Ms. Martin graduated from University of Delaware and earned a dual Bachelor's Degree in Animal & Food Science and Agricultural Education. While attending the University of Delaware, she was a production supervisor at UDairy creamery and worked for Natural by Nature Dairy, which produces organic, grass-fed milk and dairy products at a processing plant in Newark, Delaware. Ms. Martin spent several years visiting local Dairy farms to ensure they were following standard operating procedures and animal welfare protocols, as well as working in the dairy plant performing dairy quality performance tests.

After College Ms. Martin worked for Country View Family Farms at a 5600 Sow Farm. She supervised both farrowing (birth of piglets) and breeding departments, ensuring animal welfare and biosecurity protocols were being followed. 

In 2017 Ms. Martin became the Animal & Plant Science teacher at Octorara High School. Since then, students in the Animal & Plant Science program have learned how to artificially inseminate our female pigs, and have successfully raised several litters of piglets. In 2019 Ms. Martin received a master’s degree in Education Curriculum & Instruction, at the American College of Education. 

Ms. Simon teaches the OACTEP Business Academy, as well as Business Law, and Introduction to Business. She is also the Advisor for Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). 

Ms. Simon has two degrees. She received an Information Technology for Business Education from Harrisburg Area Community College and a degree in Business Computers and Information Technology from Shippensburg University. 

Mrs. Murdock has been teaching at Octorara Area High School for twelve years.  She teaches the Career Technical Education Program for Child Care Education along with the FACS class and Early Childhood class. 

Mrs. Murdock graduated from Ridley High School in 2005, and then attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania for a Bachelor's degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Education and a Minor in dance.  She was captain of the dance team at IUP,  and swam for the college swim team as well.  

Mrs. Murdock attended West Chester University to pursue a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education. Her degree in Early Childhood Education has assisted in the development of the Room-2-Bloom Early Learning Preschool program that is run by the Career and Technical Education Child Care class.  Students engage and interact with the preschool children through developmentally appropriate hands-on learning activities.  This experience allows students in the program to gain essential experience in working with children in the field of early childhood education.

Having two young children of her own, has taught Mrs. Murdock many things about how to be a parent and also how to use her life experience through parenting to be a better teacher in the classes she teaches. 

Colin Kolb is a graduate of Temple University with a degree in Broadcasting and Telecommunications. He worked in the AV and IT industry for 15 years. Work experience includes residential and light commercial market, design and installation of audio/video, control systems and IT networking. Mr. Kolb loves technology integration, audio & video production and home automation.

He is CompTIA A+ Certified and has held various certifications from CEDIA (Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association) including Installer 1, Electronics Systems Certified Technician (ESC-T) and Electronics Systems Certified Designer (ESC-D).

Darren Hodorovich teaches the OACTEP Culinary Arts program, as well as, Learning to Cook and Food and Nutrition here at Octorara Area Jr. /Sr. High School.  He comes to the world of education directly from industry, with 30 years in the restaurant industry and has worked in just about every position from dishwasher up to and including owner.  

Mr. Hodorovich's career in the industry started out of the necessity to pay his way through school, attending Rochester Institute of Technology studying Fine Art Photography.  He has been privileged with the opportunity to work with and alongside a number of world class chefs over the years, which has provided invaluable hands on experience.  

For the last 10 years he has been the owner of Oh My Lunch, a corporate catering company based in Thorndale, PA.  Two years ago, he was selected to attend Goldman Sachs 10K small business course which not only provided input from business development coaches but contacts which led to his teaching as a long term sub at CCIU Downingtown in the fall of 2019, in culinary.   

Mrs. Pittman earned her BS in Elementary and Education from Grand Canyon University before quickly returning to obtain her MS Reading Specialist at Edinboro University. Currently Mrs. Pittman is attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania for the Cooperative Education Certification Program with an anticipated completion date of winter 2021. To be a highly qualified teacher she has obtained teaching credentials inTeaching: Elementary Education K-6, Special Education N-12, Reading Specialist K-12, & Health Education K-12. 

Mrs. Pittman holds other certifications such as the OSHA-10 General Industry Certification, NearPod Certified Educator, Google 1 and Google 2 Certifications, National Geographic Certified Educator, and Integrated Technology into the Classroom Certificate at LaVerne University.  

Prior to teaching Mrs. Pittman worked in retail, Home Health, Family Support and Therapeutic Support. After that time she began substitute teaching and became a Special Education teacher.  Currently,  Mrs. Pittman still works as a Learning Support Teacher, Transition Coordinator, and Cooperative Education Coordinator.

Mr. Lefever received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Penn State University and for additional course subject matter he studied at Millersville University, Walden University, Fresno Pacific University, and University of North Dakota.  Mr. Lefever also holds a Master of Education Workforce Education and Development degree.

Prior to becoming the Engineering teacher, Mr. Lefever worked as an Assistant Engineering Manager, where he coordinated projects throughout the engineering department and researched and developed various mechanisms.   He also worked as a Design Engineer where he designed cranes and new products for industrial material handling applications, created AutoCAD & Solidworks drawings, BOM’s, routings for projects, redefine process procedures and tooling for lean manufacturing, and was the Project Coordinator of the Engineering Department.

As an engineer Mr. Lefever got to design or part take in many great things.  Some designs became patented and others were custom projects.  One project that Mr. Lefever really enjoyed was redesign of a manufacturing facilities.  His team was responsible for a million dollar plus overhaul to increase the manufacturing efficiency.  In the end their design approved by the engineering manager reduced product time manufacturing from 21 days to 7 days.  This allowed for the company to expand capacity and increase its sales by millions of dollars.

For the past 25+ years, Mrs. Rachel Minnich has been shaping the lives of her art & design students at Octorara Area Senior High School. Mrs. Minninch graduated from  Wilkes University, with a BFA in  Communication Design as well as getting her K-12 Art Education Certification. She received her Technology Education Certification from Penn State University and is also an Adobe Certified Educator. 

Before joining Octorara, Mrs. Minnich worked in the art department of a CBS affiliate as a graphic designer, animator, set designer, and live truck artist (3 years). In the field of art & design, Mrs. Minnich has also worked as a custom framer (5 years); a receptionist for the Lancaster Museum of Art (3 years), and a Freelance Graphic Designer (25+ years). Last year Mrs. Minnich took a half-year sabbatical to focus on learning new Adobe programs and to see what it's like to be a graphic designer in the "real world" again.

Many of you may not know the diverse career background of Mark Barto.  Mark is a graduate of the Texas A&M Fire Training Program as well as earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Education and Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on Finance and Economics. He also was a motorcycle racer, pole vault coach, stock broker, pilot, financial planner, firefighter, EMT, and served our country in the U.S. Navy.  Mark has completed post-graduate course work in the fields of education, human behavior, fire science, emergency management, and coaching.

With over 30 years experience in the fire/EMS world in both career and volunteer organizations, Mark has worked through the ranks to hold virtually every officer rank and administrative position inside the organizations he has served across the country, and belongs to numerous organizations. Mark is an adjunct suppression instructor for the State Fire Academy as well as Harrisburg Area Community College and Bucks County Community College. He is also a National Registry Emergency Medical Technician and instructor, teaches a variety of firefighting, rescue, management, hazardous materials, leadership, EMS and tactical adult classes and is a frequent contributor to industry publications. All the while, he continues to volunteer as a firefighter and EMT with an MBA. 

Robert Linnenbaugh is a National Registered EMT, a Pennsylvania EMT Instructor, and a local level non-suppression fire instructor.  He has an extensive background in fire, EMS, and emergency management.  Rob holds an Associate’s degree in Emergency Management from the Delaware County Community College, is currently enrolled in Temple University to receive his vocational teaching degree and is a graduate of both the Emergency Management Advanced Academy and the Master Exercise Practitioner from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Emergency Management Institute in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Rob worked for the Avondale Fire Company as the EMS Manager, Union Fire Co. of Oxford as an EMT, and most recently for the County of Chester in several positions including EMS Training Coordinator, Fiscal Coordinator, and Emergency Management Planner.  He has been an active volunteer for 35 years with the Cochranville Fire Company.  During his career at Cochranville he has held numerous other positions including, Board Member, QRS Captain, Lieutenant, Captain, Assistant Chief, Fire Chief, and Deputy Chief.  Rob is also employed by the West Grove Fire Company as a part-time EMT/Firefighter and is also a life member of the Chester County Fire Chiefs Association of which he is currently serving the association as the secretary.  

John Narcise started his law enforcement career in 1984. During John’s career he worked as a patrol officer and has served in Millbourne, SEPTA, West Chester, and Willistown police departments.  Throughout the years John was promoted to the rank of Sergeant, to Lieutenant, and then promoted to the rank of Chief of Police for the Willistown police department and served in that capacity for the past 30 years until his retirement in 2020.

John was a labor negotiator for the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge 11 and has served on many hiring, promotion, discipline and policy boards. He also served on the Opioid Drug Task Force and is a member of the International Chiefs of Police. John currently serves as President of Bluebeards for Charity.

John is a graduate of West Chester University with a Master of Science Degree in Administration and also holds an Undergraduate Degree in Criminal Justice and Public Administration. He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy #218 and has taken specialized training in Interviewing, Leadership, and Statement Analysis. John is a member of the International Honor Society in Social Science.

Agriculture has always been a part of Mr. Graydus' life. When he attended Owen J. Roberts high school he was enrolled in the 4 year agriculture program and was very active in their FFA program.  Mr. Graydus attended Penn State University where he obtained an Associate Degree in Agriculture Business and later a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture Science. After working his way through college in his father’s construction company, Mr. Graydus decided to stay in the family business and bought his father’s company and continued working in construction for over 20 years fine tuning his skills in the business, all the while working on his farm.  

Mr. Graydus has traveled the United States and the world. After high school he hiked the Appalachian trail from Maine to Georgia. He then took to the air and received his private pilot license . He also ventured into the water with scuba diving in the islands. Finally, he designed and built his own house along with barns on his farm.

Deciding to make a career change Mr. Graydus brought his trade experience to teach tech-education at Oxford High School for 6 years.  When an agriculture position opened at Octorara Mr. Graydus jumped at the opportunity and has been teaching Agriculture Mechanics ever since.

Throughout his teaching career, Mr. Gradus received the Chester County award for Distinguished Service Award and Pennsylvania Agriculture Teacher Award.

Mr. Talley graduated from Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology with an Associate Degree in Cabinet Making & Architectural Millwork.  He received his B.S.Ed Technology Education from Millersville University, a Masters in Education from Cabrini University and his Vocational Certification fromTemple University.

Mr. Talley is a master at his trade.  His work experience ranges from a Cabinet Shop Foreman for Charles Ginty & Associates, and a Subcontractor for luxury home builders where his focus was on cabinets, trim, flooring, tile, framing, decks, light duty electrical and plumbing.

Mr. Talley is sought after as a master craftsman.  He continues to work as in high skilled jobs and shows his artistic skill by the projects he finishes.