Meet Your Leadership Council!
Pat Uselding Rachel Yurk Rita Mortenson Keith Schroeder Rachel Hoffman
Co-Chair Co-Chair Events Co-Chair Events Team Events Team
Brian Bartel Pat Hawkenson Jeanine Brennan Cathy Houchin Wendy Liska
Blog Co-Chair Blog Co-Chair Events Co-Chair Events Team Events Team
STAR Discovery Educators

Patrick Uselding
Co-chair
• 8th Grade U.S. History • Student Council Advisor
• 7th Grade World Geography • School Newspaper Advisor
• 8th Grade Literature • 8th Grade Patrols Advisor
• WI Co-Chair
• Avid Reader
• Film Buff
• Fledgling Author
STAR Discovery Educator

Rachel Yurk
Co-chair
•6th Grade Teacher of all subjects at Poplar Creek
Elementary School (New Berlin Public Schools)
•WI DEN Leadership Council Co-Chair
•SMART Certified Master Trainer
•SMART Exemplary Educator
•Author (Interactive Educator, Discovery Resource)
Personal Interests:
Mom to three great kids (8yrs, and 6 yr. old twins)
Traveler
Avid blog reader
Web surfer
Addicted to adolescent books for my classroom
Sunday School Teacher
Can’t wait for the next episode of 24!!!
STAR Discovery Educator

Rita A. Mortenson
Co-chair
• Educational Technology Coordinator, Verona, WI
• National Board Certified Teacher, 2005
• Wisconsin DEN Leadership Council Co-Events Coord.
• Active Star DEN Member
• Apple Distinguished Educator, Class of 2007
• Digital Storyteller – was inspired by Bernajean Porter
• Yearbook Advisor and Co-Advisor of Student Council
• Took 28 seniors on a trip to New York City this year!
• I enjoy swimming 
STAR Discovery Educator

Keith Schroeder
Events Team
•Library Media Specialist •N. Wisconsin Events Coordinator
•Certified Pre-K – 12 LMS •Active WI DEN Member
•Certified Pre-K – 8 All Subjects •WEMA Member
•Storyteller •AASL Member
•Technology Integration •WLA Member
•Adjunct Instructor for Colleges •NCTE Member
Personal Interests:
•Family
•Scoutmaster
•Stained Glass
•Fishing
•Podcasting
•Blogging
•Reading
STAR Discovery Educator

Rachel Hoffman
Events Team
Professional Information
•7th Grade Math and History Teacher at
James Williams Middle School in
Rhinelander, WI
•Taught grades 1,2, 3, 4, 5, & 7 in 6
years!
•BCCP (Building Computer Contact
Person)
•Master’s Degree in Curriculum and
Instruction with an emphasis on
Personal Information
Educational Technology
•Family comes first! 4 children
•Self professed “computer geek”
ages 10, 6, 4, and 1
•Member of district ITL Standards & I-
•Enjoy traveling
Safe committees
•Love to read
•WI STAR DEN & Leadership Council
•Active 4-H Volunteer member
STAR Discovery Educator

Brian Bartel
Blog co-chair
•Chemistry/Biology Teacher at
Appleton West High School
•BA Biology from Lawrence
University, Masters of Life Science
from the University of Maryland
•Swim Coach, Link CrewTM and Peer
Helper Advisor, Building Tech Liaison
•President of & Newsletter editor for
The Wisconsin Society of Science
Teachers (www.wsst.org)
•Co-host for Periodicity – a weekly
science Podcast from WSST
STAR Discovery Educator

Patricia Hawkenson
Blog co-chair
• National Board Certified Teacher • WI Co-Blog Chair
• Certified Adolescence Generalist • Active WI DEN Member
• Grade 6 Language Arts Instructor • Blog Reader
• WEAC Representative • Developing my Podcasting Skills
• Quia.com Affiliate • Trying to Master Movie Maker
• Stained Glass Artist • Web Surfer
Personal Interests
(PHOTO)
I ride the latest waves of my many passions:
collecting cobalt blue glass, camping, writing,
sketching, painting, pop-up books, creating
stained glass boxes and kaleidoscopes, studying
goddesses, reading, traveling, and reflecting on
life with friends and family!
STAR Discovery Educator

Jeanine Brennan
Events co-chair
•Secretary for the Wauwatosa
•Instructional Technology Manager
Education Association
for Wauwatosa School District
•Wauwatosa Educational Media
•Adjunct Professor for Viterbo
Association
University- Educational Technology
•NEA Representative
•Master’s in Library and Information
•WI DEN Events Co-chair
Science
Personal Interests
•My children are an important part of my life. Joe, a
(PHOTO) GIS specialist for the Department of Agriculture and
Rachel a flight attendant, traveling the world.
•Volunteerism is my social life, chef assistant, tall
ship- science educator, editor of community
newsletter.
•Group travel leader for educators –National Parks,
Europe
STAR Discovery Educator

Cathy Houchin
Events Team
EDUCATIONAL PERSONAL
INFORMATION INTERESTS
I love doing things
Kindergarten through 5th
with my husband and
grade music teacher
2 sons
Lights and Sound
Shopping for great
Technician
bargains
Works with Audacity,
Traveling
Finale, various music
software and podcasting Playing the piano
within the classroom and organ
setting.
Member of the
Wisconsin Den
Leadership Council
STAR Discovery Educator

Wendy Liska
Events Team
School Life: Personal Interests:
•Instructional Technology Chair for •I have recently taken up
the School District of Waukesha kayaking and hope to get a
•Technology Resource Teacher couple of trips to Lake
•Active DEN member Superior in this summer
•Wine tasting mostly for the
fun of it, although I sense a
bit of snobbery coming on…
•Hiking and Backpacking! This
summer you will find me on a
new adventure in Glacier
National Park. Look out
Granite Peak!
STAR Discovery Educator