Staff Bios

Benjamin Wahl, MSW

Program Coordinator / Lead Facilitator

Ben has worked with children, adolescents and young adults for over fifteen years as the director of an outdoor education program and in a variety of other roles. In 2005, Ben founded the Aspiring Youth Program. Ben holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MSW from the University of Washington. In his free time Ben enjoys telemark skiing, gardening, trail running and other outdoor pursuits.

Sarah Levoy, PsyD

Parent Coach

For more than 15 years, Dr. Sarah Levoy has worked in the field of healthy child development and parenting, helping children and families of all backgrounds and life experiences. She has worked both in large organizations and private practice with children, couples, and adults. Dr. Levoy worked for five years in a school dedicated to children with Asperger's Syndrome and learning challenges in Los Angeles. She now works at The Little School in Bellevue as their counselor and learning specialist and has a part time private practice in Kirkland. Outside of work Dr. Levoy enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and yoga.

Vicki Shoettle, MSW

Parent Coach

Having served in a variety of educational and mental health organizations, Vicki has a wealth of knowledge of the resources in the greater Seattle area. Among her experiences, she has served as a parent-teen mediator for the Peace Council and as a committee chair on the Seattle PTA. Vicki has maintained a private practice as a parent coach for several years and has been working with our program since 2004. Vicki holds an MSW from UCLA and is the parent of three wonderful, grown children. She is also certified as a Master Gardener.

Jason Franklin, MA, LMHC

Lead Facilitator

Jason is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Child Mental Health Specialist working in Seattle and on the Eastside, a theatre artist/educator and a group facilitator. Jason graduated from Immaculata University with an MA in Counseling Psychology; attended Cornish College of the Arts as a Kreielsheimer Scholar earning a BFA in Acting with a minor in Playwrighting and Directing. Jason attained a Classical Acting Fellowship with the Shakespeare Company In Washington DC working as a young company member and went on to work as an Affiliated Teaching Artist with Camp Shakespeare and Text Alive! for five years. Jason developed and facilitates Kids In Motion an active, experiential, expressive and fun group focusing on cooperation, concentration and impulse control.

Kire Dassel, MA

Lead Facilitator

Kire has more than 6 years of classroom and educational consulting experience. For the past 4 and a half years, she was an educational consultant on the Inpatient Psychiatric Unit at Seattle Children's Hospital. Kire also spent two years teaching elementary school at Birralee International School in Norway. She holds a Masters in Education, with a focus on emotional and behavioral disabilities, from the University of Washington. Kire received a BA in Special Education and her teaching certification from Western Washington University in 2002. In her free time she enjoys running with her dog, cycling, hiking, skiing, and kite boarding.

Christen Manangan, MA, LMHC

Lead Facilitator

Christen is in her third year of graduate school pursing a PhD in clinical psychology. She has six years of experience working with youth in a variety of therapeutic settings. Christen has been with Ryther since 2007, first working in the residential treatment program and moving over to the Aspiring Youth program two years ago. In her free time, Christen enjoys spending time with family and friends, outdoor activities, and traveling.

Devin Gurley, M. Ed.

Lead Facilitator

Devin has been a special educator for over 10 years, working with children and teens in Washington, DC, North Carolina, and Seattle. For the past seven years, she has worked at Salmon Bay School as a special education teacher, department chair, outdoor ed program coordinator, as well as an ESY teacher, and staff trainer specializing in executive functioning and secondary transition for Seattle Public Schools. She holds a BS in Special Education from Appalachian State University and an MA in Secondary Education from The University of Southern California. In her free time, Devin enjoys hiking, camping, snowboarding, ultimate Frisbee, traveling, and being crafty.

Jennifer Stevens, M. Ed.

Lead Facilitator

Jennifer has a masters in teaching with a special education endorsement. She works as a behavioral intervention teacher at a local school district. Before becoming a teacher, Jennifer worked as a recreational therapist at a local private mental health hospital. In her free-time, Jennifer enjoys hiking, running, traveling, hanging out with her two dogs and home improvements.

Kevin Junker, M. Ed.

Lead Facilitator

After Gradrating from Columbia University Teachers College with a Masters in Education in Counseling Psychology Kevin started working with the Yonkers school district. During his summers off Kevin Completed a bicycle trip across the United States Kevin was intrigued with the idea of combining counseling with the therapeutic affects of the wilderness. Kevin left the east coast to live and work in Trout Creek Montana with a wilderness program called Explorations for three years. Kevin now lives with his partner Laura and son Gus in Ballard and works with the Seattle Public Schools at salmon Bay Middle School in the Aspergers Inclusion Program.

Jacalyn Williams, M. Ed.

Team Member

Jacalyn is a Special Education teacher and the Asst. Girls Soccer coach at Eastlake High School. A Maine native, Jacalyn loves working with kids, traveling, and the outdoors! Jacalyn has a BA in Psychology and a MAEd. in special education.

Anny Gately, M. Ed.

Team Member

Anny has been working with adolescents in both school and outdoor education environments for 15 years. She has worked in the Seattle School District as an Autism Inclusion Teacher for the last 5 years, and has taught a variety of outdoor activities including rock climbing, snowboarding, and kayaking to youth with unique needs. She holds a Master's degree in Special Education from Southern Oregon University,a dn A BA in Literature from University of Oregon. In her free time she enjoys camping, rock climbing, sewing, and being a mom to her two daughters.

Bobby Hinnenkamp, MA

Team Member

My name is Bobby Hinnenkamp. This is my second summer working at Ryther. I recently finished my first year working as a school counselor at Skyline high school after receiving my masters in counseling from Seattle U. I have a wonderful wife and am a proud owner of a Weimaraner (breed of dog). I am really active and enjoy participating and watching all sports. My favorite sport in which I also coach is basketball. I am really looking forward to a fun summer.

Sara Chesnin, MSW (candidate)

Team Member

Sara graduated from Harvard College in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Social Anthropology and East Asian Studies. Since then she has worked with abandoned and orphaned children facing health challenges in China and with children in Washington State in a residential mental health treatment facility. Sara loves gardening, making art, going to street fairs, is proficient in Mandarin Chinese and is currently attending the University of Washington's Graduate School of Social Work.

Nick Woehlbrandt, MIT (candidate)

Team Member

Nick Woehlbrandt graduated in 2006 from Western Washington University with a BS in Psychology. He is currently enrolled in the Antioch Master in Teaching program, and will graduate in 2012. Nick works in the Seattle School District supporting students in an Autism/SPED inclusion program at Salmon Bay K-8. He enjoys coaching basketball, and misses the Seattle Super Sonics. Climbing, backpacking, playing basketball, and skiing/snowboarding, are some of the ways Nick likes to unwind. He also likes to recycle.

Rita Pinchot, BA

Team Member

Rita graduated from Western Washington University in 2004 with a BA in Education and the Psychology of Human Development. She is certified as a teacher in Washington State and has over ten years of experience working with youth in a variety of settings. Most recently Rita has worked at Ryther Child Center in their therapeutic residential program and currently works as a group facilitator for Families in Recovery with Parent Trust for Washington Children in addition to her work with Aspiring Youth. In her free time Rita enjoys being on the river, gardening, crocheting, listening to music, and spending time with her family.

Johnny Spangler, BA

Team Member

Johnny has been working with youth since he was one. He has spent the last ten years facilitating challenge education, communication and improvisation skills for middle and high schoolers. For the past 4 years he has been applying his training to special education, working with youth of all ages. He has his B.A. from Seattle University in Psychology and received his challenge education training and certification from the WSU 4H Challenge Course in Bonney Lake. His passions lie in education and he spends his free time exploring new avenues to approach the processes of teaching and learning.

Preston Madden, BA

Team Member

PJ Madden grew up on the Kitsap Peninsula and has been rocking out in Seattle for the last 9 years. He attended the UW and, after receiving his BA in Psych with a minor in music, worked at Children's Hospital on the IPU for 6 years. In his free time, PJ enjoys making music, prestodigitation, dancing, ultimate frisbee, and going on adventures with his dog, Wooley.

Solomon Davis, BA

Team Member

Solomon is a professional actor in Seattle. He has been touring with Taproot Theatre doing bullying prevention plays, comedy improv, and teaching at thier studio. He is also an ensemble member of Unexpected Productions - where he does Theatre Sports in his free time.

Dwayne Collins, BA

Team Member

Dwayne is from North Carolina and has a degree in Media Writing. He works as an kindergarten instructional assistant at Sand Point Elementary. Dwayne also instructs a video production class and helps assist a social communication class at Ryther.

Adam Knight, BA

Team Member

At age 9, Adam completed his first backpacking trip and was hooked on the outdoors. At the University of Puget Sound, he led backpacking trips for the Outdoor Education Program and was selected to lead training trips for future leaders at the University. Since then, he has led outdoor education trips for Explorer West Middle School and has been a counselor with Aspiring Youth at the Ryther Child Center. Adam is Swiftwater Rescue and Wilderness First Responder trained and is really-mega-super excited to continue working with the awesome kids at Aspiring Youth.

Sara Torelli, MSW

Team Member

Sara received her B.A. in Psychology from Mount Holyoke College and her MSW in 2010 from the University of Chicago. She specialized in School Social Work and has worked with youth for over five years. A Seattle native, Sara returned after graduate school and has worked at Ryther for over a year in the Aspiring Youth Program. In her free time, Sara enjoys yoga and spending time with her cat Charlie.

Christi Cruz, BA

Team Member

Christi Cruz has been working for over 13 years in the Seattle area as a professional actor performing on stage, film, videos, commercials, and in voice-overs. As a teaching artist, Christi has worked with Living Voices, Seattle Children's Theater, Franklin High School, University of Washington, Theater of Possibility, Book Pals and is currently the drama teacher at Eastside Learning Community. Christi is a Certified Positive Discipline Parenting Educator and co-owns Wedgwood Drama Studio with her brother Michael.

Robyn Maddess, BA

Team Member

Robyn received a B.A. in both Psychology and Sociology from Western Washington University in 2007. Since moving to Seattle, Robyn has been working for the Seattle School District supporting students in an Asperger's inclusion program at Ballard High School. Robyn also works for both Aspiring Youth and Theater of Possibilities at after school social and drama groups. In her free time she enjoys reading, running, cooking and spending time with her friends, family and three Boston Terriers.

Ben Wahl, MSW

Program Coordinator / Lead Facilitator

Ben has worked with children, adolescents and young adults for over fifteen years as the director of an outdoor education program and in a variety of other roles. In 2005, Ben founded the Aspiring Youth Program. Ben holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MSW from the University of Washington. In his free time Ben enjoys telemark skiing, gardening, trail running and other outdoor pursuits.

Ben Wahl, MSW

Program Coordinator / Lead Facilitator

Ben has worked with children, adolescents and young adults for over fifteen years as the director of an outdoor education program and in a variety of other roles. In 2005, Ben founded the Aspiring Youth Program. Ben holds a BA from Wesleyan University and an MSW from the University of Washington. In his free time Ben enjoys telemark skiing, gardening, trail running and other outdoor pursuits.

Grant Leitheiser, MS, LMFT

Team Member

Grant has worked with adolescents and young adults for over 10 years both nationally and internationally in office settings, summer camps, groups, retreats, and service trips. He loves incorporating movement and creativity into his work and strongly believes in the benefits of experiential learning - learning though "doing," particularly when navigating social differences. Grant "comes alive" in the outdoors, particularly the mountains, and could easily be found trail running, hiking, backpacking, skiing/snowboarding, or camping on a free weekend with his wife and children. He received his Masters in Counseling from San Francisco State University and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Nationally Certified Counselor.