Contact us! EMAIL: kdp@wgu.edu PHONE: 385-428-2049 (Sydney) OR 385-428-5319 (Dawn)
ALIZABETH MORLOCK - CHAPTER PRESIDENT
Alizabeth is the sitting President of Alpha Epsilon Sigma chapter. She has almost completed her Bachelor’s degree in elementary education and will pursue her master’s degree as well with WGU. Alizabeth has been an active member of KDP for 3 years. She assisted in organizing our nationwide book drive as well as designing the first AES chapter merchandise in honor of our ten year anniversary.
Currently, she is a preschool teacher in central Illinois and has been in the field for almost 12 years. Alizabeth also has a background in the behavioral health field as a Mental Health Tech assisting with youth. This is a focus for her as the importance of mental health in education is the foundation for many aspects of learning. Alizabeth also enjoys spending time with her niece and nephew, traveling, and photography when time allows.
JESSICA MARTZ - CHAPTER VICE PRESIDENT
Jess was initiated into KDP four years ago while working to obtain her M.Ed. in Teaching English as a Second Language. She has served as secretary and is the currently serving her second term as Vice President. In the time that she has been a member of the AES chapter, she has participated in three LiteracyAlive projects and our first Celebration of Teaching project.
Jess is currently working for VIPKID, teaching English to children in China, and is also an adult education teacher. Her previous jobs include being a substitute teacher and a preschool teacher. She obtained her B.S. in Education from Penn State University with a concentration in English and Communication.
Outside of work, Jess enjoys reading, traveling, and attending Penn State football games. She has a dog and a cat, as well as a saltwater aquarium.
KATELYN RILEY - CHAPTER SECRETARY
Katelyn graduated from WGU in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies K-8. While completing her degree, she worked as an instructional aide for elementary special education students. She completed her student teaching with second grade students who she absolutely loved. She will begin her teaching career in the fall of 2020.
Katelyn lives in New Braunfels, Texas. She lives with her boyfriend and son Lucas. In their free time they love to play on their thirteen-acre land with their three dogs: Bailee, Chewy, and Rebel. Katelyn loves to bake and read and play games with Lucas when all the schoolwork is done.
LEAH STUBB - MEMBERSHIP CHAIR
While I have worked in the education field for the past 14 years, I am a new Special Education Teacher and recent graduate of Western Governors University. I am currently serving my second term as Membership Chair for the Alpha Epsilon Sigma chapter of KDP. I greatly enjoy it. I enjoy meeting new members and would love to help you acclimate and join in. Moving forward, I would love to help in any way or capacity that I can to increase the efficiency and productivity of the board. Over the time that I have served, I have found that board members often need to wear different hats and adapt to change. I am excited to see what the increase in membership will bring and excited to hear fresh new ideas from our newest members.
ASHLEY DEGROATE - SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR
I am the new Social Media coordinator for our chapter and I have been a member of KDP since January 2018. I am very excited to work on our Facebook group and engage as many members in our chapter as we can! I am pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education through WGU. While going to school, I also work full time at a day care in Urbana, IL. I am the head teacher in the 3 year old room. When I’m not working or working on school, I also take care of my 5 year old daughter, Izzy and my dog, Minnie. We currently live in Savoy, IL. In my free time, I love to binge watch Netflix and enjoy going to concerts.
CHELSEY TRINKLEIN - CHAPTER HISTORIAN
Chelsey earned her A.S. in Physics in 2015 ready and eager to continue to study physics but decided to shift gears to teaching science after serving two years as an AmeriCorps member in Seattle Public Schools as a Family Engagement Coordinator. She started working on her B.S. in Science Education at WGU in 2018. Chelsey currently lives in southwest Washington with her husband, toddler, and chunk-monster cat. During her free time she likes to bake sweet treats, spend time outdoors, and read popular science, fantasy, and historical fiction books.
RACHAEL GRILLO - CHAPTER TREASURER
Rachael received her BA in Secondary Education (Chemistry) from WGU in 2009 and her MA in Secondary Education (Physics) from WGU in 2014. She is set to receive her EdS from Kennesaw State University in Secondary Education this summer (summer 2020) and plans to continue through to her EdD and is currently beginning work on her dissertation. Since graduating, she has worked in a Title I district in Metro Atlanta teaching a number of high school subjects including chemistry, physical science, physics, environmental science, AP Environmental science, forensic science, and earth systems. Rachael grew up in Ohio before spending 10 years living in New York City (GO METS). She currently resides outside of Atlanta with her husband, Stephen, and their cat, Boo. A favorite hobby is stamp collecting.
SYDNEY ROMBOLA - FACULTY CO-COUNSELOR
Sydney has been a faculty counselor for Alpha Epsilon Sigma chapter since 2014. She was the recipient of the 2016-2017 Community College/Online Region Chapter Counselor Award. Sydney has worked at WGU for 17 years, first as the Coordinator of Field Experiences and for the last 14 years as a Program Mentor in Elementary Education.
Sydney received a Master of Organizational Behavior and an M. A. in International and Area Studies, with an emphasis in International Development, both from Brigham Young University. Sydney obtained a Ph.D. in Education, with an emphasis in Higher Education, from Walden University. Her dissertation investigated methods of fostering epistemological development and transformative learning in adult students in an online higher education environment. Another area of interest is generational theory and communication.
Sydney and her husband live just outside of Philadelphia, PA, and enjoy exploring all of the historic and cultural elements of that great city. They also love road trips and have a goal to visit every presidential site within the country.
DAWN BLACK - FACULTY CO-COUNSELOR
Dawn has a Bachelor's degree in Family and Human Development with a minor in Sociology and an emphasis in Family and Community Studies. Her Master's degree is in Psychology with an emphasis in School Counseling. Prior to joining WGU, Dawn worked for 4 years at Utah State University as Coordinator of Advisement for Elementary Education and Student Teaching Assistant Director. During her time at USU, she gained a passion for working with students entering the teaching field.
Dawn has been at WGU as a program mentor since 2008 and has had over 250 graduates in both the Elementary Education and the Special Education programs, at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Her mentoring philosophy is to approach each student as an individual, with unique experiences, life challenges, and goals that he or she brings with them to the mentoring relationship. Dawn currently resides in South Carolina where she spends all her free time at the beach with her husband, four children, two cats, and two dogs.
DAGMARA OCHAL - FACULTY CO-COUNSELOR
Dagmara’s educational background includes a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University and an MA in Curriculum Instruction and Development from University of Phoenix. She has been in higher education for more than 16 years, working in a variety of settings including administration, mentoring, and teaching.
Dagmara has been a Program Mentor at WGU since 2014 and has over 200 graduates in the program of Advanced Studies: Educational Leadership. Her passion lays in helping others become successful. Her heart, mind, and habits serve others in recognizing their own leadership potential and becoming an effective people leader. She motivates others to go places they would never otherwise go. Dagmara is a lifelong learner, who believes education is a gift no one can take away. She embraces diversity and inclusion in the classroom and workplace.
Dagmara was born and raised in Poland and is fluent in Polish. She currently resides in Arizona, where she spends her free time with family and friends, her German Weimaraner, and bearded dragon. Dagmara cherishes the outdoors, especially hiking the great Grand Canyon, Mt. Whitney, and tallest peaks in Colorado and Arizona. Volunteering within the Polish Community in Arizona, Arizona Parks and Recreation, and National Ski Patrol allows Dagmara to connect to her community and make it a better place. She serves as AZ Women’s Ski Patrol Program Advisor, Alpine Ski Patroller, and Assistant Patrol Representative at Sunrise Ski Resort, where she not only collaboratively saves lives, but trains and mentors future patrollers. Dagmara’s motto is: Together we can do so much and make a difference by practicing mindfulness, using our talents, and connecting needs with resources.
Dagmara’s educational background includes a BA in Psychology from Rutgers University and an MA in Curriculum Instruction and Development from University of Phoenix. She has been in higher education for more than 16 years, working in a variety of settings including administration, mentoring, and teaching.
Dagmara has been a Program Mentor at WGU since 2014 and has over 200 graduates in the program of Advanced Studies: Educational Leadership. Her passion lays in helping others become successful. Her heart, mind, and habits serve others in recognizing their own leadership potential and becoming an effective people leader. She motivates others to go places they would never otherwise go. Dagmara is a lifelong learner, who believes education is a gift no one can take away. She embraces diversity and inclusion in the classroom and workplace.
Dagmara was born and raised in Poland and is fluent in Polish. She currently resides in Arizona, where she spends her free time with family and friends, her German Weimaraner, and bearded dragon. Dagmara cherishes the outdoors, especially hiking the great Grand Canyon, Mt. Whitney, and tallest peaks in Colorado and Arizona. Volunteering within the Polish Community in Arizona, Arizona Parks and Recreation, and National Ski Patrol allows Dagmara to connect to her community and make it a better place. She serves as AZ Women’s Ski Patrol Program Advisor, Alpine Ski Patroller, and Assistant Patrol Representative at Sunrise Ski Resort, where she not only collaboratively saves lives, but trains and mentors future patrollers. Dagmara’s motto is: Together we can do so much and make a difference by practicing mindfulness, using our talents, and connecting needs with resources.