Sari Waxler, Executive Director
Email
-(Master’s
Degree from Southwest Texas State University)
Sari
brings over thirty years of experience in
education to the Seedling Foundation. Prior to joining the
Seedling Foundation in August of 2006, Mrs. Waxler directed the
Austin Independent School District’s highly successful GEAR UP
(Gaining
Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs)
project, a $15 million federal grant funded initiative dedicated
to increasing college participation rates of first generation
students. A former teacher, counselor, crisis responder, high
school program specialist in Guidance and Counseling, and grant
manager, Sari has extensive experience at all levels of public
education. Her contributions in the development of counseling and
school to work curriculum and programming have been shared with
colleagues at local, state and national levels and as a result of
her leadership, hundreds of AISD students have visited college and
university campuses throughout the state while their parents
learned about college admissions and financial aid through the
GEAR UP initiative, “Parent University,” now supported by AISD.
Mother of two, and married for thirty-three years to Mel Waxler,
Sari brings her educational experience, executive capability and
empathy for children to serve the Seedling Foundation.
Cata Hasdorff, Mentor Director &
Data Management Email
-
(BA at Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio and M.Ed. at
University of Texas Pan American)
Catarina (Cata) Hasdorff has worked as an educator
for over thirty years. Mrs. Hasdorff devoted eighteen of those years to the
Austin Independent School District as an English teacher (at LBJ and Akins High School),
a Spanish teacher
(at Burnet Middle School),
a Computer Writing Lab Administrator, and AVID Program Campus
Coordinator. She comes to the Seedling Foundation after
having served for the past five years as the Professional
Development Specialist for AISD’s GEAR UP
(Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs)
federal grant project. In that capacity Mrs.
Hasdorff provided training for area college students who served as
mentors and tutors for the GEAR UP students. She joined the
Seedling Foundation in the 2006-2007 school year and performs the
additional important duty of data management for the Seedling's
Promise program. Cata has been married
to Robert for over thirty years, and they have three adult children.
Bea Benson, Mentor Director
Email
Bea Benson
brings over twenty-five years of experience in K-12 and Junior College
Education to the Seedling Foundation. Her experience includes
extensive curriculum and assessment skills combined with
leadership and a passion for mentoring. She has come to
appreciate the origin of the word “Mentor” that Homer introduced
to her in the Odyssey many years ago. When Odysseus left for
battle in the Trojan War, he placed his son in the care of
“Mentor,” who served as a teacher and caregiver. Bea is excited
for the opportunity to work with the Seedling Foundation in hopes of leveling the
playing field for children whose futures are threatened by
societal ills.
Bea’s career
began in Wisconsin as a classroom teacher, and was quickly
recognized as an outstanding developer of curriculum in the area
of literacy. She has shared her love of learning with colleagues
at the local, state and national levels. Bea retired from AISD as
a Language Arts Curriculum Specialist in June 2006.
She joined the Seedling Foundation in the 2007-2008 school year.
She is a
great resource in our training and continuing education efforts in
the mentoring of children of the incarcerated. Bea is the mother of two adult
children, grandmother of one, and married for over forty years to Taft
Benson.
Schools Served
2008-2009
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Campbell
Elementary - AISD
(Year 2)
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Pillow Elementary - AISD
(Year 4)
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Webb Middle
School - AISD (Year 4)
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Copperfield
Elementary- PISD (Year 2)
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C.D. Fulkes
Middle School - RRISD
(Year 1)
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Voigt
Elementary - RRISD
(Year 1)
-
Callison
Elementary - RRISD
(Year 1)
Martha Brandt, Mentor Director
Email
Martha Brandt
joins the Seedling Foundation in 2008-2009 with twenty-five years
of experience as a teacher, counselor, and supervisor in a variety
of educational and therapeutic settings. Her work as a school
counselor in the Austin and Pflugerville Independent School
districts has been focused on elementary students, and she served
as the campus contact for a large group of mentors at an East
Austin elementary campus in 2007-2008. She learned at the ground
level what a difference a caring, committed mentor can make in the
life of a child.
In addition to
her work in primary schools, Martha has served for a number of
years as an adjunct professor at Austin Community College in the
Psychology and Human Development departments. She has served
adult counseling clients through her work at the Women’s
Counseling and Resource Center and ACC’s Student Services
offices. She has also maintained a private practice for the last
fifteen years and is currently based at New Life Institute,
focusing especially on women’s issues, couples’ counseling and
parenting/family life concerns. She is licensed by the State of
Texas as a Professional Counselor and an LPC Supervisor. She
enjoys training and leading workshops on a variety of educational
and mental health topics.
Martha has
been married for twenty-five years to C.J. Brandt, Jr., and has a
daughter Emily at the University of Texas at Austin and a son Josh
in high school. She also shares her home with three sweet
Tonkinese cats.
Schools Served
2008-2009
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Allison
Elementary - AISD
(Year 2)
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Bedichek
Middle School - AISD
(Year 3)
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Linder
Elementary - AISD
(Year 3)
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Ortega
Elementary - AISD
(Year 3)
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Rodriguez
Elementary - AISD
(Year 3)
Sally Firestone, Mentor Director
Email
- (B.S.
from the University of Texas at Austin and M.Ed. from Southwest
Texas State University)
Sally
Firestone joins the Seedling Foundation in 2008-2009 with thirty three years of
experience in the field of education and is licensed by the State
of Texas as a Professional Counselor. She began her career in the
Austin Independent School District as an elementary teacher and
school counselor. She worked in the Round Rock Independent School
District for 15 years as an elementary counselor. Her extensive
experiences at the elementary level prepared her to guide
elementary counselors at 74 schools in Austin ISD for five years
as the Elementary Guidance Program Specialist. Her lifelong love
of learning led her to a 400 hour course study with Region XIII on
Positive Behavior Support. From 2004-2008 she served as the
Positive Behavior Support Coach in Austin ISD at eleven schools
until her retirement in June 2008. This experience taught her how
powerful mentoring is in the life of a child.
Sally’s
lifelong devotion of supporting school age children with positive
interventions has led her to the Seedling doorstep. Her vast
experiences as a teacher, counselor, guidance specialist, and
behavior coach, in addition to her knowledge of school cultures,
brings a seasoned trainer, facilitator, and consultant to the
foundation. During the 2008-2009 school year, Sally is honored to
join such a worthwhile community effort for kids. She has one son
who graduated in 2004 with a degree in Economics and currently
works for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. She is the
caretaker of her elderly father and resides in Austin with her
precious dachshunds, Ray and Lily, who teach her daily about the
power of their gentle spirits.
Schools Served
2008-2009
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Blackshear
Elementary - AISD
(Year 1)
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Kealing
Middle School - AISD
(Year 1)
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Norman
Elementary - AISD
(Year 1)
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Sims
Elementary - AISD
(Year 1)
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Zavala
Elementary - AISD
(Year 1)
Nanette Lukasik, Mentor Director
Email
- (B.S.
from St. Edward's University)
Nanette Lukasik earned her Bachelor's Degree at
St. Edward's University in Austin. Nanette is both an educator
and social worker at heart, bringing over 13 years of experience
serving youth in the Austin Independent School District.
Drawing on her experiences as a Project Manager with Communities
in Schools, a Project Facilitator with GEAR UP
(Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for
Undergraduate Programs),
and Director of College Readiness with Breakthrough, this
"Valley Girl" takes her work with underrepresented youth
seriously. She believes that adults play a key role in the
lives of young people, and is looking forward to supporting
community members who want to do just that. Nanette joined
the Seedling Foundation in 2008-2009 and while working for
Seedling, Nanette will be pursuing a Master's degree in
Human Services.
Nanette is married to Ernest Lukasik, and enjoys her weekends with
his son Spencer. They also care for 2 Jack Russels: Nico and
Mancha on a full-time basis.
Schools
Served 2008-2009
- Brooke Elementary - AISD
(Year 4)
- Dobie Middle School - AISD
(Year 3)
- Govalle Elementary - AISD
(Year 4)
- Oak Springs Elementary - AISD
(Year 2)
- Pickle Elementary - AISD
(Year 2)
- Pleasant Hill Elementary -
AISD (Year 4)
Beverly Rauschuber, Mentor Director
Email
- (Master's Degree, Southwestern
Texas State University, and Bachelor's Degree, Texas Tech
University)
Beverly Rauschuber joins the
Seedling Foundation in 2008-2009 and brings thirty
years experience as a teacher and counselor working with early
childhood through twelfth grade in both Austin and Lake Travis
Independent School Districts. As a certified school counselor,
she has an extensive background providing individual and group
counseling as well as classroom guidance instruction. She has
worked with numerous community organizations both public and
private establishing highly successful mentoring programs for
at-risk students. She has also developed and implemented
leadership camps that challenged students to take initiative and
become positive peer role models.
As a teacher, Beverly, directed
and wrote curriculum for a cooperative work-education program.
Her unrelenting commitment to the program made it possible for
many at risk students to obtain their high school diplomas and
gain valuable job skills.
Not withstanding her work with
students of varying ages, Beverly has made important
contributions to administrators, counselors, teachers, and
parents in her field. She has led professional development
workshops for educators throughout Texas. She has also taught
countless parenting classes and often coordinated meetings
between parents, teachers, and students to set and achieve
mutually agreed upon goals.
Beverly has been married to Don
Rauschuber for thirty eight years and together they have raised
two children and are now enjoying their three wonderful
granddaughters.
Schools Served 2008-2009
- Martin Middle School - AISD
(Year 1)
- Sanchez Elementary - AISD
(Year 4)
- McCoy Elementary - GISD
(Year 1)
- Williams Elementary - GISD
(Year 1)
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