My name is Thurman Bear but everyone calls me Blue. I'm originally from Detroit, Michigan, but have lived in Holyoke for the last 3 years. My journey into food preparation started at an early age, helping my mom in the kitchen at home. As I became more curious, cooking shows and the Home Economics offering at my high school helped nurture my passion. My first job was in a pizza place where I prepared a multitude of dishes beyond just the pizza. My curiosity didn't stop there, as I was also interested in where our food comes from. Before moving to Western Mass, worked on a tribal vegetable farm in northern Michigan where I cared for crops from seed all the way through harvest to market. We also ran a small market in town and a hot food counter where we served delicious meals made with our ancestral crops such as: flint corn, different varieties of winter squash, and different varieties of beans. These experiences have led to a deep appreciation of quality, nutrient dense food that also tastes great.
Catherine co-founded LightHouse with Josiah S. Litant and they led the organization together for three years. In 2018 Josiah relocated and Catherine stepped up to the role of Executive Director.
Catherine has been a driver in the leading edge of education for more than two decades. Before LightHouse she spent 12 years at North Star: Self-Directed Learning for Teens as Program Director and was a founding board member for Liberated Learners, the umbrella program connecting centers using the North Star model.
Catherine holds two bachelors degrees from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Masters in Education, Creative Arts in Learning, from Lesley University. She also holds a Montessori Certification from New England Montessori Teacher Education Center.
Dwayne was born and raised in Springfield, MA and has worked in this building for over five years. Positive energy and a very hard worker. Always helping others and always have a smile on my face!
Nate received his BS in Environmental Science with a minor in Chemistry from Hawaii Pacific University and completed a Graduate Teacher Certification program for secondary science at The University of New England. He has well over ten years of teaching experience in a variety of settings, including serving as a teacher and advisor at a small private school in Southern Maine. He has a love of the outdoors and serves as a volunteer member on his town’s Conservation Commission. Nate is thrilled to join the LightHouse community of learners and to share his passion for science and the natural world.
Diana grew up in Holyoke and attended Holyoke Public Schools, graduating from Holyoke High before working on her college degree. She began working in health services in 2010 and became a certified HHA in 2011. She loves working with the elderly and now also with adolescents!
She is a bilingual speaker and mother to two wonderful children. Diana manages the administrative side of LightHouse, bringing positive professionalism, deep empathy, and and attitude of active learning to our front desk every day.
Miguel has been supporting young people in and around Holyoke for 15 years. He is deeply committed to finding ways for students to be successful not only in school but also in life overall. Miguel has held a range of roles through his career including Youth Development Worker, Enrichment Coordinator, Mentor, Academic Coordinator, Paraprofessional, and Coach, and Student Support Coordinator. He is passionate about his work and always willing to learn from others to continue to grow. Miguel lives by the understanding that there's no such thing as a bad kid. All young people deserve support, understanding, and belonging.
Steph joined the LightHouse in early 2021. She graduated from Northern Vermont University with a B.A. in Theatre and Drama. Since graduating, Steph has continued to work and teach in theaters locally and in the Metro West area. Some of her theatrical interests include costume design, playwriting, acting, and directing. Steph is passionate about personalized education and is excited to be a part of the LightHouse community.
Dr. Latoya Bosworth, also known as Dr. Boz, is by nature an artist, by nurture an empath and advocate, and by trade an educator. Dr. Boz began her first job in human services at 19, and since then she has worked with youth and families in several capacities, from crisis intervention to family stabilization. She has collaborated with and consulted for the Department of Children and Family Services, the Department of Youth Services, after-school programs, Job Corps, summer camps, and community centers. In 2006, she established her own arts and mentoring program, with a special education teacher certification, Dr.Boz taught in alternative high schools for 15 years. She consulted as Behavior Specialist for an inner city public school, is an adjunct professor in Education & Human Services, and is faculty for the Institute for Equity Centered Coaching. She has B.A. in Sociology, an M.S. in Nonprofit and Philanthropy, and a Ph.D. in Social and Community Service. Her research involves young women. Dr. Boz continuously spreads her message of H.E.R.S - health, empowerment, resilience, and self-worth in workshops, as a keynote speaker, and as a life coach, in print, and on stage.
Jill has been working in the nonprofit field for more than a decade, with a focus on development, project management, and partnership-building using a collaborative, community-centric approach. Currently, she leads development efforts at Mass Humanities, whose mission is to create opportunities for the people of Massachusetts to transform their lives and build a more equitable commonwealth through the humanities. She holds an MS in Nonprofit Management from Northeastern University and BA in English Language & Literature from the University of Vermont. Jill also serves on the board of directors for Dress for Success Western MA as well as the grantmaking committee for UMass Amherst's Fine Arts Center. She lives in Amherst and enjoys writing and exploring new places.
Joseph Katz is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Outpatient Mental Health Clinician with Mass General Brigham at the Oxbow Clinic. Previously, he's worked in private and public schools from elementary through post-secondary as a school counselor. Joseph also has supported families through the special education process and practiced trauma informed care through clinical training at the Leeds VA. In addition to his psychodynamic training, he is trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, EMDR, and Integrated Care.
Josiah co-founded LightHouse with Catherine Gobron and co-directed the organization for the first three years, building it from an idea into a thriving reality. In 2018 Josiah and his family relocated to Minnesota, where he was Vice President of Student Affairs and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Minnesota State College Southeast, a technical and community college. Since 2023 Josiah has served as the inaugural Executive Director of the Minnesota P-20 Education Partnership, a statewide initiative to strengthen educational outcomes for learners of all ages across Minnesota. Josiah remains deeply connected to LightHouse as a consultant, senior advisor, and enthusiastic supporter.
Josiah has been in the field of education for twenty years, as a teacher, mentor, and administrator at all age levels. Prior to co-founding LightHouse Holyoke, Josiah spent a decade working with college-age students at Hampshire College. He has a particular passion for progressive education, with a focus on issues of student identity, inclusion, and advocacy.
Josiah has previously served on a number of nonprofit boards and has proudly consulted as a social justice facilitator with the National Conference for Community and Justice of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts.
Josiah has a Master of Arts degree in higher education administration from Goddard College, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Hampshire College.
Sita has 20+ years of experience helping organizations, communities, and networks imagine, learn, and collaborate. She co-founded dpict, a facilitation firm specializing in process design, visualization, sensemaking, and collaborative environments. Her career has involved extensive international work in multi-stakeholder initiatives at the intersection of global systems. When her first child was born, she felt called to direct her attention to local experimentation in service of intergenerational learning, community weaving, and civic engagement. She co-founded Easthampton Co.Lab, a community-based co-working and learning space, and Fort Future, a space for creative, intergenerational learning. She is a member of the Connecticut River Valley Bioregional Collaborative and The Value Web, a global community focused on transforming decision-making. She is on the core team of the Ford Foundation’s Ford Global Fellows program and the Learning Innovations Lab at the Harvard Graduate School of Education (part of Project Zero). She is actively involved in several regional planning initiatives and loves imagining and experimenting with new models for citizen-driven decision-making. She is also a board member of the Co-Intelligence Institute, where she works with others to promote innovations in collective wisdom, co-creativity, and collaborative governance.
Sita is thrilled to support LightHouse and doubly delighted to have her oldest child join the school in fall 2023!
Anthony resides in Becket, and serves on the board at the Northampton Survival Center, Greenfield Community College and the National Association of Mental Illness of Berkshire County.
