kid in a rural, conservative ranching community where our family often faced judgment and discrimination—not because of who we were as children, but because of circumstances and choices made by some adults around us. While there were real struggles, including substance use that had consequences, those choices did not define all of us. Many people in our community lived authentically and with care, yet in a small town shaped by fear of difference, we were rarely given the chance to be seen beyond labels or bias. Even so, the adults in my family remained proud of their identity, their values, and the freedom of expression that shaped our lives. We lived without running water or electricity, and the basics—food, stability, emotional safety—were never guaranteed. But school was different. School was structure. School was food. School was the one place where kindness didn’t depend on circumstance. It was my sanctuary, the place where I felt seen, steady, and safe enough to imagine a bigger life.
Because I knew what it felt like to go without, I became the kind of educator who led with empathy, compassion, and love. I understood that a child’s emotional world shapes their ability to learn, and I built my 28-year career around nurturing both hearts and minds. In truth, only about thirteen years of my life have been spent outside a school setting—education has been the constant thread in a life otherwise marked by instability.
After retiring, I felt a renewed and powerful desire to continue supporting children and the adults who serve them. MasZen was born not from luxury, but from lived experience—four library books, a notebook, and decades of understanding what it means for school to be a lifeline.
Why “MasZen”?
Vision
A world where children experience belonging and emotional well-being at school, at home, and in the communities that shape them.
Our Commitment
Although we are at the beginning of our journey, we are grounded in research, lived experience, and compassion. At MasZen, emotional well-being is the foundation of safety, belonging, and connection.
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