Faculty

Traci Arnold

Traci has been at Highline College since 2016 with experience in College Studies, Business Technology, Healthcare Professions and Community Health and Wellness, supporting students' academic pathways that align with their goals, values, and lived experiences. 

Prior to teaching, she worked in reproductive health and reproductive rights and holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) in Health Sciences from University of Washington and a BA in Women and Gender Studies from Occidental College in Los Angeles. 

Her teaching focuses on practical skill-building and reflective decision making - recognizing that learning and growth are strengthened through meaningful engagement with others and the communities they serve.

Outside of teaching, Traci enjoys family road trips, cooking food from their garden, learning about history, and values opportunities to learn something new about people and the world around her.

Sherrie Belt

Sherrie has worked in child and youth development and human services for more than 30 years, advancing high-quality, equitable programs for children, families, and communities. A lifelong Seattleite, she currently serves as a senior leader at a local nonprofit organization, working in partnership to deliver licensed child care, early learning, recreation, and youth development programs across the city, and has held leadership roles across nonprofit, statewide intermediary, and higher education settings focused on diversity and retention, program quality, workforce development, and systems-level improvement.

Sherrie holds an Executive MPA from the University of Washington Evans School, a BA in American Ethnic Studies from the University of Washington, and a State Certificate in Early Childhood Education. Outside of work, she is a proud mom of three and a dedicated advocate for strengthening the child care and youth development workforce and expanding access and opportunity for families and young people.

Fred Capestany

Fred has worked in education and human services, with a particular focus on youth development, his entire career. Over the years, Fred has worked as a sexuality educator, a youth programs coordinator at a Unitarian church, and a manager of student programs at a community college. Before joining Highline’s faculty in 2020, Fred was the Director of College Support at Rainier Scholars, a non-profit agency dedicated to helping low income, first generation students of color achieve their dream of graduating from college.

Fred has a BA in Psychology from Whitman College and an MA in Education from Seattle University. When he’s not teaching, Fred enjoys playing board games, watching live theater—especially musicals—and hanging out with his family.

Sheila Ater Capestany

Sheila Ater Capestany, M.S.W., M.P.H., serves as Executive Director of Start Early Washington, where she leads statewide strategies to strengthen inclusive, culturally responsive early childhood systems for children and families across Washington State. A respected leader with more than 35 years in the non-profit and public sectors, Sheila’s expertise spans maternal and child health, youth development, community-based services, and policy and systems change.

Prior to joining Start Early, Sheila worked at King County for ten years where she developed and launched the nationally recognized Best Starts for Kids initiative, one of the largest publicly funded early childhood investments in the nation.  Sheila was also the founding director of Open Arms Perinatal Services, which became a national model for culturally responsive perinatal support.

Sheila holds master’s degrees in social work and public health from the University of Washington, and has held adjunct faculty positions at Highline College, Seattle University and University of Washington.

Letha Fernandez

Letha has worked in the behavioral health field for over 25 years with a special interest in intellectual/developmental disabilities. She works full-time as a program manager at a local behavioral health organization. She is committed to quality care and has a passion for developing new professionals. Letha started working at Highline College in 2023. She has worked at several colleges and universities in the area. This is her 10th year in higher education.

Letha has a Bachelor in Social Work degree from the University of Washington and a Master’s degree In Counseling Psychology from City University. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Substance Use Disorder Professional. When she isn’t working, she enjoys spending time with family and is always looking for new projects.

Kendrick Glover

Kendrick has an undergraduate degree from Seattle University in Criminal Justice, Master’s in Education with a Counseling Certificate from City University of Seattle, and a Ph.D. in Education Leadership with a Concentration in Organizational Leadership from City University.

Kendrick is the founder and Executive Director of GloverEmpowerMentoring-GEM, which is a non-profit focused on youth and young adults. He has also held positions as a Wraparound Coordinator for King County Drug Diversion Court, an Academic School Counselor at Kent Meridian High School, and as a Program Manager for the Puget Sound College and Career Network at Puget Sound Educational Service District.

Kendrick is from a small town in Mississippi named, Natchez. He enjoys walking, spending time with his family and hanging out with his dog, Deuce. 

Gary Hothi

Gary has been working in the Human Services and Substance Use Disorder field since 2005. He has worked at a variety of agencies including Lakeside Milam Recovery Center, Ryther Child Center, Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) and Cascade Behavioral Health Hospital in Tukwila.  Gary currently works for DESC as well as Sound Behavioral Health as a per diem Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Team (MRRCT) Case Manager (CM) and as a per diem Designated Crisis Responder (DCR) in Pierce County.  

Gary has extensive experience in case management, crisis outreach and substance use disorder treatment.  Gary is very passionate about the SUDP field and firmly believes in the importance of the helping professions.

Gary has an AAS Human Services from Highline College, a BA in Psychology from Argosy University, and a Master in Social Work from the University of Washington.

Teresa Pan

Teresa has been working at Highline College since 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, double major in Sociology and Law and Society from York University, a Legal and Corporate Administration Certificate from Seneca College, and a Master of Public Administration from Seattle University. With professional experience in the legal field, United Way of King County, and Asian Counseling and Referral Service, Teresa brings diverse perspectives to her teaching. Her students are at the heart of everything she does—she finds it incredibly rewarding to support students as they overcome barriers, pursue their education, and transition to the workforce. In her downtime, Teresa enjoys traveling, hiking with her family, cooking, reading, and watching football.