Ms. Katie grew up in Portland, Oregon, where she spent most of her younger years helping her mother at the horse barn and watching her father work on cars. As she got older, she spent most of her time playing her violin. Katie has always had a special love of children and the arts. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Sciences with a minor in Psychology from Oregon State University. Ms. Katie joined the Corvallis Waldorf school in 2020 as the Willow Wind Kindergarten assistant and loves learning and growing alongside the children each day. Ms. Katie loves the wonder and magic of early childhood and hopes to pursue her Waldorf Teacher training. Katie spends most of her free time being active and loves to exercise, practice yoga, and dance. Ms. Katie enjoys reading about dinosaurs and looking for and delighting in squirrels, birds, and bugs with her young son. 

Amy Carnahan grew up a few miles outside Tangent, in the middle of grass seed field country. Growing up in this environment instilled in Amy a deep love and respect for nature on many levels. In addition to the wildlife surrounding her childhood home, Amy grew up with many animals, from birds of prey to pigs. When reflecting upon her childhood, most of her memories involve being outdoors, whether playing in the ditches around the fields and catching bugs with her older brother or camping and fishing trips with her dad. She graduated from Oregon State University in 2008 with a BA in Liberal Studies and a Pre-Education option. In 2011, Amy received her Master’s in the Art of Teaching in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from Pacific University. She spent two years working at the Children’s Farm Home before accepting her first teaching position, where she taught third grade for six years at a public charter school.  Amy joined the Corvallis Waldorf community in 2021 as the Early Childhood Extended Day provider. She is excited to continue to learn and grow within the Waldorf community and fulfill many roles within the Early Childhood program. Amy lives in Corvallis with her son, who also attends CWS.  She enjoys singing, dancing, yoga, being outdoors, and animals of all kinds.

Brittina has lived in Oregon and been a part of a Waldorf school since her earliest memories. She has held teaching and supporting roles within a Waldorf school since 2010. She is on her third loop (having taught grades 1-5 twice previously) and will be teaching 3rd grade at the Corvallis Waldorf School in the coming school year. She has served multiple times as a faculty chair, has been a college member since 2011, board member for five years, leadership team member, mentor, parent, and more during her career of 16 years. Her personal grade school experience with Waldorf education led her to pursue Waldorf teacher training at the Micha-el Institute after graduating college with a B.A. in Sociology. Music, stories, crafts, and teaching math are some of her favorite aspects of working with children. Building a strong class community and a foundation for learning are tools she looks forward to sharing with others. Brittina is a perennial student and resource enthusiast who relishes in weekly visits to her local library. She also has a passion for cooking (especially baking sweets), freezer jam, finding new recipes, camping, one skein cable knit patterns, and learning to play the ukulele. Brittina also enjoys live music and getting out in nature, with the abundance of trail opportunities in the wider Corvallis area. 

Karine had the wonderful opportunity to attend a Waldorf School from first grade through twelfth as a young student, and was raised by a Waldorf teacher, thus deeply imprinted with the philosophy of education as an art. She began studying the harp at age twelve, and went on to become a Harp Performance major and earned a Close Award Scholarship at the University of Oregon School of Music in 1986. The years following were spent gaining work and life experience, and she became a mother in 2000. The birth of her children renewed her interest in the Waldorf philosophy of early childhood education in the home, and she attended parent/child classes for toddlers at the Eugene Waldorf School. When her oldest child entered Kindergarten, she attended the Eugene Waldorf Teacher Training in preparation to become a teacher. After completion, she joined the faculty at Corvallis Waldorf School in 2008 and became the first-grade teacher. She remained with her class through fifth grade and was planning to teach sixth, when an unprecedented mosquito-borne illness changed her plans and forced her resignation. The years following were very challenging as the healing process was very slow. She decided to return to college to study health sciences, as her experience with her health taught her so much.  She studied both alternative and allopathic methods, and during that time also pursued psychology. During her time at Lane Community College, she also became a writing tutor in the Trio Program, where she rediscovered her love of teaching.  It truly was a homecoming to rejoin the CWS faculty, and she is excited to complete a cycle through 8th Grade with this group of students.

Marta grew up in the metro DC area and had a childhood that was a mix of tree climbing and subway rides, art museums and tromping through urban streams. As she was homeschooled up until college, Marta had lots of time to explore her many interests including making things and growing plants, both threads throughout her life. Marta received her B.A. in Sustainable Agriculture from Warren Wilson College in 2004 and her teaching credential from New College of California in 2008. Marta’s earlier years of working on farms on the East Coast and running a production garden at a school in the SF Bay Area gave way to teaching kindergarten and first grade at several schools in Oakland, CA. Family brought Marta and her children to Oregon, and she began teaching Agriculture at Corvallis Waldorf School in 2017. She still loves making things and growing plants and is quite joyful that she is able to share her passions with her students.

Colombian-born teacher and artist. Hilda was trained as a petroleum engineer with a master’s degree in international business.  She worked in the Oil field for several years, but her passion was always the visual and literary arts. She studied art with different schools and teachers in The States and in Canada.  Hilda started teaching Spanish in 2008 in Canada for an international school and to private students.  She joined Great Oak School, a Waldorf school in Tomball, Texas,  in 2014, where she taught Spanish and Art to grade school children from 1^st to 8^th grade.    She has her own studio, where she has taught drawing and painting for many years, and she has exhibited extensively throughout her art career.   She also writes poetry, which is sometimes incorporated into her paintings. Hilda has a passion for teaching, writing, and visual arts, which she uses in the language classes she has been imparting to children and adults in her instructions. Her art is in private collections in Canada, Brazil,  The United States, Costa Rica, and Colombia. 

Sadie’s Waldorf journey began with the nurturing community of the Portland Waldorf School. Attending kindergarten through high school, the school laid the foundation for her natural curiosity, and inspired her love for creative expression. In 2021, Sadie joined the Corvallis Waldorf School after a decade of teaching in Portland area Waldorf schools. As a Handwork Teacher for over 12 years, Sadie has found immense joy in shaping the environments where students explore creatively with their hands.  After completing Waldorf Handwork Teacher Training at the Fiber Craft Studio in Spring Valley, New York, Sadie infused her teaching with a passion for natural plant dyeing, adding vibrant hues to the curriculum and providing a unique experience for students. Whether hiking through lush trails or trick training with her spirited Border Collie, Sadie finds inspiration in the colors, patterns and chaos of nature.

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Allison was born in rural New Jersey and spent the first eight years of her life exploring the woods and streams surrounding her small town. Her family moved to the Space Coast of Florida and the rest of her childhood was spent kayaking the rivers, exploring the beaches, and taking long bike rides with family and friends. After earning her Bachelors in Education, Allison began teaching at her alma mater, a small school serving 3 year olds through 8th graders, and saw a class through to graduation as she taught history, technology, and art. Upon completion of her MBA, Allison moved abroad to Germany to work in technology services. When she returned to the states, she also returned to the classroom and pursued her Ed.S.  Allison’s family moved to the Willamette Valley in the spring of 2021 as they fell in love with all that Oregon has to offer. In her time outside of school, Allison loves walking in the woods, reading, and spending time with her two small children, husband, and extended family. 

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Larissa grew up in Corvallis after her family relocated to the Pacific Northwest from San Jose, California. She graduated from Crescent Valley High School and went on to earn a BA in Education Foundations from the University of Oregon. After graduating, Larissa began her career in early childhood education, teaching preschool with Head Start of Lane County. She remained in Eugene for several years before returning to Corvallis, where she spent eight years teaching at the Old Mill Center. In addition to her full-time teaching role, she actively supported program development and contributed to the center’s enrollment efforts. With years of experience in early childhood education, Larissa was inspired to serve students and families in a new way and joined Corvallis Waldorf School as the Enrollment Coordinator. She finds deep joy in helping families as they navigate their educational journey. Larissa lives in Corvallis with her husband. Outside of school, she enjoys yoga, paddleboarding, kayaking, ceramics, and gardening.

Cullen was born and raised in Eugene, Oregon and has enjoyed the multitude of outdoor activities available in and around the Willamette Valley. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout in the BSA, enjoyed theater, music, and sports in high school and college, and graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in anthropology. After acquiring various skills in multiple trades, he moved to Corvallis in 2021 with his wife and child to be a stay-at-home dad. He is an avid reader and musician and enjoys camping and snowboarding with his family when they’re not at home, tending to their garden and chickens.

Jeff grew up in the forests and creeks of Northeastern Pennsylvania. He later moved to Tucson, Arizona where he completed high school and received an BA in English Literature from the University of Arizona. In 2003, he moved to Eugene, Oregon to attend Waldorf Teacher Training Eugene. After finishing the two-year program, Jeff took a job at Corvallis Waldorf School where he would teach for the next 18 years. He guided a 7 th grade class through their final two years, and then took two groups of children through their 8-year journeys. Along the way, Jeff worked frequently in various administrative and leadership capacities. After his third group of students graduated, he took a year off from the school and worked with his wife to help run her dance school. Jeff has now rejoined the school as the Pedagogical Administrator. He loves working with students, teachers, and parents to help our school function with as much creativity, engagement, consistency, and kindness as possible. Jeff lives in Corvallis with his wife and two cats. He has two step-children who attended Corvallis Waldorf School. In his spare time, Jeff plays guitar in a local rock band and plays as much golf as he possibly can.