Here at Farber Swim School, we pride ourselves on having a fun and energetic staff who love the water and love to teach! All of our instructors are trained to teach ages 4–18 years. Some of our instructors go through extra training to specialize in: Adults, Babies (4mo–35 months), Fearful swimmers, Little swimmers (2.5–3 years), Additional needs, and Team-level.
To get to know our staff, click a name to read their bio and see what extra training/qualifications they have.
Owners |
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Title: Business Owner / Swim Instructor / Coach Adam has been around pools all of his life. He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona where he started swimming competitively at the age of 5. He swam through high school and then afterward began teaching lessons for Hubbard Family Swim School. After moving to Nevada, Adam continued teaching professionally at multiple facilities, which led to coaching positions at Sparks High School and the University of Nevada. Adam then moved to Oregon and after working at a local swim school for a couple years, founded Farber Swim School in 2007. Adam oversees all aspects of the swim school, including coaching the FSS Penguins and Pee Wees swim teams. In addition he is Head Coach of Sunset High School's men's and women's swim teams. Adam is a US Swim School Association Level 2 Instructor as well as an American Swim Coaches Association Level 3. Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 3–18, Additional needs, Fears, Adults, Team-level Oregon State High School Swimming Titles:
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The family! |
 Kristin Farber Kristin Farber Title: Business Owner Kristin's background is in teaching and coordinating sports and recreational programs for youth and adults. She has worked for Oregon State University's recreation department and KidSpirit Youth Programs, Willamette Valley Girls on the Run, Mittleman Jewish Community Center, and Tualatin Hills Park Recreation. At FSS, Kristin's focus is on managing the business side of things: coordinating programs, keeping the office running, and making sure FSS is providing the best customer service to its participants! |
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Managers |
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Administrative Staff |
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 AmandaAmanda Title: Office Assistant Amanda was raised in Salem, OR and has been living in Portland for the past 4 years. She is currently going to PSU for her Music Education degree with plans to teach middle school and high school orchestra and choir. She has previously worked with the office staff at the Department of Human Services, Direct Travel Company, and the Radisson Hotel. Amanda is excited to be working in a fun family environment where she gets to build relationships with the families and watch children accomplish amazing things in the water! FSS Employee since: June 2019 |
 AnnieBaby Program Coordinator Annie - Baby Program Coordinator Title: Baby Program Coordinator / Communications Assistant / Instructor Annie grew up in Beaverton and attended college in Idaho. She then moved to England where she earned her master's degree in English at the University of Kent, Canterbury. She has always loved swimming, and it wasn't long after starting office work at Farber that she just had to get in the water with those cute kids! Annie loves FSS's individual-centered approach to teaching students in a steady progression from infant to adult. She is especially passionate about teaching infants and over the years has collaborated with the owners to enhance the Baby & Me program. Her favorite parts of the job are: watching her amazing students learn; organizing fun events; and creating the monthly coloring contests! Annie's favorite swimming stroke is the breaststroke. She is a nerd who spends her free time reading, writing, painting, and petting her dog Remy, the cutest dog in the world. Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 3–18, Fears, Special Needs FSS employee since: February 2014 |
 BrennaBrenna Title: Office Assistant Brenna grew up in Naches, Washington and has been in the Portland area since she was 14. Brenna started working with kiddos at an early age: as a coach for her Special Olympics teams in high school, as a daycare worker for 4 years, and now at Farber and with raising her own little lady (now 5). Brenna loves how children's minds and bodies are so eager to learn, like little sponges that soak up knowledge! She believes that if given the proper resources and attention, kids can thrive and do whatever they set their minds to! In her spare time Brenna loves doing anything outdoors. In summer and spring you can find her hiking or floating on a river! Disneyland is her favorite travel destination, but her heart belongs to the Pacific Northwest (and Portland specifically), and she loves to explore and discover new adventures right on her doorstep. Brenna harbors the hope of one day having a pet sugar glider (if you don't know what those are, Google them right now because they are the cutest ever). |
 CourtneyCourtney Title: Office Staff & Swim Instructor Courtney learned to swim the old-fashioned way—in rivers and lakes as she was growing up in Gresham! She started working with kids as a teen when she coached hockey for younger children. She loves establishing that trust and bond with her students, and the joy of watching them achieve their goals and grow in confidence. In the office, Courtney loves getting to know the kids, listening to their stories and questions and making them laugh. Likewise, Courtney always wants to bring laughter into her lessons. Swimming is an important skill for everyone to learn, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun, too! In her downtime, Courtney's favorite thing to do is spend quality family time with her partner and her 5-year-old son. Together they enjoy hiking and camping, especially in Courtney's favorite travel destination, Sisters OR. Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 4–18 |
 DianeDiane Title: Office Assistant / Instructor Diane grew up swimming, sailing, and ice skating, in Mountain Lakes, NJ which has five lakes, but not a single mountain. While lakes are lovely, she much prefers swimming in pools where there are no water snakes or snapping turtles. After high school, Diane came to Oregon to climb real mountains and to study English at Reed College and later worked as a computer programmer for Fred Meyer, a secretary at a genetics institute in Germany, and as a high school and college English instructor in Ohio. These days Diane lives Southwest Portland with her husband, three teenagers, one dog, and three cats, and can often be found at her daughters’ softball games, her son’s theater productions, or on the trails in Forest Park. Diane is thrilled to be a part of the Farber Swim Family because she loves to help people learn and feels privileged to be able to teach swimming. Just learning how to move your body in water is magical, but learning to swim is also about learning to trust: your teacher, the water, and most of all, yourself. If you can learn to swim, you can learn just about anything! Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 3–18, Adults, Fears, Additional needs FSS employee since: May 2017 |
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 JenniferJenn Title: Office Assistant Bio coming soon! FSS employee since: July 2017 |
 TeresaTeresa Title: Instructor / Office Assistant Teresa started swim lessons when she was just 3 years old, and has been a water-lover ever since! Born and raised in California, Teresa had plenty of opportunities to hone her swimming skills growing up. Her favorite swim stroke is Breaststroke. Teresa has worked with children and infants since her teen years, and loves how honest and curious they are. Children exemplify the best parts of humanity in its purest form. As an adult it is beautiful to see and, at times, humbling. It brings her joy when her little students say they're happy to see her, or when she tells them it's free time and their faces light up like she handed them a million dollars. Teresa has a passion for language and communication; at the University of Nevada, Reno she earned her B.A. in International Affairs with a minor in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). For TESOL she worked extensively in child development with elementary school children. Teresa also attended the University of San Francisco for graduate school. In her down time, Teresa reads extensively and watches YouTube to unwind. She also enjoys being civically engaged, attending and participating in local neighborhood association committee meetings, Beaverton Diversity Advisory Board meeting, Beaverton Organizational Leadership and Development seminars. Currently she is part of Beaverton Citizens Academy. Teresa finds it enriching to help people in her community, such as the next generation of swimmers here at FSS as she helps them learn and build swimming/pool safety skills. Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 3–18, Fears, Adults FSS employee since: June 2018 |
 VyvanVyvan Title: Office Assistant Vyvan was born and raised in Beaverton, where she currently resides. She is a proud mom to two rambunctious boys and has taken the last two years off to be home with them. Previously she worked in banking, cosmetics, and at a aquatic center. When she's not chasing her boys around she likes to spend time with family and friends and being outdoors. She's enjoys finding new restaurants to try, traveling, and shopping. FSS employee since: May 2017 |
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Instructors
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Annie Title: Baby Program Coordinator / Communications Assistant / Instructor Annie grew up in Beaverton and attended college in Idaho. She then moved to England where she earned her master's degree in English at the University of Kent, Canterbury. She has always loved swimming, and it wasn't long after starting office work at Farber that she just had to get in the water with those cute kids! Annie loves FSS's individual-centered approach to teaching students in a steady progression from infant to adult. She is especially passionate about teaching infants and over the years has collaborated with the owners to enhance the Baby & Me program. Her favorite parts of the job are: watching her amazing students learn; organizing fun events; and creating the monthly coloring contests! Annie's favorite swimming stroke is the breaststroke. She is a nerd who spends her free time reading, writing, painting, and petting her dog Remy, the cutest dog in the world. Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 3–18, Fears, Special Needs FSS employee since: February 2014 |
Blake Title: Instructor Blake was born in Portland and has lived here his whole life. In high school Blake swam Sunset Athletic club swim team, with his favorite stroke being the breaststroke. Blake loves swimming in the ocean as well, in particular surfing! He has been working with kids for years now, and is currently homeschooling his younger brother. He loves interacting with children because they are so funny and sweet, and make the greatest most unexpected connections between swimming and the other areas of their lives. Blake currently attends the Portland Fashion Institute If Blake could travel anywhere, it would be back to Jamaica to catch the best waves and see most beautiful blue oceans in the world! Closer to home, Blake enjoys mountain biking in his free time and playing with his two cats, Akbar and Softpaws. Specialties: Ages 3–18 FSS employee since: September 2016 Additional languages: Spanish (conversational) |
Christina Title: Instructor Christina is a swim instructor at FSS, she has been around the water her entire life, starting in her elementary school years. She has 10+ years of swim team and teaching experience, and loves sharing her knowledge of stroke technique with her students and swimmers. Growing up in the Philomath/Corvallis area, Christina studied music at Oregon State University up through the spring of 2018, then relocated up to the Portland area. She has taught all ages in the past: kids, teens, babies, and adults, and really loves the non-competitive nature of Farber lessons. In her spare time, she enjoys making quilts and embroidered wall hangings. Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 3–18 FSS Employee since: June 2018 |
Courtney Title: Office Staff & Swim Instructor Courtney learned to swim the old-fashioned way—in rivers and lakes as she was growing up in Gresham! She started working with kids as a teen when she coached hockey for younger children. She loves establishing that trust and bond with her students, and the joy of watching them achieve their goals and grow in confidence. In the office, Courtney loves getting to know the kids, listening to their stories and questions and making them laugh. Likewise, Courtney always wants to bring laughter into her lessons. Swimming is an important skill for everyone to learn, but that doesn't mean it can't be fun, too! In her downtime, Courtney's favorite thing to do is spend quality family time with her partner and her 5-year-old son. Together they enjoy hiking and camping, especially in Courtney's favorite travel destination, Sisters OR. Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 4–18 |
Dana Title: Instructor Dana grew up in Northern California and started competitive swimming at age 7, when her parents realized her desire to always “be first” needed to be channeled in a more positive direction. Swimming took her through school, national and international meets, and gave her her first chance to teach children to swim. From the age of 11 she found joy in watching a child’s smiles (and tears) as they recognize their ability to swim. Following college, Dana’s career in the biotech/biomedical field led her away from the pool (although the smell of chlorine always made her look for one). The next 20+ years were spent working and traveling while still finding time to volunteer with children (and animals). Now, living in Portland, she is excited to have found Farber Swim School. Dana feels honored and blessed to be given an opportunity to, once again, participate in teaching the thing she feels so passionate about: swimming. She is also training again to, hopefully, compete in future open water swims and triathlons. Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 3–18, Adults, Team-level FSS Employee since: September 2018 |
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Kona Title: Instructor Kona moved from Las Vegas to Portland in fall 2018 to attend PSU. She grew up swimming in lessons and for fun, and has worked with kids for over 5 years and in 3 different states! She loves working with kids because their contagious energy keep you on your toes. You never know what they’re going to do next! Seeing her students of all ages progress is what Kona loves most about teaching swim lessons. Even seemingly small breakthroughs, like finally putting the face in the water, mean so much to new swimmers and is cause for great celebration. Every student has strengths to build on, and fears to overcome, and watching them them push past those fears makes Kona proud. If Kona had to pick a favorite swim stroke it would be the nice relaxing Backstroke. In her free time, Kona enjoys reading and hanging out with friends. She is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Urban & Public Affairs at PSU. In her travels Kona has gotten as far as India, which immediately became her favorite travel destination as soon as she saw how beautiful and vibrant it is! She hopes to go there again someday! Specialties: Ages 4–18yrs, Adults, (pending: Babies & Littles) |
Diane Title: Office Assistant / Instructor Diane grew up swimming, sailing, and ice skating, in Mountain Lakes, NJ which has five lakes, but not a single mountain. While lakes are lovely, she much prefers swimming in pools where there are no water snakes or snapping turtles. After high school, Diane came to Oregon to climb real mountains and to study English at Reed College and later worked as a computer programmer for Fred Meyer, a secretary at a genetics institute in Germany, and as a high school and college English instructor in Ohio. These days Diane lives Southwest Portland with her husband, three teenagers, one dog, and three cats, and can often be found at her daughters’ softball games, her son’s theater productions, or on the trails in Forest Park. Diane is thrilled to be a part of the Farber Swim Family because she loves to help people learn and feels privileged to be able to teach swimming. Just learning how to move your body in water is magical, but learning to swim is also about learning to trust: your teacher, the water, and most of all, yourself. If you can learn to swim, you can learn just about anything! Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 3–18, Adults, Fears, Additional needs FSS employee since: May 2017 |
Doug Title: Instructor Doug, 58, is a life-long swimmer who began competing at age 6 (along with his four swimmer siblings) in various pools of New Jersey and Missouri, where he was raised. Doug attended the University of Missouri as an Athlete Scholar, which took him to the 1980 Pan American games in Mexico City! A shoulder injury ended his competitive career and opened the door for his move to Oregon State University, where he graduated in 1981 with a BS in Psychology. Douglas rejoined the competitive field, joining the U.S. Masters Swimming association to swim for the Multnomah Athletic Club, where he swims daily. Retired from his career as an occupational safety officer for the Oregonian Publishing Co., Doug became certified through USMS as an Adult Learn-to-Swim instructor. Doug lives in Raleigh Hills with his wife, Bridget. Doug also enjoys kayaking, golf, skiing, and traveling, which often takes him to Long Beach, CA to visit his daughter, son-in-law, and two grandsons. Specialties: Ages 4–18, Adults, Team-level FSS employee since: April 2016 |
Isabella Title: Instructor Isabella started swimming young for fun with her large extended family, and gained competence at an early age so she could keep up with her bigger cousins! As a teenager Isabella started working with kids in childcare and discovered a passion for spending time with them and helping them grow. She has worked with kids, in one way or another, for over 4 years now. Isabella is delighted to be teaching at Farber and help create the next generation of swimmers. The best part of teaching is seeing that moment when a new skill "clicks," and how excited kids get about it! Isabella's favorite stroke is breaststroke, but her favorite thing to do in the pool is dolphin kick. When she isn’t teaching at Farber or attending classes, Isabella can often be found at a nearby dog park with her dogs, getting involved in a choir or theater, or learning a new sport or art hobby. Specialties: 4–18 years Additional languages: Spanish (basic) |
Jessie Title: Instructor Jessica was born in San Francisco and lived all over the West Coast during her childhood. She grew up swimming and exploring the Pacific Ocean. After moving to Oregon, she swam competitively for six years with the Hillsboro HEAT swim team and later the Hillsboro High School team. Her life-long passion for the ocean has led her to teaching, with the ultimate goal of helping others have safe and fun experiences in the pool and under the sea. Jessie is currently earning a college degree in environmental science and ecology, which she loves to incorporate into her lessons by sharing water science facts with her students. Jessie loves kids and has worked with them since her teen years; she currently nannies her 2-year-old nephew part-time. At college, Jessie has taken courses in communications and child psychology, expanding her understanding of how diverse the learning process is. Everyone is different and learns in their own unique way, and Jessie loves finding out how each of her students learns best. Nothing is more fun than watching students learn and grow! When she's not at school or in the pool, Jessie spends her time taking photographs, creating music, camping/hiking/kayaking, and hanging out with her cat Chi and her dog Penny. (Penny likes to help with the hiking.) Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 3–18, Adults, Fears Additional languages: basic Spanish FSS Employee since November 2017 |
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Kalino Title: Instructor Kalino moved from Juneau, Alaska to Oregon 3 years ago and fell in love quickly with the Pacific Northwest. Kalino loves being around and in water and it shows. He started swimming at age 1 and was on a competitive swim team for 6 years in middle school and high school. His favorite stroke to compete in was the freestyle. He has been a lifeguard for 5 years and taught lessons for 2 years. For fun Kalino loves to cook, listen to music and enjoy the great outdoors! Specialties: Ages 4–18, Team-level (pending), Adults (pending) |
Marco Title: Instructor Photo & Bio coming soon! Specialties: Ages 3–18yrs, Babies (pending), Littles (pending) |
Liz |
Luke Title: Swim Instructor Luke had his first swim lesson at 6 months and has been swimming ever since! He has always felt at home in the water and was on a competitive swim team from age 6 to 13. Luke is passionate about teaching, and got his Master's degree in Instructional Design from Western Illinois University. Currently he works in the field of mechanical design at an amazing company in Wilsonville. Born in Clinton, Iowa, Luke spent most of his life in the Hawkeye state until relocating to Beaverton, Oregon in the summer of 2018. He lives here with his lovely wife and their two adorable cats and is feeling more at home every day. He is happy and excited to be back in the water on a regular basis! Specialties: Ages 4–18 FSS Employee since: November 2018 |
Meghan Title: Instructor Meghan grew up in Montague, CA, where she took swimming lessons as a young child and fell in love with the water. As a young adult Meghan worked as a teaching assistant for a special class for transfer students at CSU Sacramento. After moving to Oregon, she again got the chance to work with kids at THPRD. Meghan admires kids' determination and courage, and finds their unique points of view fascinating to discover. Their excitement and joy is contagious, and Meghan loves to make them laugh and to celebrate their successes with them! Meghan is currently pursuing a degree in Social Science and English at PSU, after which she plans to get a Master's in education toward a career teaching middle school. Her favorite swimming stroke is the Breaststroke. In her free time, Meghan loves visiting the beach and mountains. Favorite hobbies include hiking, camping, karaoke, slam poetry, and cuddling her kitty, Midnight Monster. Specialties: 4–18yrs, Littles (pending) Additional languages: ASL (conversational) |
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Megan Title: Instructor Megan grew up in the Hillsboro/Beaverton area and had swimming lessons when she was in elementary school. She was part of her high school’s competitive speech and debate team and even graduated a semester early from high school. Megan was a camp counselor at YMCA Camp Orkila this past summer working with kids aged 8-14. Megan loves helpings kids to challenge themselves and to see how proud they are of themselves when they do something that was scary before. Seeing kids grow and change and use their new knowledge is one of the more rewarding things about working with kids in Megan’s opinion. Megan is planning a future career in psychological profiling with opportunities to travel the world. She loves reading and music and she tries different creative activities whenever she gets a chance, her favorites so far being writing and makeup. Megan loves traveling and seeing new places and new cultures and hopes to learn tons of new languages. Specialties: Ages 3–18yrs, Babies (pending), Littles (pending) |
Sophie Title: Instructor Sophie was born and raised in the UK and lived most recently in Germany for 9 years. She moved to Oregon a year ago, and is enjoying this new adventure! Sophie first swam as a toddler and has been a passionate swimmer ever since. She completed lifeguard training courses in the UK and in Germany, where she swam competitively for 4 years at a private club. Soon after moving to Oregon, she joined another swim team and is currently competing for Sunset High School. Working with children is another of Sophie's callings, and she has many years' experience volunteering at a kindergarten, babysitting for multiple other families, and taking care of her 4-year-old sister. Kids are so wonderfully curious and eager to learn—just like Sophie herself, who enjoys traveling and experiencing different cultures. She loves helping children progress from stepping-stone to stepping-stone and then seeing their faces light up when they reach their goal. Sophie always wants to get kids laughing, and believes that fun and play are integral to a child's learning process. Other than the pool, Sophie's favorite place to be is somewhere comfortable with a book. Specialties: ages 4–18 FSS Employee since: February 2018 Additional languages: German (fluent) & Spanish (basic) |
Rowan Title: Instructor Rowan grew up in Welches, Oregon near Mt. Hood and has been in Portland since March 2019. She began swimming as a toddler and continued in swim classes into her teens. Growing up, Rowan worked as a nanny for multiple children of family and friends, for babies and young children. Rowan loves working with kids, and thinks it's one of the most rewarding jobs in the world. She believes the student/teacher relationship must be built on a foundation of trust, and once that is there it's wonderful to see how much kids can achieve and grow, until they reach their full potential! Water confidence and safety is a crucial life skill, and one which opens up the wonderful world of fun swimming activities! Rowan's favorite swim stroke is the Breaststroke. In her spare time she enjoys gardening, snowboarding, or curling up with a book and her cat, Nikomi. Having grown up near Mt. Hood, Rowan has a special place in her heart for mountains, and her favorite travel activity is to go explore new mountain ranges. Rowan is currently studying nutrition and intends to become a yoga instructor, following her passion for teaching and guiding people to master new physical skills. Specialties: Ages 3–18yrs, Babies (pending), Littles (pending) Additional languages: ASL (basic) |
Thaly Title: Instructor & Pee Wee Coach Thaly ("Taw-LEE") has been involved in swimming from the age of nine. He swam on various clubs throughout his youth, in addition to being part of the Tualatin High School swim team. In the 10 years since then, Thaly has continued learning about fitness and exercise science. He is influenced very much by George Hebert and Ido Portal, two physical educators who developed their own systems of education. The former developed a system known as Natural Method; the latter created a philosophy that emphasizes movements that work the body as a whole. As an instructor, Thaly is excited to help his students become water-safe and learn essential skills, while at the same time fostering an attitude of sheer enjoyment, playfulness, and freedom that comes from being in the water. He is especially excited to coach the FSS Swim Team, the Pee Wee Penguins! GO PEE WEES! Specialties: Ages 3–18, Adults, Team-level FSS Instructor since: May 2018 |
Teresa Title: Instructor / Office Assistant Teresa started swim lessons when she was just 3 years old, and has been a water-lover ever since! Born and raised in California, Teresa had plenty of opportunities to hone her swimming skills growing up. Her favorite swim stroke is Breaststroke. Teresa has worked with children and infants since her teen years, and loves how honest and curious they are. Children exemplify the best parts of humanity in its purest form. As an adult it is beautiful to see and, at times, humbling. It brings her joy when her little students say they're happy to see her, or when she tells them it's free time and their faces light up like she handed them a million dollars. Teresa has a passion for language and communication; at the University of Nevada, Reno she earned her B.A. in International Affairs with a minor in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages). For TESOL she worked extensively in child development with elementary school children. Teresa also attended the University of San Francisco for graduate school. In her down time, Teresa reads extensively and watches YouTube to unwind. She also enjoys being civically engaged, attending and participating in local neighborhood association committee meetings, Beaverton Diversity Advisory Board meeting, Beaverton Organizational Leadership and Development seminars. Currently she is part of Beaverton Citizens Academy. Teresa finds it enriching to help people in her community, such as the next generation of swimmers here at FSS as she helps them learn and build swimming/pool safety skills. Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 3–18, Fears, Adults FSS employee since: June 2018 |
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Zoe Title: Instructor Zoe grew up in San Francisco, where she learned to swim and surf at a young age. Later she swam competitively for a total of 7 years: 2 on her high school team plus 5 on the private local team (Go Waterdevils!). She also spent a year in high school playing waterpolo. Her favorite swim stroke is butterfly. Zoe has been a lifeguard for over 6 years and has been working with kids since she was one herself! She loves watching young swimmers discover the joy of swimming, especially if they are conquering a fear or making progress through challenging skills. She loves the freedom that private teaching give her to really focus on her students as individuals, learning to see life through their eyes and find creative solutions to whatever specific challenges they face. In her free time, Zoe enjoys exploring the great outdoors. She absolutely loves all the beautiful hikes the west coast has to offer! She spent 2 years living in New Zealand, so that has become a favorite travel destination. Zoe also loves to read and to paint, and has recently added a little black kitten named Felix to her fuzzy family along with her bunny, Ace. Specialties: Ages 4–18, Adults Additional languages: ASL (basic)
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Kat Title: Instructor Kat was a water-baby at just a few months old, and growing up on the West coast helped her fall in love with the beach and with swimming. At 8 years she moved to Arizona where she swam whenever possible at her relatives' house. It was in Arizona that she joined her first swim team and also tried out synchronized swimming one summer! Her favorite swim stroke is the breaststroke. Kat has been working with children for years, first as a regular babysitter and later when she completed Child Development classes and helped teach at a Pre-School. In 2016 her family moved back to Oregon. Now as a teacher at Farber Swim School, she is excited to combine two things she absolutely loves: helping kids and swimming! When Kat isn't swimming or at the beach, she can be found using her creative side! She cooks and bakes for her family, always trying new dishes. A crafter, she has recently discovered a passion for chalk portraiture. Finishing her day, Kat cuddles her dog Muffin and reads a good book. Currently she has been doing lots of studying for school and is applying to train as a Douala. One of the most rewarding things Kat has experienced is to be with people during the most special moments life has to offer, supporting them and helping them make the best memories of their lives! Specialties: Babies & Littles (pending); Ages 3–18
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Cait (sub) Title: Instructor, Office Assistant Cait began her competitive swimming career in 1994 in Shaker Heights, Ohio when summer swim lessons were full at her local rec center and her mom decided to try her on the swim team instead. Cait never left the pool and swam competitively for USA Swimming club teams in Ohio, Nebraska, and Minnesota before competing as an NCAA swimmer for Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia where she also completed a B.A. in English & German Studies, with a minor in Psychology. Her own competitive swimming career is on hold as she spends most of her current free time with her two cats, dog, baby daughter Felicity, and husband Robert. Cait has been working as a swim teacher and coach for over 15 years, only taking a break from the pool to complete her MFA in Film Production at FSU in 2012. She is excited to continue her teaching and coaching career in her new Oregon home. When not at FSS, Cait is also an Assistant Coach at Club Sport for the Club Swim team. Cait most enjoys preparing swimmers for competition, but has experience teaching all ages and skill levels, including babies and toddlers! Her teaching focuses on developing good technique at every level and fostering a life-long love of the sport. Specialties: Babies, Littles, Ages 3–18, Adults, Team-level Additional languages: German FSS employee since: November 2016 |
Marisa (sub) Title: Instructor
Marisa grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and spent her childhood summers swimming in the many rivers of Wisconsin. Besides being a parent herself, Marisa has worked with youth for over 15 years including as a teaching assistant, cooking instructor, and arts & crafts instructor. She loves to swim and swam competitively in high school and in college. Eventually Marisa swapped a swim suit for cycling kit and even went on to compete internationally as a member for the U.S. National Team! After a career on two wheels, she heeded the call of chlorine once again and suited up as a member of the swim team at Sarah Lawrence College. These days you can find her enjoying time with her daughter hiking, bike riding (purely for pleasure now), and enjoying Portland and the glorious Pacific northwest. She considers teaching people to swim amongst the most important and rewarding jobs she's ever had. Swimming skills translate to confidence in so many facets of life—not to mention how enjoyable the water can be! She welcomes anyone and everyone to join her for some floating, alligator rolls, laps or cannonballs so she can share her unending enthusiasm with you! Specialties: Babies & Littles, Ages 3–18 |
Michelle (sub) |
Nathan (sub) Title: Instructor Nathan was born in Portland and started his first swim lessons, at 6 months of age, here at this pool when it was Le Petit Dauphin. He continued his swim lessons until he was 5 years old and then joined the competitive club swim team, the Dolphins. He swam with the Dolphins until he was 12 where he successfully competed in several local, state, and sectional meets. His favorite strokes are backstroke and freestyle. Nathan also ran competitively at an early age for school and the Nike Bowerman Track Club and competed for the Jesuit Varsity Swim team during high school. Outside of school, Nathan enjoys the outdoors—especially camping. He loves to mountain bike, hike, fish, kayak, and, of course, swim. He also likes to volunteer his time and worked last summer at an overnight camp for people with disabilities. Nathan enjoys working with kids and is excited to share his love of swimming. Specialties: Ages 3–18, Team-level FSS employee since: May 2017 |
Tanya (sub) Title: Instructor Tanya was born and raised near the sandy beaches of California. She has been swimming for as long as she can remember, and started competing at the age of 12 with the Mako Sharks Swim Team. As a teen, Tanya was nearly recruited to participate in the Junior Olympics. At 18, Tanya took up a Lifguarding position at a rec center in Los Gatos, California. It was then that Tanya decided she wanted to share her passion for swimming others, and she began teaching swim lessons. Tanya now lives in Beaverton with her three cats, and in 2018 she encountered snow for the first time! In her free time she seeks adventure with biking, hiking, rock climbing, and dancing. Tanya is honored to be a part of the FSS team, and she looks forward to building confidence, safety, and trust within her students. Specialties: ages 4–18 |