Meet the Department

Has been a teacher and counselor for over twenty years. A graduate of Evergreen State College in Writing, Drama and Literature, he obtained his teaching certificate at Western Washington University in English, an MFA in Poetry and Writing from Pacific University and an additional MFA in Counseling from Oklahoma State University. He took an unconventional path towards his degrees first traveling, teaching overseas and adventuring before using community college as a stepping off point. He brings experience working with diverse populations: foreign students, adjudicated youth, high risk teens and college preparatory students. He started at Desert Mountain in 2020

Hello Everyone, I will be working with students Cu-Hem this year and I’m excited to be a part of Desert Mountain High School for my second year. I am originally from the east coast and attended University of Massachusetts where I received my Bachelors Degree in Business Operations and Marketing. I moved to Arizona ten years ago and went back to school to complete my Masters Degree in School Counseling at Ottawa University and have been a school counselor for the last 7 years working at the middle school level and the high school level. I am a brand new father and enjoy most of my free time spending time with my family and going on daily adventures. 

I am originally from Wisconsin where I was born and raised until I moved to Arizona in 2018. I received my bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and taught for 5 years; preschool for 2 years in Wisconsin and 5th grade for 3 years in Phoenix. I then received my master’s in school counseling here in Arizona at GCU. While completing my master’s program I did my internship here at DMHS. I have been a counselor at Mountainside Middle School for the past 2 years. This school year I will be splitting my time between both here, Desert Mountain, and Mountainside. In my free time, I enjoy working out, catching up with my family on the phone, cooking, and shopping. I am looking forward to my 9th year in education!

I wanted to introduce myself to those of you whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting. For those of you who already know me, I am excited to work with you once again! My name is Michelle Okun, and I am your student’s school counselor if their last name starts with K- M. I attended Arizona State University and earned a degree in Special Education, Gifted Education, K-8, and CTE, I additionally have a Master's Degree in Counseling. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 24 years and have two college sons.  I have two amazing dogs, Bailey and Bugsie. This is my 9th year at Desert Mountain, but I have been working in the SUSD district since 1996.  I graduated from SUSD and am a proud SUSD ALUM.  Fun Fact: I have been part of the SUSD District for 39 years. Both my boys graduated from DMHS and had fantastic enriching experiences. We are a dedicated SUSD family.  I love working with students and enjoy helping them find the right path to their future. My door is always open, and I look forward to a wonderful 24-25 school year!

I have been in the education field either as a teacher or counselor since 1991. I grew up in Colorado, attended Adams State University and have a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in School Counseling. I moved to Arizona in 2005. I have two amazing, grown children and three wonderful grandchildren that fortunately live near me and I love it when I get to spend time with them.This is my 7th year as a counselor at Desert Mountain. I work with students with last names starting with N-Ser, and it is such a pleasure to work at a school where so many students are highly dedicated to achieving their goals. I look forward to a great year!

I am originally from Ohio where I was born and raised. I graduated from Kent State University with my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology in 2005. I graduated with my Master’s Degree in School Counseling in 2009, and moved to Arizona to start my School Counseling career. I love the sunny weather and close proximity to the beach. I’m still a huge Ohio State Football Fan! This is my 6th year at Desert Mountain, and my 15th year as a School Counselor. I love school so much that I earned another Master’s Degree in Psychology. This is my 2nd year teaching IB SL Psychology. When I’m not working, I love to stay active by running and golfing. I also love to travel to fun places with my husband and goldendoodle.