Jessica Nauiokas
Principal & Founder
Jessica has over 14 years of urban teaching and leadership experience and a strong background in literacy and cognitive development. Her qualifications include skills in charter school planning, urban school leadership and operations and curriculum development. Before serving as the Director of School development for the NYC Center for Charter School Excellence for three years, Jessica completed the New Leaders for New Schools fellowship where she was a member of the leadership team at a small school in Harlem. She was also selected to attend the KIPP leadership Pathways Program where she joined charter school founders from across the country while she was planning Haven Academy. Jessica is an Adjunct Professor of Education at Mercy College, where she teachers graduate level courses preparing new teachers for entry into the classroom. She began her career in education as a Teach for America corps member in Washington DC, where she was a first grade teacher at Malcolm X Elementary School and then became a reading specialist. Jessica has a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Human Development and Psychology in addition to a BA in Social Work from the University of New Hampshire. She also holds NY State certification as a School District Administrator.
Tina Martinez
Operations Director
A recent graduate of the National Urban Fellowship program where she received her master's degree in Public Administration from Baruch's College of Public Affairs, Tina provides a myriad of day-to-day support services for the Mott Haven Academy Charter School in her role as Operations Director. In her previous career, Tina was an Associate Producer at an international cable news network where her duties included producing stories, traveling extensively to cover breaking news and overseeing a small in-house production team. While in this position, Tina realized her desire to become a change agent in the not-for-profit sector to improve the lives of those she often covered in the news. She has applied her skills in communications, community outreach and production to the start-up activities in founding Haven Academy and now in her role as Operations Director. A product of Detroit's public school system, Tina is committed to the charter school movement and equity in education to help all children receive a world-class education.
Tynisha Wynder
Director of Student Services
Tynisha is a native of South Florida and brings a multitude of experiences in the education arena. She has taught in the public school systems in Florida and Kentucky in both general and special education classrooms. She has trained and mentored early childhood educators in classroom management techniques and strategies for building positive social and emotional behaviors and was part of the creation of a teacher mentoring program through the Florida Center for Child and Family Development to decrease the number of children being expelled from preschools in Sarasota County. While working with the Florida Center, Tynisha received the Early Intervention Specalist of the Year award in 2006. Tynisha earned a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida and a masters degree in Special Education, Learning Behavior Disorders from the University of Louisville in Kentucky.
Milagros Torres
Operations Associate
Millie comes to Haven Academy with over 22 years of experience in Publishing. Millie has long dreamed of working in a school setting and giving back to her native Bronx community. Always willing to go beyond her duties in the main office, her never-ending dedication to our Scholars is what Millie enjoys most about her work. She performs breakfast duty each morning, looks to help by visiting classrooms regularly and welcomes visits from children who simply need a little TLC before returning to their classrooms.On weekends Millie enjoys her other passion, event photography. She is the Office Manager for Photos in Motion an event photography business she helped found. Like at Haven Academy, at Photos in Motion, Millie gives 100% of herself.
Berelize Portorreal
Operations Assistant
Berelize Portorreal has a Bachelors Degree in Behavioral Science from Mercy college in Bronx, New York and is currently pursuing her Masters Degree in Counseling at Mercy College. Berelize has extensive experience in customer relations and administration, which makes her highly qualified for assisting in managing the school's main office responsibilities. It has always been her dream to work with children, while constantly being challenged and gaining more knowledge on the operational side of maintaining a school. She is proactive within the community and continues to show her eagerness for learning new approaches to conquering tasks. Berelize is excited to join the Mott Haven Academy team and strives to be one of the school's key players. During her personal time she enjoys being in the company of close friends and family.
Jing Jing Mei
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
Jing Jing always wanted a career in healthcare working with children. As a registered nurse, she started her career on a pediatric unit at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan. She cared for children with various health conditions and worked with families from all socioeconomic backgrounds. This experience prompted the initiative to further her nursing education. While working at Mount Sinai Hospital, she obtained a Master of Science from New York University College of Nursing in Pediatric Primary Care. Her Nurse Practitioner clinical rotations included Brooklyn Hospital's adolescent clinic catering to those in foster care and the pediatric clinic at North Central Bronx Hospital. Prior to joining the Haven Academy team, she worked in pediatric food allergy research at Mount Sinai Hospital. Jing Jing is the School Nurse Practitioner in collaboration with the New York Foundling providing preventative, maintenance, and collaborative healthcare to all Haven Academy Scholars.
Gwendy Fuentes
Support Service Coordinator
From very young, Gwendy always knew she wanted to serve children who have experienced trauma in underserved communities. As a Social Work Intern with the New York City Board of Education, she provided an array of services to high school teenage mothers. Shortly after, she obtained her BSW from CUNY's Lehman College. Committed to her lifelong dream, she has experience with not-for-profit child welfare agencies such as Cardinal McCloskey where she ensured services were provided to children in foster care and The New York Foundling, where she worked closely with families from their Bronx teen prevention program. Some of her work encompassed providing services such as parenting skills, independent living skills, counseling, day care assistance and advocacy to obtain housing, public assistance, special education, medical, legal and immigration services. While serving New York Foundling families, she obtained her MSW with a clinical concentration from Fordham University. Always being aware of the impact abuse and neglect have on a child's learning, Gwendy is excited to be the Support Services Coordinator acting as the liaison between HAVEN Academy and The New York Foundling. She is also currently part of the socio-emotional staff and provides counseling services to HAVEN scholars.
Zina Rutkin, Ph.D
Mental Health Consultant
Dr. Zina Rutkin, known at Haven Academy as "Dr R," is Haven's mental health consultant. She is on-site once a week, but always with Haven in spirit. Dr R is a psychologist with a long-standing commitment to inner city work and over 30 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and families. She holds a master's degree in special education from Lesley College, a doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Case Western Reserve University, and a post doctoral certificate in family studies from the Minuchin Center for the Family. Dr R has served as a consultant to a variety of school settings, mental health organizations, and social service agencies throughout the New York area, providing psychological services, clinical supervision, professional development, and parent and professional training sessions. Dr R has also taught a number of undergraduate and graduate level courses in psychology and education, including, notably, an education course at NYU entitled "Working with Parents." Along with her clinical and consulting work, Dr R has a background in program evaluation and for 14 years served as Research Coordinator for Association to Benefit Children in New York City. She is currently the Director of the Ackerman Institute for Family Studies' Competent Kids, Caring Communities program which teaches social-emotional skills to students and links families to their children's learning.
Gabriella Cassandra
Family Specialist
Gabriella started her Social Work career working with the OMRDD population at a group home for adults with Profound Mental Retardation. Inspired by the idea of promoting independence and change, Gabriella decided to commit her life to the field. She returned to school and received her MSW from Columbia University in 2006. Gabriella joined the New York Foundling team that year after completing her second year internship with them at a group home for teenage mothers in foster care. With several years of experience working with families in the Child Welfare system, Gabriella recognized the importance of educational consistency in both parents and children's lives as well as the significance of addressing intergenerational trauma. Throughout her career, Gabriella has combined her clinical and case management skills as well as her ability and commitment to approaching situations with cultural sensitivity and awareness. In 2009, Gabriella was thrilled to join the Haven Academy team as a Crisis Intervention Specialist and is now a Family Specialist. Her work at Haven Academy has included working with the scholars who have experienced trauma by providing clinical services, referrals to mental health services and coordinating care with all agencies involved. In addition, Gabriella is certified to supervise Social Work students and enjoys leading, training and supporting students at Haven Academy.
Kendra Grady
Art Teacher
Kendra Grady is a native of Bronx, New York. She is a Graduate of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, with a Bachelor's Degree in Art Education. Becoming an art teacher was inevitable, due to her interest in visual arts and working with children. Shortly after graduating, she became a pre-K teacher at Bright Horizons Child Development Center in Stamford, CT. She believes that art can help students solve problems; learn about different cultures, and content areas. It is also a great outlet for expressing creativity and individuality. Currently, teaching at Haven Academy has been one of her greatest accomplishments. In her spare time, she enjoys oil painting and scary movies.
Candace Williams
Science Teacher
Candace loves to teach and learn. While earning her bachelor's in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Claremont McKenna College, Candace jumped at every opportunity to travel. She competed in debate tournaments in six countries, started debate programs in China, worked at a human rights office in India, and presented research in Estonia and Slovenia. When she wasn't on an airplane, studying, or arguing, Candace taught technology courses at the campus computer lab, helped the Middle School Public Debate Program start debate leagues in underserved communities, and earned the nickname "bruiser" in her boxing class. A summer experience teaching science to middle and high school students at a juvenile detention facility steered Candace in the direction of a teaching career. Candace completed her Masters in Elementary Education at Stanford University, moved to Brooklyn, and became a member of the Haven Academy team in the summer of 2009. She loves "nerding out" with students during science class, comic book club, and the robotics and engineering clubs.
Ingrid Bonds
Music Teacher
Ingrid holds a BA in Vocal Performance and a Masters in Music Education from The University of the Arts, in Philadelphia. Ingrid sang with The Chorale Arts Society of Philadelphia, performing various works with the Philadelphia Orchestra and at The Giancarlo Menotti Festival in Italy. Ingrid taught music and piano at The Universal Institute Charter school in Philadelphia from 2001-2003. Upon moving to New York, Ingrid has worked as The Assistant Director of The Theatre Arts Center as well as being a Literacy Mentor at The Reading Team, in Harlem. Ingrid is currently working on her second masters in Literacy. She hopes to bridge music and literacy together in teaching the scholars at Haven Academy.
Cristina Cuellar-Lezcano
K-1 Literacy Coach
After graduating from the University of Arizona with a bachelor's degree in Bilingual Education, Cristy taught in Long Beach, California. In addition to being a classroom teacher, she also had the opportunity to write curriculum that supplemented the adopted reading program to support English Language Learners. Cristy also trained district teachers in using this supplemental curriculum in conjunction with SDAIE strategies. She received her Master's Degree in Linguistics from the California State University at Long Beach. After moving to New York City she worked for a non-profit organization as a reading specialist, working with students at a public school in East Harlem. She joined the Haven team as a kindergarten teacher and is now the K-1 Literacy Coach.
Amana Valencia
ELL Coordinator & Reading Recovery Teacher
Amana Valencia began her career in education as a member of the New York City Teaching Fellows. She is a native New Yorker, who still loves living in the city. Amana has been teaching for ten years in both the Bronx and Northern Manhattan. She holds degrees in English and Spanish language as well as in Bilingual Education. Her passion for working with immigrant families comes from being an English Learner herself. Her work with English Language Learners (ELLs) includes working with children, their families and supporting teachers so they may deliver the most accessible instruction to ELLs. Her most recent role includes serving as the Reading Recovery teacher. This role allows her to continue to work with ELL students, but also gives her the opportunity to help struggling readers.
Erin Coll
Behavior Intervention Specialist
Erin always knew she wanted to be a teacher. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Psychology, she moved to New York City to pursue a career as a nanny. After nine months of being a nanny, Erin decided to go back to school for teaching. While attending Lehigh University to receive an M.Ed. in Special Education, Erin worked at Centennial School of Lehigh University. There she served students having specific learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, emotional disturbance, and speech and language impairments while also receiving intensive training in positive behavior support, research-based interventions, and data based decision-making. Erin continued her passion to serve students with social, emotional, and learning challenges at the Reece School in Spanish Harlem. There she served as a special education teacher in a self-contained classroom for 2 years. She is currently a part of Haven Academy's socio-emotional staff.
Eric Lara
Teacher
Eric has always known he wanted to be a teacher since he was in second grade. After graduating from Connecticut College with a Bachelor's degree in Human Development he worked as an Assistant Toddler Teacher at the University of Southern Maine Family and Child Care Center. Three years later he moved to New York City and joined the NYC Teaching Fellows program. While in the program, working towards his Masters in Education, he worked at P.S. 94 as a Special Education teacher in 1-3 grades. He is currently working at Haven Academy as a Kindergarten teacher in a Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT) classroom.
David Rosas
Teacher
A native of New York City with over a decade of teaching and other education-related experiences, David has worked in urban public and private schools as a classroom and specialist teacher for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 7th grades. His experiences include developing integrated curricula and performance-based assessments, using data to reflect on teaching practices, working with parent-led action groups, directing summer academic programs, leading grade-level teams, and facilitating teachers' professional development. David recognizes the power and relevance of connecting children's learning to their realities through education.
Infusing culturally relevant teaching and critical race theory perspectives into the classroom stems from his personal experiences as a student in schools, growing up within a hip-hop culture and exploring the histories of social movements. He has earned a B.S. in Human Development and Latino Studies at Cornell University, an M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction at Arizona State University, and a second M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from Teachers College, Columbia University. As a lifelong learner, David works with children, families and communities toward the goals of strengthening student achievement, cultural competence, and critical thinking to professionally guide his work.
Krystle Estes
Teacher
Krystle Estes is currently teaching in a second grade CTT classroom. She comes to Mott Haven Academy with a bachelor's degree in English and Theology as well as a Master's Degree in Education and Special Education. From its inception her career has been dedicated to teaching diverse students in high needs areas as she believes that all children can achieve excellence. As a versatile and highly adaptable educator, she enjoys creating a learning environment in which the individual needs of her students are met as they are given the opportunity to flourish. Haven Academy's philosophy is aligned with Krystle's in its relentless dedication and commitment to the special needs of the students who are at-risk. Krystle works to nurture the growth of each child to give them tools to break through academic and social barriers. Krystle fosters relationships with scholars to ensure each student's success in realizing their unique potential. Krystle enjoys reading, long drives, and cooking.
Sarah Nussbaum
Teacher
Sarah was born and raised in New York. Sarah discovered she wanted to be a teacher during high school when she tutored weekly at The Children's Village, a residential facility that educates "at-risk" boys between the ages of 6 and 20. After graduating from Indiana University with a degree in education, she joined Teach for America. During this time, Sarah taught fifth grade at a charter school in Harlem while earning her Masters in Special Education from Bank Street College. Sarah joined the Haven Academy team in 2010 and is currently teaching third grade for her second year.
Erin Jeanneret
Teacher
Erin is very excited to be at Haven Academy! Before becoming a teacher, she studied Dance Performance at Wright State University, in Dayton, OH. After a career in dance that included performing with opera companies, in dinner theatre and on the Disney Cruise Line, she decided to return to school and earned her Masters of Science in Teaching at Pace University in New York. While pursuing her Maters degree, Erin taught Mommy and Me classes where she was able to intertwine her performance background with teaching. After a year at P.S. 7 in Queens, she worked at Bronx Charter Schools for the Arts for 5 years, teaching second grade for two years and then Kindergarten for three years. Erin is looking forward to working with all of the Haven scholars and families!
Feiona Singh
Teacher
Feiona knew at a young age she wanted to work with children. After a year of nursing school she realized her real passion was teaching. After graduating from Hunter College with Bachelor's degree, she pursued a dual Master's in Childhood Education grade 1-6 and in Special Education Learning Disabilities grade 1-6. After graduating she took her first job in an urban setting and loved it. She worked for three years as a Learning Specialist for Achievement First Charter School. There she taught grades 5-8 and also grades 1/2. She joined Haven Academy in 2010. She is currently working at Haven Academy as a third grade teacher in a Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT) classroom. Feiona enjoys reading, traveling to new places and spending time with her husband and daughter.
Kathleen Hagenbuch
Teacher
Kathleen grew up in Philadelphia where she began working with children with at a young age. She attended Temple University and graduated with honors after pursuing a degree in Early, Elementary and Special Education. While at Temple, Kathleen was awarded the Excellence in Teaching Math and Science Award and was one of five individuals nominated for Student Teacher of the Year. Among many accomplishments Kathleen had while at Temple, one of her proudest is the role she had in the opening of an after school program to serve the unmet needs of the local community. After graduating college, Kathleen began teaching children with a variety of special needs in the School District of Philadelphia. Since 2005, Kathleen has taught in the South Bronx. She has had professional opportunities to develop curriculum, advocate for children with special needs and continuously refine her craft as an educator. As a continual learner, Kathleen will soon be graduating with a Master's Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Fordham University. Kathleen's driving force and passion remains rooted in the relationships created with students and their families. She is very much looking forward to growing with and learning from the entire Haven Academy community.
Luina Munoz
Teacher
Luina began her path towards education while studying at Barnard College. While pursuing her degree, she worked for America Reads, an organization whose goal is to ensure every child can read independently upon completing third grade. After graduating in 2006, Luina began working for a charter school in the South Bronx, and has spent the last five years teaching kindergarten and first grade. She is currently finishing her Masters in Early Childhood Education at City College of New York. Luina has an unwavering commitment to helping students achieve academically, socially, and emotionally and is excited to be part of the Haven team as a Kindergarten teacher.
Jardy Soto
Teacher
Born in the Dominican Republic, six-year-old Jardy and her family moved to the South Bronx. Eager to emulate her first grade teacher Ms. Iglesias' English lessons, she asked her parents to buy her a chalkboard so she could teach them what she learned throughout the school day. Little did she know many years later she would take these experiences and become a teacher, educating children within her very own South Bronx community. A graduate of CUNY Hunter's QUEST Education Program, she brings a sense of pride in her work, high energy, and a desire to help students succeed! Prior to joining Haven, Jardy taught first grade for two years in a dual language English-Spanish classroom. She now joins Haven as a first grade teacher in a Collaborative Team Teaching (CTT) classroom. In her free time, Jardy enjoys spending time with her daughter Jayda, baking, and reading.
Lindsey Johnson
Teacher
Lindsey always knew she wanted to work with children. She graduated from Towson University in Maryland with a Bachelor's degree in Family Studies. During her undergraduate studies she interned at the department of social services in Baltimore County. She enjoyed meeting and working with foster parents on a daily basis, but knew she wanted to bring her passion for advocating for children and their families into the classroom. Rather than pursuing social work, she decided to obtain her Master's degree in Education. Lindsey received a dual certificate in Early Childhood Education & Students With Disabilities (Birth – Grade 2). After completing her Masters, Lindsey taught Kindergarten in an ICT classroom for two years in a charter school in Hunts Point. She is very excited to join Mott Haven Academy as a first grade teacher!
Vyasa Tewari
Teacher
Vyasa is a New York City native and a product of the NYC public school system. She has a dual Bachelor's degree from Syracuse University in Political Science and Policy Studies, with a concentration in Urban Education Policy. Since she began teaching she has also earned a Master's Degree from CUNY's Hunter College in Childhood Education. Vyasa has always been deeply interested in public service and always knew she wanted to give back to the community she grew up in. She first became fascinated with the education field after tutoring and mentoring children in the Syracuse City School District during her undergraduate studies. After a multitude of experiences, both good and bad, in both the NYC public school system and Syracuse City School District, Vyasa decided she needed to be a part of the educational movement to provide all children with a quality education. In 2009, Vyasa joined Teach For America, a national corps of teachers, and began her teaching career at Haven Academy. At Haven, she enjoys working with and learning from her scholars. She currently co-teaches in a first grade classroom. When not teaching, Vyasa enjoys reading, shopping, and spending time with her large extended family.
Jenny Humphrey
Teacher
Jenny Humphrey came to Haven after spending two years teaching kindergarten and first grade at a charter school in Brooklyn. Before moving to New York, she graduated from Brown University with a BA in International Development. Jenny is currently finishing her Masters in Childhood Education at Bankstreet College. She is excited to be teaching second grade at Haven and is really looking forward to studying New York City with her students this year! In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading, yoga, and sewing.
Danit Gartlan
Inclusion Specialist
Danit comes to Haven Academy with a rich and varied background in education. She has taught in the public schools in NYC and Florida in both general and special education. She holds degrees in Art History, Liberal Arts, and Early Childhood and Elementary Education. She is a graduate of Bank Street College of Education. Danit is excited to be a member of the Haven Team. She believes deeply that all children can learn and that everyone deserves a world class education.
Courtney Baxter
Teacher
After graduating from U.C Berkeley in 2004, Courtney pursued a career in the theatre. While acting, she began tutoring children in Harlem. Her positive experiences volunteering with these students led her to apply to the New York City Teaching Fellows. As a Teaching Fellow, she taught in a "failing" school for two years. This is Courtney's third year in the South Bronx. She has taught both kindergarten and first grade. Although she currently does not have time to participate in the theatre, she feels that her acting skills are of great use in the classroom.
Ashlyn Field
Student Achievement Specialist
Ashlyn knew that she wanted to be involved in urban education after spending much of her time as an undergraduate in an under-resourced, low-performing school in Utica, NY. Soon after graduating from Hamilton College with a minor in education, she joined NYC Teaching Fellows and began working at P.S. 79 in the Bronx where she taught kindergarten, first and second grade. During this time, she received her masters in urban education. After P.S. 79, Ashlyn knew that she wanted to find a school that was dedicated to helping all children succeed while also supporting her professional growth and development. She joined Haven Academy as a founding teacher where she taught both first and second grade. During this time she also completed her second masters in Education Administration from Teachers College. She is currently the Student Achievement Specialist at Haven Academy.
Gleendy Marte
Teacher
As a graduate of Barnard College's Childhood Education Program, Gleendy Marte brings to the classroom a passion for learning, the needs of diverse learners, and creating a supportive and intellectually stimulating classroom community that allows all learners to succeed. Prior to joining Mott Haven, Gleendy gained a diverse wealth of experiences — living, studying and working in and around New York City, and in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. She has taught in dual-language Spanish-English classrooms at P.S. 75 in a 4th grade classroom and later in a 2nd grade CTT classroom. For 2 years, she mentored high school students as an advisor with Columbia Presbyterian Lang Youth Medical Program, engaging them in everything from essay writing and study skills to college preparatory work. Using the knowledge she has gained in her travels, studies and personal experiences as a multicultural individual, Gleendy strives to cultivate in her students a genuine love of learning as well as a global lens rooted in both self and community awareness and responsibility. She is currently teaching in a Kindergarten CTT classroom at Haven Academy.
Mariana Nunley
Teacher
Mariana began her teaching career at 6 years of age instructing a class of cabbage patch kids in a small suburb of Boston. More than 15 years later, her childhood dreams came true earning a dual degree in elementary and special education from Providence College. Mariana's first teaching position took her to Columbia, South Carolina where she worked as a resource teacher with 40 students grades pre-k through 5th. After a frustrating first year, she was awarded a federal grant to attend the University of South Carolina in pursuit of a Master's in Special Education. Upon completion, Mariana knew she wanted to return to urban education working with others dedicated to serving all children. She is currently teaching in a first grade CTT class at Haven Academy and is chair of the Student Study Team.
Karen Santiago
Teacher
Karen was born and raised in the Bronx. She knew she wanted to give back to her community but was torn between studying elementary education and social services; so she did both. Karen attended Manhattan College where she graduated with a Bachelor in Social Work and a minor in Elementary Education. She worked as caseworker for a non-profit foster care agency in the Bronx under the supervision of The Administration for Children's Services. Karen is currently co-teaching in a kindergarten class at Haven Academy. She is pleased to be part of a school community that allows her to demonstrate her love for education and understanding the challenges faced by children in the child welfare system. Karen will be seeking her Masters in elementary education in the Spring of 2010. When not working, Karen enjoys spending her time with her three-year old daughter Mia. Their favorite place to visit is the Bronx Zoo.