Melissa Bradford, Board President
Melissa is a founder and parent of two graduates of Tallgrass. She taught eighth grade science for seven years before becoming convinced of the value of a democratic community of self-directed education. She holds a doctorate in curriculum studies and collaborates with researchers in the field of self-directed education. She currently teaches educational leadership at DePaul University and volunteers at Tallgrass when she can.
Rick Olson
Rick has been involved in teaching and mentorship within the homeschool/unschool community for the past 13 years and strongly believes in the power of learning through art, play, and out-of-the-box methods. A graduate of Northern Michigan University with degrees in Theatre and Media Productions/New Technologies, Rick has had the opportunity to live in diverse areas of the country, acting and teaching theatre everywhere from West Virginia to Sacramento to Chicago. Rick went to conventional public schools when he was growing up. That experience led him to want to work with young people in an environment where their voices are truly heard and respected.
Zoe Schwartz
Zoe received a BA in Creative Writing and Theater from the University of Illinois. She spent many years making theater and teaching creative writing in Chicago. Zoe's many odd jobs led her to become a program manager and facilitator for The Girls Scouts and Girls Leadership Institute, creating an interest in alternative education systems. Zoe also created and ran Swarm Artist Residency (a sliding scale retreat for Chicago artists) until 2019. She values play, creativity, community and exploration in teaching (as well as art) and can't wait to bring all of those things to her work at Tallgrass. She lives in Oak Park with her toddler, husband, and goofy dog. She loves riding bikes, having picnics, and exploring new ice cream shops.
Veronica Martens
Veronica started her career as a certified public accountant, working for Deloitte. She had various other accounting related jobs for large companies, including the Kellogg Company and Western Michigan University. She also taught accounting part-time at Grand Valley Community College in addition to being a teaching assistant while in college at Michigan State University.
Veronica obtained a second college degree in Interior Design at Harrington College of Design. She worked many years as a residential designer as well as starting her own jewelry business, both retail and wholesale.
Veronica has been involved at Tallgrass for a number of years as a volunteer and as Board Member. She loves spending time with the students and organizing various arts and crafts activities.
Tim Kwasny
Tim received his BM in music composition from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of music and his MFA in sound art from Columbia University. After spending a number of years on the east coast, working as a visual artist and composer, he returned to Chicago where he has continued to pursue art, presenting his work in galleries and theaters around the Chicagoland area. As an educator, Tim has taught classes at the University of Illinois Chicago focused in digital media literacy, history and art as well as teaching workshops in music production and history to undergraduate/graduate students at Columbia University. In his free time, Tim enjoys running, playing chess, and watching reality TV.
