River Guerguerian
Music Teacher

A respected music educator, River is Music Director for Odyssey Community School’s Creative Technology & Arts Center. He conducts “rhythm and sound exploration” workshops, and enjoys teaching privately.

Gene Felice
Creative Technology Teacher

Odyssey relies on the vision of self-described “interactive artist” Gene Felice for much of its visual outreach into the community. Having received his degree in Fine Arts from the Art and Technology program at Ohio State University, Gene sees graphic design as an element of human communication that strengthens his attention to detail and balance. As the high school graphic arts teacher, Gene works within several disciplines at once, providing students with the tools to develop a rich, vibrant mode of communication completely in keeping with the OCS fundamental philosophy of exploration, integration, and personal expression.

Teshale Byan
Upper Level Math Teacher

As Odyssey’s upper level math teacher, Teshale Byan encourages students to delve fully into the subject. He infuses research, reading, independent studies, and projects into his curriculum, creating a relevant and layered mathematics curriculum. Those of his students coming from public school backgrounds appreciate the freedom they gain in addition to the high expectations Teshale sets. Independent studies are central to the Odyssey experience, and Teshale sees them as vital opportunities for the students to learn and gain independence, following their own interests beyond fulfilling the requirements.

Born in Ethiopia, Teshale attended Addis Ababa University, where he studied civil engineering for four years. In 2006 he left Ethiopia to attend Warren Wilson College as an international student and graduated from there with a B.A. in Mathematics. Teshale finds the size and makeup of the OCS school community to be an enriching environment for the students and the teachers and sees people working together as they learn.

 

Mark Meiri
High School Science Teacher

As an international seeker, Mark Meiri traveled to Egypt and Turkey and lived in Israel for two years, working on a kibbutz in the mountains of Jerusalem with people from over ten countries around the world. Mark’s insatiable curiosity extends into his classes, where he inspires students to explore the beauty and intricacies of the world through science and connect these experiences to all areas of their lives.

With a B.S. in Education from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and a B.S. in Zoology from the same, Mark has been an educator for over fifteen years. Among other schools, he has taught at the Solomon Schechter High School in Long Island, Franklin High School of Reistertown, Maryland, and the Shoshana S. Cardin Community School in Baltimore, Maryland.

 

Tabitha Lohr-Stoops
High School History Teacher

 

Tabitha Lohr-Stoops was born and raised in the Warrenton, Virginia, where her love of history was shaped by the surrounding Civil War territory. Her father was a high school history teacher, and they spent family vacations taking field trips and exploring their national heritage. It is this type of hands-on learning technique that she seeks to share with her classes. Tabitha returned to the high school she graduated from to teach high school social studies with the very teachers who had taught her, as well as coached field hockey, soccer, and volleyball.

In West Breckenridge, Colorado, she taught 9-12th grade US Government, Comparative World Systems and Economics, US History, World History, and an Introduction Course to Psychology, Sociology and Anthropology. She was chosen to be the head delegation leader for Colorado’s People to People Student Ambassadors program, where she led two student delegations to Australia.

After teaching in Breckenridge for eight years, Tabitha and her husband relocated to Asheville to be closer to family. She has a NC teaching license in Secondary Social studies and a NC Middle School teaching certification in Language Arts. She has a BA in Philosophy and Political Science from Elon University, as well as over 35 semester hours of graduate level courses at James Madison University and George Mason University in Virginia.

 

Bryan Wilson
High School English and Creative Writing Teacher

Bryan Wilson came to Odyssey with wide range of experience and education in diverse communities of learners. After finishing his BA in English at Appalachian State University, he went to China to teach English as a Second Language (ESL) at GuangDong University of Foreign Studies. In the years to follow, Bryan continued to grow in his respect for the unique needs of individual learners by working as a mentor for students with high risk behaviors, a teacher for high school students with learning differences, and a business ESL teacher at UTM in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Upon returning to the United States, Bryan started his graduate studies at Western Carolina University, where he taught freshman seminar classes and graduated with honors. When Bryan first entered the halls of Odyssey, he was immediately struck by the unique nature of the school and has been thankful for the opportunity to grow with the Odyssey community. Bryan teaches high school English, Creative Writing, and Business Writing/ SAT prep. In addition to teaching at Odyssey, he loves disc golf, live music, philosophy, film, and travel.