Meet our staff of accomplished mages and adventurous ELFS!

Since they disguise themselves as muggles more or less effectively when not at Wiogora, we have included their muggle identities using the term "muggly known as", or mka.

Professor Alloy Watt (He / They) Minister of Magic

Prof. Alloy Watt taught Misuse of Muggle Artifacts last year. A member of a magical family, his daughter Lily has been a young scholar in WaveRider House for the past three years.

In his muggle disguise as Mark Blessington has taught science (Physics, Biology, Earth and Environmental Science, Educational Technology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, and Engineering) to high school and middle school youth for the past 14 years. Mark received his Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) focused in Biotechnology & Philosophy from Assumption College.

An avid actor and singer, Mark also has seven years of experience in directing acting and technical theater, and was the director of the drama program at Milbury High School when he taught there. He is also a skilled knitter and voracious reader.

Professor AbbyNormal Ranunculus (She / Her) Headmagister

Professor Abby Normal Ranunculus, MKA* Abigail Hannaford-Ricardi has been at Wiogora since 2012. She has taught Transfiguration for 5 of these years and was a Co-Head of House for WindHorse for 8 years. Professor Ranunculus delights in her many magical frog relatives. She is a direct descendant of the famous animagus, Wizard Ranae Ranunculus, known to muggles as the frog prince.

In her muggle disguise, Abigail is the Asst. Director of Faith Development at First Unitarian Church, where she has worked since 2006. Prior to that she was a director of an art studio, a case administrator for adults with developmental delays, a director of activities at a geriatric-psychiatric long term care facility, a nursing home social worker, and a special needs foster and adoptive mom. Abigail has a Bachelor of Fine Arts with concentrations is ceramics and print making, and a Graduate Certificate in Gerontology both from Clark University.

Professor Iliana Ipsum (They/Them) Senior Head of WindHorse

Iliana Ipsum, MKA Jess Bonner, loves Wiogora and looks forward to it every year. They are the transfiguration teacher, WindHorse Senior Head of House, and After Care Supervisor. Their first year at Wiogora was in 2019.

They adore Transfiguration and anything that allows them to express creativity including drawing, painting, resin art, digital art and more. Iliana’s favorite part of Wiogora is seeing how the scholars interpret each Transfigurations class and make it their own. No two groups of scholars are the same and it’s fun to see how everyone creates unique artistic magic out of the same prompt.

In their muggle life Iliana is known as Jess Bonner and they are an elementary school paraprofessional in the far off land of New Hampshire. Jess lives with two roommates including Wiogora's own Lyria Bee Happenstance as well as 2 leopard geckos, and 3 cats. In addition to their artistic hobbies Jess also loves to sing, spend time with animals, and play video games.

Jess is passionate about providing fun and inclusive care to all students especially marginalized communities such as the neurodiverse and LGBT+ communities that they are a part of. Jess strives to be the kind of role model that they would have loved to see as a kid; kind, patient, empathetic, and unapologetically themself.

Professor Evangeline Almondine Biscotti (She / Her)Senior Head of StoneDragon

Professor Evangeline Almondine Biscotti, MKA* Vicki Heidorn, is the Senior Head of House for StoneDragon and the Magical Maladies (first aid) coordinator. In her first role in 2012, Madame Biscotti, as she was known, cared for the Potter Tots, the littlest magical offspring of volunteers; in 2015 she worked on the crew which built the giant maze for the final tournament. Apparating and Disapparating, Professor Biscotti is known for magically appearing with whatever is needed.

Carrying the magic into the Muggle world, Vicki Heidorn, a graduate of Boston University, has served as a Religious Education teacher and Child & Family Mental health paraprofessional. She and her husband, Chuck, are grandparents and business owners of Surroundings Gallery & Custom Framing, in Gardner, MA. Vicki is a chorus member in the Salisbury Singers of Worcester, loves contra dancing, and spends free time editing and writing. With young and old, Professor Biscotti meets scholars at their developmental level, listening, connecting, and finding joy.

Harpkin Bestlewright (He / Him) Senior Head of PhoenixFire

Harpkin Bestlewright has explored corners of the world many scholars still argue don’t exist. Most of his adventures have taken place in Faerûn, and most recently the steaming jungles of Chult. Somehow, Harpkin always manages to stay alive—often by the skin of his teeth—as he uncovers secrets from lost civilizations. His mother, Evangeline Almondine Biscotti, supported his unusual decision to leave home at a young age and live among Lizardfolk, learning their customs and magic. He is, to date, the only known wizard fluent in the ceremonial hunting scream of the Sramcaass tribe.

These days, Harpkin is less interested in outrunning boulders or outsmarting death traps. Instead, he’s begun teaching younger magic users about the dangers and wonders of the adventuring life. Also, he’d very much prefer not to ever run into that one weretiger again. Ever.

A far less exciting figure is Charles Shattuck-Heidorn, a late-30s father of three from Portland, Maine. Originally hailing from Gardner, MA, Charles has been playing Dungeons & Dragons for over 30 years—cutting his teeth at Knights Quest, the local game store of his youth. He spent two formative years at The Meeting School, a Quaker agricultural high school, before becoming a freight train conductor for 18 very short years. He now has an exciting life as a closet designer.

Charles practices Brazilian Jiu Jitsu a lot, runs and plays D&D sessions, organizes tabletop events at a local social club, and serves as an elected board member of the Portland Water District.

Viridian Grey (They/Them) Senior Head of House of WaveRider

Professor Viridian Grey wandered into Castle Wiogora one day while searching for mana pools inside the city. Far from the peaceful mountain glade they call home, Viridian fell in love with the spirit of Wiogoran community and decided to join. In their Herbology class they share the wisdom of the trees, from ecology and conservation sciences to mindful meditations. They seek to inspire wonder for the world around and within.

Outside of the castle walls, Viridian (disguised as a Vicky, They/Her) continues to live a magical life in their day-to-day as she walks the path of Green Magic. A lover of all things whimsical and dramatic, she can often be caught playing Dungeons & Dragons, LARPing, or just acting plain old silly with the kids in their community. That is, of course, when they’re not in the woods or tending to their garden. Viridian is autistic and adhd with special interests (and education) in neurodivergence and child development, and works as a nanny specializing in care for neurodivergent children.

Professor Allegra di Fortissima (She / Her)

Professor Allegra di Fortissima, Incantations Teacher, is about to teach at Wiogora again this year! She is excited to be returning to a group of teachers and scholars who are so imaginative and supportive. Prof. di Fortissima believes music builds community and brings joy and looks forward to doing that with the scholars at Wiogora. She has collected songs and incantations by meeting witches and wizards from many places and exploring may magical libraries, and looks forward to sharing these incantations with the Wiogora scholars. Her magical skills manifested as a young child in the form of extremely sensitive hearing. After a confusing and very public bellowing incident, her parents finally realized she was trying to converse with a humpback whale fifty miles away in Cape Cod Bay. Her area of wizardly research is the World Hum.

In her muggle disguise, Dr. Allegra Martin is the Music Director at First Unitarian, where she leads an the adult choir and the children's choir. She is also the Music Director of the Renaissance choir Convivium Musicum, the Director at the Pioneer Valley Symphony Chorus, and an instructor in Conducting at the Berklee College of Music. From 2017-2022 she worked as the Director of College Choirs at the College of the Holy Cross. She is a life-long UU and grew up at the Follen Church in Lexington, MA.

Leona Monte (She / Her)

Leona is a proud WindHorse. She embodies love in caring for her fellow adult scholars and all of the young scholars. She loves helping out whoever needs it at the moment and taking photos/videos of all the fun we have at Wiogora.

Leona has held many positions at Wiogora over the past eleven years including Guide, Ghost, Professor's aide, Head of the Room of Requirement and Olamit.

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