Tricia Wall is our Preschool Teacher. Before joining Ashbrook in 2018, she earned two bachelor’s degrees in Elementary Education and Child Development from Oregon State University.
Mrs. Wall has always had a passion for children and learning but she also enjoys watching sports, arts & crafts, and seeking out new adventures.
Vickie Wheatley is our lead Beginning School teacher and has been at Ashbrook since it opened in 1997. Mrs. Wheatley graduated from Portland State University with a degree in Social Science. Before joining the AIS community, she was always in the capacity of working with children and education.
In her free time, Mrs. Wheatley enjoys spending time with her family and preferably doing something outdoors.
Lauren White is our Associate Pre-Kindergarten Teacher and PS/PK After School Program Lead. She joined Ashbrook at the beginning of 2021. Mrs. White graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife and a Minor in Zoology. Prior to her time at Ashbrook, she worked as an Environmental Technician in different ecological settings and more recently as an outdoor Forest Preschool Teacher and loves combining her passion for animals and the outdoors with early childhood education.
In her free time, Mrs. White enjoys camping, hiking, and most outdoor activities as well as baking and spending time with her loved ones.
Kim Phillips is our Kindergarten teacher. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Humboldt State University, a Master’s in Entomology from Oregon State University and a Post-Baccalaureate in teaching from Western Governors University.
Prior to teaching elementary school, Mrs. Phillips worked in agricultural research and education at Oregon State University. She started her teaching career in 2013 at Muddy Creek Charter School and taught in Toledo, Oregon before joining the Ashbrook community. She is passionate about project-based learning and outdoor education, and she love the enthusiastic nature of kindergarten learners.
In her free time, Mrs. Phillips enjoys hiking, cooking, and reading a good book with a cat in her lap, but not all at the same time!
Melissa Anderson is our First Grade teacher. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Western Oregon University. Mrs. Anderson taught in Phoenix and in the Salem-Keizer School District before joining Ashbrook.
In her free time, Mrs. Anderson likes to play softball, hike, and ski.
Charlene Ulrich is our Second Grade teacher. She graduated Suma Cum Laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Education from Western Oregon University and she received her Master’s in Education from Oregon State University.
Miss Ulrich taught other elementary school grades in the Corvallis and Albany school districts before coming to Ashbrook.
Lexie Elliott is our Third Grade Teacher. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Linfield College.
Miss Elliott worked as a preschool teacher for several years and student taught as a fifth and kindergarten teacher before joining Ashbrook in 2019.
Miss Elliott enjoys spending time outdoors and playing board games with family and friends in her free time.
Brenda Jensen is our Fourth Grade Teacher. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics and her Master’s degree in Education.
Mrs. Jensen worked as a substitute teacher and taught a third/fourth blend, fifth, and sixth grades in public schools for six years before joining Ashbrook.
In her free time, Mrs. Jensen loves the outdoors including birding and snorkeling. She even night snorkeled with manta rays!
Claire Burand is our French and Spanish teacher. She earned two Bachelor’s degrees in French and Music from Lawrence University, attended the Middlebury Language School in Vermont, and earned her Master’s in French in Paris.
Mrs. Burand taught middle and high school French immediately following her education, taught French at St. Olaf College in MN, and helped to develop a French translation course at Oregon State University.
In her free time, Mrs. Burand is kept busy by her two young daughters, Lucie and Charlotte. She also enjoys gardening, running, and adventuring outdoors.
Luh Jang Chen is our Chinese teacher. Mrs. Luh Jang earned a Bachelor’s degree in Art from the National Taiwan Normal University as well as multiple special certificates in art creation. She has integrated arts, crafts, and computer multimedia techniques into a friendly and effective teaching and learning platform.
In addition to teaching at Ashbrook, Mrs. Luh Jang previously served as the Principal and lead teacher of the Corvallis Chinese School and the Executive Director of the Greater Portland Association of Chinese Language Schools (GPACLS). She was honored as the 2016 Worldwide Chinese Teacher of the Year by the Oversea Chinese Culture and Education Foundation.
Melissa Capps is our Middle School Electives teacher. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Education, specifically K-8 Interdisciplinary Studies, from Western Governors University and will finish her Masters of Art in Teaching with a math endorsement from Liberty University in May 2022.
Paul Hunt is a Middle School Math teacher. Mr. Hunt earned his Bachelor’s degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University and his Master’s degree in Math Education from Oregon State University.
Before he started his career as a teacher, he spent 13 years working as an accountant in the casino industry. Prior to joining Ashbrook, he student taught at North Albany Middle School and Junction City High School.
In his free time, Mr. Hunt likes to play underwater hockey and fish.
Amanda Kelley is our Fifth Grade Teacher. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Western Oregon University.
Miss Kelley worked in a daycare setting for two years and student taught in a third grade class before joining Ashbrook in 2020.
Miss Kelley enjoys spending time with her friends and family, especially when they are outside or playing card games. She also likes taking her dog on hikes at Bald Hill.
Dr. Rozeanne Steckler is the middle school science teacher at Ashbrook. She is a second career K-12 teacher having started her professional career as a computational chemist at the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC). Dr. Steckler moved into informal science education after a number of years in research, focusing on bringing the research performed by SDSC to students nationwide. She also taught university undergraduate and graduate courses in chemistry. After moving to Oregon, Dr. Steckler worked to obtain the necessary state qualifications to teach biology, chemistry, physics, advanced mathematics, special education, and administration. Ashbrook is her second position in K-12 education.
Edgar Washburn is our Middle School English teacher. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Secondary Education from Houghton College.
Mr. Washburn worked for several years as an English teacher and academic coordinator at Hampshire Country School in New Hampshire. After moving to Oregon, he worked part time at Ashbrook and wrote two novels. Then, he spent a short time as a dental lab technician before returning to Ashbrook full time.
Mr. Washburn moved to Corvallis in 2017 with his wife, Marsha. They are happy to call the “heart of the valley” their home.
Marsha Washburn is our Middle School History teacher. She earned Bachelor’s degrees in History and Secondary Education for the Social Sciences from Grove City College. She completed her Master’s in History at the University of New Hampshire.
Mrs. Washburn worked in the federal government before teaching at a boarding school in New Hampshire and a high school in Virginia. Mrs. Washburn then enjoyed the next several years teaching and working as the school accountant at Hampshire Country School in New Hampshire.
Mrs. Washburn moved to Corvallis in 2017 with her husband Edgar; they are happy to call the “heart of the valley” their home.
Ben Wilson is a Middle School Math teacher and MS After School Program Lead. Mr. Wilson earned his Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree from Oregon State University and his Master’s degree in Teaching from Western Oregon University.
Before he started his career as a teacher, Mr. Wilson he spent 10 years working various math-related jobs in the Learning Center at Linn-Benton Community College. He then taught two years at Scio Middle School and two years at Calapooia Middle School in Albany before joining Ashbrook.
In his free time, Mr. Wilson enjoys watching movies and collecting comical math t-shirts.
Dante Hoge is our Music Teacher. He has two degrees from the University of Oregon: a Bachelors of Music Education and a Bachelors of Music in clarinet performance.
In his spare time, Mr. Hoge loves spending time outside and claims he is the biggest Star Wars nerd you’ll ever meet. He describes his last name as being pronounced “like the sandwich.”
Kimberly Gifford Olbrich is our Drama teacher. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with Bachelor’s Degrees in Theater Arts and Speech Communication from Oregon State University.
Ms. Olbrich has more than 25 years of experience in performance and theatre instruction. This includes stage, independent film, print, national and local commercials, and teaching ages 3 and up. She is the co-founder of Thriving Theatre! and Thriving Improv Theatre!
In her free time, Ms. Olbrich enjoys play-writing, practicing ASL, dancing, and reading. She has also served as a birth and postpartum doula and a wedding officiant.
Erik Olson is our Art teacher. Mr. Olson earned his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts and his Master’s in Curriculum Design and Implementation.
He taught everything from special education to advanced placement art classes in middle and high schools in an inner city setting for 10 years. He then moved to Corvallis and worked as a substitute teacher, primarily at the Children’s Farm Home School, before joining Ashbrook.
In his free time, Mr. Olson enjoys riding his bike, fishing, hiking with his wife, listening to live music, painting, and gardening. He is also one of the founding members of the annual Procession of the Species Earth Day Parade.
Kayla Weber is the physical education and health teacher. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Sport and Exercise Science with a concentration in Physical Education from the University of Northern Colorado.
Growing up in Florida, she played any sport she could and competed in everything from bowling and badminton to football and basketball. Her one true passion is soccer, and she played competitively at the collegiate level.
In her free time, she enjoys cheering for the Portland Thorns women’s soccer team, hiking, and camping.
Lauren White is our Associate Pre-Kindergarten Teacher and PS/PK After School Program Lead. She joined Ashbrook at the beginning of 2021. Mrs. White graduated from Oregon State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Fisheries and Wildlife and a Minor in Zoology. Prior to her time at Ashbrook, she worked as an Environmental Technician in different ecological settings and more recently as an outdoor Forest Preschool Teacher and loves combining her passion for animals and the outdoors with early childhood education.
In her free time, Mrs. White enjoys camping, hiking, and most outdoor activities as well as baking and spending time with her loved ones.
Jerri Jessop is our Librarian and the After School Program Lead for our Lower School. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Mississippi University for Women and a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from the University of Michigan. She later studied Business and Finance, earning her MBA from the University of Colorado Denver. More recently, she completed her Master’s in Elementary Education at The University of Phoenix.
She has enjoyed former careers in speech-language pathology and/or audiology; business and private banking; and financial planning as a Certified Financial Planner, 13 years of which were in her own financial advisory practice.
Ms. Jessop and her husband moved to Corvallis in 2015 and she joined Ashbrook in 2017. Outside of school, her favorite activities are spending time with family, gardening, listening to audiobooks while walking, and anything to do with the beach.
Ben Wilson is a Middle School Math teacher and MS After School Program Lead. Mr. Wilson earned his Bachelor’s of Fine Arts degree from Oregon State University and his Master’s degree in Teaching from Western Oregon University.
Before he started his career as a teacher, Mr. Wilson he spent 10 years working various math-related jobs in the Learning Center at Linn-Benton Community College. He then taught two years at Scio Middle School and two years at Calapooia Middle School in Albany before joining Ashbrook.
In his free time, Mr. Wilson enjoys watching movies and collecting comical math t-shirts.
Dr. (Doc) Chris Schoberl is the Head of School at Ashbrook. He holds a doctorate in Educational Administration with a focus in Private School Leadership from Columbia University. He also holds two master’s degrees–a master of arts in Teaching and a master of arts in Education from Columbia University–and a bachelor of arts in Psychology from Rutgers University.
Before joining Ashbrook, Doc was a Senior Advancement Officer and the Head of Middle School for Crystal Springs Uplands School in the Bay Area of California. Prior to that, Doc held a series of leadership roles of gradually increasing responsibility. He was an English Teacher at Delbarton School in NJ; an English Department Chair and Teacher at Foxcroft School in VA where he was awarded an endowed chair for excellence in teaching; the Academic Dean in charge of K-9 curriculum, professional development, and learning support at Fay School in MA; and the Principal of the Middle School at Trinity School in NYC where he also taught English and Art History and coached lacrosse. Finally, Doc brings to Ashbrook his experience as the founding Head of School of the K-8 Ben Franklin Classical Charter School in MA where he also taught Latin.
Rachel Sechler joined Ashbrook in 2011 and currently serves as the Assistant Head of School. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Linfield College and a Master’s of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Concordia University.
Previous to becoming Ashbrook’s Assistant Head of School, she joined the administration as the Dean of Students and prior to that she taught 2nd grade for 7 years in our Lower School program. Mrs. Sechler’s education and licensure in administration, curriculum, and instruction have developed her passion for supporting students, teachers, and parents on their education journey.
Kelly Tynon joined Ashbrook shortly after moving to Corvallis in 2019. She has a BS in Journalism from the University of Idaho and almost 20 years of sales and non-profit experience.
In her goal to never have a boring job, she’s had a variety of positions including in-home consultant for an estate sale company, business development for a quick-serve restaurant franchisee, sales leader for two different school fundraising companies, and development officer for the Museum of Glass.
Ms. Tynon is never bored at Ashbrook; she currently handles marketing, communications, fundraising, and oversees facilities management including building and theater rentals.
Rachael Levy started at Ashbrook in 2021 after moving to Corvallis from Eugene. Before she was Ashbrook’s School Secretary, she was a receptionist at a community family mental health clinic specializing in therapeutic short-stay foster care, as well as an activities director for many assisted living and memory care communities in the greater Eugene and Portland areas.
In her free time, she enjoys camping trips, river floats, playing board games, cooking, singing and spending time with her loved ones.
Elaine Pettigrew is the Ashbrook bookkeeper and deals with accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll and benefits. She also assists in the main office and health room.
She has a BEng (Bachelor of Engineering) in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.
Peter Puettmann is the Ashbrook Information Technology Specialist and oversees anything that plugs into a wall at Ashbrook. After graduating from Corvallis High School in 2015, he studied Environmental Sustainability and IT at Western Oregon University.
Mr. Peter is a Corvallis native and he enjoys spending his free time playing music, going outdoors, and spending time with his family.
Ed has worked at Ashbrook since it opened in 1997. He was hired before the building was even finished and we don’t know what we would do without him.
In his free time, Ed heads out to nearby lakes for quality fishing time.
Before Eric joined Ashbrook in 2020, he worked in maintenance for the Idaho Falls School District in Idaho. He is trying to download all of the information he can from Ed’s brain before Ed retires.
In his free time, Eric likes to meditate and spend time with his 2 children.
Grady Holaday has a history in A/V and technical theater work, and he has been with Ashbrook for 5 years as the Theater Technician. At Ashbrook, Mr. Holaday manages lighting, sound, rigging and video for events as well as the occasional odd project.
Mr. Holaday also works for the Corvallis School District and has been sound designer for 7 musicals including Mama Mia, West Side Story and Cats. In addition, he does tech work for a number of community shows and groups including the Corvallis Community Band and Live Sound and Light. Outside of work, Grady enjoys tinkering with electronics and working on his family farm.
Jerri Jessop is our Librarian and the After School Program Lead for our Lower School. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Mississippi University for Women and a Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from the University of Michigan. She later studied Business and Finance, earning her MBA from the University of Colorado Denver. More recently, she completed her Master’s in Elementary Education at The University of Phoenix.
She has enjoyed former careers in speech-language pathology and/or audiology; business and private banking; and financial planning as a Certified Financial Planner, 13 years of which were in her own financial advisory practice.
Ms. Jessop and her husband moved to Corvallis in 2015 and she joined Ashbrook in 2017. Outside of school, her favorite activities are spending time with family, gardening, listening to audiobooks while walking, and anything to do with the beach.
Fabio Patanè is our Kitchen Director. Mr. Patanè received formal culinary training in classic French and Italian cuisine from chef and mentor Robert Reynolds at Chef Studio.
Food has always been a strong part of his life; he grew up in Sicily, the biggest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with a centuries old culinary culture. Mr. Patanè was exposed to the beautiful world of cooking by smelling and tasting from pots and pans in his mother’s kitchen. Shortly after finishing high school, he moved to London, UK – where he started his culinary career. He had the opportunity to work in prestigious restaurants and learn what fine dining really is. Some years later he moved to his current home here in Oregon.
As a chef, his goal is to provide the best quality meal using exclusively organic ingredients. For this reason, Ashbrook’s kitchen sources food from First Alternative Co-op and Gathering Together Farm.
Rachel Terry is our kitchen assistant. Ms. Rachel went to culinary school at Hocking College where she focused on the art of creating pastries.
She then worked at both Aureole and Craft restaurants in New York City and later worked at a Ritz Carlton in Chicago. A move across the county led Ms. Rachel to the Grand Central Bakery in Portland. In addition to cooking and baking in restaurants, she also spent time traveling the world and working on organic farms by WWOOFing.
As the owner of the Corvallis Carrot, she is passionate about feeding people good, healthy food.
In her free time, Ms. Rachel enjoys gardening, crafting, sewing, painting, and mushroom hunting.
