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Instructor Biographies
Click on the instructor's name, below, to jump to their biography:
Nancy Hallin/ Joanne Hunter/ Paula Jenssen/ Nicole Kalita/ Amanda Klein/
JaAnna Mendez/ Kara Olsen-Becerra/ Amanda Orton/ Lisa Richardson/
Tenille Sayer/ Patty Skinner/ Reta Stutz/ Beth Tevlin
Patty Baker
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Baby; Living & Learning with Your Preschooler
Patty graduated from Willamette University in Salem, OR in 1997 with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Therapy. Her oldest child was born that same summer. During her time as a stay-at- home parent she was active in a variety of continuing education opportunities and parent organizations. Recently she has worked with families in the LBCC Parenting Time program, as a classified substitute in Lebanon schools, and as a "Guitars in The Classroom" instructor, helping classroom teachers learn to play guitar and use music in their daily class activities.
Patty was born and raised in Albany and Corvallis and has lived in Lebanon with her husband and two children since 2001. She first became involved in LBCC Parent Education through her participation with her own children in the Living and Learning classes and Parent-Tot gym in Albany and Corvallis. These classes and her interactions with other parents played a strong role in her own growth as a parent, and she is very excited to be part of expanding the program to the Lebanon area.
Patty enjoys hiking, camping, gardening, quilting, playing cello in the Lebanon Chamber Orchestra and volunteering in her children's classrooms.
Suzanna Bennett
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Toddler
Suzanna "Sunny" Bennett lived in California until she was 14, when her family relocated to Tillamook, Oregon. After graduating from Tillamook High School she obtained a BAS in Automated Manufacturing Technology from ITT Technical Institute. While attending ITT Sunny discovered that her true passion was teaching children and completed her education with a Master's Degree in teaching from George Fox University. Sunny worked in Harrisburg for three years teaching kindergarten, and then a third/fourth grade combination class.
After her daughter was born in 2005 Sunny began the ultimate teaching job of raising children full time. The LBCC Parenting Education programs have been an integral part of that job and Sunny has attended every class offered with at least one of her three children. Currently Sunny is enrolled for her tenth term in the Philomath Preschool Cooperative. She is honored to be a part of the Parenting Education team at LBCC, and is looking forward to sharing and learning with all of the parents and children attending classes with her.
Ann Clark
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Preschooler
Ann Clark lives 10 miles south of Alsea in Little Lobster Valley, in a house that she and her husband built "from scratch" when their children were very young. She began teaching parenting education and preschool in 1980 when her daughter was two. Ann taught in Alsea until 2003, when she opened the new program in Philomath.
Ann's education includes a BA in English, a teaching certificate for elementary school, and many short-term classes. Other work experiences include eight years of working for Portland State University for a program called "EQUALS" that helped adults learn ways to support math and science learning at school and at home. Working back in time, Ann has also worked on an herb farm, done antique furniture restoration, taught skiing in Vail, worked in a cannery packing beans, and worked in the fields picking beans and strawberries.
Ann has two adult daughters, whose first "school" experiences were in the parenting education preschool in Alsea. Ann and her daughters have remained close in their family relationship, leaning on each other while coping with the death of their father.
During her personal time, Ann enjoys hiking, and camping, international travel (when funds allow!), lots of reading, gardening and basketry.
A primary goal for Ann in her work is to maintain a parenting education program that is accessible, valuable, exciting and successful for parents from all kinds of backgrounds. To do that, she finds that it's important to continually assess the program, letting it evolve to meet current needs.
Sara Goldberg-Hamblin
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Toddler and Two Year-Old
Sara Goldberg-Hamblin graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with bachelor's degrees in psychology and English. After spending time in special education classrooms as an assistant, serving as a student-researcher in an autism clinic, and working as a counselor in a group home, she decided to further her education. She then received a master's of education degree in educational psychology, and finally a doctorate in education with an emphasis in special education, disability, and risk studies, all from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
As a doctoral student, Sara conducted research in the Neonatal Nursery, working to make the NICU more family-centered and promote early intervention linkages. She loved working with families and spent four years supporting families who had children with difficult behaviors. Prior to moving to Oregon, Sara taught at California State University, Long Beach in the special education program and then coordinated a master's program in early childhood special education at Clemson University.
Sara moved to Corvallis in 2009 with her family (husband Jacob and two daughters) when her husband was hired as a history professor at Oregon State University. Sara and Jacob are thrilled to reside on the west coast again and love Oregon. Sara is excited to be involved with the Living and Learning Program, as she took similar parenting education classes with her first daughter in California, and then with her second daughter in Corvallis. She believes in the value of the program and enjoys hearing the experiences of diverse parents. In her spare time, Sara enjoys camping, running, reading, and knitting.
Nancy Hallin
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Preschooler
Nancy Hallin teaches the MWF preschool portion of LBCC's Living and Learning with your Preschooler class in the city of Scio. She has been teaching at this location since 1980. Prior to teaching at the Scio Preschool, Nancy was an Inclusion Assistant for the Linn-Benton-Lincoln Education Service District, working at this same location with children with special needs; prior to that, she was a parent in this program with her daughter, Kelsey.
Nancy is extremely committed to her job as a preschool teacher and finds great satisfaction working in this LBCC program that was established in 1973, and which has been such an important part of the Scio community. She enjoys helping parents and children learn together in a co-op setting, and is pleased to do her part by sharing her gift of teaching and gently guiding the children through their first school experience.
Nancy realizes the importance of building relationships with the children and their families as well as building relationships within the community. Many of the parents enrolled in this class were once students and are now bringing their own children to have those same wonderful experiences.
Nancy graduated from Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, California and earned her Associates Degree from Grossmont Community College in El Cajon, California. Her knowledge and love of art and music comes forth creatively in her teaching and helps her to present it to her students.
During college, Nancy worked in a pottery studio and then later started her own pottery business. During that time, her husband, a long haul truck driver, convinced her that she needed to get her Commercial Drivers License too, so she did and together they drove cross country until the birth of their daughter. Finding California a bit too busy for them, they moved to the small town of Scio, where they live in an 1875 house with their many cats and fish. Nancy is active with the Scio Lions Club, the Scio Historical Society, her church's Education Committee, and the local Ladies Bunko group. Nancy enjoys anything crafty, photography, scrap booking, cooking and traveling, but enjoys just getting together with family and friends for good conversation most of all.
Joanne Hunter
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Preschooler
Joanne Hunter graduated from the State University of New York at Oneonta with a dual degree in Child Development /Family Studies and Anthropology. She began her career teaching preschool and coordinating a Head Start Child Care Center in Pennsylvania. She went on to develop a children's program at a shelter for battered women in the Philadelphia area.
Joanne's initial involvement with LBCC parenting classes began when she enrolled in Living & Learning With Your Baby with her newborn daughter. It was that class that helped her to strengthen her roots in a community so far from her New York origin. Friendships which were formed in her baby class continue to offer support and fellowship to this day. Joanne says, "Parenting is a lifelong, continually evolving profession, one in which I am always 'living and learning.' I am very appreciative of the opportunities that the parenting education program offered to my family and am excited to be in a position to help others to develop a support system and to strengthen their commitment to children, parenting and our community. I continually stress to parents that they are their child's advocate and will always be their child's primary educator. In the classroom, I strive to awaken the sense of awe and wonder in both children and parents through carefully planned, process-oriented activities."
Joanne has taught a variety of classes for LBCC's Parenting Education Department, ranging from toddlers to twos to preschoolers. In 1999 she received an Excellence in Teaching Award for her work in the Parenting Education Program. Joanne returned to LBCC in 2005 to teach the Benton Center Preschool Co-op after a one-year hiatus as a preschool teacher for a private program in Corvallis. Her year away helped to reaffirm her strong commitment to families and her desire to be able to continue to strengthen our community's mission to educate and advocate for children and families in a non-judgmental, supportive environment.
Joanne enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, quilting, gardening, and the outdoors in general.
Paula Jenssen
Class(es) taught: Creative Development
Paula Jenssen teaches Creative Development at LBCC's Benton Center location; this class is designed for children aged 2-1/2 to 5-years-old and their parents. Her teaching style focuses on discovery play. She feels strongly about letting children explore their natural sense of wonder about the world in a relaxed environment and watching each child blossom in their own accord is extremely rewarding for Paula. All three of her own children attended similar classes; she and her husband have established life-long friendships because of their involvement in these cooperative-based class environments.
Paula earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Davis in 1987. In 1993, she became a full time stay-at-home mother. In pursuit of a cultivating place to raise their young family, she and her husband moved to Corvallis in 1996.
Although Paula's work experience covers a wide array (childcare provider, agricultural field laborer, teacher, engineer, soup kitchen volunteer, and mother), it was in her continuous work over the past fourteen years of supporting teachers as a volunteer aid in various classrooms that she feels she found her true calling of working with children. She simply enjoys people and delights in being part of young children's growth and development. She is particularly gratified in doing this work at the Benton Center, where she and her own children have participated in various parenting classes.
Along with their three fun-loving children, Paula and her husband continue to make their home in Corvallis. She cherishes spending time with family and friends, and enhances her personal time with reading, cooking, gardening, traveling and exploring the outdoors.
Nicole Kalita
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Baby
Nicole and her family have lived in the mid-valley area since 1997, when she and her husband started school at Oregon State University. She originally went to school to become a medical lab technician, but quickly realized that her real calling was to make a difference in children's lives. Nicole graduated from OSU in 2002 with a B.S. in Human Development and Family Studies and has been working with families and youth since 2000. Straight out of college, she became an AmeriCorps Member for a year at the Girl Scouts of Santiam Council. After that she went on to work with families involved with DHS as a Parent Consultant and Family Builder, providing parenting classes and in-home parent training. In 2005, she returned to the Girl Scouts of Santiam Council to become the council's CHOICE and Girl Scouts Beyond Bars programs manager.
In September 2007, Nicole and her husband were blessed with their first baby. She is constantly amazed at how quickly he learns new things and is fascinated watching him grow and develop.
During her "free" time, Nicole enjoys scrap booking, being outdoors (hiking, camping, picnics, etc), working in her yard, and dreaming up new ideas to improve her house.
Nicole is very excited for the opportunity to help provide parents with tools and ideas to help their children grow. She believes she has the most impact on children's lives when she works with their parents because they are the most important role model in that child's life.
Amanda Klein
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Children; Make Parenting a Pleasure; Fit Kids
Amanda was born and raised in Albany, Oregon. She attended Oregon State University, graduating in 2002 with a BS in Zoology and Education. Her goal throughout college was to be the next "Jack Hanna, Animal Adventurer." However, deciding not to move to San Diego or Florida, she moved to Portland instead and worked in education for the summer. Amanda then started working as a Child and Family Development Specialist in a teen parent high school. Funding was cut for that program, and Amanda moved on to home visiting and conducting parent and parent/child classes for Early Head Start. After three years in Portland Amanda moved to Corvallis and has been working at the Parent Enhancement Program as the Program Coordinator ever since. She continues to do home visiting, classes and case management to high risk families in Benton County.
JaAnna Mendez
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Preschooler
JaAnna Mendez is an instructor for the Scio Preschool Coop. She has been teaching there since 1999 and has taught both parenting sessions and preschool classes. JaAnna has been living in Scio and the surrounding area since she was in sixth grade. JaAnna has a diverse background with family members coming from multiple backgrounds and ethnicities.
JaAnna started young in her teaching career by holding positions in church and youth organizations before graduating from Jefferson High School in Jefferson, Oregon. JaAnna graduated from BYU Idaho with her Associates in Arts and Sciences in 1992 and then went on to get her Bachelor of Science from Western Oregon State University.
JaAnna is the parent of four boys. All three of her older boys have been through the preschool program, and she is anxiously awaiting the time her youngest son will start. JaAnna continues her education by taking teacher development classes, attending teacher in-services, reading current articles and books, and keeping up on current teaching and parenting trends and research. She also volunteers in the community by coaching sports for the local Scio Youth Club, being a leader in the local Cub Scout Pack, being a member of the Scio Parent Club, and working with the youth in her church. JaAnna has chosen to raise her sons in Scio because of the strong sense of community. She feels that helping her boys as well as other children of the community to be productive, responsible, and self-confident citizens are some of the most import things you can teach a child.
With the help of her teaching partner Nancy Hallin, the Scio Preschool Cooperative is a strong part of the Scio community. The Preschool participates in the local Lamb and Wool Fair parade and monthly field trips.
Kara Olsen-Becerra
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Baby
Kara Olsen-Becerra was born and raised in southern Oregon but completed her BS in Marriage Family Human Development at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. While finishing college, she and her husband were able to leave for a semester to volunteer in Honduras, teaching job-seeking skills to low-income individuals. After finishing college, Kara worked as a youth caseworker with children receiving counseling services, and also taught social skills classes to teenagers.
Kara and her husband had hoped to return to the Northwest and were excited to receive a job offer in Corvallis. After moving to Corvallis, Kara worked at Lincoln Elementary as a bilingual preschool teacher and then continued at Lincoln as the children's program coordinator of the Even Start family literacy program. Kara loves working with small children, particularly in more holistic settings where parents and children are interacting together. She is thrilled to be joining the Parenting Education staff at LBCC starting in spring of 2007, and to have the opportunity to share her experience and skills with other parents and their babies. She is also anxious to keep learning and growing along with her students, as she herself is an evolving parent to an active toddler. In Kara's free time she enjoys spending time with her family, playing sports, singing (watch out American Idol!), and volunteering at the library doing Spanish story time.
Amanda Orton
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Toddler
Amanda Orton was born and raised in California; she moved to Oregon in 2008 with her husband and young son in order to be closer to her sister and family. Amanda's parents have also relocated to the area, making life in Oregon even better.
Amanda received a B.A in Psychology from California State University, Fresno and a M.A. in Counseling Psychology in 2001 from National University, Fresno. While in college she worked at a day care, a group home for adolescents, and was a substitute teacher. After college, Amanda worked with children in the foster care system as a social worker and then more recently as a therapist for adolescents involved in the juvenile justice system. She has also taught classes for teens and adults in anger management and parenting. After working primarily with adolescents, Amanda is thoroughly enjoying working with toddlers and their parents and would like to continue teaching indefinitely. Amanda is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and works with children, adults, families and couples at her private practice in Corvallis.
Amanda enjoys spending time with her family, her two large dogs, reading, going camping, and exploring wonderful Oregon.
Lisa Richardson
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Toddler; Living & Learning with Your Two-Year-Old
Lisa Richardson has a B.A. in Psychology from San Diego State University. She continues to attend many seminars and workshops on issues that pertain to children and families. Lisa has received two Excellence in Teaching Awards from LBCC for her teaching in the Parenting Education program.
Lisa has been an instructor with LBCC since 1993. She has taught a variety of classes in Albany during this time, including Live & Learn with Your Toddler, Live & Learn with Your Two-Year-Old, Parent-Tot Gym, and Creative Development. Lisa enjoys working with young children and their families because this is such an important phase for both children and parents, learning about the world around them and each other and sharing it together. "It is amazing to see the growth of young children and the joy parents have watching them and getting to be part of it all," she says.
Prior to teaching at LBCC, Lisa worked for a childcare and adoption agency in San Diego helping families with childcare needs and monitoring childcare provider homes and the Nutrition Program.
Lisa is married and has daughter and son who are both young adults. Working part time allows her to spend time with her daughter and son and be a part of their various activities. "Teaching for LBCC gives me the best of both worlds - a job that I love and time to spend with my family," says Lisa. While raising her children, she has volunteered in each of their classes and helped with many of their other activities. Lisa says: "Raising my own children has given me a lot of practice in my home lab. My children are a constant source of joy and education."
Lisa enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, camping, gardening, crafts, and taking care of her two dogs and two cats.
Tenille Sayer
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Preschooler; Strengthening Families (Youth 10-14)
Tenille Sayer and her family have lived in Brownsville since 2001, moving here from Klamath Falls after marrying her husband so he could take over the family farm. In 2000 she completed her B.S is Human Development and Families from Oregon State University. Tenille has always known she wanted to teach, starting early in High School as a student teacher. Tenille had several opportunities during college to work with young children. She taught swimming lessons most summers to help pay for school. She even taught in Okinawa, Japan. Tenille interned at a center for emotionally troubled youth mainly focusing on the youngest age group.
Tenille is a mother of two wonderful children. Her oldest graduated out of the preschool program in 2009 and her youngest will be living and learning with her soon. Tenille loves early childhood education and is always thrilled by the vast development that happens during this period. She really enjoys working together with parents to help the children in her community grow.
When Tenille isn't working in the preschool she enjoys playing with her own kids. Tenille and her husband just finished building a new house so she has been busy working on landscaping. Tenille and her family also enjoy camping, hiking, bike riding and skiing.
Patty Skinner
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Preschooler
Patty Skinner graduated from Western Baptist College (now Corban College) with a BA in Youth Work and a Minor in Psychology. She began her career teaching preschool during her high school years in CA, taking college level child development courses at night. Other work experiences include teaching programs through the YMCA and working as a Legislative Assistant to Rep. Liz VanLeeuwen who chaired the Children and Families Committee in 1997. She has also been on staff with private preschool education.
Patty and her family moved back to her husband's hometown of Albany in 2000. Her initial involvement with LBCC parenting classes began almost ten years ago when she enrolled in Living & Learning With Your Baby with her newborn daughter. It was that class that helped her understand her baby with new insight and build roots in a new community. Friendships were formed in her baby class that ten years later continue to offer support and fellowship. She is thrilled to be a part of the Parenting Education staff at LBCC, and to have the opportunity to share parenting experiences with her class. Says Patty, "Seeing a child master a new skill or make a new friend brings joy to my heart. Helping parents raise their children through each stage of development is an exciting adventure."
In Patty's free time she enjoys spending time with her family, creating fun crafts with her children, sewing and camping.
Reta Stutz
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Toddler
Reta got her Bachelor's Degree in Human Development from Pacific Oaks in Pasadena, California. She specialized in Early Childhood Education with a sub-certification in 'Play, Language and Literacy'. She taught a year for Head Start and also ran a daycare/preschool out of her home for over 20 years. She has worked in the Central Linn District for five years, running their daycare program and teaching Child Development classes. She has loved working with pregnant and parenting teens in the Sweet Home and Central Linn area.
Reta began working for LBCC through the Parenting Time program, where she supervised DHS visits and helped parents with their parenting skills. She has also taught 'Strengthening Families' and parenting classes for RAFT through LBCC. She is also certified to teach the 'Making Parenting a Pleasure' and 'The Incredible Years' courses.
The only thing that Reta loves more than teaching is her family. Reta and her husband met while attending Central Linn Junior High and celebrated their 30th wedding anniversary in July 2010. They have lived in their Halsey home for over 25 years. They have seven wonderful children together and two grandchildren.
Besides teaching or being with her family, Reta also likes to read, paint, garden, sew, cross stitch, fish, camp, and travel.
Beth Tevlin
Class(es) taught: Living & Learning with Your Baby/Wobbler
Beth always knew she would be a teacher. Planning to work in the Portland Parks, Beth got her degree in Education with a concentration in Early Childhood. Discovering the LBCC classes after the birth of her first child led to taking and teaching several classes in the Living & Learning series, and in 1996 Beth earned the Excellence in Teaching Award. After 12 years of instructing the Living & Learning with Your Preschooler class in Corvallis, Beth "retired", but she is still teaching occasionally when there is an opportunity. Becoming a grandma in the fall of 2008 made the chance to teach one section of the Living & Learning with Your Baby class an ideal fit.
Last updated: 10/12/11