Hershey Montessori Staff

Bio coming soon.

Bio coming soon.

Wes has been teaching in independent schools since he graduated from The University of Virginia with a BS in Biological Chemistry in 2005.  He began his teaching career teaching upper school sciences and athletics at Woodberry Forest School in Virginia followed by 11 years at Hawken School in Gates Mills, OH.  He is a native to Huntsburg, Ohio, and grew up only a few minutes away from Hershey’s Adolescent Campus.  Wes completed his AMI Certification for the NAMTA Adolescent Studies and is began his work at Hershey in 2018 as the Upper School Coordinator and a guide for Upper School sciences.

A.J. grew up in Chardon and resides in Burton with his wife Tracy and their son Ben who is a student at the Hershey Upper School.  Currently he is the Whole School Facilities Manager for Hershey, managing the Concord and Huntsburg campuses.  He worked in the construction industry for twenty years, including six years living in the Catskill mountains in New York learning the timber framing, plumbing, stone masonry and heavy equipment trades.  A.J. enjoys being outdoors, mountains, streams, golfing, motorcycles and cooking. 

Aaron grew up in Mentor-on-the-Lake, Ohio and attended John Carroll University and Lake Erie College earning a degree in History. He was a two-sport athlete at JCU playing baseball and basketball. Aaron is in his eighteenth year with the United States Coast Guard as a reserve at Station Cleveland Harbor, Ohio. The past two years he worked part-time at the Middle School teach Humanities and Physical Expression. This year, Aaron is a full-time guide and classroom assistant at the Middle School. He has a family of five. His wife Michelle is a lead guide at the farm. Their oldest son was born in Puerto Rico and their twin sons were born in Burlington, Vermont. Aaron enjoys coaching the Riverside Youth Travel Soccer Team and is a member of the Riverside Riverhawks Youth Football Board. He also sells real estate for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Professional Realty on the Michael Kaim Team in Mentor, Ohio. Aaron is an ordained minister and conducts wedding ceremonies for family and friends.

With twenty years of experience teaching Spanish, predominantly at the middle and high school level, Dorene returns to Ohio after teaching in Chicago since 2013. Her prior experience teaching Spanish includes five years at Gilmour Academy’s middle and upper school. She spent seven years at Ruffing Montessori School in Rocky River, teaching elementary and middle school grades. In addition to teaching Spanish, she taught English as Second Language for seven years: five in Spain and two in the U.S. Dorene spent two years studying at la Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, outside of Madrid, as well as teaching English in Madrid for five years. She has developed high standards for teaching and engaging her students. Many of her students, who chose to compete in the National Spanish Exam, placed in the highest rankings over multiple years. Dorene holds the Montessori Orientation to Adolescent Training certificate, in addition to a Bachelor degree in Education and a Master degree in Spanish.

Matt brings twenty-six years of experience teaching environmental and related sciences to elementary through college level students. Beginning as a middle school science teacher and coach including three years at University School, Matt subsequently became the Director of the Center for Science Education, Hiram College, and coordinator of Environmental Outreach for Hiram College’s Field Stations, where he taught community education programs for elementary through adult learners. Serving as Adjunct Faculty at Hiram, Matt has been student teacher supervisor and mentor of teachers in the science education licensure program. . Matt and his wife, Roxanne, a teacher education professor at Hiram College, have two children who are now in third level education.

Doug taught English, World History, and Humanities at both middle and high school levels for the past ten years at Northwest Academy middle and high school in Portland, Oregon. He has also been teaching college credit English through Portland State University and began his career teaching writing as adjunct professor for a year there. He has published a middle grade novel, Finally, Something Mysterious, by Knopf Books, and anticipates the sequel to be published in 2022 in addition to many literary magazines and fiction writing honors and prizes. He has a passionate vision for theory, practice, assessment, and growth, for both teaching and learning. Doug is also looking forward to returning to his family roots in Hudson, Ohio, with his wife and two young children.

Lakisha joined Hershey Montessori School in August 2016 and completed her AMI 6-12 Montessori Orientation (also known as the AMI Montessori 6–12 Assistants Certificate) in May 2021. She graduated from Xavier University with a major in Communications and minor in Gender and Diversity Studies.  Prior to joining Hershey, Lakisha was the regional director for a national nonprofit focused on dropout prevention.  Additionally, Lakisha is a former college admissions professional and has worked in admissions at Macalester College, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, and Auburn University at Montgomery. The common thread to her professional career has been relationship building and service to students and adults from all life experiences. She is grateful to share the Hershey Montessori School journey with her spouse and three elementary aged children.