Posts tagged Math & Science
Heather is a native Vermonter, and outdoor enthusiast. She grew up skiing at Killington, then raced in high school for the Mill River Ski Team, training at Okemo. After high school she taught herself to snowboard and later competed in all disciplines, excelling in BX and alpine racing.
Heather coached Varsity snowboard teams at Mount Saint Joseph Academy and Rutland High School. Later she coached snowboarding and taught Social Studies at Killington Mountain School and was the KSC Weekend Snowboard Program Director. She also coached youth soccer at age 18, and was the K-12 Womens Soccer Director at West Rutland School from 2000-2004. Heather was the first women to coach a Men's Varsity Soccer team in the State of Vermont.
Heather is currently also in yoga teacher training program and is a freelance real estate paralegal. In the summer she works as a hiking guide, qigong instructor and fitness manager at New Life Hiking Spa. She also enjoys riding motocross and playing golf with her husband Kevin.
-College of St. Joseph, BA Liberal Studies, Cum Laude, Phi Alpha Theta
hgrier@okemomountainschool.org
Charlie Hutchison
Contact Charlie
chutchison@okemomountainschool.org
Abigail Spillane (Teullane)
Abigail has always had a passion for education and getting outside. After college, she spent 2 years working as an environmental educator for Nature's Classroom. She then went on to get a Masters in Childhood Education. She has worked at schools in upstate New York, Australia, and most recently Connecticut. Originally from the Adirondacks, Abigail has spent the last 3 years teaching at an independent elementary school in New Haven, Connecticut. She recently moved to the area to be closer to the mountains. Newly married, her and her husband, Forrest, live in Chester, VT. In her free time, she enjoys getting outside to camp, hike, swim and snowboard, and is trying to get the hang of frisbee golf.
B.S. in Environmental Science at SUNY Plattsburgh
M.S.T in Childhood Education at SUNY Potsdam
Contact Abigail
aspillane@okemomountainschool.com
Mathematics – Department Chair
Alison DesLauriers teaches high school level math at OMS. Alison enjoys public service almost as much as teaching. She has served her community in the capacity of school director for over 20 years, while raising her family, and teaching at OMS for 10 of those years. She lives in Chester with her husband John. Alison likes to ski, snowshoe, garden, and spend time with her adult children, Marc Tom and Margie.
- Bowdoin College
- University of Colorado/Boulder
- University of Vermont BS Business Administration
Contact Alison
adeslauriers@okemomountainschool.org
Uli Donohue
Science Chair, Math
Originally born in Germany, Uli's passion for traveling and learning brought her to attend colleges and work in Ireland, Portugal, Scotland, England, and the US over the years. She lives in Ludlow with her daughter, Clara, and partner, Matt.
Other than teaching at OMS, Uli loves managing the two properties she inherited from her first husband, John, and loves spending time with her goofy daughter.
- National University of Ireland, Galway: BS Mathematical Sciences and MS Astronomy
- University of Southampton, UK: PhD Physical Oceanography
- Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland: Postgraduate Diploma in Education
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute: Postdoctoral Research
Contact Uli
udonohue@okemomountainschool.org
Kathy Gates
Computer science, math, technology
Kathy teaches math, computers and engineering at OMS. She spent 17 years as a senior software engineer and has experience in Visual C++, Java Script, OCAML, Basic, C, and Fortran. She lives in Mount Holly with her husband, Al.
- Central Connecticut State University: Middle/High School Teaching Certificate
- Rochester Institute of Technology: BS Computer Science
- Morrisville Community College: AS Computer Science
kgates@okemomountainschool.org
Michelle Merola
Michelle served as a youth development Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco (2011-2013). In spring 2015, Michelle went to Southeast Asia to take a TESL course; she then taught English in northern Thailand. Michelle worked for seven seasons as an outdoor educator at Nature's Classroom. In her free time Michelle enjoys doing yoga, hiking, cross county skiing, knitting and many other crafts.
- Saint Michaels College, B.A.
Contact Michelle
mmerola@okemomountainschool.org
Ericka Priestley
Ericka is passionate about teaching and winter sports. She has spent over 10 years teaching children as a ski instructor, camp coordinator and elementary school teacher. After receiving her initial degrees in Business Administration and Geography from the University of Montana, she started working at Whitefish Mountain Resort as a ski instructor. In Montana, Ericka spent her summers coordinating an outdoor-based kids camp. In 2012, she relocated to Vermont, started working at Okemo and went back to school to obtain her Master of Arts in Teaching degree. Since then, she has taught various grades and subjects, including math, at numerous elementary schools in Vermont. Recently, she has taken courses in teaching mathematics.
Ericka lives in Springfield, Vermont. She has two young sons that she loves spending time with. She loves traveling, camping and exploring the outdoors.
- University of Montana: B.S. Business Admin., B.A. Geography
- Upper Valley Educators Institute: Elementary Teacher Certification and Master of Arts in Teaching
Contact Ericka
epriestley@okemomountainschool.org.
Steve Severson
Steve came to OMS in 2015 after working in technology companies and teaching math in Upper Valley schools from 2001-2015. He has taught trigonometry, geometry, algebra 1+2, connected math, business math, consumer math, computer skills, applied math, integrated math; physics, economics and financial literacy.
Steve also coaches ski racing for Quechee and soccer for the Dartmouth women's club team. He rides a bike often, is married to a psychotherapist and NH senator and has three children and five grandchildren.
- Dartmouth College: BS Physics and Engineering
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology: Masters in Chemical Engineering
- The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania: Master of Business Administration
sseverson@okemomountainschool.org