Our Team

Cassaundra goes by the name Cassie. She attended the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto, Ontario, gaining an honors Degree in Family and Communities Social Services as well as a diploma to become a Social Service Worker. While attending school she completed multiple field placements where she was able to grow and work with a variety of populations. She has spent the last year and a half working at a private school as an Educational Support Specialist and Developmental Therapist for children and youth with Autism using the DIR/Floortime model. Her top priority is to create a safe and inclusive environment for all youth, whilst fostering meaningful relationships that progress learning and development. In her spare time, she enjoys taking her miniature Golden Doodle, named Bently, for hikes and picnics.

Born in South-Africa, Derick received a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from the Nelson Mandela University where he was nominated as a Golden Key member resulting in graduating as part of the top 15% of the university. Newley graduated, he received a job opportunity from the school he attended, Die Brandwag Horskool. Here he worked as the Superintendent of the Boys’ Hostel as well as working as a teacher. Derick has taught various subjects such as Social Studies, Workplace Mathematics, Economics & Management Science as well as Business Studies. He is an enthusiastic outdoorsman who loves to hike, paddleboard or engage in any health orientated activities. Derick is passionate about technology, engineering and woodworking and is excited to offer hands-on workshops for the students. His life motto is to be the best you can be and to realise that positivity is contagious.

BC-born and raised, Grayson is a graduate from Simon Fraser University with a passion for World History and writing in the English language. He has worked in many different fields during and after his schooling, including youth-based non-profits, municipal and federal governments, a tech-start-up with focus on developing software tools that support volunteerism in BC, and even an indie video game company as a narrative designer. He is immensely fascinated by popular culture, film, and digital media, as well as reading and creative writing – especially for his D&D groups. He is soon-to-be married and has a dog named Sunny, and a cat named Buffy. Grayson has a long-standing passion for education and plans on attending UBC’s teacher education program in the next year or so – but he is in no rush as he wishes to cultivate knowledge and lived-experiences while seeking enjoyment and fulfilment in life.

Principal Emeritus, Ilona was part of the original team who opened the Burnaby program in 2001. She was the Principal and the Humanities teacher for four years before returning to the program in 2016 as the Program Manager. She holds Bachelor’s degrees in World History and Secondary Education, and a Master’s of Science Degree in Brain-Based Teaching and Learning. She has worked with youth in both teaching and counseling capacities, and has worked with a wide spectrum of young people in the Gifted and International Baccalaureate Programs, and in Special Education. She is passionate about teaching the thinking skills of optimism and growth mindset to all youth and families, and is dedicated to “busting” the myths many young people have about their ability to learn and change (through teaching about the concept of neuroplasticity).

As a teacher of fifteen years, Julie is an energetic, insightful, and hard-working individual with a commitment to improving the lives of students with whom she works. Especially those who benefit from trauma informed therapeutic practices. Julie has experience teaching a range of subjects including Social Studies, English, Family Studies and predominantly Fine Arts at the Academic, Advanced, and International Baccalaureate levels. She has a special interest in First Nations and Aboriginal Studies, and always appreciates opportunities to collaborate with Elders to implement culturally relevant Art and Aboriginal Studies lessons.

A passionate lifelong learner, Kirsten moved from South Africa to the beautiful British Columbia grabbing the opportunity to work at Whytecliff Agile Learning Centre (Burnaby). She has been working in alternative education programs for 10 years which has culminated in leading the Burnaby program as the Program Manager and Principal. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Fine Art, Psychology and Education from top South African Universities, and a Master of Science in Psychology and Neuroscience from King’s College London. She never stops learning and is currently pursuing an Advanced Diploma in Art Therapy in Vancouver. She has worked with diverse youth in both teaching and counselling capacities. She values growth mindset and is eternally optimistic about change, the power of positivity and the ability to learn.

Marcus has been a Youth and Family worker since 2012. He has shown on multiple occasions what “ethics of care” truly means. He started off his career by pursuing business and discovered his true passion was to help others, meaning that his commitment to the kids’ well-being is second to none. Marcus draws upon his approachable personality in active listening and hands-on learning. Marcus’s love of animals and nature is obvious, and he tries to incorporate this passion by integrating these into the program and when engaging with the youth. His goal this year is to help youth gain a better mind-body connection through physical activity, learning breathing techniques and key workouts in the gym. He is a key member for fostering growth through support in new experiences.

Marcus grew up in the Fraser Valley, moving a few times prior to his family purchasing a poultry farm in Chilliwack where he lived for 13 years. Marcus received a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Psychology with a certificate in Human Services in April 2020. Marcus first got involved at Whytecliff back in 2019 as a practicum student where he connected with the students and staff and could not resist coming back. When Marcus is not at Whytecliff he enjoys his time hanging out with his friends, working on the farm, refereeing for Volleyball Canada, and detailing vehicles.

Markus was born and raised in Vancouver, where at a very young age he knew he wanted to become more then he thought was ever possible. Markus has his degree in Chemical Addictions which specializes in drug and alcohol abuse/concerns, family, relationship and individual violence and individuals with either Person with Disability (PWD) and Developmental Disability (DD) status. Markus is also in his 4^th and final year of the Bachelor of Social Worker Program (BSW) which he is taking at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT). Markus began his journey in the social services line of work back in 2015 when he volunteered for Collingwood Neighbourhood House, which he was at one time a youth himself in their program. Ever since then, Markus’ passion for this line of work has turned into full time positions with multiple organizations where Markus was able to work with, support, and advocate all individuals who wanted the support and guidance. Markus strives to want to learn more about the individualized wants and needs for all youth and young adults, help them work towards making their dreams and aspirations into a real-life achievable goal(s). In Markus’ spare time he enjoys going on hikes with his 2 dogs and going trail riding and competing/showing with his 2 horses.

Born and raised in Argentina, Melina’s dream of living in Canada come true when she moved here in August 2021. After completing her studies in Argentina with a Bachelor’s in English, she moved to Canada to complete her Master’s in Linguistics at Trinity Western University. Melina has previously worked in a variety of different educational settings in Argentina and Germany. She has a passion for travelling, nature, and sports, including running and CrossFit; in 2017, Melina ran a half marathon in Buenos Aires.

Rachael Sorsabal was born and raised in Southern California, growing up to love the outdoors. She finished her education with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Biology wherein she discovered a passion for teaching science. After college, she spent some time in North Carolina raising two beautiful twin boys, finally returning to Washington State. In Washington she spent eleven years coaching high school track and field and working as a Therapeutic Horseback Riding Instructor, which she still does to this day. She is a passionate SCUBA diver, photographer, horseback rider, and outdoors woman.

Executive Director Robert Kissner, B.A. (Hons), M.A., Ph.D., R.S.W. is a specialist in stress and trauma with an interest in innovative ways to facilitate resilience and emotional recovery. He has experience in clinical practice, agency administration, teaching, research, and as a social innovator and entrepreneur. He served as President of the BC Association of Social workers and was BC provincial representative to CASW. He was awarded the CASW Distinguished Service Award in 2012.

Robert taught a wide range of subjects for the University of Chicago, SFU, Trinity Western University, UCFV and Douglas College, including courses in social work, education, criminology, and sociology. He has travelled extensively, lecturing and writing on developmental approaches, working with youth, addictions, stress and emotions. In 1975, Robert founded the Focus Foundation of British Columbia, an addictions and education agency working with adolescents with complex needs and youth who are unsuccessful in the public school system.

Shelley earned a B.A. degree in neuropsychology and BSc. Degree in computing right after high school. While at SFU she played on the soccer team and worked part time for a small building repair company. After graduation she continued to work in the trades for the next 25 years before returning to SFU to get a teaching degree specializing in education and learning disabilities. After 5 years of teaching in public schools she found a home at Whytecliff, where she gets to teach math, science, robotics and carpentry.

A proud father of six, Steve has been working in the field of education for more than 40 years. He holds a Bachelor of Education Degree (B.Ed.) as well a Master of Arts Degree (M.A.) in Science Education, both through the University of British Columbia. Stephen enjoys applying this postgraduate education to positively influence students’ acquisition of science concepts, enabling them to achieve excellent grades while enjoying the learning process. In his spare time, he likes to travel (hopefully to some remote an unexplored part of the globe). If not travelling, Steve may also be found cooking, baking, renovating, or reading novels.

Originally from northern B.C., Todd earned an Economics degree after which he went abroad to start a teaching career.  He spent many years in Malaysia and Japan teaching English and Social Studies. While abroad, he earned a MA in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). Upon returning to Canada, Todd has been sharing his love of the Humanities at independent schools in the Lower Mainland.  When he is not spending time with his family on various excursions, can be found at various museums and reading and watching the news learning about the area he is living in which is now Richmond.

Zane (they/ze/she) has been teaching math since Grade 2, when their perceptive teacher directed their interest in math and strong communication skills into peer instruction. Zane earned a B.A. in Economics at the University of Chicago, where they joined the campus circus troupe. After dabbling in the circus arts for a few years, they returned to the call of math’s education with a Master’s in Education from George Mason University. They taught in both Virginia and Maine before moving to Vancouver, finally finding a feeling of home. After growing up in a family full of neurodivergence and struggling with the executive dysfunction of late-diagnosed ADHD, Zane recognizes the importance of removing barriers in education. They believe that all students have their own brilliance, both in and out of the field of mathematics. They still practice trapeze and partner acrobatics at Circus West. They enjoy listening to audiobooks and podcasts while knitting or trying out textile techniques from the Bronze Age.