Development & Event Coordinator
Mackenzie grew up in West Linn, Oregon, and attended college at the University of Colorado, at Boulder. During her time at CU she got a degree in Communications. Following graduation, Mackenzie dove into the world of events. From Vail, Colorado, to Washington, D.C., she spent nearly 15 years in the event industry managing, producing, and executing corporate, non-profit, and social events of all shapes and sizes.
In 2019, Mackenzie, her husband, and their three daughters returned back to Oregon. Mackenzie continued to work in events, in addition to sponsorship management and development for Portland's unique food festival, Feast. After working with Victory on their auction in October of 2023, she joined the team full time.
In her free time, Mackenzie finds herself at the beckon call of her daughters, from soccer games to dance recitals. Mackenzie and her family love to spend time together on the mountains in central Oregon, practicing patience and having fun!
Abbie was born in Boise, Idaho, and grew up in Portland, Oregon. She is a Personal Support Worker and has worked at summer camps for individuals with autism and developmental disabilities such as Camp Rivendale and Mount Hood Kiwanis Camp.
Jewel was born and raised in Eastern Washington with her large blended family. She grew up with an older autistic sister who showed her that her passion is making the world more accessible for disabled people. Jewel moved to Oregon in 2019 and is a recent Music Therapy graduate from Pacific University.
Raised in West Linn, Kristina graduated from West Linn High School and received her Associates in General Studies from Clackamas Community College. After spending some time in the banking and retail industries, Kristina decided to look into ways to give back to her community and pursue her passion of helping others. Once she shared this with her Aunt Magen (Victory’s own music therapist), she was brought on first as a volunteer, then as a substitute teacher, and now as one of Victory’s Teaching Assistants.
Tucker Brague joined Victory Academy in 2023. Prior to his time at Victory, he worked as a Forester in Idaho and a business owner in Portland. Tucker has learned a great deal about autism through his sibling who was diagnosed at an early age. He is excited to engage with the community as a member of the Victory team.
Tommy Hutchison was born and raised in Oregon, specifically in the suburbs of Portland. Tommy attended Tualatin High School, where he was involved in Boy Scouts and multiple team sports. Tommy also volunteered in Victory’s Peer Mentor Program for several summers. He joined Victory as a Teaching Assistant in the Fall of 2023 while concurrently studying for his undergraduate degree.
Claire Hill joined the Victory Academy team in June of 2023. She has lived most of her life in Southern California and relocated to NW Portland in 2020 to be closer to family. She is a proud mother to three grown sons. Claire has a degree in Human Services and has worked in both private and nonprofit schools supporting children with developmental and learning challenges. In addition, Claire also spent many years as an advocate and role model for youth in Juvenile Justice and Protective Services.
Jennifer Jacobs joined Victory Academy as a Teaching Assistant in summer of 2023. She has worked in education and in helping professions for several years, including acting as a Montessori and orphanage volunteer teacher at an NGO in Nepal, an ESL teacher/visiting professor in South Korea, a middle school ESL teacher in Taiwan, a Special Education Teaching Assistant in the Lake Oswego School District, and as a caregiver for Alzheimer’s patients in Ashland, Oregon.
Yan Wang came to the United States in 2006 and obtained both her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas. Yan has worked with children with Autism in ABA clinics since 2009, specializing in therapy with children under 10.
Rachel moved from Missoula, Montana to Portland in 2009. She grew up in the Big Sky State and graduated from the University of Montana with a BA in Psychology. While balancing her growing family, and career pursuits, she worked as a para-educator in the Tigard/Tualatin School District. She stumbled into the world of ABA when she started as a behavior technician in 2016 and quickly knew that it was a perfect career match after seeing the changes in language and social development acquired with the collaboration and devotion in the ABA community. While at a local clinic she worked up to a senior interventionist position and is now a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst (BCaBA). One day she hopes to finish her masters degree and become a BCBA.
