Staff | Wellsprings Friends School

"The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to

think critically. Intelligence plus character- That is the goal of true education."
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Meet Our Team

Head of School

Dante Zuñiga-West

Dante serves as Head of School. He holds a Bachelor's Degree from The Evergreen State College and a Master's in Fine Arts from California

Institute of the Arts. A former Language Arts teacher with a decade of classroom experience, Dante is passionate about environmental conservation and exploring the natural world. A novelist, short story

writer and journalist, his writing is frequently published in lifestyle magazines and adventure journals. He lives in the coastal mountain range

of Oregon with his family and a team of German Shepherds.

Dean of Students

India John

India eagerly joined the Wellsprings community as Dean of Students in fall 2020. Born and raised in Nashville, TN, India traveled to Wisconsin to earn a BS in Environmental Geology and a minor in Journalism. Since college, her path has largely centered around Outdoor/Environmental Education of one sort or another, from leading summer camp trips and working as an Environmental Educator on both coasts, to teaching middle and high school math here in Eugene. During her free time India can be found hiking, reading Sci-Fi/Fantasy books, or playing Ultimate Frisbee when there isn’t a global pandemic. In addition to her role as Dean of Students, India is excited to offer additional individualized math support, as well as teach the occasional improv or Cryptozoology elective.

Special Education Coordinator

Deborah Mallery

Deborah joined Wellsprings in 2018 as our Special Education Coordinator. She holds a Bachelor of Education degree with a minor in Special Education. Deborah has worked 31 years as a special educator, in California and locally. She retired in 2017 from the Bethel School District after serving there for 23 years. Her desire to continue to work with youth and provide support in special education is an area she is excited to return to.

Operations Manager

Dawn Meckelson

Dawn took on the challenging position as our Operations Manager in mid-September, 2014. She has over 15 years of experience in administration and customer service. Dawn has worked in both the health industry and the veterinary industry, and has volunteered for several years in programs that serve youth.

Kitchen Coordinator

Anna Lankutis

Anna serves a vital and universally-appreciated role as our Kitchen Coordinator. Although Anna started in the fall, 2015, she is the parent of a 2003 graduate and has been somewhat associated with the school since 2001! Anna retired after 26 years of work in many phases of community social work and children’s programs. She loves working in the kitchen and serving students, and is delighted to be able to give back to the school in this special way.

Teacher

Bob Schlichting

Bob has a B.S. in Special Education K-12 and Secondary Psychology with a minor in Sociology/Anthropology. For four-plus years he worked at Aerie Academy as headmaster, counselor, and instructor. Prior to that, Bob worked in Lewiston, Idaho, at Northwest Children’s Home as a Special Education instructor dealing with socially and emotionally disturbed children. Bob has been teaching Math, Psychology, Human Sexuality, Music History, and other classes at Wellsprings since the fall of 2001.

Teacher

Katelyn Stover

Science Teacher.

Teacher

Brad Goss

Brad first came to Wellsprings in 2013 to assist in Math and Writing classes. A University of Oregon graduate with a degree in English, Brad taught a popular Literature class throughout the 2014/15 school year. He began teaching full-time in the fall, 2015, offering a wide range of language arts classes.

Teacher

Dylan Gunther

Dylan was born in Florida where he spent much of his childhood enjoying the water. He studied history at Flagler College in North Florida focusing his thesis on the intersection between civil rights and aquatic history. After traveling to volunteer in rural Nicaragua and studying abroad in Vietnam, Dylan began working in schools in a variety of roles and locations. He earned his Master’s Degree in Educational Policy and Leadership at the University of Oregon and decided that Wellsprings was the perfect fit for his belief in community oriented learning spaces. When he’s not at school, you’ll find him on the coast at one of his favorite surf breaks, eating oysters at the Fisherman’s Market, or dancing poorly at a local music event.

Our Board of Trustees

Our current Board combines a mixture of long-serving Trustees with relatively new members

John Etter

John of Portland, Oregon is a very devoted member of the Eugene Friends Meeting. He attended Scattergood Friends School in Iowa, which he considers as having yielded experiences that continue to direct his life in positive ways. To help other high school students gain similar benefits, John has been an enthusiastic supporter of Wellsprings since its founding in 1994. His younger daughter, Angela, was in the first graduating class in 1996. John is a retired landscape architect, having spent many years with the city of Eugene planning and designing parks, planning bike paths, and consulting on urban beautification.

Lisette Ewing

Lisette has been a Special Education teacher since 1984. She has taught in Illinois, Idaho, S. Carolina and Oregon, headed a professional organization, and been part of state working groups in her field. Lisette has published articles and lectured internationally about art for blind and visually impaired students. A profile in the newsletter of the Eugene Friends Meeting, which she attends, noted that “those who know her can’t miss her passion and pizzazz!” The individualized curriculum for alternative learners at Wellsprings fits Lisette’s educational philosophy very well. She joined the Board in September 2011.

John Morse

John joined the Board in October 2017. A retired California public school educator of thirty-nine years, he has served as a teacher, school principal, director of instruction and assistant-superintendent for instructional services. John has had diverse experience developing and supporting high-quality alternative programs for students. He is very committed to the mission of Wellsprings and in helping all students reach their intended personal, graduation and/or post-secondary training goals. John is a team player and enjoys working positively and collaboratively with all members of this unique school community to ensure student success.

Dr. Kristen Wright

Dr. Wright (Kris) is a parent of a 2021 Wellsprings graduate. Kris works with incoming families on navigating the referral process. As a board member, she focuses on research, community outreach, recruitment, and assessment. She is thrilled to still be a part of the Wellsprings Friends community, and eternally grateful to the staff and board at Wellsprings for embracing her child and reinvigorating their love of learning. Kris holds a PhD in Communication and Media. She is particularly interested in identifying barriers for marginalized groups and activating initiatives to break down obstacles, embrace differences, practice active listening, and appreciate diverse perspectives and experiences.

Bill Goldsmith

Bill is recently retired after over 50 years in various administrative roles, most recently twelve years as business manager and athletic director at Oak Hill School. His daughter Rachel Wolfe-Goldsmith, a successful activist mural artist, found a welcoming and supportive educational home at Wellsprings and graduated in 2008. Currently Bill finds pleasure in playing pétanque, coaching girls basketball and growing tomatoes.