About the Teachers

Emily Souther, Board President, Founder & Lead Instructor

I am a person with many passions and a deep enthusiasm for life and learning. I explore the world through music, art, literature, science, and the outdoors, but my deepest passion—and truly my life’s work—is working with children.

I have been an educator in public and private schools since 2008. I began my teaching experience in a highly progressive school in Menlo Park, California. This was a place where children and the valuable work they do—play—was deeply respected. Here I learned the importance of giving children trust to know the abilities of their bodies, to take physical, social, and intellectual risks, and to ask for help when they need it. As an educator, I believe I am tasked with being a guide and mentor to the children I work with. I teach my students reading and math, but I also encourage leadership in the children, hold group meetings to resolve social conflicts, and listen carefully to understand each child’s interests and motivations in the world.

Since then I have continued to grow as an educator and have honed my “learn-by-doing” philosophy through teaching work at a variety of school types—public, private, and a homeschool resource center.

At the heart of my teaching philosophy is the belief that to build self-confident, happy, and excited-to-learn children, we must first meet each child where they are and allow them to explore their own ideas about how to approach a problem or learn a new concept. Children are born excited to learn and it is our most vital role as adults and educators to nurture that.

I live in Northeast Portland with my husband and two sons. You'll often find us exploring nature, being silly, having dance parties, and reveling in the joy of learning.

About the Board of Directors

Leah Kraskoff, Secretary

My passion for education has been through various roles in the last fifteen years: program manager with 90+ students in over ten Portland area schools, Reggio Emilia constructivist co-op preschool parent and board member, and most recently day-program teacher with specialized classes for science, engineering, math, geography, and art. I hold a BA in Business Management, HarvardBok Higher Education Certificate, and have completed various elementary education teaching classes.

Lindsay Nealon, Treasurer

I am so pleased to be a part of Osoberry’s mission to bring authentic and joyful education to Portland families. My days are filled with homeschooling my tween-age kids, immersing myself in math and writing pedagogy, gardening with my family, and drawing in my sketchbook. My background includes a degree in fine art, a ten-year fundraising career for colleges and non-profits, previous board positions, and an insatiable curiosity for education theory and practice.

Mary Beth Kierstead, At-Large

Mary Beth has been the Education Director Portland’s largest and oldest early childhood center since 2020. She holds a Masters in Education from Columbia University’s Teachers College and has been on a life-long journey of understanding child development. She has over twenty years of teaching experience ranging from preschool to adults. She is passionate about constructivist pedagogy and social-emotional learning. She loves supporting children, teachers and families.