Administrative Staff and Clinicians

Maggie Voinot-Baron

Speech-Language Pathologist / Clinical Supervisor

Maggie is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Clinical Supervisor in our Anchorage location.  Maggie graduated from Portland State University with a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology in 2011. After working a year in the Seattle School District, she decided to venture up to the beautiful state of Alaska to continue her career and spend more time outdoors. Maggie spent two years working in the Anchorage School District.  Through working at Reading Write Alaska part-time, Maggie discovered a huge passion for literacy.  She joined the staff full-time in 2014 and has never looked back! Maggie has experience working with children with a variety of communication impairments including Autism Spectrum Disorder, Childhood Apraxia of Speech, and articulation and language delays. Maggie is certified in the Barton Reading and Spelling System.  In her spare time, she loves reading, skiing, yoga, and enjoying all that Alaska has to offer! Maggie is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech, Language, Hearing Association.

Kelsey Coffern

Speech-Language Pathologist / Diagnostic Resource Manager

Kelsey graduated from Texas Tech University with a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology 2018. Trying to escape the Texas heat, she booked a one-way flight to Anchorage, Alaska! She found her way back to a full-time position at RWA after completing an internship here during graduate school. Kelsey enjoys being involved in all the recreational activities the “Land of the Midnight Sun” has to offer, including hiking, biking, rock-wall climbing, and yoga. She has a special passion for reading and literature and hopes to foster that same love in her students at RWA.   Kelsey is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Mary Mitchell

Speech-Language Pathologist / Certified Breast Feeding Specialist 

Mary is a Speech-Language Pathologist.  Mary graduated from James Madison University with her Bachelor of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorder in 2012 and taught a Kindergarten program in Maryland for two years before returning to graduate school. Mary graduated from Radford University with a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology in 2016. After graduating, she decided to move across the country to the beautiful state of Alaska to start her career as an SLP and spend more time exploring outdoors. Mary spent two years working part time at a private practice and full time working in early intervention in Anchorage before moving out of state as a traveling SLP. She missed Alaska and the pediatric population, so she returned and began working at Reading Write Alaska in February 2019.   In her spare time, she loves dancing, hiking, skiing, and exploring all that Alaska has to offer! Mary is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech, Language, Hearing Association.

April Kuiper

Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist

April is a bilingual, certified speech-language pathologist who earned her Bachelor’s degree in Spanish language & literature in Michigan, where she was born and raised.  After starting her family and staying at home to raise her two daughters during their younger years, she returned to her studies to earn her Master’s degree in speech-language pathology. She completed a fellowship year working as a school-based clinician in the greater Chicago area, then relocated to Alaska in 2015.  April joined Reading Write Alaska in 2018.  April loves books and is passionate about sharing the gift of literacy. Her dream for all of her clients is that they gain power and freedom by learning to read and write independently.  When April is not seeing clients, she likes to spend time with her family, knit and sew, write essays and poems, and (of course) READ!

Becky George

Dyslexia Therapist / Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

Becky relocated to Anchorage in 2018 after spending 8 years in Fairbanks.  Prior to Fairbanks, Colorado was her home.  She has over 13 years in private practice as a Dyslexia Therapist.  Her education/certifications include: a Bachelors degree from Western State College in Colorado, Dyslexia Therapist Certification from the International Dyslexia Association, Dyslexia Therapist with the Multisensory Language Training Institute of New Mexico, Licensed Dyslexia Practitioner with the State of Texas, and Certified Academic Language Therapist with the Academy of Language Therapy Association.  Becky also serves on the Board of Directors for the Alaska Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.  Becky treats from the belief that children don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. She’s excited to work with the dynamic team at Reading Write Alaska and become part of the Anchorage community. Becky is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business, and Professional License and is certified by the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association.

Michelle Kobsik

Teacher and Behavioral Specialist

Michelle relocated to Alaska from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a Master’s degree in Special Education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she taught the Structured Learning Classroom at Service High School. She has also worked as a one-on-one interventionist providing behavioral support to children with autism spectrum disorders in the home, school, and community settings, as well as a Behavioral Specialist Consultant, providing therapeutic strategies and coordinating care. Michelle started as a part-time teacher at Reading Write in 2015 and quickly decided it’s where she wanted to be full-time. Reading has always been a passion of hers, and at Reading Write Alaska, she can share that enthusiasm through teaching and loves watching her students find success and pride through this program.

Tyler Beckes

Math Instructor

Tyler is a Math Tutor for Reading Write Alaska and began working part time in 2018.  Tyler grew up in Minnesota and spent 10 years in the United States Air Force, first as a Chinese-Mandarin language analyst, and then as a command post controller.  After receiving an honorable discharge for the Air Force, Tyler was employed in the bridge construction field. He realized he truly enjoyed the field of land surveying, so he decided to go back to school for a Geomatics degree.  His younger brother and parents had already moved up to Alaska, so it was only natural that Tyler would follow them, and enroll at the University of Alaska-Anchorage.
In his off time, you can usually find him hiking up some mountain, taking lots of pictures, or at a hockey rink, either playing or refereeing.  You might also find him in a wood shop, building furniture, or other fun projects.

Tyler has had an affinity for math from a young age and enjoys working with children and watching and helping them discover new ideas making being the math-u-see tutor perfect for him.  In his younger days, he was an Eagle Scout, and for a long time, the oldest scout in his troop, so he has been teaching people most of his life.  This all adds up to Tyler being enthusiastic about sharing math with young people!

Nichole Chilson

Speech-Language Pathologist

Nichole Lachance Chilson has been practicing Speech-Language Pathology for over 18 years here in the land of the midnight sun. She worked in private practice for ten of those years and has worked in both private practice and for the Anchorage School District since 2010, joining Reading Write Alaska in 2013. She enjoys working with children who experience a wide range of abilities and challenges, but has a particular passion for working with children who have literacy-based disabilities. She has been trained in two treatment methodologies using the Orton-Gillingham Approach; Lindamood-Bell and the Barton Reading & Spelling System.  Nichole received her Bachelor’s Degree and her Master’s Degree from the University of Maine and she is a former president of the Alaska Speech-Language-Hearing Association. She has received four ACE Awards (Award for Continuing Education) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.  Nichole is married to Dave with three children, Crystal, Cullen, and Ashley. She also is blessed to have three wonderful grandchildren (Ailee, Ariana, and Barrett). She and her family love to go camping and Razr riding in the summers.  Nichole is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech, Language, Hearing Association.

Megan Skelton

Speech-Language Pathologist

Despite her childhood dream of becoming a librarian, Megan eventually discovered the world of speech and language in college and ultimately graduated with a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology in 2018 at Harding University (Arkansas). Growing up all over Alaska, including four villages, Megan is thrilled to be back in Anchorage to begin her new escapade at RWA. Megan has had experience working with a variety of communication impairments, including: articulation, language delays, social language, Augmentative and Alternative Communication, Autism Spectrum Disorder, aural habilitation, and feeding. A true explorer and lover of learning, Megan believes in living the most colorful adventure and sprinkling fairy dust as she goes. Whenever Megan gets the chance, she loves to read books, hike new trails, and practice playing her ukulele.   Megan is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Amanda O’Banion

Speech-Language Pathologist

Amanda returned to Alaska after pursuing her undergraduate degree in Child Development, followed by 3 years of working as a preschool teacher with Childtime Learning Center in Phoenix, AZ. This inspired her to pursue her Master’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology at Oklahoma State University. GO POKES! She had aspirations to return to the state where she grew up and returned to Alaska in June 2017. Amanda spent one year with the Anchorage School District, which gave her insight to the school district needs versus the private sector. Amanda was excited about joining the professionals at Reading Write Alaska in 2018, which allows her to enhance her knowledge about the diversified needs in the field of speech-language pathology.   Amanda played soccer at the collegiate level and takes pleasure in playing and coaching in the community. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, camping, and appreciating the beauty of Alaska. Her parents and extended family are rooted here in Alaska. She is extremely excited to be back home to share her life with her family and friends.   Amanda is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Allie Lowe

Speech-Language Pathologist

Allie is a Speech-Language Pathologist in our Anchorage location. She was born and raised in south Louisiana, but her love of the mountains and outdoors sent her to Alaska. She attended Louisiana State University, where she obtained both her BA and MA degrees in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Allie has worked with all ages with diagnoses ranging from articulation to language to cognitive-communication disorders. She has since found a passion for working with language skills such as reading and writing. She enjoys working with families and collaborating to form therapy goals and treatment plans. Allie enjoys hiking, camping, and off-road riding with her boyfriend and their dogs, Katmai and Seven. She also loves to bake and cook, particularly Cajun cuisine when she is feeling homesick!

Allie is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

Heather Huddleston

Speech-Language Pathologist

Heather has been working as a speech and language pathologist since 2009. She is originally from Georgia. Heather graduated with her Bachelors in Communication Disorders in May 2007 from Valdosta State University. She went on to obtain her Master’s in Education in Communication Disorders from Valdosta State University in December of 2008. She spent the first 8 years of her career working in a private practice in Georgia, where she treated patients of all ages but spent majority of her time working with pre-school and school aged children. Her husband received orders from Georgia to Alaska in 2017, so they moved with their 2 boys across the country to Anchorage, Alaska! She has worked full-time for the school system for the past 3 years where she has spent most of her time working with developmentally delayed preschoolers and school-aged children on the Autism Spectrum. She has always had a passion for reading and literacy, and while she enjoys working for schools, she missed having clients in private practice. Heather joined RWA in the fall of 2020 to work part time after school and combine her love of literacy with her love of private practice. She holds an Alaska State License and her Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech and Hearing Association.

Cyndi Mendoza

Speech-Language Pathologist

Cyndi is a Speech Language Pathologist who earned a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Texas Woman’s University. Before pursuing a career as a SLP,  Cyndi worked as a certified special education teacher and school counselor in public schools for ten years in north Texas. She had been interested in speech-language pathology from the time she completed her undergraduate degree. Her career took many twists and turns before she began her graduate program. After numerous years of dreaming and talking about Alaska with her husband, they made the big move with their four children August 2018. She’s chose to continue her career in Speech under Alaska’s midnight sun.  She joined Reading Write Alaska in 2020, during her tenth year as a SLP.  Her experience includes working with children and adolescents in the areas of articulation, fluency, expressive, receptive, and pragmatic language.  She has a passion for working with those who have literacy-based disorders. Cyndi is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business, and Professional Licensing and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech Language, Hearing Association.

Selah Powell 

Speech-Language Pathologist 

Selah is a bilingual certified speech-language pathologist who earned her bachelor’s degree in Linguistics and Cultural Studies in 2011. She taught as a Spanish Immersion preschool teacher and traveled New 

Zealand before earning her master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders in 2020. She joined Reading Write Alaska in 2021.  Selah has worked with a variety of patients from 3 years old – 80+ years old with a variety of communication and feeding disorders. Selah has experience working with more than speech sound disorders, including early intervention, autism, down syndrome, stuttering, cleft palate, feeding/swallowing disorders, cognitive rehabilitation, bilingualism, and more! Selah is endlessly curious and thrives on finding the best ways to support her clients both in session and in the real world! Her clients often enjoy the playful nature of Selah’s therapy sessions while maintaining a focus on doing their best work.  

Selah grew up in a small Alaskan town and after spending some time away, she returned to Alaska and has fallen back in love with the excess snow and excess sunshine that Alaska brings. Selah enjoys getting outside and skiing, walking her dog, snowshoeing, sitting in patches of sunshine, rock climbing, and just playing whenever possible because she is a child at heart! 

Selah is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech, Language, Hearing Association. 

Julie Johnson

Speech-Language Pathology Assistant

Julie is a retired school teacher with the Anchorage School District. She has an undergraduate degree is in elementary education and a masters degree in special education. She taught in Anchorage for a total of 22 years – 18 years in elementary education (kindergarten through sixth grade) and 4 years in a self-contained classroom for students with autism (preschool through sixth grade). She retired at the end of the 2012 school year and substituted for the district for two years, joining Reading Write Alaska in 2014. Julie has found that she loves the relationships she can develop with the students that she tutors at Reading Write Alaska. Julie went back to school again after retirement to earn the Speech-Language Pathology Assistant Associate of Applied Science Degree.  Julie is also certified in the Barton Reading and Spelling System. Julie is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business, and Professional License and is certified by the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association.

Gayle Andrus

Occupational Therapist

Gayle is an Occupational Therapist and the first to join our staff. She was born in Los Angeles but was raised in the small, northern California town of Murphys. Gayle was attending undergraduate school at a private college in Scotts Valley, California, when she received a summer internship to Juneau and fell in love with Alaska. Following the internship, she returned to school but quickly decided to make the trek back up the AlCan with a friend. Upon settling in Anchorage, she met the love of her life, Brian, who was working at the time for Wien Air Alaska. During the closure of that airline, Gayle and Brian decided to briefly relocate to Tacoma, Washington, for Gayle to complete her Master of Occupational Therapy degree at the University of Puget Sound. They returned to Alaska and Gayle spent the next 32 years at a local hospital specializing in both inpatient and outpatient pediatric therapy. She worked with children experiencing a broad diversity of needs in both physical disabilities and behavioral mental health. In September 2020, Gayle made the decision to join Reading Write in order to expand handwriting and keyboarding services, having always dreamed of specializing in treatment of children with learning disabilities. Gayle and Brian adopted three children who are now grown, two from Russia and one from Alaska. They have one beautiful granddaughter. Gayle enjoys walks and hiking, swimming, kayaking, sailing with a friend in the Sea of Cortez, and is passionate about spinning her own yarn for knitting “because knitting isn’t weird enough!” She is trained in Sensory Integration, TAMO, Interactive Metronome, Therapeutic Listening, and a variety of modalities. Gayle is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing.

Kristin Campbell

Occupational Therapist

Kristin is an Occupational Therapist. She was born and raised in Anchorage, AK and moved to New York City to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree in Dance. After dancing professionally for five years, she returned to Alaska and earned her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy through Creighton University. Kristin has worked as an occupational therapist in a variety of pediatric settings including inpatient, outpatient, and preschool. In her spare time, Kristin enjoys teaching ballet and spending time with her husband and two young boys. Kristin is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing.

Matt Foertsch 

Teacher/Tutor 

Matt joined Reading Write Alaska in January 2022 and is a certified teacher and math wizard.  Matt is from Texas, has been to Alaska 10 different times, and is excited to finally call Anchorage home.  Matt loves the adventure of discovering new information and is a natural educator.  He got his official start in education while working at a special needs summer camp in upstate New York in 2008, where he worked with individuals with profound disabilities.  Matt spent 5 summers working at Camp Loyaltown, and also spent a summer working at Camp Kushtaka in Cooper Landing. He attended college at Tarleton State University, where he earned a bachelor’s in business administration in the field of interdisciplinary business with a minor in horticulture. 

Soon after graduation, Matt took a job as a teaching aide in a self-contained classroom while earning his teaching certification.  Once certified, Matt was able to advocate for the creation of a post-secondary classroom on the campus where he worked. He was awarded the position as the teacher of record for the flagship post-secondary program and was in this position for 3 years before moving to a position in a middle school resource classroom teaching math, history, government, and English. Matt also has experience teaching 9th-12th grade, was delegated as one of the two Student Support Specialists on campus, became a member of student/staff/community team (to facilitate an ideas exchange for activities and planned changes on campus), joined the music program as one of the band coaches, and began laying the groundwork for a horticulture club.  He also became an SAT proctor, took on the role as the credit recovery teacher, became the garden coordinator for the district, and still found time to privately tutor students both before and after school. 

Matt has 5 siblings and considers family very important.  He is a big animal lover and if you catch him outside of the clinic there’s a good chance you will meet his service dog Hera.

Kayla Parker

Teacher/Tutor

Kayla relocated to Alaska from Houston, Texas where she worked as an Elementary Special Education teacher. During her time in Houston she worked with students who had dyslexia, autism, ADHD, and emotional/behavioral disturbances. In 2017, she graduated with her Bachelors degree in Special Education. While working in Texas, she received her Orton Gillingham Dyslexia Certification which has sense developed her love for teaching reading, writing, and comprehension. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband. In 2017 they set a goal to visit all of the United States National Parks and only have a few left!

Selina Gutierrez

Speech-Language Pathology Assistant / Clinic Coordinator

Selina is a licensed Speech-Language Pathology Assistant with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Texas at Austin. Throughout her career, she has provided individualized and group therapy to children in the home, school, and clinical settings. She is skilled in the areas of Articulation Disorders, Expressive & Receptive Language Delays, Phonological Processing Delays, Applied Behavioral Analysis, Early Language Delay, Apraxia of speech, ADHD, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication.  Selina is a native to Texas but is proud to call Alaska her home. She joined Reading Write Alaska’s Wasilla location in 2018.  She loves to be outdoors, try new recipes, crochet, travel, and spend time with close friends. Selina is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business, and Professional License and is certified by the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association.

Rebecca Piper

Speech Language Pathologist/Clinical Supervisor

Rebecca is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Clinical Supervisor in our Wasilla location. She specializes in diagnosing and treating dyslexia, aural (re)habilitation, phonological disorders, and receptive-expressive language disorders. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics from New York University and a Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology from Vanderbilt University, where she specialized in treating children with hearing loss. Before moving to Alaska in 2021, Rebecca taught children with hearing aids and cochlear implants how to listen and speak at a nonprofit clinic in New York City. Knowing that hearing loss hugely impacts literacy development, she regularly incorporated literacy intervention into her treatment sessions, helping her clients thrive both socially and academically. Rebecca earned her Teaching Students with Speech and Language Disabilities certification from the NYC DOE and worked closely with teachers, parents, and IEP teams to get her clients the services and accommodations they needed in school. As Rebecca’s passion for literacy grew, so too did her desire to seek out a change of scenery, and she was thrilled to join the team at Reading Write Alaska! In her free time here, she has enjoyed hiking, camping, snow machining, and just getting outside with her new puppy. Rebecca is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing, the University of New York Education Department, and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech, Language, Hearing Association.

Sarah Jacobs

Speech-Language Pathologist

After several years of working in the field of social services, she completed a Masters degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at the University of Utah. Immediately upon graduation, Sarah moved to east Tennessee and worked as a licensed Speech Pathologist in private practice. Sarah contracted in the school setting, worked with adults in home health for two large Healthcare networks in the area, and also engaged the birth to 3 population with in-home therapy services. Seeking adventure, Sarah moved north to Alaska and was blessed with excellent experience in pediatrics with a local private practice over the last 5 years. Sarah has completed Beckman Oral Motor training, Picture Exchange Communication System training, two level of specific training with PRC’s LAMP words for Life AAC application, and courses in Sensory feeding aversion. She is excited to join the team at Reading Write Alaska and take on the new challenges of assisting her clients in achieving their utmost potential. Sarah understands that a positive attitude, encouragement, and belief in each child’s potential will be foundational in their success.

Kristin Wetzel

Speech-Language Pathologist

Kristin is a Speech-Language Pathologist and Clinic Director in our Wasilla location.  Kristin grew up in a small town in Northern Nevada and attended the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). She traveled to India for a yoga teacher training, then moved to a tiny island in the Pacific called Guam to work at a resort after obtaining her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences. Graduate school took her away from island life and took her back to the University of Nevada, Reno to work on her Master’s degree in Speech Language Therapy. Her internship brought her to Central Oregon in 2014, where she worked as an SLP with Pre-K and school-aged children. She moved to Alaska with her husband and giant Labrador, Murray, in the summer of 2016 to join the Reading Write Alaska team. Kristin is thrilled to be working with children at RWA, as well as exploring everything the land of the midnight sun has to offer. Kristin is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business and Professional Licensing and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech, Language, Hearing Association.

Jessie Goben 

Speech-Language Pathologist 

Jessie is a Speech-Language Pathologist at our Wasilla location. She was born and raised in Southwest Missouri and graduated from Missouri State University in 2016 with a Master of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders. Following graduation, Jessie moved to Austin, Texas and worked in the school district serving children ages preschool to middle school for 3 years and then to Fayetteville, Arkansas where she was employed at an early intervention preschool treating children ages 6 months to 6 years. In the summer of 2021, wanting an adventure, Jessie moved to Alaska and began working at RWA. She is passionate about creating a safe, comfortable, and fun learning environment for children of all ages and backgrounds to feel welcome and supported. When she isn’t at the clinic, you can find her playing with her dog, Jolene, cross-stitching, or traveling in her converted van to find the next adventure! Jessie is licensed by the State of Alaska Department of Commerce, Division of Business, and Professional License and holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association.

Jean Sargent

Speech-Language Pathologist Clinical Fellow

Jean earned her master’s degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from East Carolina University, North Carolina, December 2021. She is currently completing her SLP clinical fellowship year at Reading Write Alaska, Wasilla. Jean was born and raised in the farmlands of Clovis, California. She graduated from California State University of Fresno with a BA and teaching certificate in Adapted Physical Education. She taught 11 years in the Visalia School District, CA. When Jean’s husband was offered a position at Providence Hospital in Anchorage, they packed up their family, two small children and two dogs, and moved to the beautiful state of Alaska.  Jean’s family enjoyed hiking, fishing, and camping as they made Palmer, AK their home.  Jean became a stay-at-home mom for many years.  She returned to teaching Adapted PE in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District, traveling from school to school, working with students in grades K-12.  Jean determined to pursue a new career path in speech-language pathology. During her internship in the master’s program, at Reading Write Alaska, Jean was introduced to the Barton Reading and Spelling System for Dyslexia. Jean’s family has a history of dyslexia, and she was excited to see the progress of the children at RWA who were working through the Barton program. Jean followed her desire to return to RWA following completion of her master’s degree program.