Faculty
Meet Our Faculty
Learn more about our faculty
Lisa Bernhagen
I have helped students find confidence in their writing skills at Highline College for about 24 years. I enjoy working with my students and learning together. I have lived in Sweden, Hungary, and China. I have visited 27 countries. I love to read, hike, eat, sleep, cook, learn new things, keep learning about healthy eating, and spend time with my family and friends. I like hearing about what you are learning about right now that excites you.
Prairie Brown
Prairie has enjoyed teaching at Highline since 2017, where she has taught a variety of English classes as well as spending a year directing the Advising Center. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Portland State University and a Master of Arts degree in English, with a focus on American Literature, Rhetoric and Composition, from Central Washington University. Before coming to Highline, she taught at North Seattle College and taught and directed the Learning Commons at Central Washington University. Her primary teaching and scholarship interests include pre-college writing and writing center studies, and she is thrilled to be the incoming director of the Highline Writing Center. Outside of class, she loves baking, reading cozy mysteries, and traveling.
Allison Green
I teach English 101, English 101 with support, and English 102. My work focuses on equity, justice, and education; language politics; and multilingual learners. I have a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Literature and a certificate in teaching English to speakers of other languages. For information about my own writing, see allisongreen.org.
Rhiannon Hillman
I read obsessively and listen to current events, books, podcasts, long articles and short; all of it! I am a sponge who gleefully soaks up knowledge and I have the privilege to ring myself out through teaching and sharing what I've learned so that I can soak up even more. I believe that a quality education will stretch your mind in ways that make you reassess who you are, where you're from, what you carry from your past, what you're ready to let go of, and who you are ready to become. Education helped me become the best version of myself; that's my hope for you too. I really love learning.
Monica Lemoine
I love to write and read, and teaching students is the best part of my job. I’m a working mom of two active boys (so if you’re juggling kids with work & school, I get it). I’m a former community college student, lifelong learner, dreamer and explorer. I’m excited to do this "writing and thinking journey" with you.
Tarisa Matsumoto-Maxfield
I'm a hapa-yonsei-Japanese American from Gardena, California. I've been teaching college courses for over 20 years now--at Iowa State University, UW, and now Highline. At Highline, I teach English& 101, English 205, and English 200. I'm also the coordinator for the DGS Department. I love to write poetry, and I also review books for the International Examiner. And if you want to talk Sounders, Fulham FC, or Premier League soccer, let me know!
Stephanie Ojeda Ponce
Meeting one-on-one or in small groups is one of my favorite ways to work with students and colleagues. Any current or former student, advisee, or colleague is welcome to join me during drop-in hours, which are times you can just stop by without an appointment. Alternatively, you can use the Book Appointments tab to select an available appointment time from my schedule. Hablo Español.
Aaron Ottinger
I taught my first class at Highline College in 2008. My job is to provide Highline students with the tools they need to think critically & creatively about the world and how to make it more equitable and sustainable for the future. I approach my classes through a social justice, anti-racist/anti-colonialist framework, with themes related to digital technology, the environment, and math in society and culture. If you're interested in technology, math, and the arts, but you also care about ethics and justice, then you should definitely sign up for one of my classes.
Susan Rich
I am a poet, an editor, and an essayist: a published writer with five books of poetry and one anthology of prose writing on the subject of travel. I love having students come by during office hours. For 20 years I've worked at Highline but before that time, I worked in Bosnia Herzegovina, Scotland, Palestine, Sotuh Africa and West Africa. My newest book, BLUE ATLAS, will be published by Red Hen Press (2024).
Matt Schwisow
The class I teach most often is Technical Writing, but I also teach English 101 often, and I've taught many courses in our department. I specialize in online courses, but I also enjoy face-to-face classes. I believe in community colleges, as I'm a graduate myself. I graduated from Spokane Community College in 1998. Then, I went to Eastern Washington University for my BA degree in English Education and my MA in Rhetoric, Composition, and Technical Communication. I taught at EWU for a bit, and I also taught at Liberty High School and Spokane Community College before coming to HCC in 2004.
Laura Soracco
I am a proud Highline alumna and English teacher. Aside from teaching English composition, I've taught English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), focusing mainly on academic skills. Seattle, Cali (Colombia), and Sanremo (Italy) are places I call home. In 2023, finished my doctorate in education with a focus on curriculum development, leadership, and learning. My research centered on online learning pedagogies that are inclusive and promote the success of first-generation students, low-income students, and students of color.
Wendy Swyt
I have been teaching at Highline College since 1996. I teach English 101 for the English department, with a focus on how students can use AI critically and ethically if they choose. I also teach College 101 and Honors 200. I'm committed to helping students navigate through college to their goals.
Jamie Wilson
I am a first-generation college graduate and the only person in my family to earn a Masters degree, so I understand the value of education, and I can relate with the barriers many students face along the path to completion. What keeps me coming back to the classroom year after year? I love helping people overcome obstacles, reach their goals, and surprise themselves with what they can accomplish. I also love language and ideas, and I find that I keep learning and growing with every class that I teach.
Questions? Contact Us.
Mathematics
math@highline.edu
Building 26
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