HERC Fellowship program

Jonathan Schroeder is the Chair of the Social Studies Department at Bay View High School in Milwaukee, where he has taught for over two decades. He currently instructs courses in United States History and United States Government, as well as Holocaust & Genocide Studies. A graduate of Merrill
Senior High School, Jonathan holds a B.S. in Social Studies Education from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls, an M.A.Ed. from Mount Mary University in Urban Education, and an M.A. from Marquette University in American History.

During his tenure at Bay View, Jon has spearheaded a traveling museum exhibit program where his school has hosted several exhibitions from both Yad Vashem and the Wisconsin Historical Society. At the same time, he has served as the varsity softball coach, junior varsity volleyball coach, assistant baseball coach, and as an adviser for the GSA, along with chairing and/or serving on numerous other school committees.

In his “spare” time, he enjoys spending time with his partner Cassandra and their children. He is also heavily involved in the Scouting America program as the Lodge Adviser for Kanwa tho Lodge of the Order of the Arrow, as well as a volunteer leader in Venture Crew and Troop 595 in West Allis.

Annie Anderson is a 2nd career teacher in the Madison School District where she has taught Language Arts and Social Studies in 7th grade since 2014. Prior to teaching Annie worked as a tour pilot in Hawaii and as a production supervisor and planner for Oscar Mayer, Quaker Oats and Rayovac. Annie has a Bachelor’s in Technology Management with an Aviation Emphasis from Utah Valley University and Master’s in Education from Cardinal Stritch University. She loves to travel and to share that love with her students. She started the O’Keeffe Travel Club and has taken her middle school students and their families all over the world, including England, France, Germany, Austria, Czech Republic, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands. Annie has been teaching about the 10 stages of Genocide and the Holocaust for 11 years. 2026 is her first year as a HERC Fellow for CESA2 and she is excited to enhance her knowledge and share it with her students and other educators.

Rebecca Huseman has been a Social Studies and Spanish teacher at Cassville High School for 14 years. She currenntly teaches all of the high school social studies courses, both required and elective. In her tenure in Cassville, she has expanded elective offerings, creating a dedicated Holocaust and Genocide Studies course, as well as others. She also helped to create a Wall of Honor at her school, honoring our alumni veterans.

One of Rebecca’s educational passions is travel, and she has attended numerous professional development opportunities both domestically and internationally. One of Rebecca’s favorite experiences was the opportunity to study at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem, Israel, which was a formative experience for her teaching. In addition, Rebecca is passionate about providing students with unique experiences and has led student trips to Mexico, Costa Rica, and Washington, DC.

Zack Olson has a high school social studies teacher at Denmark High School for 7 years.  He has taught many classes, including: AP US Government and Politics, AP US History, Civics, Geography, Global Studies, Current Issues, and US History.  Holocaust education is important to him because it allows his students to confront historical evils and injustices in an appropriate setting, given the proper context.  Zack serves as an advisor for DHS’s Link Crew program and Civics Club, while previously coaching baseball.  He also serves as a member of the National Constitution Center’s Teacher Advisory Council.  

He graduated from UW-Green Bay with a political science degree, then returned to obtain his Broadfield Social Studies certification.  He is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Education (Educational Administration) at UW-Superior and is expected to graduate in the spring of 2027.

In his spare time, Zack enjoys spending time with my wife, Brittani, and son, Kitt.  He also enjoys fishing, hunting, hiking, canoeing, camping, reading, and watching Wisconsin sports!

Maria Prust is a Special Education Teacher in her 15th year at D.C. Everest, serving as a Cross-Categorical Special Education Teacher.  She is dual certified in Special Education and Broadfield Social Studies and currently co-teaches English 10 and American Studies, a combined 20th Century History and English 11 course. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, Maria serves as a Varsity Assistant Softball and Head 7th grade Volleyball Coach. 

She has served as the CESA 9 Holocaust Education Fellow since 2025, where she has continued her commitment to meaningful, inclusive Holocaust education.  In the past she helped organize a multi-school Holocaust speaker event at the Grand Theater in Wausau.

In her spare time, Maria enjoys spending time at her cabin with her husband Steve, fishing, playing slowpitch softball, and watching the Brewers.

Kaela Swanson is a middle school social studies teacher in Ashland, Wisconsin, where she is passionate about creating meaningful and engaging learning experiences for students. She is committed to helping students develop historical thinking skills and understand how the past continues to shape the world today.

Kaela is actively involved in social studies education beyond her classroom. She serves on the Wisconsin Council for the Social Studies Board and has worked with organizations including Population Education and RetroReport as a teacher advisor. She is also pursuing graduate studies in School Supervision and Instructional Leadership at the University of Wisconsin–River Falls.

As a HERC Fellow, Kaela is excited to support educators across Wisconsin in strengthening Holocaust and genocide education and helping students engage thoughtfully with difficult history. Outside of the classroom, she enjoys coaching, traveling, exploring history, and spending time with family and friends.