Faculty Spotlight

Nina Benedetti

EvCC instructor Nina Benedetti knows how tough it is to learn during a pandemic. In addition to teaching, she's in class too, working on her doctorate. "Being a student during the COVID time has made me a better teacher," she says. "Those who didn’t think they could do online classes might be pleasantly surprised at their ability to actually be a successful online student! I have surprised myself!"

Kim Contreras

At the start of the pandemic, English Language Acquisition instructor Kim Contreras quickly developed a way to teach non-English speaking students - some of whom had never turned on a computer before - completely online. She recorded videos in her basement, started a YouTube channel, and communicated with students using an app.

Benjamin Kassebaum

EvCC alum Benjamin Kassebaum, who teaches GED preparation primarily to Spanish-speaking students, knows school can be hard, but he believes in his students. Why? "Math and Spanish were two of my worst subjects and now they are my best. This shows we can do whatever we put our minds to."

Vanessa DePuente

Nursing instructor and department chair Vanessa DePuente felt such a strong affinity to EvCC when she was a nursing student that she came back to teach. “I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I love being able to give back to the college and the program that gave me my start as a nurse.” Her advice to current students:  “Organization is your friend.  Have a weekly plan. The more you put into your online class the more you will get out of it.”

Christopher Russell

Before embarking on a career as an instructor for Aviation Maintenance Technology at EvCC, Christopher Russell worked as a restoration mechanic. He trained in England with the RAF Museum on WWI and WWII aircraft and worked with two museums in the area, including Paul Allen’s Flying Heritage Collection. He says it’s been an exciting career, “I’ve had the opportunity to meet a number of interesting people including Buzz Aldrin and Steven Spielberg (and his father).”  Now at EvCC he has encouraging words for our campus community:  “The recent developments in the world have provided many challenges, but I’m thrilled that we have the opportunity to work through this as a group and keep helping students to find success.”

Lijiao Serven

Transitional Studies instructor Lijiao Serven loves teaching because "our students come to our classes with big dreams and hopes and so many powerful stories."  For her developmental English and College Success classes, she's holding optional online study time for her students to work together and making videos for her classes. Her advice: "When it gets difficult, focus on your dreams and goals and keep going!"

Cobi Seslar

As a former community college student, Cobi Seslar understands the importance of providing accessible learning opportunities for every student. One example is EvCC's East County Campus in Monroe, where she shares her love of writing with her English students. Cobi also teaches yoga and enjoys helping her students learn new techniques for coping with stress and anxiety. 

Jacob Nanfito

Jacob Nanfito began his journey at EvCC in 2008 not as an instructor, but as a student working to complete an AA degree. After eventually completing his Master’s Degree in Education and inspired by “EvCC’s commitment to innovation, equity, and compassionate and student responsive teaching” he began teaching pre-college writing and reading for the Transitional Studies department at the college.

Linda Berkley

Linda Berkley has been a full-time studio art faculty at EvCC since 2005 and is now successfully using technology such as Google Slide portfolios to help students manage their art projects while learning remotely.

Ryan Masinelli

A U.S. Army combat veteran and EvCC alumnus Ryan Masinelli believes students' mental health is as important as their academic success. He provides times for his information technology students to talk with him outside of class about anything. "I try to think about what they could be going through at this time," he said. 

Alys Hugo 

Alys Hugo planned to return to research after earning her master's degree in math until she unexpectedly discovered she loved teaching. Her advice to students learning online is to make a weekly schedule for what you want to get done each day, a strategy she and her husband are using for the classes they're taking.

Michelle Barnes

Before completing her Doctor of Education in 2013, Michelle Barnes had spent seven years working in the computer science industry as a programmer/analyst.  After getting involved in her children’s cooperative preschool, she transitioned into a career in education.  Today, she teaches Education and Early Childhood Education (ECE) courses at EvCC where she’s successfully brings technology into her virtual classroom. Oh! And on a very cool side note - she lives on a 38-foot boat with her husband!  

Rhonda Hamburg

Rhonda Hamburg is an instructor in the Health Sciences Department and Program Director for the Medical Assisting Program.  She says that transitioning to online teaching has strengthened her relationship with students who she now connects with regularly via zoom.  In this new teaching environment, she embraces technology and is committed to “elevating the quality of future healthcare providers.”

Michael Nevins

Frustrated by high textbook prices, EvCC math instructor Michael Nevins decided to write his own algebra book - one that could be shared for free. That led to creating YouTube math videos, then building his own lightboard at home, with the goal of blending video and text in an intuitive package for math students. 

Paula Krock

Education and Early Childhood instructor Paula Krock spent a year working at an orphanage in Mexico in college, launching her fascination about child development and how children learn. That led her to years of teaching in preschools, hours of working in elementary schools, and a master's degree in Education. She credits her mother and her teachers for opening her eyes to the power of education. "I understand how an education can pull you out of poverty and open new doors for you and your children, for generations to come."

Heidi Weiss-Green

Heidi Weiss-Green has taught math for 28 years at Everett Community College, with the last several years at EvCC's East County Campus in Monroe. When she first transitioned her classes to online, she was nervous about virtual office hours, but now she really likes and plans to keep them. Her advice to students: "Give online classes a chance. It might be uncomfortable to try something new, but you may be surprised and actually like it."

Greg Crowther

As a graduate student, EvCC Biology instructor Greg Crowther began making up song parodies about things he was learning. He continued writing and singing songs to help his students understand complex scientific concepts. 

Andrea Cahan

Math instructor Andrea Cahan enjoys EvCC's tight-knit community and student-centered focus. She encourages students to reach out to their instructors. "We are here for them and want to make this experience as positive and successful as possible." 

Jason Ripper

To hear Jason Ripper tell it, "EvCC accidentally chose me." It was 2001, and Jason had earned his master's degree in history six years earlier. He was busy with his own house painting business when an opportunity to fill in for an EvCC English instructor became available and he took it. He is now a tenured instructor, having taught history courses for the last 18 years.