The CultureWorks Oshawa Team
Meet the CultureWorks Team
The people at the heart of CultureWorks are what set it apart from every other school. CultureWorks staff are energetic, enthusiastic and completely committed to your success - you'll find the energy they put into your education experience uplifting. Everyone is conscientious and hard-working, yet they still know how to have fun. The CultureWorks staff is driven by the principles of professionalism, honesty, availability, and approachability.
CultureWorks understands that an educational program is only as good as the instructors who lead it, so they select only highly qualified teachers who exceed government standards for English as a Second Language instruction. Each instructor holds at least one university degree and has lived and worked abroad, giving them a personal understanding of the challenges of learning a new language in a new country. Their experience and training makes them wonderful mentors who are capable of creating a highly-effective learning environment.
Trevor vanPeppen, Principal
Trevor was raised near Kingston, Ontario. He began his teaching career as an assistant language teacher at a CEGEP in Montreal. He moved to Japan, where he taught English for ten years. His hobbies include singing, playing piano and travelling.
Qualifications
- TESL Ontario Certification: G.A. Wheable, 2008
- M.Ed: Temple University Japan, 1999
- B.Mus.Ed: McGill University, 1995
- Teaching ESL in a senior high school, 1996-1999
- Teaching EAP in Japan, 2000-2006
- 15 years teaching experience
- CultureWorks since 2008
- Starbucks Order: Dry, Triple Grande Cappuccino
Harrison Wheeler, Vice Principal
Harrison was born in Edmonton, Alberta, and grew up in St.Catharines, Ontario. He has taught professionally for ten years, domestically and abroad. Harrison lived in Malaysia when he was young, which initially developed his curiosity in other cultures. After graduating from university, Harrison travelled throughout Asia, and it was his teaching experiences in Nunavut and Japan that led him into the field of ESL. Harrison enjoys drawing, good music, reading, running and airports. He joined CultureWorks in July, 2009.
Qualifications
- TESL Ontario & TESL Canada Certification, 2009
- TEFL Certification, 2008
- Ontario College of Teachers in Good Standing, 2006
- B.Ed and Teacher’s Certification from McGill University, 2000
- Starbucks Order: Tall Chai-Latté
Brad Gribben, Instructor
Brad was born and raised in Niagara Falls, Canada and has been teaching for 3 years. His teaching experience has been obtained on 3 different continents, and he most recently instructed students in English for Academic Purposes at Niagara College Canada . In addition to Brad's ESL training, he is qualified to teach English high school courses in Canada, the USA, and Australia. Outside of the classroom, Brad enjoys motorcycling, snowboarding, and photography.
Qualifications
- TESL Ontario certified, 2009
- Ontario College of Teachers, Additional Qualification, ESL Part 1, 2008
- Grad. Dip. Ed. Newcastle University, 2005
- BA English Language and Literature, Brock University, 2004
- Starbucks Order: Tap water and chocolate chip cookies
Desi Ivanova, Instructor
Desi was born in Bulgaria and grew up in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Desi taught students ranging in grade levels and subjects for four years before joining CultureWorks. Her experience includes teaching in the USA and for the District School Board of Niagara in Ontario. When Desi is not teaching she enjoys spending time with her family, travelling and reading.
Qualifications
- TESL Canada certified, 2009
- Ontario College of Teachers Certificate of Good Standing, 2006
- MSEd: Education from Niagara University, 2005
- BA: Child and Youth Studies from Brock University, 2004
- Starbucks Order: Tall Caramel Macchiato
Marisa Lavoratore, Instructor
Marisa was born and raised in Sarnia, Ontario before moving to Hamilton to attend McMaster University. Over the years, she has taught in Canada, South Korea, and Italy to students of all ages and levels. Upon her return to Canada, Marisa spent time developing online education curriculum and is thrilled to be combining these skills in the classroom. Marisa joined the CultureWorks team in 2009 and looks forward to assisting the students of CultureWorks reach their goals. She enjoys travelling, baking, and has a strong interest in art.
Qualifications
- TESL Ontario & TESL Canada Certification, 2009
- CERTESL, University of Saskatchewn 2009
- TEFL Certification, 2008
- BA Psychology, McMaster University, 2006
- Hons B Kinesiology, McMaster University, 2005
- Starbucks Order: Hot Chocolate
Jon Merifield, Instructor
Jon was born in Windsor, Ontario and lived in Toronto before moving to Oshawa for most of his youth. He first taught for the public school board in Ontario, later moving on to teach ESL in South Korea for nearly three years. He returned home in 2007, and hasn’t been able to find good kimchi since. He loves to travel, try new and exotic foods, and downhill ski.
Qualifications
- TESL Canada certified, 2009
- TESOL Canada Certification, 2007
- B.Ed, and Teacher’s Certification from The University of Victoria, 2003
- Starbucks Order: Plain, black coffee
Read about our administration
At the beginning of your CultureWorks experience are the administrative staff members responsible for making sure that you feel at home. They will help you get settled and make sure you get the most out of your time at CultureWorks, guiding you with their intimate knowledge of Oshawa, the university and the CultureWorks program. They're always eager to do what they can to help!
Our staff create the one-of-a-kind environment that makes CultureWorks totally unique.
Amanda Furnis, Registrar
Mandy is a local to Durham Region. She graduated with a degree in Business from York University in 2005, and previously worked for an employment agency recruiting for clients’ open positions. She was contracted by GE Healthcare Canada to recruit field service technicians and handle payroll/administrative responsibilities. Most recently she handled the recruitment of physicians, patients and studies for a clinical research firm. Outside of work Mandy spends her time playing soccer, volleyball and snowboarding.
- Starbucks Order: Tall hot chocolate, half hot chocolate, half whipped cream with extra chocolate sprinkles
Kelly Patterson, Student Services Co-ordinator
Kelly was born and raised in Oshawa, Ontario. She has nine years experience working at a private golf club as the Administrative Assistant and Events Coordinator. In her spare time Kelly enjoys cooking, spending time with her family and friends, and having fun outdoors.
- Starbucks Order: Grande double double
