TRIUMPH - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Deaf Education and Elementary Education
Amber Harlan, M.Ed. Is a licensed Minnesota Special educator with certificates in deaf education and elementary education. She received her Bachelor's Degree from Augustana University in 2005, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude. Amber completed her Master's Degree at St. Catherine's University in Curriculum and Instruction.
Amber has been working with students who are deaf and hard of hearing since January 2006. Since that time, she has worked for school districts in the Minneapolis Metro area instructing students from birth to 21 years old with varying degrees of hearing loss. Amber has experience as the team lead for her district-wide deaf and hard of hearing department. Amber has spent her teaching career as an itinerant teacher, with proficient skills in communicating with classroom staff to ensure students needs are being met in the mainstream classroom. Amber is highly qualified in supporting students in the development of compensatory skills related to their hearing loss as well as providing direct instruction to students in reading, writing, and math skills.
Amber is excited to be joining the Triumph team and expanding her impact on helping students with hearing loss to be successful in the general education environment. Amber lives in Prior Lake, MN with her husband, her three sons, and her cocker spaniel. She enjoys running, trying out new recipes in her kitchen, and watching her boys play sports (mainly hockey!)
Job Titles:
- Deaf Education and Elementary Education
Janet Caven, M.Ed. is a licensed Minnesota special educator with certifications in Deaf Education and Elementary Education. She received her Bachelor's Degree from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She completed her Master's Degree at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., in which she graduated with high honors.
Janet has been working in Deaf Education at the K-12, undergraduate and graduate level for over 15 years in various capacities: leadership and literacy camp, classroom teacher, American Sign Language teacher, family and school liaison as well as university faculty. Janet is proficient in ASL and is grateful to the Deaf community for continually sharing their expertise and partnership. Janet is passionate about educating the whole child as each person has unique traits and strengths. She has experience and training with teaching literacy across multiple subject areas, math, language, building healthy relationships, establishing a positive work ethic and developing strong character. She is an encourager, a lifelong learner, and strives to meet the needs of individual learners in fun and creative ways. Janet lives with her husband and family in MN and home educates her children. When not teaching, Janet can be found reading, outdoors, cooking, playing games or on an adventure with her friends and family.
Kelsey Funk, M.Ed. is a licensed Minnesota special educator with certification in Deaf/Hard of Hearing and Reading. Kelsey received her undergraduate degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and her graduate degree from in Deaf Education, both from the University of Minnesota, and an additional certification in teaching reading from Hamline University. Kelsey knows both Cued Speech and American Sign Language. Kelsey has taught in both Minnesota and Texas schools, and currently resides in Eagan. She has expertise in providing language-rich literacy intervention, supporting transition-aged learners with self-advocacy needs, integrating technology to support engagement, and fostering deaf identity in young learners. Kelsey also works as an instructional designer and has also designed specialized educational content for deaf learners and served as a speaker at trainings across Minnesota and in Louisiana. Kelsey enjoys reading, golfing, spending time with her dogs and husband, and trying unique cuisines and experiences.
Linda Lacher Goddard, MA CCC-SLP is a speech/language pathologist who holds dual licensure with the Minnesota Department of Education and the Minnesota Department of Health. She received her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees from the University of Minnesota-Duluth.
Linda has been working with students with a variety of unique needs aged birth through twenty-one years old for the past 35 years in both academic and clinic settings. She is an accomplished speech/language pathology veteran who is highly experienced working with students who have hearing loss, dual sensory hearing and vision loss, speech and language delays, pragmatic language disorders, feeding disorders, developmental disabilities, and/or Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is also extensively experienced in due process/assessment and is proficient in American Sign Language and Cued Speech. She looks forward to assisting students, their families and schools in supporting students to bring out their full potential. Linda lives in Saint Paul with her husband and has two adult-aged children. She is an avid reader and enjoys travel and spending time with family and friends.
Lisa Holton, M. Ed., is a licensed Minnesota special educator with certifications in Deaf Education, Secondary Education, English-Composition, and an advanced degree in Literacy. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2004. Her Master's Degree in Literacy was completed with high honors in 2009 from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Lisa is fluent in ASL and is proudly a community-raised signer who is grateful to the Deaf community for sharing their language and culture; she advanced her ASL skills through undergraduate and graduate work. She achieved RID National Interpreter Certification in 2015. Lisa's professional experience is enriched by being a military spouse. Though now retired from service, the Holton family has had amazing opportunities to meet people and grow personally and professionally from Florida all the way to Alaska!
Lisa worked as a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 2004-2012 working at a residential School for the Deaf teaching English and various electives, managing the state assessment program, acting as high school Team Leader, active with many extra curricular activities, and 2009-2012 on the evaluation team for triennial IEP assessments. She then became a substitute teacher in a mainstream/itinerant DHH program, and since 2015 has worked as an RID certified ASL interpreter. While working in Alaska, Lisa had the opportunity to serve as a mentor to educational interpreters through the GAP mentoring program. She is excited to be joining the high caliber professionals at Triumph working, once again, as a Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. A lifelong learner, Lisa's passion for individualized education and a focus on fostering growth while closing gaps means she is not afraid to be creative and sees each student and family as unique. Lisa has a passion for all things literacy and loves to celebrate victories big and small. She lives with her husband in east central Minnesota while homeschooling their two children and is always on the lookout for fun and creative ways to meet goals!
Job Titles:
- Speech - Language Pathologist
Job Titles:
- Founder
- Special Education Teacher
Sarah Rabe, M.Ed. is a licensed Minnesota special educator with certifications in Deaf Education, Elementary Education, Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disabilities. She received her Bachelor's Degree from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She completed her Master's Degree at the University of St. Thomas in St Paul, MN, in which she graduated with high honors. She was awarded the Top Minnesota Teacher award in 2009.
Sarah has been working with students with a variety of unique needs aged birth through twenty-one years old for the past fifteen years. She is highly qualified working with students who have language delays, sensory impairments, developmental disabilities, and/or Autism Spectrum Disorders. She is also extensively experienced in due process/assessment, whole-to-part reading interventions and adaptive educational strategies and is proficient in American Sign Language. She looks forward to supporting homeschooling families and assisting schools in supporting students to bring out their full potential. Sarah lives in Brooklyn Park and is homeschooling her four children- two sets of twins! She enjoys reading, knitting, kayaking, swimming and spending quality time with her family and friends.
Valerie Enfiejian is a School Psychologist who holds licensure with the Minnesota Department of Education. She received her Bachelor's Degree at McDaniel College (formerly known as Western Maryland College) and her Master's Degree and Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study at Gallaudet University. She also received a certificate as an Autism Resource Specialist at Hamline University.
Valerie has been in the field of special education since 1984, working with students from birth through age twenty-one. She comes with experience in local and intermediate public-school settings, as well as in residential schools. Valerie has worked extensively with deaf and hard of hearing students and is proficient in American Sign Language. Over the years, she has worked with students who have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, dual sensory hearing and vision loss, behavior challenges and/or developmental disabilities. She is accomplished in educational evaluations and in designing strategies to support student learning and social/emotional development. She aspires to assist students, their families and educational teams, in discovering the unique needs and capabilities of each learner and to support the path to unfolding each child's potential.
Valerie lives in Northfield, MN. She has three adult-aged children. She enjoys coffee with good friends, time with her partner and family, reading, biking, and cross-country skiing.