Meet Your Mentors
Young Scholars Academy is a virtual village that helps twice-exceptional & differently-wired students to feel seen, nurtured, and happy as heck through strength-based courses, camps, and community!
What Sets “Team YSA” Apart?
**hint… it’s our mentors**
With our exceptional mentors, your child receives the individualized attention, understanding, and guidance they deserve. Experience the difference at Young Scholars Academy and witness your child's remarkable journey of growth and achievement. Here are Five ways our mentors are different than the others.
1
Extensive Expertise
Our mentors are experts x2! They’re content experts and experts in neurodivergent/2e/gifted education.
2
Individualized Approach
Our mentors are differentiation gurus who tailor their instruction to accommodate diverse strengths, interests, and challenges.
3
Compassionate Connection
Our mentors foster an empathetic environment and create a sense of trust and safety for students to thrive.
4
Strengths-Based Focus
Our mentors celebrate the strengths of each learner and empower them to develop confidence, resilience, and a positive self-image around strengths.
5
Holistic Support
Our mentors consider the holistic well-being of each student and provide guidance to support overall growth and success.
6
“Yes, And?” Approach
Our mentors foster authentic learning by affirming students with a “yes, and?” approach to challenge them to take their learning higher!
Meet Your Mentors
Dr. Jade Rivera
MENTOR
Dr. Jade Rivera is a compassionate educator with over fifteen years of experience teaching 2e children! She is a published author who founded a famous 2e micro school! In 2016 she was designated an honoree for distinguished service by the California Association for the Gifted.
Dr. Jade is off this semester.
Saundra Mitchell
MENTOR
Saundra Mitchell is the author of SHADOWED SUMMER, THE VESPERTINE, THE SPRINGSWEET and THE ELEMENTALS. In non-fiction, she’s the author of the non-fiction THEY DID WHAT!? series for middle grade readers. She’s also the editor of four YA anthologies: DEFY THE DARK, ALL OUT, OUT NOW, and OUT THERE. She also adapted the hit Broadway Musical THE PROM for teen readers!
Saundra is off this semester.
Mr. Salch
MENTOR
Mr. Salch is a retired tech executive and experienced teacher who has successfully taught over 10,000 students across several platforms, schools, and approaches. Mr. Salch has perfected the art of online teaching with hands-on activities in an exciting and inviting environment.
Check out Mr. Salch's Spring ‘24 Video Game Creator and Robotics.
Ms. Jackson
MENTOR
Ms. Jackson has been teaching theatre for 26 years and was also a children's performer for ten of those years. She owns a theatre program and puts on a show after every 20 hours of instruction (almost 60 shows in six years!). Ms. Jackson teaches children ages 3-20.
Check out Ms. Jackson’s Spring ‘24 Theatre, Imagination Explorers and Improv Courses
Megan Hardy
MENTOR
Megan Hardy is a Professional DM and Mother to neurodivergent kids. She loves role playing games, science fiction, comics and just about anything geeky. She is an expert at building D&D campaigns around individual needs and has taught over 4000 students!
Check out Megan’s Spring ‘24 Dungeons & Dragons Quests, Dungeons & Dragons Campaign Creator Courses
Nelson Dean
MENTOR
Nelson Dean has been an educator for the last twenty years, working with students of all ages and backgrounds teaching music, history, art history, and English. He has been a STAR teacher award recipient and teacher of the year semi-finalist.
Check out Nelson's Spring ‘24 Tools of War Course
Miss Anna
MENTOR
Miss Anna is an experienced youth mentor and top-rated educator who leads classes with humor, kindness, and an upbeat attitude while sending out positive vibes to encourage kids to do the same. She is a master at helping students form healthy and meaningful friendships!
Check out Miss Anna's Spring ‘24 Homeroom Social Club
Nicole Pauling
MENTOR
Nicole Pauling, M. Ed is an educator, foster parent, mom, serial entrepreneur, artist, case worker, and author with degrees in education, sociology, psychology, philosophy, and more! Nicole believes in bringing students together through story
and games.
Check out Nicole's Spring ‘24 History Detectives and Homeroom Social Club Courses
Ms. Jolene
MENTOR
Ms. Jolene is a highly experienced and actively certified educator with a Master of Science: Curriculum and Instruction VI degree and multiple active teaching certifications including School Library Media Technology Specialist (PreK-12th grade), English Language Arts (multiple certifications across multiple grade ranges), and more.
Check out Ms. Jolene’s Spring ‘24 Minecraft Courses
Mr. Tidman
MENTOR
Mr. Tidman is a father to active, Neurodivergent boys. He believes that neurodivergent students have the highest level of intelligence, yet they are under-served in almost every classroom. His main takeaway as a teacher is that we are all passionate and excited about learning. We are all born with a growth mindset, especially Neurodivergent learners.
Check out Mr. Tidman’s Spring ‘24 Science Explorers Course
Mr. Z
MENTOR
Mr. Z is a highly experienced and actively certified educator with a Master of Science: Curriculum and Instruction VI degree and multiple active teaching certifications including School Library Media Technology Specialist (PreK-12th grade), English Language Arts (multiple certifications across multiple grade ranges), and more.
Check out Mr. Z’s Spring ‘24 Pokemon, Magic the Gathering, Math 4 Life, Cryptography and Game Theory Courses
Amy Bechtol
MENTOR
Amy loves getting to work with her students, who often share a neurology similar to her own, connecting them to curriculum in a way that is meaningful, novel, and fun. Utilizing a strength-based model, Amy seeks to engage learners by allowing them to connect their best, most authentic selves to the material.
Check out Amy’s Spring ‘24 Digital Art , Anime Courses
Miss Alex
MENTOR
Miss Alex has been a STEAM and art educator for 8 years, as well as a homeschool parent, teacher, and advisor for nearly a decade. She applies an eclectic approach to teaching, seeing herself as more of a facilitator and fellow life-long learner than lecturer.
Check out Miss Alex’ Spring ‘24 STEM-ology, Lego Lab, Mythology and STEAM Science Lab Courses
Amy Leask
MENTOR
Amy has had the pleasure of being a friendly neighborhood philosopher for almost thirty years, teaching big questions to a variety of age groups. She has been writing and publishing award-wining multimedia philosophy materials for children since 2011. What drives her is the belief that it’s never too early (or too late) to embrace our inner philosopher.
Check out Ms. Leask’s Spring ‘24 Philosophy, Shakespeare Without Tears, Famous Brains and Creative Writing Courses
Katie Barnwell
MENTOR
Katie has also been teaching in a variety of settings for over 5 years, from virtual school, to one-on-one music lessons. As a former 2e student, and lifelong learner, she understands the complexity in all people, and the importance of not forcing anyone into a box. Her teaching style is one of adaptability and innovation, allowing each student's unique strengths to flourish.
Check out Miss Katie’s Spring ‘24 Film Class, Music Appreciation and Songwriting 101 Courses
Meet Your Admin Team
Mr. Sam
DIRECTOR
Mr. Sam, MEd, is a growth-minded, two-time Fulbright Scholar, TEDx speaker, and Director of Young Scholars Academy! Mr. Sam is a neurodivergent educator who has ADHD. As an ADHD learner, he has committed his life to empower young people to learn to develop their superpowers and lead meaningful and fulfilling lives through strength-based education.
Check out Mr Sam’s Winter ‘24 Young and Thriving and Speech and Debate Courses
Mrs. Rickard
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT
Mrs. Rickard is a homeschooling mom who worked for 11 years as an Instructional Aide for the Resource Specialist Program at Evans Elementary School in Garden Grove, CA. Her diverse background in education, team management and outside of the box thinking make her an integral part of Team YSA.
Amber Willburn
BLOGGER
Amber Willburn is a writer with two decades of experience in business, technical, and government contract writing. She has pivoted from the business world to the education world, supporting public, private, and parochial schools. As a mom of three 2e children, Amber has navigated schooling options, IEPs and 504s, and accelerated learning plans, and now brings this experience to divergent educators in the 2e world.
What Our Parents Say…
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“I don't have the words to express how thankful I am for Ms. Jackson's Theatre & Ms. Jackson herself. If you have a child that loves to play pretend, you need to enroll them in Ms. Jackson's Theatre! She is absolutely amazing at what she does & she welcomes with open arms and no judgements. We truly adore her!”
-James
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“I have never seen teachers with more passion, energy, and support than I have at Young Scholars Academy. I don't know how they do it. They are truly the best! These are the best teachers we've ever had!”
-Crystal
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“Ms. Jackson has a knack for letting every kid show exactly what is special about them and making it beautiful. She really helps them grow not, only in acting, but in creativity in general. I could not be happier with Ms. Jackson's Theatre“
-Kelly
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