Melanya Gonshorowski

Tutor

Now in her fourth year as an RTI specialist at YRCS, Melanya works with the lower grades, helping students build confidence in reading and math through play and fun. RTI (Resources to Intervention) is an important part of our school, providing students with the support they need to strengthen their math and reading skills. As a former grades student herself, Melanya understands the challenges that come with feeling behind—she didn’t enjoy reading until she was 12 and was never a math whiz. This personal experience fuels her compassionate approach to supporting students as they develop foundational academic skills.

Melanya’s journey into education began as a homeschool parent alongside Mrs. Noel. She is also a mother of two boys, now 11 and 13, and a “recovering midwife” who has spent the last 15 years as a birth keeper. Seeing some of the babies she once helped bring into the world now running around the YRCS playground is a particularly sweet full-circle moment for her. She holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Santa Cruz and a B.S. in Midwifery from Portland. An avid reader, Melanya enjoys self-help books and the works of Barbara Kingsolver. As a teen, she was captivated by Elf Quest and stories of King Arthur and the powerful women of his legend. Melanya is grateful to be part of the YRCS community, where she can inspire a love of learning in her students while nurturing their confidence, curiosity, and joy.