Hello, my name is Ricky Almeida. I am very excited to be back at West Sylvan. I was born and raised in McMinnville Oregon. From there I spent one year at Chemeketa, one year at Lane and my final few undergrad years at University of Oregon where I received my Bachelors Degree in Family Human Services. GO DUCKS! For graduate school I attended Northwest Christian University where I received a Masters of Arts in School Counseling. Before coming to Portland I worked for Salem-Keizer Public Schools 3 years as an elementary counselor and 3 years as a middle school counselor. While working as a middle school counselor I was part of the AVID program as well as a football and basketball coach. In my spare time I like to hang out with my family, play ukulele, and watch sports. If you need anything please feel free to email.

Email: rcohen@pps.net

Hello, I am Rebecca Cohen.  When I was in 8th grader in Connecticut I was an assistant in my school’s counseling office.  I had no idea at the time that the experience I had then would shape the rest of my life. I went to college at the University of Kansas, ROCK CHALK Jayhawk, got a Masters of Science in Special Education from the University or Oregon and a Masters of Arts in School Counseling from Pacific University.   I have served as a counselor in a variety of schools over the past two decades including Title 1, Dual Language Immersion, Private Boarding Schools, Public K-5, Middle School, High Schools and even as the Director of Disability Support at Reed College.  One of the greatest parts of working at  different schools is that I am able to use my experience and skills from one setting to help students in other settings.  I love being a school counselor and have endless enthusiasm and commitment to ALL students' success in and out of the school house.  When I am not working I enjoy yoga, stand-up paddle boarding, crafting, camping and spending time with my family, including my dog Norma.  

Hi! My name is Kandice Abney and I am so excited to be a part of the West Sylvan community! I was born and raised in Pendleton, Oregon, but I have lived in all four corners of the state over the years. I started my college path off at Blue Mountain Community College, and from there I moved onto Southern Oregon University in Ashland to complete my Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice. I then relocated to Portland, which quickly became my home, and eventually made it to Lewis & Clark College where I earned my Masters in Education for School Counseling. In my free time I like to roller skate, read books, cook, and spend time with my friends and family.