CTE New Faces
JENNIFER CRANE
Classes taught: Animal Biology, Floriculture, and Physical Science in Agriculture at Walla Walla High School.
Jennifer loves seeing her students grow and develop, both academically and personally, which is incredibly rewarding. Additionally, the hands-on nature of agricultural education and the opportunity to foster a sense of community within the classroom make teaching this subject uniquely fulfilling.
Prior to teaching and during her teacher summers, she has spent the last 15 years working at a hop farm in Mabton, WA - working on farm management projects and creating educational resources for the hop industry.
This year Jennifer is looking forward to the opportunities of agricultural education and promoting FFA through career and leadership development events. As well as the comradery with her fellow WaHi Ag teachers.
Jennifer grew up in Sunnyside, WA where her family lived on a small farm raising livestock. She attended Washington State University for her Bachelor's and Western Governors University for her Masters. GO COUGS! She taught agriculture at Eastmont Junior High School for 5.5 years, and Dayton Middle/High School for 3 years, and teaching at WaHi fulfills a career goal! Ms. Crane said, “I love living in the Walla Walla Valley with my boyfriend and love all the opportunities there are in our area.”
Jennifer really enjoys spending time with her family, going on drives, and camping. She has a small photography business and has been exploring the Walla Walla area more and more through her photography.
ALYSSA DRADER
Classes taught: Animal Biology, Veterinary Assistance, and Physical Science in Agriculture at Walla Walla High School. Some of her hobbies include collecting mineral specimens and tie-dye!
One of the many things Alyssa loves about teaching is being able to make meaningful connections with the students she teaches. Through these connections, she is able to learn about what passions her students have and what motivates them to learn.
This is Alyssa’s first year teaching. Prior to this position, Alyssa was a student at WSU pursuing a degree in Agriculture and Food Systems with a teaching certification. Alyssa graduated from WSU in May of 2023, and previously from Walla Walla High School in 2019.
Alyssa is most looking forward to working with her students on the school farm and allowing them to get hands-on experience with the flock of sheep. They are assigned specific sheep to take care of and monitor throughout the year and lambing season. This allows the students to gain real-world experience within the livestock industry. Some of these students even continue their work into the summer by raising a market lamb for the fair. They are able to see the entire process from birth to sale or integration into the flock of the animals they take care of.
DEANNA PERRY
Classes taught: AMPED on Algebra 1 (“AMPED”) and Geometry in Construction. (“GeoCon”).
Deanna loves working with students to build their confidence in mathematics. The excitement students show and how proud they are of themselves after learning challenging mathematics fulfills her.
Prior to teaching, Deanna worked at Morris County Community College in New Jersey as an Assistant to the Registrar. Deanna is looking forward to building relationships with students and getting to know the staff at Walla Walla High School.
Deanna grew up in a small town north of Pittsburgh, PA. She attended the University of Pittsburgh and earned her BS in Mathematics. She and her husband both grew up in western Pennsylvania but met in Seattle. They lived in Seattle for 25 years.
The Perrys have been visiting Walla Walla for about 18 years and love the area. She is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Penguins, and a Seattle Kraken hockey fan.
