our team
Matthew Davis
Co-Director of Children’s Programming
Matt has over 17 years of experience as a farm-based educator. He has worked in the Place-Based Learning Center (PBLC) since the fall of 1999, when he became an intern in the Visiting Students Program. After finishing his internship, Matt had the opportunity to stay on with the Program as a permanent staff member. He has served the PBLC in many ways over the years, including managing the children’s gardening activities, waterfront safety at the pond, managing the Field Camp for teenagers in the summer, and codirecting the Visiting Students Program. Matt’s interest in place based learning was cultivated while he studied Sociology and Environmental Studies at the University of California San Diego.
Joe Harris
Co-Director of Children’s Programming
Joe lived and worked at The Camphill School in Pennsylvania for almost 20 years, splitting time between administrative activities, life sharing, and teaching. He was involved in the work of the Camphill Association of North America (CANA) for over ten years, serving as president for three of those, from 2017-2020. Originally from England, Joe moved to the United States in 2003 after earning a Bachelor’s degree in history with a minor American studies. Joe lives a stone’s throw from Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School with his wife and three children, just up the road in Ghent.
Indigo Ocean
Program and Day Camp Manager
With a long history in both the arts and special education, Indigo’s path ultimately turned towards Waldorf education. She served on the Hawthorne Valley Waldorf School faculty for many years, receiving her Waldorf teacher training certification from Hawthorne Valley Alkion Center. She is now able to combine all of her passions for art, education, farming, and food in her role at the Place-Based Learning Center.
Anita Rodriguez
Program Manager, Summer Camp Farm Explorers Manager
Anita moved from Ecuador to California in her early twenties after receiving a degree in Agricultural Engineering. There she spent eight years working in Environmental Education at Hidden Villa Farm, Wilderness Preserve and Environmental Volunteers. During this time she learned about Waldorf Education from friends who were both teachers and biodynamic farmers. After completing her Waldorf Teacher Certification, she taught Waldorf Early Childhood and Grades for nine years in Florida and New York, Three of those years at Hawthorne Valley School! Anita has a true affinity for the outdoors and nature education and is excited to start a new journey at Hawthorne Valley where she can continue to share her love and care for our Natural World. In her free time Anita enjoys long walks in nature, bike riding, yoga as well as time at home with family and her dog Rosie.
Margaret Pellegrom
Program Manager, Summer Camp Farm Explorers Manager
Maggie is joining us from Michigan where she has a long history of working with children in nature-based settings. Her path has been a journey of discovering what she believes is essential to support child development. Maggie has worked in nature-based preschools, Montessori classrooms, and for the Girl Scouts as a garden teacher. This past year she was the director of a hybrid homeschooling program which combined Waldorf, Montessori, and farm based education. She fell in love with this type of work and started searching for similar programs she could be apart of. She joined us this summer as the assistant manager for the Farm and Arts day camp and decided to continue her education and personal growth here at Hawthorne valley, which shares so many of her values.
Jae Vyskocil
Residential Program & Earth Stewards Camp Manager
After spending her formative years in Chicagoland, Jae studied International Development and Peace & Conflict Studies at Portland State University in Oregon. During her studies, she developed a passion for regenerative agriculture and experiential education. As the Residential Program and Summer Camp Manager, Jae is excited to combine her interests in farming, arts, and education to foster hands-on learning experiences for children and teens. She is currently a student in the Waldorf teacher training at the Alkion Center and is eager to develop her skills as a farm-based educator. When she’s not on the farm, you can find Jae riding her bike, skiing in the Berkshires, making illustrations, or quilting.
Michele Connors-Kowalski
Dining Hall Manager
Michele’s first trip to Hawthorne Valley was in 2005, as a visitor with her family to our annual Fall Festival while expecting her youngest child, Charlotte. Little did she know what fate had in store for her! The farm, biodynamics, and Hawthorne Valley Waldorf school made such an impression, that she and her family decided to find a way to a simpler life. The Kowalski clan became members of the Hawthorne Valley Farm family in 2008 when Michael, her husband, left his corporate job to pursue farming full time. He became a farmer here that same year. The family soon relocated to Harlemville. Michele continued her career as a commercial photographer on a part-time basis while raising their daughters on the farm and sending them to Hawthorne Valley Waldorf school. She was also the go-to cook for the farm’s new learning center for special “day on the farm” events. She cherishes this time in their lives, the wonderful people they met and the simplicity and seasonality of it all. In 2011, they decided to start their own family farm and Full Field Farm was born. Through this, she realized her love of farming was really a love of food and cooking. Michele began selling breads and pies at their markets, catering small events and a new career was born! She came full circle in 2014, when she joined our team as dining hall manager. She loves cooking with clean, local, seasonal foods and enjoys the challenges involved in ensuring this for our programs.