MELISSA AUSUA

GR Middle School (June 24-27)

Melissa Ausua is a Grand Rapids native. She attended GVSU for her undergrad years and completed a graduate program at WMU. She is a proud alumna of the Lake Michigan Writing Project's Summer Invitational class of 2014. Her career began with teaching 8th grade on the beautiful island of Oahu, but then brought her back home to teach 7th grade at Godwin Heights, interventions at Burton Middle School, and, currently, 11th grade English for Montcalm Area ISD's Early College Program. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews, reading (of course), and seeing about one movie per week.

AMY BEAN

GR Elementary (June 24-27)

Mrs. Bean is a third-grade teacher in Rockford. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education at California State University, Fresno. She earned her master’s degree in Reading at Grand Valley State University. Mrs. Bean is a Teacher-Consultant with the Lake Michigan Writing Project as well as the Region 3 Representative on the Michigan Reading Association’s board of directors. Mrs. Bean has taught elementary students for 24 years and has loved every minute! When she is not at school, Mrs. Bean enjoys spending time with her three beautiful daughters and her wonderful husband, reading, writing and baking.

BEN BAILEY

GR Middle School (July 8-11)

Mr. Bailey teachers at Northern Trails in Forest Hills. He earned his B.S. in Journalism from Grand Valley State University. He spent several years as a freelance writer/photographer. His writing and technological skills were used when he worked several years as a writer, copy editor, page designer, and assistant sports editor. After several years, Mr. Bailey then completed the Graduate Teaching Certification at Grand Valley in elementary education. The outdoor lover later received his Masters (Education) from Grand Valley. He has been teaching sixth-grade for eight years. He teaches Reading, Language Arts, and Science. Mr. Bailey became a Lake Michigan Teacher Consultant in 2013. When away from school, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons, camping, fishing, or running.

CHELSEA BASHORE

GR Middle School (June 24-27)

Chelsea Bashore is a sixth grade teacher at Ridge Park Charter Academy in Grand Rapids. She graduated from Grand Valley State University with a B.A in Elementary Education and English. After falling in love with social justice and reaching the needs of diverse learners, Chelsea moved to Chicago where she taught English and Social Studies to middle schoolers for three years. After wanting to be nearer to her adorable niece ( and now nephew) she came back to Grand Rapids to teacher, as well as pursuing a Masters in Literacy Studies to become a Reading Specialist. Chelsea is a Lake Michigan Writing Project Alumna of 2018. She is obsessed with reading and avidly tries to finish at least one novel a week. Her hopes and dreams include becoming a YA novelist or poet, and planting a garden that survives a whole summer. 

KIM BOLT

GR Middle School (June 24-27)

Mrs. Bolt currently teaches English at Grand Rapids Community College, although she has also taught elementary, middle school, high school and online education. Despite her wide background of teaching experiences, she still claims that middle school is her favorite age because of their willingness to wonder and explore with writing while having enough skills and foundations to add solid techniques to paper. She has been a part of the Lake Michigan Writing Project since 2005 and loves collaborating with fellow teachers on best practices for writing and instruction. Her own education involves a BA from Calvin College in secondary education and a Masters from Grand Valley State University. At home she spends her time raising three children, running and reading “nonstop” (according to her kids). Mrs. Bolt currently teaches English at Grand Rapids Community College, although she has also taught elementary, middle school, high school and online education. Despite her wide background of teaching experiences, she still claims that middle school is her favorite age because of their willingness to wonder and explore with writing while having enough skills and foundations to add solid techniques to paper.  She has been a part of the Lake Michigan Writing Project since 2005 and loves collaborating with fellow teachers on best practices for writing and instruction. Her own education involves a BA from Calvin College in secondary education and a Masters from Grand Valley State University. At home she spends her time raising three children, running and reading “nonstop” (according to her kids).

HEATHER BREWER

Allendale

Mrs. Brewer earned her bachelor's degree in English and French Education from Northern Michigan University and a master's degree in Secondary Education Curriculum and Instruction from Marygrove College. She has taught English and French at Spring Lake Middle School for 11 years. As a Teacher Consultant with the Lake Michigan Writing Project, she has led several Advanced Institutes in writing for teachers. She is excited to work with students this summer. Personally, she enjoys writing memoirs, poetry, and short stories above all else. In her free time, she enjoys reading, playing with her two young children, and spending time with her husband.

BETHANY BURNETT

Plainwell

Mrs. Burnett attended Michigan State University for her English and teaching degrees. She has a Master's Degree in Teacher and Curriculum from Michigan State University and is currently working on a second Master's in Educational Leadership. Mrs. Burnett teaches 5th grade at Dawson Elementary School in Allegan and is a Teacher-Consultant with the Lake Michigan Writing Project. In her free time, she enjoys mountain biking, running, walking her dog and spending time with her husband and three young children.

AMY CROEL-PERRIEN

GR Elementary (June 24-27)

Amy Croel-Perrien has been associated with the Lake Michigan Writing Project since 2017. A doctoral candidate in the Curriculum, Instruction, and Teacher Education department through Michigan State University, Amy specializes in literacy. Her dissertation explores the relationship between mentor teachers and student teachers. After completing her teacher training at GVSU in the mid-90s, Amy earned her Montessori credentials for ages 6-12; she taught at charter, private, and public Montessori schools all around West Michigan. Since 2013, Amy has been teaching and studying at MSU. Amy and her husband have two teenage daughters. The family volunteers in animal rescue and whenever possible, love to travel. 

KERRIE DEBOER

GR Elementary (July 8-11)

Ms. DeBoer has been happily teaching for 26 years. She has taught middle school, 6^th grade, 5^th grade, 3^rd grade, and 1^st grade. She is currently teaching her favorite grade level, first, at Collins Elementary. Ms. DeBoer graduated with her Bachelors Degree in Education from the University of Michigan. She has a Masters from Western Michigan University and continues coursework through GVSU. Ms. DeBoer enjoys spending time at home with her two teenagers. She escapes in books, writing, yoga, and traveling to the mountains.

LISA DOLINSKI

GR Middle School (July 8-11)

Mrs. Dolinski currently teaches 7th and 8th grade ELA at Baseline Middle School in South Haven.  She is currently in her 29th year of teaching and loves being with middle schoolers. She is a graduate of the GVSU 2016 Summer Writing Institute.  She graduated from CMU with her undergraduate degree in English. Her graduate work was at GVSU with a Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction. She has the honor of working with her oldest daughter, who is a special education teacher at Baseline.  Her youngest daughter is a biologist in the Upper Peninsula. She loves writing, reading and spending time at Lake Michigan.  

LEANNE FEUERSTEIN

Belding

Mrs. Feuerstein attended Central Michigan University for her undergraduate work, and is currently finishing her Masters in Reading through Grand Valley State University. She teaches 4th Grade at Woodview Elementary in Belding, and has for the last 6 years. Mrs. Feuerstein and her husband have a 2 year old daughter, and are currently awaiting the arrival of baby number two. Mrs. Feuerstein and her husband enjoy going to Michigan Football games every fall her hobbies in her spare time are: spending time with her family, reading, writing, playing golf and walking.

TERRI FORTMEYER

Holland

Mrs. Fortmeyer attended Liberty University (Music Education) and then received her Bachelor's degree (Language Arts/Elementary Education) and her Master's degree (Reading) at Grand Valley State University. She teaches third grade at North Muskegon Elementary and enjoys collaborating with others as a Teacher-Consultant with the Lake Michigan Writing Project. In her free time, she enjoys music, playing keyboard with her church's worship team and gospel jazz group, reading, writing, baking, and traveling with her husband and family.

LAURA KOZMINSKI

GR Elementary (June 24-27)

Mrs. Kozminski teaches at Grand Rapids Community College, but previously taught high school English. She earned her B.A. in English Literature from Northwestern University and her M.A. in Secondary Education from the University of Michigan. She is a proud alumni of the Lake Michigan Writer's Program, 2018. She loves teaching writing and enjoys writing her own poetry and short stories. She is looking forward to her first summer teaching student writers at GVSU!

JAN LAMBORNE

Belding

Mrs. Lamborne received her Masters Degree from Central Michigan University, in fact, her husband and three children are also CMU grads. She teaches first grade at Ellis Elementary School in Belding. She loves spending time with her family and is fortunate enough to have her children and grandchildren living close to her. Some of Mrs. Lamborne's favorite things to do are reading, writing, spending time in her garden, going for walks, bike rides and enjoying her friends.

SUNDAY LOPEZ

GR Elementary (July 9-12)

Bio coming soon!

DUSTIN MORLEY

GR High School

Dustin Morley currently teaches 7th and 8th grade Language Arts at Jenison Junior High School. He has been teaching for eight years, including three years in the Detroit area and five years in West Michigan. He graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2011 and became part of the Lake Michigan Writing Project (LMWP) during the summer of 2016. He was part of a group from the LMWP that presented at the National Conference for Teachers of English in St. Louis during the fall of 2017. He has also been part of the Literacy Network through the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District for three years. A few of his favorite things besides teaching include going on adventures with his wife (and often his dog), reading, writing, playing strategy games, being outside, baking anything with chocolate, and drinking coffee.

ANN OOSTERHOUSE

Allendale & GR High School

Ann Mahoney currently teaches AP Language and Composition at Grandville High School. She holds B.As in Professional Writing, English Language and Literature, and also a Master's of Secondary Education from Grand Valley State University, and she has been teaching for thirteen years. 

LYNN PATRICK

Holland

Mrs. Patrick earned her B.A. in Education with a writing emphasis from GVSU in 1995. She began her teaching career at Reeths-Puffer Public Schools in 1995 teaching third grade. Upon completion of her first Master's Degree in Reading with a K-12 Reading Endorsement in 1999 and a Reading Specialist certification, she left the classroom and became a district Reading Specialist for 7 years During this assignment, Mrs. Patrick completed her second Master's Degree in Educational Leadership in 2003. In 2008, she decided to return to the classroom and has taught first grade ever since. For two of those years, she taught a multiage first/second grade split. Mrs. Patrick attended  the Lake Michigan Writing Project Summer Institute in 2012. She became a Lake Michigan Teacher Consultant in 2012 and is active in teaching reading and writing outside of the classroom as well. In her down time, Mrs. Patrick enjoys spending time with her husband and family, taking long walks with friends, boating, writing children's stories, and reading great books.

KIRSTIN SHARMA

GR Middle School (July 8-11)

Kirstin Sharma has a bachelors for Aquinas College that focused in Social Studies, Poetry and ELA. She received her masters from Grand Valley State University in curriculum development and differentiation. Ms. Sharma is also a writing consultant through Lake Michigan Writing Project. Ms. Sharma loves to travel and has been to over 20 countries and has even taught in the National Schools in Ireland. She enjoys camping and the outdoors, and playing competitive soccer. Also, Ms. Sharma always enjoys being creative by refinishing furniture and tackling a good knitting project.  Ms. Sharma currently teaches 6th grade in Forest Hills Public Schools.

TAMMY TAYLOR

Allendale

Tammy Taylor earned her bachelor’s degree at Hope College and her master’s degree at GVSU.  She is a teacher consultant through the Lake Michigan Writing Project. After beginning her teaching career in Honduras, she returned to the States to teach English and Spanish at the high school level.  She teaches in Zeeland (Go Chix! Go Dux!) and lives on a small farm in Walker with her three almost-launched children and three alpacas. She enjoys reading, writing, and fantasizing about potential pen names.  Vestia Zen? Cariñosa Sueño? Agnes Fickel?

DAVID THEUNE

Spring Lake

Mr. Theune is a teacher, presenter, writer, and reader. He has been teaching English/Language Arts for fourteen years at Spring Lake High School. David has a wide variety of interests as he has held many positions with students outside of the classroom including a decade of theatre direction, four years as INTERACT supervisor, three years leading the ski club, and more. David loves sharing his educational journey from teacher-centered to student-centered through speaking at conferences around Michigan. He is active on Twitter (@DavidTheune) and on his blog (www.educationaltransformer.blogspot.com). He holds a Master's in Education from Grand Valley State University as well as Bachelor Degrees in English (GVSU) and Theatre (Hope College). David is an accredited Teaching Consultant through the Lake Michigan Writing Project, a branch of the National Writing Project. David finds value in traveling, writing, reading, and laughing--all of which he likes to do with his three energetic daughters and his loving wife, Nikki.

MEGGIN VERDUZCO

Plainwell

Mrs. Verduzco has a B.A in English from University of California at Santa Barbara and an Elementary Teaching Certificate from College of Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont, California. She taught 5-8th Grades in California before coming to Michigan.  She has worked as a State Level Facilitator for the Mi ELA Network for 4 years teaching Writing. She is certified as a Teacher Consultant for the National Writing Project. In 2016 she was awarded a fellowship for Lake Michigan Writing Project at GVSU. Mrs. Verduzco has experience teaching 3-5th grade for the last 9 years. In her free time she enjoys camping, reading and spending time with her husband and high school/ college age children. She is currently teaching 5th grade at Starr Elementary in Plainwell.