Teachers and Staff

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.

Casey Howard is our Preschool assistant teacher. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Education and Social Studies from Western Oregon University. She also has a AA in early childhood education from Kirkwood college and is in the process of earning her teaching degree. Casey has over ten years of experience in elementary (all grades) and with special education.

Outside of school she enjoys reading books, arts and crafts, exploring Oregon coasts, hanging out with her family, and is on a mission to try every street taco around.

Jennifer Coulter is our Pre-K Teacher. She is a Certified Teacher who earned her Bachelor’s degree in Teacher Education from Drexel University and a Montessori Teacher Certification in Early Childhood.

In her more than 20 years in education, Jennifer has taught in Early Childhood, Kindergarten, 1st Grade, 4th Grade and 5th Grade and has held several leadership roles in schools including School Administrator.

Outside of school, Jennifer loves spending time with her family, exercising, being outside and finding the best pizza.

Stephanie Magee is our Pre-K Assistant Teacher. After graduating in 2021 from Western Oregon University‘s Honors College, Stephanie began teaching preschool at the Gilbert House Children’s Museum in Salem, Oregon.

She studied Art History, Drawing and Communications in university but plans to get her Masters in Museum Studies in the near future. Stephanie found joy in early childhood education when participating with the Outdoor Science School and the Boy Scouts of America teaching horsemanship, engineering, and nature sciences.

In her free time, Stephanie enjoys hiking, drawing, participating in Miss America, and playing her cello which she’s been playing for almost 17 years.

Sara Moore is our Kindergarten teacher. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Northern Colorado and completed her student teaching in Dublin, Ireland.

Ms. Moore has been working with children over the past 10 years in different formal and informal settings, including childcare facilities.  Most recently, she worked as a Kindergarten teacher for the past 4 years in Arizona, but decided to move to the Pacific Northwest for a change of scenery.

In her spare time, Ms. Moore loves reading, baking, practicing ukulele, playing games, and playing with her puppy Poppy.

Jerri Jessop is our First Grade Teacher. 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.

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!

Melissa Capps is a Middle School Math teacher. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Education, specifically K-8 Interdisciplinary Studies, from Western Governors University and a Masters of Art in Teaching with a Math endorsement from Liberty University.

Before coming to Ashbrook in 2018, she was a church choir director and taught piano lessons for 20 years. Mrs. Capps is a proud military spouse and mother to 6 children. In her spare time, she enjoys playing the piano and running.

Nikkole Duitsman teaches Middle School Science and 6th grade Math. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Zoology as well as a Masters in Science Education with an endorsement in Biology from Oregon State University. While in college, she was a part of OSU’s Mock Trial team, Rotex, Sigma Delta Omega, and many other civic organizations.

In her free time, she enjoys tide pooling, paddle boarding, spending time with family and friends, playing games, and seeing new places.

Eric French joined us this year as our Middle School Math Instructional Assistant. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing sciences from Portland State University and a Master’s of Education at Western Oregon University.

Before Ashbrook, Eric was a teacher at West Albany High School for six years. Outside of school, he plays drums and teaches private lessons. Other hobbies include board games and running.

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 a 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 in 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.

​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. 

Carrie French is excited to be supporting our French classes for the remainder of the school year as she fluently speaks the language. Madame French holds a Bachelors and Masters of Music Education and previously taught K-12 classes. She looks forward to continuing the French language development of our students.

Madame French has been connected to Ashbrook for a few years as her spouse, Eric French, is our Math Support Specialist and her mother, Julie Buchert, has been a substitute teacher with us for several years. 

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.”

Cristina Lopez joined Ashbrook this year as our Spanish Teacher Assistant.  She is currently working towards her degree in Secondary Education at Oregon State University.  Ms. Cristina has been supporting the middle school Spanish classes since November and is now also helping in our lower school classes.  As a native Spanish speaker she is thrilled to be working with our students.

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.

Samantha Shaub is excited to join the Ashbrook community as our new Drama teacher. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and English Literature from Eastern Michigan University; a Master’s degree in Community Counseling from Oregon State University; and a Master’s degree in Theater Arts from Portland State University.

Samantha loves teaching and has spent the last 13 years at Portland Community College teaching College Success and Career Guidance courses before moving to Corvallis. In addition to teaching, she has been lucky to have had multiple careers including working as a financial educator and as a career and mental health counselor. Samantha is thrilled to return to one of her original loves – the theater – and to working again with children of all ages.

Originally from Detroit, Samantha moved to Oregon in 2000. She loves traveling, cooking and eating food from all over the world, reading, hiking, swimming in ice cold mountain lakes and rivers, and snuggling with her dog, Mudge.

Julia Svedin joined Ashbrook this year as one of our Middle School After School program teachers and a substitute teacher in all of our classes.  She recently moved to Oregon from Sweden where she received her Masters in Education from Linkoping University.  She held multiple teaching internships and served as a substitute teacher prior to traveling to the States.  Ms. Julia also speaks Spanish and is looking forward to co-teaching in our Spanish classes for the remainder of the school year. 

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 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.

Grace Liao is our Lower School After School Program Teacher. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Education and Psychology from Western Oregon University and a Master’s of Education from Oregon State University.

Grace taught Chinese at Ashbrook when it was founded in 1997 and rejoined the school after a break. Prior to that she taught classes at Linn Benton Community College, Corvallis Chinese School, local after school program, and acted as an editor for a translation company. In her free time, she likes to go for walks, hikes, attend concerts, and spend time with family.

Lu Clark is our Middle School After School Program teacher. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English in China. In 2019 she completed her Ph.D. in History at Southern Illinois University (SIU).

Prior to her time at Ashbrook, she worked as an English teacher at universities and private schools in China. She also taught multiple history courses at SIU as a student teacher.

In her free time, she enjoys caring for indoor plants, playing board games with family and friends, and testing new recipes in the kitchen.

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, and fundraising as well as building and theater rentals.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Megan Nystrom joined the Ashbrook team in 2022 after being an AIS parent for four years. Before she came to Ashbrook, Megan was an event coordinator for Long Timber Brewing and an assistant at Paradise Springs Events, both located in Monroe, Oregon. She graduated from Oregon State University in 2008 in Merchandising Management with a minor in Business Administration.

In her free time she enjoys traveling to warm places, riding her Peloton, OSU athletics and spending time with her friends and family.

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.

Ed Trueblood 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.

Bio coming soon!