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High School Subcommittee Member, Conference Committee

Myra Deister

My CSTA Story

I became a member of CSTA in 2005 when I was asked to begin teaching AP Computer Science A. Prior to that, I had already taught various programming classes for a few years. One of my achievements during this time was persuading the local computer science teachers’ group to apply to be a CSTA chapter. We put in the effort, and our application was approved! Over the years, I have been instrumental in establishing two additional chapters. The collaborative spirit within our chapters has greatly contributed to my professional growth.

In 2007, I was elected to the CSTA board and served for 7 years. Subsequently, I took on various volunteer roles such as reviewing conference submissions, curriculum evaluation, and being an active conference committee member. I am profoundly grateful to CSTA for fostering my development as an educator.

My Story

Myra Deister is a passionate educator with over 35 years of experience teaching mathematics and computer science at the secondary level. She infuses innovative use of technology into her classes and assists her colleagues with technology use. She is a CSTA Greater Los Angeles board member, OCCUE (ISTE Affiliate) board, and State Network of Educators. Myra served on the California Computer Science Standards Committee, as an Ambassador for CS for All Teachers and has presented at the CSTA Annual Conference, CUE, OCCUE, SGVCUE, Orange County Math Council, CMC and CTA Summer Webinars, and CTA Good Teaching Conference.

CSHS Committee Member

Nancy Kiscadden

My CSTA Story

Nancy joined CSTA in 2017 after attending the annual conference in Baltimore, MD. She has found CSTA to be inspiring as a CS teacher through the many connections she has made with other CS teachers across the country. She has used her experiences with CSTA to build a CS program for her high school and works to build a pathway starting in kindergarden.

My Story

Nancy has been teaching computer science and mathematics for 16 years at Lower Dauphin in Hummelstown PA. She has been an active CSTA member since 2017. She was awarded the PATech Teacher of the Year award in 2012, and the Lower Dauphin Falcon Foundation STEAM honoree in 2020. She started the district CSHS chapter in 2021 working hard to promote CS to the school and community. She has a liberal arts degree in applied music from SUNY Fredonia, secondary mathematics certification through Penn State University, masters in Instructional Technology from Wilkes University and is currently working on a masters in Computer Science Education through the University of Nebraska Omaha.

High School Strand Lead, Conference Committee

Philip Taylor

My Story

Dr. Philip Taylor is a high school computer science teacher at Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth, TX, where he enjoys teaching a variety of software, hardware, and engineering courses.

Admin/Coaches Subcommittee, 2025 Conference Committee; Teacher Standards Committee Member

Rebecca Dovi

My CSTA Story

I still remember the excitement when I first discovered CSTA national! Turns out there were other CS teachers out there. At that point I’d been teaching high school computer science for seven years, and the CSTA was the beginning of creating a true CS community in our state.As a founder of the then Central-VA CSTA Chapter I saw the importance of bringing teachers together to learn and form community. From a local professor’s dining room table we went on to host statewide conferences to connect people from all over Virginia.During this time Chris Stevenson found funding to bring chapter leaders together and learn about educational policy. I remember sitting in a conference room with some of the folks I now consider lifelong friends scratching our heads – why on earth would we possible care about how education policy in our states worked?Her vision that making CS a reality for all students meant engaging with state departments of education and policymakers was absolutely transformative. The connections I made through CSTA have driven this work farther than we ever could have imagined. CS10K sounded absolutely audacious back then, and now we’ve grown far beyond, with CS standards and mandates broadening CS education.In 2013 my husband and I founded CodeVA, and continued our work with CSTA nationally and locally. We developed the CS Honor Society, and CSTA gave it wings. We continue to work with our local chapter – recently merged from many local chapters and attend the national conference.I can never truly repay everything the organization has given to me personally and to our community, but it is an honor to support the work in whatever small way I can.

My Story

Becca Dovi, Co-Founder of CodeVA, is a former classroom teacher whose more than 30-year career has been focused on innovating to build connections between people and communities. The spark for all of her work is a love of computer science. As a neuro-divergent learner herself and the daughter of a military family, Ms Dovi often speaks of the ways in which computer science gave her an educational space to call home and she thrives on helping others fall in love with this field of study and approach to learning.

Admin/Coaches Subcommittee Member, Conference Committee

Rena Clark

My CSTA Story

Rena’s CSTA journey began when she met an amazing educator and CS advocate, Cheri Bortleson. She introduced Rena to the CSTA K-12 CS Standards and encouraged Rena to attend CSTA in 2017 in Baltimore. It was at this conference that she met Kristeen Shabram, future CSTA Conference Chair. They instantly hit it off and found connection around their passions for CS and in their personal lives. The following year, Kristeen invited Rena to participate in the session reviews, which paved the way for deeper involvement with CSTA. Rena then joined the conference committee, starting as the Elementary Conference Lead. Rena then was part of the Elementary Subcommittee, and now, with coaching experience and administrative credentials, she serves on the Admin/Coaches Subcommittee. Rena has learned so much as a result of being a part of the CSTA community and conference committee.

My Story

Rena Clark, a National Board Certified Teacher and STEM Facilitator in the Renton School District, is a digital learning expert, and one of the podcast hosts for the AVID sponsored podcast, “Unpacking Education.” With her administrative certification and a deep commitment to core values of Joy, Equity, and Creativity, Rena is dedicated to shaping innovative approaches to STEM education. Her work includes incorporating computer science principles into elementary classrooms, promoting cross-curricular learning, and encouraging students to explore and create as modes for deepening learning. Outside of her professional life, Rena is a committed mother of three and a loving wife. She’s also passionate about soccer, tap dance, and enjoys playing the alto saxophone in her community band.

Admin/Coaches Subcommittee, 2025 Conference Committee; Policy Committee Member

Rudy Escobar

My CSTA Story

Rudy Escobar is a STEM and computer science coordinator with expertise in STEM, particularly science, computer science, and engineering. With over a decade of experience, he is a highly accomplished educator who consistently advocates for equitable access to computer science and STEM education. Prior to his career in education, Rudy worked in the pharmaceutical, environmental, and food industries using his engineering, science, and computer science background. Rudy specializes in PreK–12 computer science, STEM, physical computing, robotics, project-based learning (PBL), engineering, science, NGSS assessments, and PBL curriculum development.

Rudy promotes computer science and STEM education in California through conferences, workshops, and initiatives, advocating for equitable opportunities for all students, particularly underrepresented ones. As a micro:bit champion he has directed micro:bit and science conferences. Rudy has developed resources, provided professional development, and created partnerships to promote computer science and STEM education throughout the state. He has developed distance learning resources and organized C-STEM camps for underrepresented students. Rudy has also collaborated with local universities to support future educators and tutors in STEM and computer science.

Rudy has also partnered with organizations to advocate for and develop project-based STEM lessons. He has provided support for English language learners, Universal Design for Learning, and social-emotional learning in K–2 science and engineering lessons for the California Department of Education. Rudy’s expertise has been instrumental in evaluating and revising training tools and incorporating current trends and data into the standard curricula for science, computer science, and engineering.

My Story

Rudy is a STEM and Computer Science Coordinator, who has demonstrated a history of working in education and a strong skill set in STEM PreK-12 Education, Science, Computer Science, STEM, Science, Artificial Intelligence, Physical Computing, Robotics, Curriculum Design, Engineering Project-based learning, and a Micro:bit Champion. Rudy serves as the CSTA Sacramento Technology Manager and CCCUE Communications Manager for the respective boards, actively contributing to CSforCA, AIforCA, and NGSS Collaborative. His leadership extends nationally and statewide as a CSTA Board at Large representative, CSTA policy committee liaison, 23-24 CSTA Equity Fellow, CSforCA Policy Workgroup liaison, CSMP Computer Science Integration Coordinator, CASE Region 1 director, and CASE Advocacy Committee Co-chair, and ISTE AI course Instructor.

Conference Committee Chair, 2025 Conference Committee

Ruth Farmery

Ruth Farmery is a Conference Committee Chair within the 2025 Conference Committee

6-8 Subcommittee Member, Conference Committee

Sandra Hartman

My CSTA Story

Sandra started her CSTA journey as a new CS teacher looking for resources. She applied to be an equity fellow and served as a fellow for the past three years. Volunteering to present at many events. Most recently she became a member of the newly established equity council. Sandra continues to work with her chapter doing monthly fireside chats on equity.

My Story

Sandra is a CS & Media Design educator with the East Stroudsburg Area School district where she teaches at Lehman Intermediate school. This year is her 18th year as a teacher and she currently teaches 6th, 7th and 8th grade students how to use computer technology. Whether it is through 6th grade digital citizenship, 7th grade robotics or 8th grade digital media, Sandra makes it her focus to give her mostly marginalized students experiences that will carry the experience through to high school and beyond. When not teaching you will find Sandra watching her Chiefs, nerding out to pop culture, or spending time with her husband and 2 adult children.

Elementary Subcommittee Member, Conference Committee

Saul Duarte

My CSTA Story

Teaching instructional tech with STEAM is my passion and professional work.

My Story

Teaching for 27 years! Tech is still my favorite subject.

Chapter Leader Committee Member

Shawn Draczynski Tobin

My CSTA Story

CSTA was my connections to other CS educators! It let me build a network of support and I am so excited to give back to other members as we continue along the journey!

My Story

Computer Science and Science educator in CT! I am a chapter leader and am excited to serve CSTA on a larger scale.

Editorial Board Committee Member; Policy Committee Member

Sofia De Jesus

My CSTA Story

Sofía first learned about CSTA when she was looking for resources for a program in Computational Thinking she was building for a school where she taught. She fell in love with the community and the resources she has found as part of CSTA. She has volunteered in multiple committees through CSTA and is a 2023-24 Equity Fellow.

My Story

Sofía De Jesús is the author of Applied Computational Thinking with Python (2nd edition due out 2024), and has over 20 years of experience in education, combining time in the classroom with curriculum design and providing professional development to other educators. Sofía completed a Masters in teacher education and all coursework for an EdD (abd). Sofía is the associate program manager and Spanish outreach lead for CMU CS Academy team. She has presented in multiple national and international conferences on equitable CS education, accessibility, and equitable assessment practices. Sofía is a 2023-24 CSTA Equity Fellow.

Professional Development Committee Member

Stephen King

My CSTA Story

Stephen King is a part of the Professional Development Committee.