Our Team Members

Ms. Jenn Carson is originally from Temagami, ON and moved around during her childhood before settling down in Kenora, ON. She lived there until she was 18 years of age, when she moved to Halifax for University. She lived there the longest and as a result, Halifax feels like home to her.

She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (Halifax) and studied and practiced the Foundations of Enki Education. Enki is similar to Waldorf, but focuses on Shambhala Buddhism as the philosophical base to the education. Currently, Jenn is enrolled in the West Coast Institute’s Waldorf Teacher training program.

After graduating from University, she worked as a freelance music journalist, assisted in several art studios and taught art at various schools throughout Halifax. She was a Primary Class (Kindergarten) Assistant at the Shambhala School of Halifax, Junior Primary Assistant at the Sacred Heart School of Halifax, as well as their after-school program and extracurricular coordinator. Prior to working in education, she was a coffee roaster/barista for a time.

While living in Nova Scotia, Jenn worked with Soil Mates Farm (formerly Abundance Cooperative). She pioneered the NSCAD mural project, hosted art shows and music performances. Currently, she is working with Little & Sage to create educational activities based on play and art for children and their parents at home.

After moving to BC from the East Coast, she knew that she wanted to stay in BC as there are more opportunities to practice Waldorf education. She saw the opening at Okanagan Waldorf School and started to look into the background of the school and noticed that it originated as a farm school. Having worked on a farm in Nova Scotia for four years, this was the biggest draw for her; combining mindful education in a beautiful setting created with intention, and fostering a strong community. Her parents now live in BC as well and she notes that it is wonderful to be in the same province with them again.

Since moving to Vernon, she has been exploring the area through hiking and biking. In the summer she enjoys paddle boarding, creating art installations for festivals using the landscape/setting to inspire what is created, and loves yoga. Jenn does a lot of musical collaborations with friends, enjoys reading for both pleasure and learning, being active, studying herbs and plant medicines and making salves, soaps and lotions for varying health and body needs.

Ms. LiShan Chu was born and raised in the small island country of Taiwan.  She grew up in a harbor city in the South surrounded by coconut trees, palms, huge cargo ships and juicy tropical fruit.  She and her five siblings attended public school from kindergarten through to university. LiShan’s mom loved to travel and she always took LiShan with her.  Her mother didn’t speak English so LiShan got the chance to practice speaking English while on these trips. LiShan wrote numerous travel stories, and many of them were published in the newspaper at that time. 

When Ms. Chu was in university, she volunteered to work with the aboriginal children in the mountains of Taiwan. She loved the place and the children very much and traveled more than 8 hours each week to visit them. She developed a close relationship with the people in the mountains. They gave her a traditional name- Yagu, which means ‘the person is blessed’. Because of the experience with this mountain community and particularly the children, she realized how much she enjoyed working with children and the seed was planted for her future work.

LiShan has a Bachelor’s Degree in Ethnology and a Minor in Psychology from Taiwan. She went on to complete her middle/high school teaching license. After two years of teaching in Taiwan, she moved to the United Stated where she first worked in Camphill Copake, NY, then in Camphill School, PA. After five years of study and practicum, she completed the 5 year Curative Education Program certificate from Camphill Academy, PA. In addition, she got her grade school Waldorf teacher certificate from Rudolf Steiner Center, Toronto. This summer she will complete her thesis and get her Master’s degree in the Transdisciplinary Healing Education program from Antioch University, NH. Aside from the studies in Waldorf and Curative Education, she also completed the Anthroposophic Psychology program (3 years) and Rhythmical Einreibungen (level 3). The Rhythmical Einreibungen is a gentle therapeutic massage that follows the principles of Anthroposophy.

While working at the Camphill School, PA, she worked with children with special needs in the home, school, and occupational setting. In the home setting, she supported children with special needs in their everyday lives in an Anthroposophical manner. It included everything from personal hygiene, self care skills, food preparation, recreational activities and festivals.  In the school setting, she worked with children with special needs as an educational assistant (2 years), a handwork teacher (1 year), and as a high school class teacher (2 years). In the occupational setting she assisted the high school wood workshop for a year.

After working for five years in the U.S., LiShan wanted to experience life in Canada and also knew she wanted to continue working in Anthroposophy. There were many schools looking for faculty, but she says destiny brought her here to The Bridge Educational Society. She joined our campus staff in the summer of 2021 and was the grades 6-8 class assistant that school year.  

Currently LiShan also works with an autistic young person in art and personal care. Additionally, this summer she has joined the Vernon Community Art Center as a wool painting art class instructor.

LiShan’s partner Jonas is from Southern France. They moved here to experience life in Canada together. She loves making all kinds of art but mostly works in crochet, embroidery, wool painting, needle felt, paper art, pastel drawing and watercolor. She notes that she always has her yarn and needles in her bag, and she crafts whenever she has time.

Ms. Barbara Articus has worn many hats over the years at our little school and has been a beloved member of our organization since 2005 when Cedar Bridge School (Okanagan Waldorf School) was only an inspired idea. She found her way to us when her daughter saw a notice looking for people who may be interested in supporting a Waldorf initiative in the Lumby area, and she replied. She has been part of the community ever since. Barbara shares that she was drawn to being a part of this initiative because of her love for the Waldorf world with its wonderful curriculum, as well as Anthroposophy. She developed a deep connection to both while she still resided in Europe, and it lives in her to this day. Barbara enjoys the way the faculty work together here and the way the children and human beings are seen and held within the light of Anthroposophy.

Barbara grew up in a village in the Southern part of Germany, near the Black Forest region. She and her family moved to the Lumby area in 1991. While still living in Germany, she completed a degree in Art Therapy with an Anthroposophical/Waldorf background (B.A. equivalent in Canada) which she has since studied continually. Upon graduation, she worked with individuals and groups as an Art Therapist. She and her family moved to Canada when her oldest child was a toddler, where she and her husband bought an acreage outside of Lumby and began farming. She raised and homeschooled both her children with Waldorf curriculum.

Barbara and her husband continue to live on the farm with their family which now includes her daughter who is in university, her son with his wife and three daughters as well as a cat, dogs, chickens, alpacas, and sheep.

In her free time Barbara enjoys working with fibers of all sorts, particularly spinning, weaving, toy making, felting, dyeing, knitting and more. She offers some of her toys, ornaments, and garments in our school store. She enjoys working in her garden, walks with friends in nature, reading, baking, and playing with her grandchildren.

Ms. Kim Seymour grew up in Vernon BC and has lived in Lumby with her husband for the last nine years. They have two children, as well as two dogs and one loveable cat named Mittens. They enjoy caring for their 20+ chickens and will soon be adding a few ducks to their hobby farm.

In highschool, Kim developed a passion for Visual Arts, Woodworking, and Earth and Environmental Science. As a teen and young adult, she would often volunteer in highschool and elementary classrooms. She has worked in child care, the restaurant industry, retail, and grocery stores. When she was a University student she worked for the City of Vernon planting and caring for the gardens in Polsen Park for a time, as well as other outdoor jobs.

Kim has completed her Bachelor of Arts Majoring in Geography (Earth and Environmental Sciences) and has a Minor in English Literature from UBCO. She completed her Bachelor of Elementary Education in 2011. Kim was a Kindergarten classroom assistant, then the grades 4&5 teacher at the Okanagan Indian Band Cultural Immersion School from 2011-2015 collectively. She has worked as a substitute teacher for School District #22.

She found her way to our organization when her son began preschool at Okanagan Waldorf School in 2014 where she immediately loved the forest and farm environment, as well as the homelike warmth of the campus. She began her journey learning about Waldorf education and the work of Rudolf Steiner. Soon, she was offered an opportunity to teach here. She began her Waldorf Teacher Training in 2015 and felt a connection to the pedagogy and approach that Waldorf education offers. As a teacher at Okanagan Waldorf School, she loves being able to share both her scientific and artistic passions for the arts, the forest, the land, native vegetation and gardening with the children, inspiring creativity, curiosity and wonder.

Kim is an active member of the Grounds and Garden Committee on our campus. In her free time, she enjoys knitting, hobby farming, hiking, adventuring, camping, fishing, gardening, reading, supporting local markets/events and sometimes she and her mom enter markets with their arts and crafts.

Ms. Mitsuyo Kaneda grew up in a rural area of the Niigata prefecture in Japan, located between the ocean and the mountains. She comes from a family of Shinto priests who are entrusted to maintain the relationship between humans and nature. She has been fascinated with finding out that many views and principles are shared between Shintoism and Waldorf Education principles and would like to introduce many cultural activities to students that serve artistic, social, benevolent, and integrated environmental purposes.

Mitsuyo shares that Okanagan Waldorf School reminds her of the fond memories she has of the rural school she attended as a child. She enjoys teaching at our school and is very excited to be able to share her culture and her language with people who appreciate learning something new and different.

Mitsuyo has been involved in the Vernon Japanese Cultural Society where she has taught the Japanese language and culture to children at the Vernon Heritage School and to high school students and adults in recent years.

Mitsuyo has a BA Major in Woodcut Print and Art Education from Musashino Art University in Tokyo. She has completed educational courses in Assessment for Learning in the Secondary Classroom as well as Culture of the School at UBC. In Japan she taught Fine Arts and English in junior and high school. In Canada she has taught the Japanese language course at Okanagan College, University of British Columbia and Thompson Rivers University.

When she is not at work, Mitsuyo really enjoys caring for her granddaughter, and admits that her dog and two cats are the best babysitters. She enjoys being outdoors – hiking, running, biking, lake swimming, and cross country and backcountry skiing. Her goal in 2021 is to participate in a 50 km trail running race in September and a Honolulu full marathon in December. She also loves to sing and is a member of the Aura Chamber Choir and Ancora Women’s Ensemble.

Ms. Jana Palmer was born and raised in Zagreb, the capital of Croatia. Her father is a professor of Music Composition at the University, and her mother was a Chinese language teacher and translator. She has a sister who is in Early Childhood Education. Jana shares that Zagreb is an amazing city with a thousand-year history. The country itself was heavily influenced by the Austro-Hungarian empire in the North, the Ottoman Empire in the East, and the Venetian Republic on the coast. Each region of Croatia tells the story of that influence, both in the culture and the language which varied greatly from region to region to the point that communication between regions can be challenging and bring a lot of funny situations.

Jana was a teenager when Croatia went through a horrible 4 year long war for independence. Her family lived from one air raid/emergency siren to another, hiding in emergency shelters each day and listening to distant airplane bullets every night. Zagreb wasn’t as destroyed as other parts of Croatia, but the city and its outskirts did get bombed and war was a very real and present fear when she was 14. She shares that it feels like she is telling someone else’s story now, all these years later. Aside from the war, she shares that she had a very happy childhood, and grew up on the mountain above Zagreb in nature, surrounded by a very loving family, full of music and art which influenced the direction of her life.

In 2004 Jana received her master’s degree in Musicology and Ethnomusicology, in 2006 she received her Croatian Teaching Certificate and in 2021 she received her BC Independent School Teaching Certificate. At University in Croatia, she also pursued a strong interest of hers and received a certificate for Music Therapy. Jana has also been a PADI Scuba diving instructor and Emergency First Response instructor since 2007.

She has been teaching music for over 20 years, since she herself was a student. She began as a piano teacher in a private studio, then as a high school teacher. At the high school she taught Music Appreciation classes, Music Therapy classes, led a school choir and rock band, and produced a few major fundraising musicals with children. She also worked for the Croatian National Radio and had a monthly 90 minute show about film music and composers for a couple of years.

After some time, she decided to take a short break from teaching music and relocated to the British Virgin Islands to teach scuba diving. She worked for a small diving company and enjoyed daily dive trips, drove boats, soaked in the sun, fought a couple of category 5 hurricanes and when she finally lost a battle with mosquitoes she decided to put her pirate hat down and went back to music. She worked as a K-6 music teacher in the Caribbean for 5 years. During this time she met her husband, and in 2019 they moved to Lumby, BC which is his hometown.

She was drawn to our school because of its location, nature, and because of the Waldorf curriculum and philosophy. Currently, Jana is the Grades Music teacher and flexibly works where she is needed on our campus. She owns a private music studio through which she teaches piano and music theory in Lumby.

Jana lives with her husband and daughter, her in-laws, 3 dogs and a cat. In her free time, Jana enjoys camping, reading, playing instruments, swimming and diving.

Please visit again soon…

Ms. Hana Lebo was born in Pasadena, CA and when she was 10 years old her family moved to Vancouver. They enjoyed city life which was rich in culture, diversity and coastal living. 

Her work history includes several years of study and employment in the hospitality/culinary industry as a private chef on a yacht and barge, movie caterer and remote camp chef. She shares that she loves cooking in unique ever-changing environments. After her culinary years, she dove into a diploma in Business Administration and Human Resources. Hana expresses a passion for lifelong learning, strategic management and organizational efficiency while prioritizing true interpersonal connections.

Hana loves to travel and embrace rich culture and community, she has traveled with her backpack to 27 countries. Upon her return to Canada, she met her partner Patrick and they soon settled in Lake Country. In time they discovered the beautiful Lavington area and knew this was where they wanted to be, and eventually made the move to the area. 

After becoming a parent, she worked with the Family Resource Center as a co-facilitator in parent and child programs. She fell in love with early childhood and connecting with families. In 2017 she became an Early Childhood Educator Assistant (ECEA) and followed with her Montessori 3-6 Diploma. In this role, she ran the Daffodil Cafe, a culinary program at a Montessori preschool, providing fun hands-on culinary activities for her students while embracing her passion for food, farm-to-table and global pallet.

As a young mother Hana discovered The Bridge Land for Learning in 2015 (then named Cedar Bridge School) and she made a conscious effort to remain connected as a community member,  by taking part with her daughter and friends in open festivals until they could move closer and enrol. She would leave these events with a sense of community and awe.

Hana has followed the development of the Early Years Centre and the ambitious beautiful space since construction began. She decided to pursue employment with our organization and was hired in the early summer of 2020. In 2021 Hana completed her full Early Childhood Educator Certification with Honors and she is continuing her Waldorf birth to seven certification with joy and dedication.

She expresses that she looks forward to further opportunities and connections with families in our community, as she engages and explores her love for the rhythm and festivals through the seasons of each year.

In her spare time Hana enjoys time with her family, board games, swimming, hiking, paddleboarding with her daughter, backyard potlucks with friends and snuggling with her pets.

Please visit again soon…

Ms. Vanessa Riddick originally hails from England. She moved here over 30 years ago and has lived in various locations throughout the North Okanagan, and arrived in the Lumby area about 8 years ago. She initially trained as an occupational therapist in the United Kingdom and specialized in the mental health field. Prior to working at The Bridge Educational Society, she worked at the Vernon Jubilee and CMHA, while raising three children on a hobby farm in the Lumby/Cherryville area.

Vanessa completed her ECE certificate training at Okanagan College in August 2020.  She has since completed her Infant/Toddler diploma and is currently enrolled in the Waldorf Early Years training through the West Coast Institute. Vanessa first connected with The Bridge Educational Society when she participated as a practicum student on our campus and observed a seasoned Waldorf ECE educator in the preschool setting and felt immediately intrigued by the unique learning environment provided for the children. She has been employed with The Bridge Educational Society since September 2020. 

Outside of her employment at the Early Years Centre, Vanessa is on the Lumby Christian Church Leadership committee and runs the nursery at the church. 

When asked about leisure activities, Vanessa notes that her day is not complete without some fresh air. She does a lot of local walks/hikes, yoga, aquafit, lane swimming, ladies’ bible study, cross stitch, enjoys reading, watercolor, making cards, and pencil drawing. Canoeing is her new aspiring interest since participating in a staff canoe retreat. Her favorite times will always be the precious moments she gets to spend with her children when they visit; this usually involves food, another love of hers.

A future aspiration is to become an advocate for children’s mental health in some capacity. She would also love to travel as a Waldorf Teacher and work in various locations around the world.

Ms. Jillian Martin was born in Calgary, AB then lived in the Lower Mainland until the summer of 2015. She worked in the Natural Health Food Industry for 13 years, where she spent considerable time working in and managing the Vitamin Departments of several stores in both Calgary and Vancouver.

Jillian lives with her husband and two daughters. She began her teaching career by homeschooling her eldest daughter for Kindergarten and Grade One. Her family decided to make the move to the Okanagan to enroll their children at Cedar Bridge School (now Okanagan Waldorf School). Jillian then decided to continue her educational journey to become a Waldorf Teacher because of her dedication and commitment to Waldorf Education.
Jillian first joined The Bridge Educational Society faculty in the spring of 2016 as a class assistant and then continued on as kindergarten assistant for several years. The 2019/2020 school year was the first year that she took on the role of lead teacher, where she taught the Grade Three and Four class. She is currently the Grade One lead teacher at Okanagan Waldorf School.

Jillian has completed her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Calgary and her Waldorf Grades Certificate through West Coast Institute. She is currently working to be a Waldorf Learning Support Teacher, through Waldorf Learning Support.

In her free time, Jillian loves hiking, snowboarding, paddle boarding, gardening and caring for her family’s chickens.

Ms. Jen de Bourcier grew up on a family farm in the Nicola Valley, just outside of Merritt, BC. She moved to the Lower Mainland to attend University, then to Victoria where she lived for 10 years. When their oldest child was three, she and her husband moved to their current home near the school. They have three children.

Jen’s family first came to Cedar Bridge School (recently renamed Okanagan Waldorf School) in 2006, when her oldest child began attending preschool. The Waldorf approach resonated with her, and she was drawn to working alongside the other families involved, to create a school with a unique vision. She and her husband were involved in many aspects of developing and building the school in the early years. Jen became a board member a couple years in.
Currently, Jen is the Family Engagement Coordinator in the Administration office, a Board member and the Parent Association chair. In her role in the office she puts together the newsletter, coordinates volunteers, organizes certain events including some fundraisers, and more. She is dedicated to offering parents avenues to engage in meaningful ways, which develops and enriches both the organization itself, and ultimately the families it serves. She is excited about the developing Parent Association and looks forward to connecting parents to unique learning opportunities that are in line with The Bridge Educational Society’s Founding Principles and Mission.

In the summers, Jen has a large garden where she loves to grow dahlias and cut flowers, fruit and vegetables. Her garden is a source of joy. She also enjoys reading, fiber art, swimming, harp, painting, caring for animals, and raising her family. She is on a lifelong journey to discover how to create a balanced life which includes physical, spiritual, emotional, mental, social and creative wellness.

Please visit again soon…

Ms. Nikki Wallace was born in Fort St. John, BC, and grew up mostly in Kenora, ON.  She moved to Lavington three years ago, from Kelowna.  

In 2002 Nikki completed the Accounting Technician Program at the University of the Cariboo. She has gained considerable business and finance administration experience since then. Before becoming employed at The Bridge Educational Society, she worked as the Finance Coordinator for the Kelowna Women’s Shelter for 4.5 years. Nikki joined The Bridge Educational Society in September of 2021 as our Business Financial Administrator. This role includes duties such as preparing and maintaining budgets and forecasts, reconciling accounts, entering invoices/receipts, maintaining the accounts payables, and preparing deposits as well as other various financial reporting for the Society.

Nikki shared that she was attracted to working at The Bridge Educational Society because it was close to home and that she had never worked in a school setting before. She had not experienced Waldorf education, and she welcomed the new and exciting journey.

Nikki lives with her three school-aged children and they share their home with their two dogs. In her spare time, Nikki loves to travel, take photos, play with her children and dogs, walk/hike and experience new adventures.

Ms. Christie Bachelder was born and raised in the Okanagan. She was born in Kelowna and raised in Salmon Arm. After completing her early childhood education on Vancouver Island, she and her husband moved to this area and they currently live in Lavington. They have four wonderful children aged 13-23 years.

Christie completed her Infant and Toddler/ Special Needs Diploma from the College of the Rockies in 2020. She originally came to us in 2014 working as a preschool assistant and kindergarten assistant. At that time Christe also took the first year of Waldorf teacher training through West Coast Institute. In 2017 she moved on and taught preschool for the Village of Lumby where she met many wonderful families and coworkers, some of whom she invited and who came with her when she returned to our campus in 2020 as the Early Years Centre Manager. In this role, Christie has helped to facilitate the childcare programs, hire, train, and support the amazing staff in the Early Years Centre, and strives to support the children and their families in our community. 

Christie shares that what attracted her to working for The Bridge Educational Society is the Waldorf pedagogy and the wonder of children learning about themselves and all the amazing things they are capable of. She notes that this location is close to her home which makes for a nice easy commute.

Christie has been and continues to be, a volunteer in many capacities. She has volunteered for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in many leadership and service capacities. She has volunteered for Girl Guides/Boy Scouts of Canada, as well as been active in the Lavington Community Association. Over the years she has participated frequently in School District 22 PAC events and groups.

When asked about her hobbies and interests she shares that her children would say her favorite pastime is sleeping, but she really does enjoy spending her spare time gardening, building, constructing, reading, and hiking.

Mr. Paul McArdle was born and raised in Liverpool, United Kingdom. He began his working career as a Gamekeeper’s Assistant on Lord Derby’s estate in Liverpool. He always had a working dog, ferrets, and polecats in his life from the age of 10. He shares that animals are what kept him outside, in the woods.  

When he was 16 he moved from England to Wales to join the family business of butchering.  After three months, he was running the butcher shop in a little Welsh village called Llanymynech.

He left the butcher shop at 18 and started life in the building trade. He got his Finishing Carpentry Certification from Uk College. His first reno job was working on Powis Castle in Welshpool. He has worked with wood and other building materials ever since. In June 2012 Paul, his wife, and their two children relocated to Canada from Shropshire. They believed they would all have more opportunities here. Paul has been a self-employed carpenter for the last 13 years. 

Paul shares that he became employed at our campus by accident when a friend gave his name to Ms. Thiessen as a good candidate for our Facilities Manager position. If you know Paul, you will be able to hear his wit and humor shining through there. He became employed here in September 2019. Paul shares that what attracted him to our campus is the location, the Waldorf school, and that he wishes he had gone to a school like this when he was a boy.

Paul’s role on our Campus covers a broad range of responsibilities. He is a member of the Campus Development Committee and is a point person for the different infrastructure and physical systems on campus including water, septic, HVAC, electrical, alarm system, buildings, roadways, physical development, and much more. He oversees their maintenance, safety, and operational standards. He also repairs all manner of items from chairs, signs, latches, fences, and beyond. 

Paul is a keen Footballer (Soccer) player and supporter of his birthplace team, the Everton Football Club, which was founded in 1878. He and his wife live in Coldstream where he is finishing up an extensive renovation of their home. They have a whippet and a few chickens. In his spare time, Paul loves to enjoy the outdoors, wildlife, fishing, and spending time with his family and friends.