Kjersten (pronounced shares-ten, She/They) Beauty Activist, Mother, Earth Lover, Eco-Edutainer, Song Carrier, Waste-strument Maker, and Co-Creatrix of Cascadia Song Rise, sharing CommUnity Song Circles on Kalapuyan land throughout Willamette Valley. Through art and music, Kjersten educates about our relationships with the world, each other, and the wonders of nature in entertaining ways. Kjersten is humbly learning and committed to transformative, regenerative practices of collective liberation and re-membering belonging.

He enjoys learning about cultures and other languages. David has been an English/Spanish Interpreter who has a love for traveling, photography, hiking, biking and kayaking.

Elliot has been training in martial arts since 2010, specializing in traditional Japanese jiujitsu and Chinese internal martial arts. He aims to make martial arts accessible to all people, and believes that through martial arts we can promote mindfulness, self confidence, and community.

Neel graduated from University of Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering. In addition to his other activities he runs a STEM non-profit in Corvallis called siliconbox.org. He loves spending time with family, biking, and skiing.

Marissa grew up in a household where Greek was spoken between her parents and grandparents. Although she never learned to speak Greek, she has enjoyed learning about languages and people from different cultures as long as she can remember. She has an MA from Portland State University in teaching English as a second language and taught immigrants and international students for over 25 years. In addition, she had a stained glass business for 20 years traveling to different western states to sell her work in juried art shows. Now her creativity is expressed in ornamental and vegetable gardening. Her other passions include hiking, kayaking, contra dancing, pickleball, and traveling the world. Some of the volunteer work she enjoys includes being a conversation partner and leading conversation circles at CMLC.

Carolina comes from Chile and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. She likes to work in a team, enjoys cooking, and likes to learn new things all the time.

Anna has been teaching communication and conflict resolution classes for the past thirty years in a wide variety of settings.  She also loves growing lots of food and flowers.

Elena Chavarría reinvents herself each day as an apprentice, as well as a teacher of matters related to the energy of individual expression and collective consciousness. Art, Spanish -her mother tongue, contact with our Madre Tierra –Juya Ania- and Yoga is the paths that will allow her to share her discoveries in this summers’ camp courses.

Qinghua is an interdisciplinary scholar across Education, Marketing, and Journalism.
She has her Ph.D. in Early Childhood Education, Ed.M. in Education Studies, M.A. in
Journalism, and B.A. in English Literature. With a multicultural background, Qinghua
enjoys connecting research with practice, teaching Chinese to children, promoting
equity, and sharing Chinese culture with the community.

Judith Ferlini was born in Costa Rica in 1992. As a girl, she became interested in many aspects of visual art and discovered the vast possibilities in painting. She entered the National University of Costa Rica and studied Art and Visual Communication, later she got a Master’s Degree in Landscaping and Site Design at the University of Costa Rica. She has been employed teaching art classes in academies and private educational centers in Costa Rica and as a designer in multi-criteria projects. She moved to Corvallis, Oregon and dedicated to the creation of art in her own studio. She concentrates on high contrast and color using natural motifs and symbolism for a catharsis of realization in which the viewer can be reflected in a window towards his own being. She currently resides in Corvallis, and she travels to Costa Rica to refresh herself with tropical nature and visit her family. She is working to exhibit her art in galleries and cultural spaces in both countries. She also loves drawing, pottery and prints ¡and almost any technique that allows creation!, because her favorite hobbies are “Do it yourself” (“DIY”) and gardening.

Art has been an essential part of her life since She was a child. She remembered that the gifts used to be -and still are- notebooks, paper, and different kinds of pencils. She enjoyed handcrafting, watercolor paintings, scrapbooking, drawing in black and white and with colored pencils, and beading. Since 2012 She has been working as a speech-language therapist in Chile. Combining their passion for art and her career has allowed her to resolve complex clinical cases, work at schools, and teach as a clinical professor in some Universities to create and adapt playful activities for adults and children with speech and hearing disorders. In addition, she did volunteer work at nonprofit organizations in Chile such as “Hogar de Cristo,” “Un Techo para Chile” and “Corporación Nacer al Sonido” and is a volunteer at CMLC.

She enjoys the different outdoor activities in Oregon in her free time, taking photos and hiking with her husband and her dog “Canela.”

Annelie is a bilingual educator who enjoys working with her students to create opportunities for creativity, imagination, and self-expression through art and storytelling. As well as being a teacher, Annelie is also a potter and gardener who is always looking for ways to get her hands messy in a project. She delights in creating and cultivating joy in her community.

Tara grew up in Louisiana and one of her first memories of birds was learning to whistle like a Bobwhite and rejoicing when one answered her back. As a former field biologist and now artist and illustrator, her work celebrates intimate moments in the lives of birds, allowing the viewer to experience hidden marvels. Her favorite projects allow her to create lifelike portraits rich with detail. She is inspired by beauty, story, and wonder. When not in the studio, she enjoys hiking with her ornithologist husband and their dog, Finch.

Pedro started helping people practice their Spanish many moons ago in his native Spain. That was a lot of fun, he met many lovely adventurers and had many wonderful conversations so he took this hobby with him to Scotland first and then Oregon. He facilitates meetings for El Puente, a Spanish Conversation Group in Corvallis, and enjoys sharing food, walks, and stories.

Anna is a Louisiana native who loves to spend time with people from around the world. She works in project management in Corvallis and loves all things outdoor adventure.

Maxine has 30+ years experience teaching English in colleges and agencies in California, Oregon and abroad. She loves encouraging communication and sharing across cultures and ages.

Mike is a retired professional forester and public policy facilitator and mediator. He is a volunteer community mediator and enjoys engaging with people from around the world to learn from them and to help them adapt to living in our community.

Anna is an English teacher at OSU and CMLC. I love my job, and I’m excited to volunteer at CMLC. My goal is to help students to overcome language barriers and fear of speaking English. My hobbies are hiking and playing with my kitty Shark.

Olha is a friendly teacher, dedicated to creating a safe and joyful learning space for all. She’s an animal lover, a tea enthusiast, and a firm believer in the magic of hugs.

Nanci really loves teaching and has taught English at all levels and all ages, from beginners to advanced students, from high school and college students to adults and senior citizens.

Melissa is an educator who recently returned to Corvallis, after living in Switzerland for nine years. She embraces community service and is passionate about nature, art, travel and cultures.

Originally from the Pacific Coast of Russia, Svetlana loves living in Corvallis. She brings in her experience in community engagement, education, and nonprofit management. Svetlana loves being a part of her kids’ school life, and she is a passionate and adventurous gardener.

Jaclyn Moyer grew up in the Sierra Foothills of northern California. She’s worked as a teacher in many settings (from outdoor education centers to universities), a vegetable farmer, a bread baker, a native seed collector, and a writer. She lives with her partner and two young children on the edge of the Marys River in Corvallis, Oregon.

Ellen is a first-generation college student graduating next month with a Political Science major. As a daughter of immigrants, Ellen has a passion for border policy and giving back to the community.

Dee has been a part of the CMLC community as a volunteer since its beginning. She has always been fascinated by different cultures and connecting with people. Both her parents came to the United States as children. Growing up in Virginia, she loves the storytelling culture and the language cadences of the South.

She read about the Oregon Trail in the fourth grade and many years later, chose Oregon as her home. Given a chance, she would travel anywhere (especially on a train) and vicariously traveled the world through her many ESOL students.

Sarah has degrees in nutrition, public health, and international studies from Oregon State University. She enjoys meeting new people, making music, cooking, dancing, and being outdoors.

Kathleen has always enjoyed learning about different cultures. Being family – oriented, she loves time with her adult children and grandchildren.

Suvedha has experience teaching ESL to a wide. range of students and is passionate about providing safe spaces for learning and cultural understanding.

Dana is an East Coast transplant who loves to get lost in books, try out new restaurants, and explore cities. She has worked in public and school libraries for over 25 years, deeply believing in their power as places of belonging for all.

Anastasiia is driven by a passion for technology and serving people. Her mission is to create an inviting environment for every visitor and student of CMLC!

Naomi grew up in an agricultural town in Washington with a large migrant/ refugee population, and witnessed the inequity of not having legal status as a citizen. She is passionate about border-policy and the safety, stability, and humanity of all of us. Her roots are Jewish and Western European and she has always felt the importance and impact of travel and migration in her family.

She has a background in geography and community organizing, and has worked supporting refugees and immigrants along the US-Mexico border and in Athens, Greece.

Anna was born and raised in rural Oregon. As a young adult she spent 4 transformative years in West Africa. While living in West Africa, she studied Community Development and volunteered in elementary and middle schools. She believes cultural exchange and collaboration is a powerful tool for bringing more peace into our world.

Elena grew up in the Sonoran Desert by the Sea of Cortés in México. She completed high school in Montréal Canada, and moved to the United States for her university studies.

She has remained an active member of the community, partnering with local entities in art and equity efforts; she holds a masters in Contemporary Latinx Studies and has a background working in the public school system. Elena has a passion for nature, art, and languages; she also goes by ita.

Marta is a Polish philosopher and faculty at OSU. She currently teaches classes concerning ethical and existential aspects of the world and human existence. Marta has lived abroad and traveled extensively, with a particular focus on Central and South America. She is an enthusiastic tango dancer, tennis player and mother of a teenage daughter.
For the past fifteen years Marta has been an active member of the community where she has organized events that brought philosophy into public spaces and introduced tango to a broader audience in Corvallis. She continues to support the local arts and theater.
As one of CMLC’s newest board member, Marta is looking forward to serving the community in support of our local and international residents through the organization’s crucial services and programs.

Manny is an environmental specialist based out of Corvallis, Oregon. His professional background ranges from having served with non-profits across the country with AmeriCorps NCCC to handling numerous EOIR and employment-based immigration cases with a law firm in his hometown of Richmond, Virginia, and even building trails with the National Park Service in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado. Guided by the ideal of service, he pursues the means to foster community organization and environmental advocacy wherever he goes. In his free time, Manny enjoys watching movies at the cinema, running, and playing pickleball.

Sandy is an engineer who is passionate about building community. She enjoys learning and sharing languages and cultures.

Cynthia has deep interests in language, culture, education, social justice and volunteering, as well as science and engineering. She grew-up in Corvallis, going to the (old, yellow house) CMLC while her mom learned English – and Cynthia ate yummy treats, met people from all over the world, and played and learned! Cynthia graduated from the district’s bilingual program, as well as studied in Mexico on a few occasions. In college, where she studied chemical engineering and mathematics, and thereafter, she has also been involved in promoting education access and inclusion as a human right for all, and particularly among (undocumented) immigrants and those with disabilities. Cynthia is delighted to be able to give back to the Corvallis community, honored to serve on the CMLC’s board, and encourages anyone to please reach out to learn more and get involved!

Cielo’s profession is facilitating the discovery of community and adventure through Real Estate. Cielo has grown up always curious to learn about other cultures and share from his own family traditions.

Jen Hernandez is an artist and educator based in Corvallis, OR. Her creative work centers on community sustainability and celebrates diversity in perspective through visual, literary, and theatre arts. As a community educator, Jen draws on 18+ years of experience to focus on empowering individuals and groups to work collaboratively through exploration and risk-taking to generate powerful creative experiences. Jen has an educational background in Early Childhood Education, Art History and Visual Culture, and Nonprofit Administration.

Denise Hughes-Tafen is a Faculty at Linn Benton  Community College in the Human Development and Family Services program.  She is an Educator and advocate with a focus on race, disability and intersectionality.  She is passionate about working with children and families.  Denise is from the Caribbean island Of Antigua and lives in Corvallis with her family.  She loves music, storytelling and books.

I have been involved with CMLC for ten years, first in an administrative and finance role, then as an interim director. Currently, I work in finance for a chemical engineering and manufacturing company. I am a mom to three kids. Two are in college (Hawaii and Denver) and one is a freshman in high school. My big hobbies/passions are tennis, travel, and giving back to my community. I am very excited to be working with CMLC again in a board capacity. I look forward to engaging with the CMLC community again.

 

Ivy has spent the last two and a half years working with international communities through her work as a program coordinator in higher education. Besides that, Ivy was also a long-time CMLC volunteer. Her passion and drive for social justice and cultural competence have driven her services around helping others. Born and raised in the collective culture of Taiwan, she values the practice of community care and lifelong connections.  Outside of this, she enjoys spending time practicing photography, eating good food, and enjoying the company of the good people of Corvallis.