Megan Aponte, 7th Grade Learning Specialist: Megan joined Excel in 2008, working as Excel's afterschool tutoring specialist and Learning Support Fellow before becoming the 7th grade Learning Specialist. Before coming to Excel, Megan studied art history at the Courtauld Institute in London and worked in museum education at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and a Master’s degree from Boston University. She is currently pursuing her M.Ed. at Endicott College. Contact info: MAponte@excelacademy.org
Jennifer Altavilla: , ELL Specialist: Jennifer joined Excel in 2011 and is Excel Academy-East Boston’s English Language Learning Specialist. She is a Teach for America alum who worked in Dorchester at the Lilla Frederick Pilot Middle School before joining the Excel team. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from New York University and a Master’s degree from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Contact info: JAltavilla@excelacademy.org
Lorraine Bacos, School Counselor: Lorraine joined Excel in 2005 and is Excel Academy-Easton Boston’s school counselor. She has previously worked as a counselor at Lowell Middlesex Academy. Lorraine holds a Bachelor’s degree from Merrimack College and a Master’s degree from Cambridge College. Contact info: LBacos@excelacademy.org
Carmen Baez, Operations Manager: Carmen joined Excel in 2006 and is Excel Academy-East Boston’s Office Manager. Prior to Excel, Carmen worked for more than ten years as a paralegal. She holds a degree from North Shore Community College. Contact info: CBaez@excelacademy.org
Libby Boghossian, Teaching Fellow: Libby joined Excel in the fall of 2011 to assist with after-school programming and tutoring, and will be taking on the role of Excel Fellow during the 2012-2013 school year. Prior to Excel, Libby served as the Assistant Girls Rowing Coach at Community Rowing, Inc., and a Teaching Assistant in grades 5 thru 8 at The Brandon School in Natick, MA. She holds a Bachelor of Sciences in Human Biology degree from Brown University. Contact info: LBoghossian@excelacademy.org.
Caitlin Campbell, 5th Grade Math Teacher: Caitlin joined Excel in 2009 as served first as a Teaching Fellow and most recently as the 5th grade Math Teacher. She will be Excel Academy-East Boston’s 5th & 6th grade Social Studies teacher during the 2012-2013 school year. Prior to Excel, she served as a mentor and events coordinator for the Strong Women, Strong Girls program and worked in the Harvard College Admissions office. She is a graduate of Harvard University. Contact info: CCampbell@excelacademy.org
Daniel Clark, Dean of Students: Danny joined Excel in 2012 and is Excel-East Boston's Dean of Students. He previously served as the Dean of Student & Family Support at Phoenix Charter Academy in Chelsea, MA, as well as the MATCH Corps Director at MATCH Charter Public Middle School. Danny holds a Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Salisbury University as well as a Master's in Liberal Arts from St. John's College. Contact info: DClark@excelacademy.org.
Nina Cronan, Director of Operations: Nina joined the Excel team in 2012 and is currently the Director of Operations at Excel-East Boston. She is a Teach for America alum who taught High School English for four years at Dreamyard Preparatory School in the Bronx. Nina holds a Bachelor's degree from Princeton University as well as a Master's degree in Secondary Education from Lehman College of the Bronx. Contact info: NCronan@excelacademy.org.
Robyn Emerman, 7th/8th Grade Science Teacher: Robyn joined the Excel team in 2012 and is currently the 7th & 8th grade Science teacher. She has been in education for the past 7 years, teaching both Science as well as English as a Second Language. Her most recent position was as a 7th & 8th grade Science teacher and Science Club Advisor in Madera, California. Robyn holds a Bachelor's degree from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, and a Master's degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) from Teachers College, Columbia University. Contact info: REmerman@excelacademy.org.
Jocelyn Foulke, Head of School: Jocelyn joined Excel in 2005 and is Excel Academy-East Boston’s Head of School. During her years at Excel, she has also held the positions of math teacher, grade level team leader, department chair, operations manager and Dean of Administration. Jocelyn has helped to initiate several key programs at Excel – East Boston, including the Saturday Academy math tutoring program. Jocelyn is a graduate of Bowdoin College. Contact info: JFoulke@excelacademy.org
Taylor Gaar, 5th/6th Science Teacher: Taylor joined Excel in 2011 and is Excel Academy-East Boston's 5th & 6th grade science teacher. He previously taught at the Community Charter School of Cambridge and is a graduate of Whitman College. Taylor also holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Contact info: TGarr@excelacademy.org
Jennifer Gallaspy, Principal: Jennifer joined Excel in 2012 and is Excel-East Boston's Principal. A Teach for America alum, she taught 7th grade ELL & Language Arts in Houston, TX for 4 years before moving to Boston and working at Edward W. Brooke Charter School as their 5th-7th grade English Language Arts Teacher , English Language Arts Department Co-Chair, and Coordinator of the Associate Teacher Program. Jennifer holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland as well as a Master's degree in Language & Literacy from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Contact info: JGallaspy@excelacademy.org.
Bryan Gattis, Student Support Fellow: Bryan joined Excel in 2010 and is Excel Academy-East Boston’s Student Support Fellow. Most recently, Bryan worked as a volunteer teacher in Ecuador, India and Kenya. He also spent four summers as a counselor at Camp Deerwood in Holderness, NH. Bryan is a graduate of Colby College. Contact info: BGattis@excelacademy.org
Laura Goldworm, Dean of Graduate Services: Laura joined Excel in 2008 is Excel Academy-East Boston’s Dean of Graduate Services. Most recently, she served as a Site Manager for Jumpstart. She has previous teaching experience and taught for three years in NYC public schools through the NYC Teaching Fellows program. Laura earned a Bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a Master’s degree from Fordham University. Contact info: LGoldworm@excelacademy.org
Rebecca Gruber, 7th/8th Grade Advanced Learning Support Specialist: Rebecca joined Excel in 2011 and is Excel Academy-East Boston's 7th and 8th Grade Advanced Learning Support Specialist. Prior to Excel, Rebecca taught eighth-grade English for nine years at the William Diamond Middle School in Lexington, MA. She has her Master’s of Arts in Teaching from Simmons College. She also graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and holds a Master’s in Business Administration from Boston University. Contact info: RGruber@excelacademy.org
Kendra Heinricher, 8th Grade Math Teacher: Kendra joined Excel in 2004 and is Excel Academy-East Boston’s 8th grade math teacher. Previously, she served as a founding member of the MATCH Corps. Kendra also has two years of experience working at schools in Bellingham, Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Roger Williams University. Contact info: KHeinricher@excelacademy.org
Katie Helm, 6th Grade Math Teacher: Katie joined Excel in 2012 and is Excel-East Boston's 6th grade math teacher. Prior to joining the Excel team, she worked as a middle school and high school French teacher at a Catholic School in New Orleans, Louisiana. She holds both a Bachelor's degree as well as a Master's degree from the University of Notre Dame. Contact info: KHelm@excelacademy.org.
Ryan Holmes, 7th Grade Math Teacher: Ryan joined Excel in 2008 and is Excel Academy-East Boston’s 7th grade math teacher. Before Excel, he worked as the founding program director for the Boston Charter School Alliance where he focused on political advocacy on behalf of Boston-area charter schools. He has also served as a MATCH Corps Fellow. Ryan earned his Bachelor’s degree from UMASS – Amherst. Contact info: RHolmes@excelacademy.org
Lindsay Hudgins, 7th/8th Grade Social Studies Teacher: Lindsay joined Excel in 2011 and is Excel Academy-East Boston's 7th & 8th grade Social Studies teacher. Prior to Excel, she served as a Humanities facilitator and Language Arts teacher in the Denver Public Schools. Lindsay is a graduate of Texas A&M University & Colorado Christian University. Contact info: LHudgins@excelacademy.org
Marcy Long, 8th Grade Learning Specialist: Marcy joined Excel in 2003 and is one of Excel Academy-East Boston’s Learning Specialists. Throughout her 9 years at Excel, Marcy has worked with students and teachers in grades 5 through 8, providing learning support to meet the needs of all students. Marcy holds an undergraduate and Master’s degrees from Boston College. Contact info: MLong@excelacademy.org
Diana Mastracola, Interim Director of Graduate Services: Diana joined Excel in 2012 and is the Interim Director of Graduate Services. Before Excel, Diana worked as an Urban Teaching Fellow at MATCH Charter Public High School as well as a graduate student at Boston College High School in Dorchester, MA. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Hamilton University and a Master's of Art degree from Boston College. Contact info: DMastracola@excelacademy.org.
Becca Moskowitz, 7th Grade English Teacher: Becca joined Excel in 2003 and is the 7th grade English teacher at Excel Academy-East Boston. She has extensive experience at Citizen Schools, where she has held roles including Citizen Teacher, Teaching Fellow, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Curriculum Coordinator. She has also served as a District Coordinator for Project Citizen and a Teaching Fellow for Discovering Justice. Becca is a graduate of Carleton College. Contact info: BMoskowitz@excelacademy.org
Emma Nairn, 5th Grade Math Teacher: Emma joined Excel in 2012 and is Excel-East Boston's 5th grade math teacher. Prior to joining the Excel team, Emma worked first at MATCH Charter Public Middle School as a MATCH Corps tutor and MATCH Teacher Resident, 6th/7th grade math teacher and 6th grade Science teacher, and then at Salem Academy Charter School as a 7th grade math teacher. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College. Contact info: ENairn@excelacademy.org.
Liliana Ornelas, Director of High School Placement: Lily joined Excel in 2011 and is Excel Academy-East Boston's Director of High School Placement. She worked as an Admissions Officer at Brown University and a Postsecondary Success Associate at ACCESS in Boston before coming to Excel. She holds degrees from Brown University and Harvard University. Contact info: LOrnelas@excelacademy.org
Brett Pangburn, 6th Grade English Teacher: Brett joined Excel in 2006 and is Excel Academy-East Boston's 6th grade English teacher. Before Excel, Brett taught middle and high school students in Boston and Cambridge public schools. Previously, he worked as a corporate and health care lawyer in Boston. Brett is a graduate of Bowdoin College, received a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education. Contact info: BPangburn@excelacademy.org
Emily Salander, 5th Grade Learning Specialist: Emily joined Excel in 2009 and is one of Excel Academy-East Boston’s Learning Specialists. Emily is a Teach for America alumni and was the first Teach for America-Boston corps member placed at Excel. Through Teach for America, she also has experience teaching in the Chicago Public School system. In addition, she has worked on behalf of the education program at the Contemporary Art Museum (St. Louis). Emily is a graduate of Washington University in St. Louis. Contact info: ESalander@excelacademy.org
Yinnette Sano, Director of Post-Secondary Support: Yinnette joined Excel in 2012 and is one of Excel-East Boston's two Director's of Post-Secondary Support. Prior to joining the Excel team, Yinnette worked first at the Posse Foundation as a Senior Program Trainer, and then at the New World Foundation-COIN Scholarship Program as a COIN Scholar mentor. She holds a Bachelor's degree from Bryn Mawr College and a Master's degree in Higher Education Administration from Boston College. Contact info: YSano@excelacademy.org.
CeSea Saunders, Director of Post-Secondary Support: CeSea joined Excel in 2010 and is Excel Academy-East Boston’s Director of Post-Secondary Support. Prior to joining the Excel team, she served as a Family and Community Coordinator at The Academy of Public Service for Boston Public Schools, and most recently as the Senior Associate Director/Chief Operations and Program Director at Boston HOPE (Hispanic Office of Planning and Evaluation, Inc.) CeSea is a graduate of Suffolk University and holds a Master's in Mental Health and a Master's in Organizational Management and Leadership both from Springfield College. Contact info: CSaunders@excelacademy.org
Sarah Stuntz, 8th Grade English Teacher: Sarah joined Excel in 2008 and is Excel Academy-East Boston’s 8th grade English teacher. She has worked as a Research Assistant for the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning and as an Operations Coordinator for Teach for America’s Houston Summer Institute. Sarah graduated from the University of Virginia. Contact info: SStuntz@excelacademy.org
Nicole Simoes, Director of Graduate Services: Nicole joined Excel in 2008 and is the Director of Graduate Services at Excel Academy-East Boston. Before Excel, she served as a supervising grant coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital. Most recently, Nicole served as a permanent substitute Spanish teacher at Medford High School. She earned both her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree from Tulane University. Contact info: NSimoes@excelacademy.org
Matthew Thornton, 5th Grade English Teacher: Matt joined Excel in 2011 and is Excel Academy-East Boston's 5th grade English teacher. Prior to Excel, he taught at the Northwestern High School in Baltimore for three years. He is a Teach for America corps member who holds degrees from Rider University, Rutgers University and Johns Hopkins University. Contact info: MThornton@excelacademy.org
Benjamin Ure, Dean of Students: Ben joined Excel in fall 2011 as first an interim Learning Specialist and then an interim Associate Dean of Students. He will serve as an Associate Dean of Students at Excel-East Boston during the 2012-2013 school year. Ben is a Teach for America alum and taught High School English for 2 years in Philadelphia. He holds a Bachelor's in Political Science from Brigham Young University and a Teaching Certification from the University of Pennslyvania. Contact info: BUre@excelacademy.org.
Denise Weaver, School Nurse: Denise Weaver joined Excel in 2003 and is the school nurse at both Excel East Boston and Chelsea. Denise has held a variety of public health nursing positions in Massachusetts schools and hospitals. She holds degrees from Northeastern University and Salem State College. Contact info: DWeaver@excelacademy.org
