We are the Hougardy sisters! Mežotne is truly a meaningful place to us. We spent our childhoods there and our grandfather was the lead builder of the West Coast Latvian Education Center itself. He inspired us to do more in the Latvian community and to follow in his and our grandmother’s footsteps to teach the next generation what it means to be Latvian.
Marisa Graudiņa (Hougardy)
Co-Director |purkskis@hotmail.com
My name is Marisa Graudins. I graduated from the Seattle Latvian School, Kursa Summer School, and University of Washington (bachelor’s degree in Scandinavian Studies and Anthropology, Master’s degree in Education). I am proud to be working at Mežotne and excited to see kids enjoy Latvian camp as much as I did. I hope to instill these feelings, along with a love of pīrāgi, in my own son, Grants.
Jenny Roberts (Hougardy)
Co-Director |jenny.roberts@rklic.org
My name is Jenny Roberts. I received my bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Scandinavian studies at the University of Washington. After graduation, I moved to Virginia and completed by master’s degree at Old Dominion University in School Counseling. I am married to my husband, Colin, who is an officer in the United States Navy, and I have two boys, Nik and Lukas, and a dog. I have previously worked at both Mezotne and Kursa as a counselor. I like to read, travel, hockey and go to concerts. Jenny currently lives in the D.C. area.
Advisory Committee
Inese Graudiņa
Advisory Committee Chair | inese@mezotne.org
Mother of four grown children, grandmother of six grandchildren, relief pharmacist, member of choir “Siguldas Balsis”, volunteer board member for Olympia Junior Programs (children’s theater), occasional folk dance instructor, and lots more — as my scheduling calendar shows! Born and raised in a large Latvian community in Minneapolis MN, my Latvian heritage has always been a strong influence.