Meliesa Tigard — Director

Meliesa Tigard is a teacher, academic coach, and award-winning writer and speaker. She is the author of two books and numerous healing journals available on Amazon. She is an active member of the community, having dedicated her spare time to community advocacy for over a decade. She earned a degree with High Honors from the Honors College of the University of Montana. Tigard has been honored as a Presidential Leadership Scholar and recognized at the American Academy of Achievement and the Banquet of the Golden Scroll. During those years of academic recognition, she was privately struggling with ADHD. She used the methods she now teaches to overcome her own ADD symptoms and master math — eventually making her worst thing her best thing. Meliesa is the author of the Tigard Method™, the proprietary math method used exclusively at FocalPoint. Today, she would rather teach math than anything else, because she has been there.

Natasha Sanborn, Teacher

With experience as a high school math teacher, Natasha brings the math skills to our older students. She knows how to explain complex topics in simple ways – giving her students the skills to succeed in their math curricula. She has experience with several of the curricula used in our area, and can easily help your student with their math and writing assignments. Natasha lives in Wenatchee with her husband and their dog.

Kathleen Tigard, Teacher

With her experience in early education and behavior, Kathleen brings another dimension to the well-rounded FocalPoint classroom. Kathleen works at a local grade school, doing intervention work in reading and math, as well as working with behaviorally challenged students. She excels at setting expectations, keeping kids on task, and is generally loved by her students. Kathleen was once a student at FocalPoint, grew up in the learning center, and went into the education business just like her mom, Meliesa. Kathleen lives in Wenatchee with her cat, Shuggy and a huge garden, which is her hobby. When not at FocalPoint, Kathleen is feeding families and learning more about how to live off the land.

Bethany Symonds, Teacher

With endorsements in English and history, Bethany brings strong reading, writing, and social studies skills to FocalPoint students of all ages. She has taught 3rd through 10th grade in a Wenatchee classroom, so she knows what local students are expected to master and how to help them get there. Bethany holds bachelor’s degrees in education and history from the University of Idaho, where she earned the History Department’s Outstanding Senior Award, and a master’s degree in public history from Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. Her friendly, patient approach and extensive training in conflict resolution help students feel comfortable, stay focused, and build real confidence in their work.