Executive Nerd
she/her
Carrie Lauber received her undergraduate degree from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2004 in Biology, her Master’s in Education from the University of Mary in 2010, and recently finished a PhD in Educational Research at the University of North Dakota. She worked in a research lab for two years before deciding to pursue her passion for education. Dr. Carrie has taught in public education, informal settings and at the college level and worked as a STEM Outreach Coordinator before opening the Inspire Innovation Lab. She now focuses on her passion which includes creating innovative learning opportunities for teachers, students and the community with a focus on building resilience. Dr. Carrie is a creative problem solver who is devoted to her family and her pets (which include an expansive number of birds and dogs). She believes in the power of asking questions, even the difficult messy ones, and encourages others to embrace the benefits of up-to-your-eyeballs-in-alligators levels of messy, chaotic learning.
Chief Cat Herder and Head of the Unicorn Division
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Sara Gurath has over 25 years of teaching experience, including starting and running two schools in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has also done a deep dive into curriculum development, including work done at Stanford in reading, writing, history, and discussion. Her passion is creating independent, passionate, critical, and lifelong learners. Miss Sara finds deep joy in singing with the kiddos and sharing her love of reading with them. When she's not busy teaching, Miss Sara is an active runner, an enthusiastic reader, a joyful music maker, and above all, she is a dedicated family woman.
Captain of Scallywags
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Keely Dahlquist has a background in mental health and behavior work both in the non-profit world and in the school system. She worked for eight years as a Mental Health Technician and another four as a Positive Behavior Technician with Fargo Public Schools. After taking some time off to support her own mental health, Keely found her way back into the schools as a Lunchroom Supervisor at Ellen Hopkins, specifically supporting students with behaviors. While there, Keely learned about Inspire Lab from students and was excited by what she was hearing. One thing led to another, and now Keely is the lead teacher for the class of Explorers in the Innovation Academy! Affectionately known as Captain Keely by her students, Keely has brought her passion for creating positive behavior change and her enthusiasm for learning to the classroom at Inspire Lab.
Keeper of the Brains
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Rachel Geinert studied English Education at NDSU before she realized that she really hates the current model of education and set aside her lifelong dream of being a teacher. They met Carrie while doing improv and quickly fell in love with the mission of Inspire Lab and has been working here ever since! They have a background in teaching theatre to children, both here in Fargo/Moorhead at FMCT and North Dakota Governor's School and in New Jersey, through the Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey. She is also very active in the local LGBTQ community and believes strongly in creating an open, accepting place for children to discover their own identities. Mx. Rachel loves reading, telling stories, laughing, theatre, and giant bear hugs.
Instigator of Lightbulb Moments and Wellness Warrior
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Stella Snyder is a mother to 3 children and 2 bonus children! They range in ages from 5-15 years old so she has a wide array of personal at home experience with all sorts of personalities, learning and helping her kids through tough times. Besides being a mom, Stella has worked as a paraprofessional at various public schools in Fargo and West Fargo for about 5 years. Stella is also working on getting her bachelors degree in Psychology. Stella has a big spot in her heart for kids who are typically misunderstood in the regular school setting and kids who have gone through trauma. She hopes to utilize her knowledge of psychology to create a safe space for kids of all ages to feel comfortable and safe in their learning environment at the lab. In her free time, Stella enjoys photography, art and gardening.
Director of Play
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Fairy of Smiles
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Kortney Sanasack, is from Chokio Minnesota and landed in Moorhead for college. She is currently attending M State for dental hygiene. Kortney has a long history working with children and especially loves the opportunity to build relationships with them. In her spare time, Kortney values spending time with her friends and family. She appreciates the encouraging atmosphere of Inspire Lab, both among the students and the staff. We're so glad to have her on our team!
Curator of Vibes
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Ashlyn Hintz hails from Morris, Minnesota and is a student at MSUM majoring in Psychology. Her long-term goal is to become a Clinical Mental Health Counselor specializing in adolescents. Ashlyn has extensive nannying experience and has always had a spot in her heart for caring for children. She is excited to be a part of the team at Inspire Lab because of the close-knit, welcoming community. She loves the kids and the staff, and we're so lucky to have her!
Creativity and Kindness Guru
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Isa Herrera has over nine years of experience guiding youth-led public art projects and is excited to take their dedication to teaching in a new direction with Inspire Lab. Isa is passionate about finding and focusing on the intersection of arts and sciences to create a new generation of innovative and creative learners and creators. They are constantly working towards building access to educational opportunities for queer youth and youth of color and is looking forward to finding new ways to incorporate that goal at Inspire Lab. Isa has recently completed training in art therapy and hopes to utilize that new skill in supporting the students at the Lab. In their free time, Isa enjoys cooking, fashion, and travel.
Celebration Specialist
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Rachel Johnson is a licensed case manager for individuals with disabilities with degrees in social work, gender studies, and sociology. Miss Rachel is also a regular foster mom for both dogs and kids, making her one of the most impressively patient people we know. Miss Rachel has worked at the lab covering special events and birthday parties since the fall of 2018.
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