Meet Our Team

Taryn McPherson

SSC Coordinator-Literacy/Executive Functioning EA 

Carlee Bouillion

Literacy, Numeracy and Executive Functioning EA

Allison Miles

IE GA and SSC Manager

Lucinda Beshay

Math and Science EA


Chelsea Bitgood

Director of Grad Program

Andrea Heidema

Literacy, Numeracy and Executive Functioning EA


Lisa Dietrich

Math and Science EA 

Zoom 1-1 pre-booked appointments.

https://calendly.com/lisa-dietrich2-ea


Lisa Dietrich 

Science and Numeracy EA 



Support in learning such as:


Lisa’s Strengths: Strong academic background in math and sciences, as well as over 10 years of experience supporting high school students academically. Adept at breaking concepts and processes down to make them more easily understandable. Goal setting, planning, and study strategies.


Get to know Lisa:


Lisa was born and raised in the Lower Mainland of BC, and is a wife and mother to two adult children. She has a background in Learning Support in a private Christian school. She is currently in her last semester of a Math degree, and hopes to continue with her BEd next fall. As a mature student, experiencing struggle in her studies has given her a new understanding of what her students are often going through. When she doesn’t have her nose in a math textbook, she loves to read for pleasure. She enjoys spending time with her family, being near the ocean, and walking in the woods.

Zoom 1-1 pre-booked appointments.

https://calendly.com/lucinda-beshay-ea/math-and-science-support-center?month=2024-09

Lucinda Beshay

Science and Numeracy EA 


Support in learning such as:


Lucinda’s Strengths: Strong academic background in Science and numeracy, strong background in psychology in listening to students and in highlighting the strength of students with different abilities, and extensive experience with students middle school, high school, and university age.  


Get to know Lucinda: 

Lucinda is a former HCOS graduate (2017) and UBC graduate (2021); she is thrilled to join HCOS once again, this time as part of the SSC team. For Lucinda, returning to HCOS feels like coming full circle; she is excited to contribute to the very environment that played a crucial role in her own education. Her passion for working in academic settings is complemented by her diverse experiences, where she had the privilege of supporting students emotionally and academically, thus helping them to thrive and succeed. Outside of work and studying, Lucinda enjoys playing the piano, going to the gym, serving at her church's youth group, and reading a book with her headphones on.

Zoom 1-1 pre-booked appointments.

https://calendly.com/andrea-heidema-ea/learning-support-clone?month=2024-10

Andrea Heidema 

Literacy, Numeracy and Executive Functioning EA


Support in learning such as:


Andrea’s strengths: executive functioning support, goal setting and accountability, planning and time management, proofreading, research skills, middle school math, upper level science (biology, earth science, environmental science) 


Get to know Andrea:

Andrea was born and raised on Vancouver Island, where she lives now with her husband and two school aged children.  Her love for homeschooling began a few years back when she had the opportunity to teach her son through HCOS.  Her favorite part of homeschooling was the flexibility that she had to explore and encourage his particular interests, and spending time diving deep into areas he loved. Andrea has worked with children in a variety of settings for almost 20 years.  She graduated from Camosun College in 2008 as a Community Support Worker & Education Assistant.  She loves making connections with her students, helping them grow in confidence and meet their learning goals. In her spare time she loves to be near the ocean, exploring the beach or fishing with her family.  She also enjoys gardening, baking and curling up with tea and a good book. 

Zoom 1-1 pre-booked appointments.

Carlee Bouillion

Literacy, Numeracy and Executive Functioning EA

Support in learning such as:

Carlee's strengths: essay writing (planning, structuring, drafting), poetry writing and analysis, story writing and analysis, reading comprehension, citing sources, editing, proofing and polishing, pre-calculus 10 &11.


Get to know Carlee:

Carlee Bouillon graduated from HCOS in 2015 and from the University of Victoria in 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Creative Writing, with a minor in Mathematics. In addition to her role at HCOS, she also works at Victoria’s local wildlife hospital as a wildlife rehabilitator. She edits a national cave exploration magazine, and in her spare time likes to sit on the beach in the rain and hunt for sea glass. She often argues with other poets that the most beautiful five sentences in literature are John 1:1-5.

Zoom 1-1 pre-booked appointments 

Taryn McPherson 

SSC Coordinator - Literacy/Executive Functioning EA

Support in learning such as:


Taryn's strengths: goal setting, planning and organizing, scheduling (time management); test preparation; research skills; writing skills and proofing; middle school maths and sciences; upper-level sciences (biology and some chemistry).


Get to know Taryn: 

Taryn McPherson moved from Ontario to BC in 2009, and for 13 years, she called BC home; family brought her back to Ontario in 2022. When the weather cooperates, she loves gardening, hiking, camping and road-tripping; otherwise, she enjoys a good book, puzzle, or cup of tea with a friend. She is passionate about sharing her love of learning with others and helping her students reach their greatest potential. She is encouraged, knowing that no matter what life throws at her, she never has to tackle life alone (Philippians 4:12-13).

Allison Miles 

IE GA and SSC Manager

Get to Know Allison: 

Allison is married and has two adult children. She is a host mum to many international students, as well as a fur mum to golden retrievers and Bengal cats.


Having raised kids with neurodiversity, she has a passion to help her students transition into post-graduate world with tools and strategies to navigate challenges and succeed in their unique journey. Drawing from her own experience as a parent, she understands the importance of fostering a supportive and inclusive learning environment that embraces the diverse strengths and gifts of each student.


Outside of work, Allison is an avid explorer of the world, finds solace in the simplicity of camping, and channels her creativity into interior décor and gardening. Her story is one of love, learning, support and a perpetual quest for the beauty that can be found in every corner of the world, both near and far.

Chelsea Bitgood

Director of Grad Program

Get to know Chelsea: 

Chelsea is marred to Richard (Director of StudyForge) and has 5 children ranging in ages from 9 to 15. She loves to spend time in the outdoors, whether that is watching her boys play for their high performance baseball teams, or relaxing by the pool on a hot summer day.

Chelsea homeschooled her children through COVID, has worked to develop curriculum of online schools and has taught many courses at HCOS over the years. Her wide variety of experiences has given her the knowledge and ability to contribute to different areas of the school including the Student Support Centre. Did you know that before the SSC existed, Chelsea oversaw the EAs that support students for extra help?

She enjoys live music - her favourite band is NeedtoBreath. Loves to travel and explore new locations. Cruising is her favourite - throw your stuff into a room and arrive at new location each day! 

Her heart is with HCOS and wants nothing more for students to see success - whatever that goal is for them.