OUR TEAM

Hai-Anh Vu - Founder & Director

Hai-Anh Vu grew up in Hanoi, Vietnam, and received her Bachelor of Arts from Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME), where she majored in Economics and French and minored in Gender Studies. A marketer by profession, she has lived, studied, and worked in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, New York City, Washington D.C., Toulouse, and Hong Kong, before landing on Whidbey Island in 2020 where she now lives with her husband and two school-age children on a farm in Greenbank.

A liberal arts college graduate and an avid educator at heart, Hai-Anh deeply believes in giving children a well-rounded education with global perspectives. Inspired by the many enrichment programs for children she saw in big cities, she wants to create similar opportunities for children like hers in Whidbey through Whidbey Island Language, Art & STEM Center. Hai-Anh now oversees all aspects of WILASC, though her most favorite parts are meeting parents and students and creating new class offerings.

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SUMMER CAMP TEACHERS 2025

Justin MacDonald - Coding Instructor

Justin grew up in the Seattle area and has a PhD in Quantitative Psychology from Purdue University. He has been college faculty since 2007 and regularly teaches graduate coding classes. He has extensive experience with a number of programming languages, including Python and Matlab. Justin teaches coding for the afterschool and summer programs at WILASC, where he routinely engages students to code through creative, out-of-the-box coding exercises.

Joelle Berry, Music Instructor

Joelle brings dynamic energy and extensive professional experience to our School of Rock summer camp. As a versatile professional vocalist since 1997, she has lent her talents to movie scores, commercials, video games, and live concert events, including performances with professional choirs Choral Arts NW and Esoterics. She is also a soloist for the Rainier Symphony and numerous private events throughout the Pacific Northwest.

With over two decades as an independent vocal and piano theory instructor, Joelle excels at customizing music curriculum for students of all ages and skill levels. Her teaching experience includes preparing students for college music program auditions and facilitating collaborative music workshops specifically designed for tweens and teens—experience that perfectly positions her to lead our School of Rock camp. Her thoughtful approach to music education was further honed during her time as Music Artist in Residence at Lawton Elementary, where she created diverse curriculum introducing students to rhythm, notation, vocal technique, and songwriting.

Joelle's ongoing musical projects showcase her versatility across genres—from the folk/Americana harmonies of her band "Townies" to classical performances of Pergolesi's "Stabat Mater." A University of Washington graduate with a BA in Vocal Performance, Joelle continues her musical education through programs like The Rhapsody Project's yearlong study of Black American Music history. Her combination of professional performance experience, dedicated teaching background, and passion for helping young musicians find their unique voice makes her the perfect guide for your child's musical journey!

Keegan Harshman, Music Instructor

Keegan Harshman grew up on Whidbey Island participating in the music programs of Chris Harshman (his father and South Whidbey High School’s band director). As a young child, Keegan was encouraged and supported to pursue any musical direction that caught his interest, which is something he plans to pass on to his son, Jazper (currently a WIWS student). Keegan began playing instruments in kindergarten and played several different ones before settling on the bass. He was part of the South Whidbey High School Jazz Band—participating there in exclusive festivals. After high school, Keegan moved to San Luis Obispo, California to attend Cuesta College’s Music and Audio Technology programs, and has gone on to perform and tour with many bands and groups locally and internationally.

Keegan moved back to Whidbey Island in 2016, and is now wearing many hats in the local community: a musician and music teacher/tutor, the owner of Blue Sound music store, and the organizer of Little Big Fest – a grassroot summer music festival on Whidbey Island.

Knight Arndt, Art Instructor

Knight is currently a senior at Western Washington University, graduating in Winter of 2026 with a P–12 Art Teaching Certification and a minor in Design. She has worked with students from kindergarten through high school and loves helping young artists grow through creativity and confidence. With hands-on classroom experience and a background in customer service, she brings patience, flexibility, and a passion for imaginative learning to every lesson!

Elizabeth (Liz) Olson, Art Instructor

Liz is excited to join the team with a 24-year background in teaching art to students of all ages. A native of the San Francisco Bay area, Liz moved to the Pacific Northwest to earn attend college first in Canada and then at Central Washington University. She earned her BA in history, with endorsements to teach K-12 art and 4-12 History, as well as a museum studies minor. She began with teaching middle and high school art and photography, then moved into teaching pre-school and elementary age students as she started a family. She has taught in a variety of venues: public, private, homeschool co-ops, and classical schools. She has led the art docent program at her local public school. Liz has also taught ukulele, writing, and Latin.

Leah Barnett, Yoga Instructor

Leah Barnett has over a decade of yoga instruction experience with hundreds of hours of additional related credentials. She believes in the power of implementing yogic philosophies and practices to cultivate embodied living. She is passionate about bringing the magic of yoga to as many people as possible and believes that things like self-awareness, compassion, and emotional intelligence are needed to create a better future and world.

In addition to teaching yoga, Leah runs her own wellness and coaching business, enjoys anytime the sun is shining, and marvels at the beauty of the natural world.

Alan Perez, Spanish Instructor

Born in Barquisimeto Venezuela, Alan Perez grew up in Michigan and recently moved to Whidbey Island after living in Portland, OR for 15 years. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a focus on Printmaking and a minor in Spanish Language. Alan worked for over a decade in animal shelters as an adoption specialist, helping animals in need find their new families. He brings the same empathy and appreciation of diverse communities to his recent work as an assistant Spanish teacher with students grades K-8th.

When it comes to working with children, Alan enjoys seeing them experience the world through their own perspectives and voices. When he’s not exploring Whidbey Island with his dogs, Alan enjoys making art and relaxing at home.

Katelyn (Katie) Phillips, Art/STEM Instructor

Katie Phillips brings a strong foundation in education and student support to her role as a STEAM teacher. With a Master's in Special Education (2025) and a Bachelor's in Elementary Education from Western Governors University (2023), Katie is certified to teach in Washington State with endorsements in both Special Education K-12 and English Language Arts K-12. Currently serving as a Special Education Teacher at Crescent Harbor Elementary since August 2024, she has developed expertise in differentiated instruction, IEP development and implementation, and data-driven teaching practices while effectively managing classroom environments and overseeing both students and paraprofessionals. An art lover with a specialty in watercolor, Katie regularly incorporates artmaking into her work with special needs students as a powerful tool for regulation and self-expression.

Katie's progressive experience in Oak Harbor Public Schools includes nearly two years as a substitute teacher and prior work as a paraprofessional, where she provided crucial one-on-one behavioral and academic support to students across multiple grade levels and subjects. With her unique combination of special education expertise, elementary teaching experience, artistic sensibility, and strong communication skills, Katie is well-positioned to make STEAM education accessible and engaging for all learners, ensuring that every student has the opportunity to explore and excel in science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.

Anndrea (Annie) Fernandez, Life Skills Instructor

Annie is a dedicated educator specializing in multilingual English education and personalized learning K-12. She holds a Masters of Education from University of California, Santa Cruz's Rossier School of Education. She was a founding educator for two schools: Summit Expeditions in the Bay Area in California, an immersive learning environment where students work to explore passions through real-world expeditionary learning, and Summit Olympus, a college preparatory high school in Tacoma where she was a mentor, English teacher, EL coordinator, curriculum writer and researcher. Most recently, she was the Dean and Student Intervention Specialist at Chase Lake Community School in Edmonds, WA, where she helped staff, families, and students with any intervention they might need to feel successful and happy every day.

Aside from her jobs in education, Annie's passion is upcycling fashion or "thrift-flip" - a skill she learned from her many years of thrift trips with her mom. She's the owner of Rescued Riches Studio, an online business with a mission to "keep great items out of the landfill".

Renee Blair, Life Skills Instructor

Renée is a holistic chef and recipe developer who specializes in creating meals that showcase the unique health benefits and beauty of locally grown and traditionally prepared foods. She is continually inspired by traditional cooking techniques across many cultures, and incorporates that wisdom into the healing menus she creates. Renée has cooked and taught in a variety of professional kitchens for over 20 years and currently works as a private chef and caters intimate events and retreats on Whidbey. To learn more about her work, visit www.nourishtheroots.com and @Nourishtheroots on Instagram.

Rachel Joseph, Life Skills Instructor

Rachel Joseph is a registered dietitian nutritionist with extensive experience in community nutrition, farm-to-table education, and working with young people. Having graduated from San Diego State University with a Bachelor's degree in Foods, Nutrition, and Wellness, she has professional experience in nutrition consulting, community food security work, and hands-on farm experience.

Rachel is also an experienced art instructor. She draws inspiration for her art from the natural world around her and loves to get creative/experimental with local and repurposed materials. Rachel enjoys being around kids and facilitating an imaginative environment for them to tap into their unique creative abilities. She has been working at various outdoor themed & art camps for 9+ years.

Udie Chima, Music Instructor

Udie Chima is the founder of Sound Dialect and an experienced music producer who came up through the Seattle hip-hop scene. His work includes collaborations with Grammy Award-winner Macklemore. He now leads monthly collaborative meetups for Whidbey Island musicians, creating welcoming spaces where artists can connect, experiment, and grow together. He believes self-expression through sound is more than just making noise—it’s how we find our voice. It brings people together, strengthens courage, and opens up unexpected paths.