Woolman Semester Staff
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Dorothy Henderson, Head of School After raising four children, getting a PhD in Nursing from the University of Michigan and teaching for five years at the University of Washington in Seattle, Dorothy left the University and traveled for a year with her husband Doug in their Volkswagon van. She arrived at Woolman in the year 2000, seeking a life more in harmony with her commitment to mindfulness, nonviolence and simplicity. Here at Woolman she has found that life. She enjoys walking, swimming in the Yuba, making her own clothes, being a part of the lives of her children and grandchildren, sharing Nonviolent Communication with anyone, and riding the train. |
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Coleman Watts, Program Coordinator Coleman graduated from the Quaker Leadership Scholars Program at Guilford College, and went on to study Peace, Social Justice & Quakerism at Pendle Hill. In the past he has worked on documentary film production, led movie-making workshops at camp, and taught Peace Studies at Woolman. Coleman spends his free time developing practical skills for sustainable living – you’ll usually find him working on solar panels, fixing bicycles, testing electric vehicles, gardening, or doing some kind of green building project. |
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Kathy Runyan, Advancement Director Kathy has been involved in education in one way or another since earning a Bachelor's degree in Human Services from California State University at Fullerton. Kathy taught pre-Kindergarten and 1st Grade for 6 years prior to homeschooling her own 3 sons for 10 years using a self-directed learning model. Throughout those years Kathy also volunteered as a teacher and coordinator of children and teen programs in local and regional Quaker meetings. Kathy's ideas of relaxation include reading, walking, gardening, camping, drawing and hiking. However, more than anything, she enjoys just hanging out with friends or family for a nice chat over a cup of tea. |
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Becca Imseis, Administrative Assistant Growing up in Kansas and Colorado created a desire for outdoor exploration and travel. Becca graduated from Colorado State University with a BS in International Marketing and Spanish. Her desire to learn about the world only grew as she studied with Semester at Sea during her college career exploring new cultures, places and meeting new people. Returning to the US, Becca obtained an MBA with an emphasis in Health Care Systems. Moving abroad with her partner, Eric, to Santiago, Chile opened her eyes to the need for sustainability, environmental appreciation and a higher need for international aid. Becca comes to Woolman embracing the values of peace, justice, sustainability, love for community and education. Volunteering co-currently with APPT (Alliance for People Powered Transportation) and at the A.P.P.L.E. Center (Alliance for Post-Petrolium Local Economy), SYCRL (South Yuba River Citizens League) fills her need to be an active Nevada County participant. |
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Samantha Sommers, Admissions Director Samantha is a graduate of Wesleyan University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and American Studies. She grew up in Goldens Bridge, NY fifty miles outside New York City and comes west to Woolman with a desire to promote experiential learning, exploration of social justice issues in the classroom, and participation in sustainable living. The principles of Self-help she learned while attending Wooster School in Danbury, CT instilled in her a belief that true community is often forged through shared investment in a physical space. She has a special passion for print culture, particularly letterpress printing and bookmaking. Samantha loves travelling to new states, drinking black coffee, and laughing with friends over meals at Woolman. |
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Emma Priya Graham, Admissions Apprentice She comes from a small rural town called Wellsboro, Pennsylvannia in the northern part of the state. Growing up Quaker, she attended Wellsboro Monthly Meeting, the smallest meeting in the Upper Susquehanna Quarter, which is part of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting. Growing up she went to Camp Dark Waters in Medford, NJ for 6 years. She also went Shiloh Quaker Camp, part of Baltimore Yearly Meeting, continued onto Teen Adventure & Teen Adventure Leadership Training, and eventually became a counselor at Shiloh for 2 summers. It was there she discovered that Quakerism was something she wanted a part in her every day life. She attended the Quaker boarding school, Westtown for 3 years and graduated in 2006. From there she went to Guilford College, in Greensboro NC for 2 years, while she was there, she participated in the Quaker Leader Scholars Program. She grew to love that community, and found much enjoyment in attending New Garden Friends Meeting. While she was at Guilford she studied Peace & Conflict studies, English, Photography, and pyschology. She transferred to Mansfield University, in Mansfield PA where she majored in communications & public relations. She was very active in the international club, college Democrats, and the Geography Club. Deciding to take some time off from school, the spirit led Emma here to the Woolman campus in August. She loves taking nature walks, writing poetry, reading up on political issues in the world today, and learning new things from the students. |
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Vanessa Teran, Admissions Apprentice Originally from the strawberry fields of Oxnard, CA she relocated to Northern California in support of grassroots and international struggles. She strongly believes to walk on the ground of her own being, her passion stems from linguistics, philosophy, mesoamerican art and technology, guerrilla digital filmmaking, photography and indigenous people's rights. At Woolman she hopes to speak to students who are seeking to follow a dream for social movements, seeking to transform their educational path and build their self-consciousness and awareness. |
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Angelina Conti, Peace Studies Teacher Angelina Conti is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where she graduated from Haverford College with a degree in Anthropology and Peace & Conflict Studies. She has worked as a chaperone and co-coordinator for youth programs, as a freelance writer and editor, and as a political organizer and volunteer coordinator. She came to Quakerism through the youth programs of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting and worked for two years at Friends General Conference in their publishing and anti-racism programs. At Woolman she teaches Peace Studies, which uses the social sciences, writing, literature and documentary film to get at issues of power and oppression, and Humanities & Ethics, an experiential class focused on self knowledge and community life. |
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Emily Zionts, Global Issues Teacher Over the past decade Emily has shown that she is deeply committed to the promotion of global-wide positive political, social, and educational change. Each of her experiences in North America, Central America, Asia, South East Asia, and Africa have significantly enhanced her perspective as she learned, volunteered, traveled and taught. Most recently, she is proud to have earned a Masters of Peace Education (education for inner awareness, humane relationships, global citzenry, and planetary stewardship) from The United Nations Mandated University for Peace in Costa Rica. Teaching Global Issues at Woolman will has been an excellent blend of her academic, employment, and life experiences. She also loves playing in rivers, improving her photography skills, playing mandolin, general silliness and spending time with her partner, Red. Emily's favorite part of this job is truly seeing the power and potential of youth as peacebuilders! |
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Doug Hamm, Maintenance Supervisor With the exception of two years at Scattergood, a small Quacker school in Iowa, Doug's education, kindergarten through college, took place in his hometown, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Coming from a family of educators, it was not surprising that Doug took to teaching. Perhaps it was his abiding interest in the theological challenges that his Quacker heritage posed that led him to doing the vast majority of his teaching in the more democratic atmosphere of the "alternative community school" movement. One of the things Doug enjoys sharing with others is an enthusiasm for Permaculture, exploring all the diverse possibilities and permutations. One of his most favorite activities at the Center is the week of Summer when Family Work Camp occurs. The odd moments of the day often find Doug engrossed in one of his several musical instruments. |
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Malaika Bishop, Garden Manager & Educator Malaika holds a BA in Environmental Studies and dance from Oberlin College and has traveled the world studying grassroots activism, globalization, and ecology. She has been an organizer and educator for over 15 years working for environmental health, justice and community self-reliance. In 2001 she co-founded the People's Grocery, an organization working to find creative solutions to the food needs of West Oakland by building a local food system and a local economy. She now serves on boards of People's Grocery and the BriarPatch Cooperative and works to support equitable regional food systems. Malaika is a recipient of the Jefferson Award for Public Service, she was chosen by Utne Reader, San Francisco Magazine and Organic Style Magazine as a young visionary and environmental leader. Malaika's life goal is to create positive change through love and service. |