Meet the OLS Staff

Occupational and Life Skills

Marci Muhlestein, Program Manager

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Marci has worked in special education as an occupational therapist, behavior specialist focused on the spectrum of autism, assistive technology specialist, and most recently a transition specialist in the Issaquah School District.   She is honored to be part of such a progressive exciting program here at Bellevue College.  She believes that the students of OLS are very capable learners who will continue on their path to life long learning in this positive educational atmosphere.  Marci has a daughter in college at Seattle University.  

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Kathy Barron, Internship Specialist

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Kathy is motivated and eager to begin her new position here at OLS as the Internship Specialist. Kathy has a diverse background working with students with disabilities in both educational and work settings for over fifteen years. She teaches workforce-focused classes that provide opportunities to learn about a wide variety of career-related skills and tasks. 4th year student internships are developed with each individual student’s Dependable Strengths and skills in mind; each 198 hour internship is identified and arranged specific to the individual student's career pathway. When she is not at work, Kathy is volunteering, networking out in the community and spending time exercising. Kathy is a firm believer that we all should learn how to be happy with what we have, while we pursue all that we want.

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Becky Boberg, Support Staff

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Becky is responsible for the nuts and bolts of OLS operations. She particularly enjoys developing software tools to keep up with the creative explosion of teaching and learning happening throughout the program. She has a bachelors in math from UCLA. In her spare time, she reads voraciously, tutors math, knits, and keeps chipping away at reducing her family's ecological footprint.

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Genevieve Buss, Faculty

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Genevieve is passionate about working with individuals with disabilities.  Growing up in Canada, with a profoundly deaf family member, she was able to recognize, advocate and cherish the gifts that people with disabilities offer to all communities at an early age. Upon completing University education in Ontario, she worked as a Special Education teacher at the Secondary level. As she continued to learn new skills, develop relationships and specialize in working with individuals with disabilities, she focused her teaching practice on transition-to-work programs.  In addition, her professional portfolio includes Career Counselor at the college level, Tour Guide for global bicycle expeditions, and 'Best Cook' in the house!

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Donna Hudson, Faculty

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Donna has a masters degree in education, specializing in curriculum and instruction. She has worked in public education in Nashville, Tennessee and in Seattle, Washington. Donna has taught elementary education, middle school and served as a school principal. She is known for her desire to educate the whole person and for holding herself and students accountable. Donna loves to teach and to support students in their learning. She is drawn to the Bellevue College, OLS Program because of its mission and vision for adults with disabilities and its philosophy of teaching. Donna believes all students are successful learners.

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Stefanie Knight, Office Assistant

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Stefanie is thrilled to be a new member of the OLS team. In the past she has worked in the non-profit sector with urban youth and programs that promote cultural diversity and awareness. She has a BA in English from the University of Minnesota and has had additional coursework in Education and tutoring ESL. Having three children of her own keeps her busy and she has volunteered in both the Issaquah and Northshore School Districts. She is excited to be a part of such a unique and progressive program here at Bellevue College.

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Marie Koole, Faculty

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Marie has a Masters degree in Adult Education with a concentration in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling. She brings over 18 years of experience working in Higher Education and Workforce Training & Education Programs. Marie was an Instructor /Supported Employment Specialist at Highline Community College for 7 years and a Program Manager at the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County for 11 years. She believes in the ability of each person to achieve self-sufficiency and is excited to design learning experiences dedicated to meeting the needs of the students through courses which address work readiness, career advancement, lifelong learning, and personal enrichment opportunities.

Marie has also served as a Board Member for the King County Department of Developmental Disabilities and is an active volunteer in the Northshore School District. An important aspect of her life is family-she enjoys skiing, biking, camping, and geocaching with her husband and two children.

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Nicholas Michiels, Faculty

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Nicholas has his Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling from Western Michigan University. Having recently moved to Washington, he spends a lot of his time trying to establish activities that support his values and interests. Nicholas enjoys volunteering, music, sports, dance, and maritime activities. He is new to the OLS team, and is excited to explore the psychosocial aspects of the Disability Community with students in the group/classroom setting. Nicholas primarily identifies as a member of the Disability Community, and firmly believes that living a life with disabilities is a valuable experience within the human condition.

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Barbara Mullen, Faculty

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Barbara Mullen is new to OLS this year teaching Critical Thinking Through Media. She is also new to the Seattle area. She recently moved from Chicago, Illinois where she was a Special Education Teacher with Chicago Public Schools. Prior to her time in education, Barbara spent a the early stages of her professional career in the public relations and advertising sector working for brands such as Unilever, YUM! and Viacom television. Barbara brings her love for teaching and passion for mass communications to the classroom through the OLS program. She loves living in Bellevue and enjoys spending time catching up on news and taking care of her 16 month old daughter Lillian.

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Jaya Ramesh, Faculty

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Jaya has a Masters in Environmental Anthropology from the University of Washington. She has a broad range of experiences within the environmental field, teaching and working with diverse groups of people. Not only has she worked for non-profits like Greenpeace and the Public Interest Research Group, she has also taught at Echo Glen Juvenile Detention Center in Issaquah and at the University of Maryland as a Biological Anthropological Teaching Assistant. Jaya is passionate about teaching and brings enthusiasm and a love of learning to her classrooms.

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Nathan Schloetel, Faculty: Workforce & Personal Finance

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Nathan brings a variety of work and educational experiences to OLS. He combines a Master of Fine Arts degree with practical experiences in various career fields, including six years as a vocational services program manager. If there is one sentence that sums him up, it would be: Nathan is passionate about helping others exceed their own expectations.

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Sean Trudeau, Counselor

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Sean is excited to be a new member of the OLS staff. He has a Masters in Education/Mental Health Counseling from Seattle University. He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with experience counseling young adults in both private practice and school settings. He enjoys living in the Northwest and often ventures out on the weekends to hike and explore the wilderness. Sean is dedicated to serving the students of OLS and hopes to make a positive impact within the program.

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Evelyn Vidal-Armour, Faculty: Visual Thinking

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Evelyn has worked as an artist and art teacher for over 25 years. She graduated from the University of Arizona with a Bachelor's in Art Education and an Art Specialist Endorsement. She has traveled throughout the world visiting art museums and historical places. She has taught all grade levels in Arizona and in Washington, with the last 12 years at BEST High School, a choice school in the Lake Washington School District. Evelyn loves to work with OLS students because they are enthusiastic and eager to learn. During the six years that she has taught for Venture, she has been proud to be a part of the students' and the program's growth.

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Bradetta Vines, Faculty

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Bradetta began teaching theatre in the early 90s. She began as an acting and audition coach. While working as an actress she toured with Seattle Public Theatre and taught workshops in a formal school setting. This inspired her to work as a teacher director at the High School level, then for Western Washington University and finally at Bellevue College. Teaching for OLS has been rewarding and inspiring. She hopes to see you all at the theatre!

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Ken Wright, Faculty: Mind and Body Awareness Courses

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Ken has been teaching physical education courses at OLS for four years. He has been teaching Martial Arts for the last 28 years in Southern California, Hawaii, and in the Seattle area since 1995. His specialties these days are Taijiquan, Qigong, and interactive Taiji. He considers teaching at OLS to be the highlight of the twenty classes he teaches per week.

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