Megan Aponte is Excel Academy’s intern. Ms. Aponte has worked for numerous museums and galleries including Boston’s Museum of Science and Museum of Fine Arts. She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and is currently pursuing her Master’s degree at Boston University.

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Lorraine Bacos is Excel Academy’s school counselor.  Ms. Bacos has previously worked as a counselor at Lowell Middlesex Academy.  Ms. Bacos has a Master’s Degree from Cambridge College.  She graduated from Merrimack College.

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Carmen Baez is Excel Academy’s Office Manager, after having worked for more than ten years as a paralegal.  Ms. Baez holds a degree from North Shore Community College.

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Amanda Belden is Excel Academy’s fellow. Ms. Belden has previously served as an instructional support staff member and learning center aide at Bigelow Middle School in Newton, MA. She is a graduate of Smith College.

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Komal Bhasin is Excel Academy’s Principal. Previously, Mrs. Bhasin served as Excel’s Dean of Curriculum and Instruction. Before joining Excel, Mrs. Bhasin served as a founding teacher for a KIPP-affiliated school in New Orleans and, more recently, as founding Assistant Principal of KIPP-affiliated schools in New Orleans and Houston. Mrs. Bhasin was also a corps member in the Teach For America program. Ms. Bhasin graduated from Harvard University.

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Shannon Coyle is Excel Academy's English Language Learner Program Manager. Ms. Coyle recently taught adult ESL classes as part of the Literacy Project, based in Cambridge, MA. She also has a number of years of business experience. Ms. Coyle is a graduate of Boston College.

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Katie Dankleff is Excel Academy’s Dean of Administration.  Previously, Ms. Dankleff was Excel Academy’s Director of Development. Before joining Excel, she was a corps member of Teach for America, through which she taught English at Roberts Vaux High School in Philadelphia.  Ms. Dankleff is a graduate of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
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Jocelyn Foulke is Excel Academy’s 5th grade math teacher.  In the past, Ms. Foulke initiated a program called Media Smart Kids, designed to heighten media awareness for teenagers.  She also has had experience working with middle school students in New York City.  Ms. Foulke is a graduate of Bowdoin College.
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Megan Fraker is Excel Academy’s Director of High School Placement.  Previously, Ms. Fraker was the Program Director for life skills and community service at St. Mary’s School in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Additionally, Ms. Fraker served as the Everybody Wins! Power Lunch Program Manager of Boston Partners in Education for three years.  She has also taught English in Istanbul, Turkey, and was a City Year Corps Member.  Ms. Fraker is a graduate of St. Lawrence University.
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Laura Goldworm is Excel Academy’s Graduate Services Manager. Most recently, she served as a Site Manager for Jumpstart.  Ms. Goldworm has previous teaching experience and taught for three years in NYC public schools through the NYC Teaching Fellows program.  Ms. Goldworm earned a Bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a Masters degree from Fordham University.  
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Cynthia Gordan is Excel Academy’s 6th grade math teacher. Ms. Gordan has worked as a corporate attorney for over 30 years, most recently as general counsel for Quaker Fabric Corporation, a publicly traded company. Ms. Gordan earned a Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and a Juris Doctorate from Boston University.

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Keith Guerin is Excel Academy’s Art Teacher and Associate Dean of Students.  Before joining Excel, Mr. Guerin most recently taught at the Tudor Hill School in Chelsea.  He has also served as the Art Director for the Manchester (MA) Community Center.  Mr. Guerin is a graduate of Montserrat College of Art.

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Marissa Guzman, Operations Manager, joined Excel Academy in 2004.  She initially served as the school’s Office Manager. Previously, Ms. Guzman worked as a Sales Associate and Reservations Representative for two private companies. Ms. Guzman attended Hofstra University.
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Christopher Habetler is Excel Academy’s Dean of Students.  As a corps member of Teach for America, Mr. Habetler taught science and chaired the department at John Philip Sousa Middle School in Washington, DC.   Most recently, Mr. Habetler has served as a Corps Member Advisor and Learning Team Leader for Teach for America in New York City.    Mr. Habetler is a graduate of Pomona College.
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Kendra Heinricher is Excel Academy’s 8th grade math teacher.  Previously, Ms. Heinricher served as a founding member of the MATCH corps.  She also has two years of experience working at schools in Bellingham, Massachusetts.  Ms. Heinricher is a graduate of Roger Williams University.
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Ryan Holmes is Excel Academy’s 7th grade math teacher. Most recently, Mr. Holmes 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.  Mr. Holmes earned his Bachelor’s degree at UMASS – Amherst.
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Chris Kirchgasler is Excel Academy’s 5th grade English teacher.  Mr. Kirchgasler previously served as a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) teacher in Guinea for two years through the Peace Corps.  Mr. Kirchgasler graduated from the University of Utah.

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Katie Lewkowicz is Excel Academy’s 5th and 6th grade Science teacher.  Most recently, Ms. Lewkowicz served as a Fulbright teaching assistant in an elementary school in Spain.  She is a graduate of Williams College.          

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Kate Lints is Excel Academy’s 5th & 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher.  Ms. Lints recently graduated from Wake Forest University.  During college, Ms. Lints student taught in Winston-Salem, NC, public schools.

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Marcy Long is one of the school’s two Learning Specialists.  Ms. Long has student teaching experience at three different schools in the Boston area. She also has experience working at the Hun School of Princeton’s summer school program.  Ms. Long holds an undergraduate and Master’s degree from Boston College.
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Jodie Martin is one of the school’s two Learning Specialists. Most recently, Ms. Martin served as a teacher coordinator for the Hampshire Educational Collaborative’s Metro Youth Services Center. She also has experience working as a teacher at the Young Women’s Facility of Maryland at Waxter and as a Research Assistant at the National Center on Education, Disabilities and Juvenile Justice. Ms. Martin earned Bachelor’s degrees from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Central Oklahoma and a Master’s degree from the University of Maryland.
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Stephanie-Lee Morgan is Excel Academy’s 7th and 8th grade Science teacher.  Ms. Morgan taught for three years in a New York City public, middle school through Teach For America and most recently served as the Science Department Head of her school.  Ms. Morgan graduated from Connecticut College and has a Master’s Degree from Pace University.

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Caitlin Moore is Excel Academy as the 7th and 8th grade Social Studies teacher.  Ms. Moore, who has also taught at North Central Essential Charter School, graduated from Bowdoin College.

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Becca Moskowitz is the 7th grade English teacher at Excel Academy.  Ms. Moskowitz 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.  Ms. Moskowitz is a graduate of Carleton College.
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Brett Pangburn is the 6th grade English teacher at Excel Academy.  Mr. Pangburn has taught middle and high school students in Boston and Cambridge public schools.  Previously, he worked as a corporate and health care lawyer in Boston.  Mr. Pangburn is a graduate of Bowdoin College, and received a J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law and an Ed.M. from Harvard Graduate School of Education.
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Audra Peek is Excel Academy’s Director of Resource Development. Prior to joining Excel Academy, Ms. Peek worked as a Business Development Associate at Sea Change Enterprises. She also has experience as an Admissions Consultant and Academic Tutor. Ms. Peek graduated from the University of Virginia.
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Heather Pirolli is the Health and Fitness teacher at Excel Academy.  Ms. Pirolli most recently worked as a long-term substitute teacher at the Jackson Mann Elementary School through the Donovan Urban Teaching Scholar program.  She has also served as a teacher’s assistant and tutor in a number of New Orleans schools.  Ms. Pirolli is a graduate of Tulane University and holds an Ed.M. from Boston College.

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Ann Waterman Roy is Excel Academy’s Executive Director. Ms. Roy’s appointment at Excel followed a two-year assignment as a Broad Resident in the Boston Public School System.   She also brings experience working for the Illinois Network of Charter Schools, the Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians and L.E.K. Consulting.  Ms. Roy is a graduate of both Harvard University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies, and Dartmouth College, where she earned a Master of Business Administration from the Tuck School of Business. 
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Sarah Stuntz is Excel Academy’s 8th grade English teacher. Ms. Stuntz 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. Ms. Stuntz graduated from the University of Virginia.

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Nicole Simoes is Excel Academy’s Mentoring Program Manager. She most recently served as a supervising grant coordinator at Massachusetts General Hospital. Most recently, Ms. Simoes served as a permanent, substitute Spanish teacher at Medford High School. She earned her Bachelor’s degree and a Masters degree from Tulane University.
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Denise Weaver, the school nurse, joined Excel Academy in 2003.  Ms. Weaver has held a variety of nursing positions in Massachusetts schools and hospitals.  Ms. Weaver holds degrees from Northeastern University and from North Shore Community College.

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