John Barrowman originally came from a small town in the Californian foothills of the Sierra Nevadas. He moved to Oregon to attend college at the University of Oregon where he completed his bachelors degree in psychology and a minor in special education in 2009. It was during his bachelors that he was inspired by a guest lecturer to enroll in a program called Project PASS (Preparing Autism Specialists for Schools). He completed Project PASS in 2010 and completed a licensure program for early childhood special education/early intervention and his masters in 2011. After completing school, John moved to Alaska and remained in the Northwest Arctic region working in schools as an intensive needs special education teacher and traveled to support students in the outlying villages for four years. John has been with SESA since 2015 and enjoys being able to bring services to where they are needed. He enjoys fishing, hiking, and cooking.

Samantha Weiland grew up in Clearwater, Florida, as an avid horseback rider and a volunteer for various programs working with individuals with special needs. Combining these two passions, she attended St. Andrews University in North Carolina and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Therapeutic Horsemanship in 2004. After graduation, the premier Therapeutic Horseback Riding program, Equest of Dallas, Texas, recruited Samantha as an Advanced Instructor. In addition, Samantha served as Head of Area 10 Equestrian Special Olympics. A desire to expand her knowledge, skills and effectiveness as an educator, Samantha enrolled in Mary Baldwin College in Virginia. In 2010, Samantha earned her Master of Arts in teaching Special Education. For the past 6 years Samantha has focused her teaching on students with Autism, Learning Disabilities, ADD/HD, and Anxiety Disorders both in traditional classroom setting and one on one. Part of her teaching experience included a year of teaching in Twin Hills, Alaska. Samantha has been part of the SESA team since 2016. She continues to enjoy providing creative educational opportunities for all students in Alaska. When she is not jet setting across the state, Samantha enjoys hiking, biking, and exploring Alaska!

Shane Phillips grew up in Michigan, attended university in Illinois, and moved to Alaska in 2018. Shane attended Southern Illinois University and earned a B.S. in Special Education. During his time at SIU, Shane was the President of the Student Council for Exceptional Children and participated in events that advocated for individuals with disabilities. After earning his degree, Shane taught for two years in Southeast Alaska. In his free time Shane enjoys hiking, hockey, rock climbing, and being outside. Shane enjoys being able to work with teams all around the great state of Alaska.