Teachers & Staff

List of 32 members.

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  Khaliah Adams-Joseph 

  Enrollment Director

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  Khaliah is the enrollment director at Harlem Academy. Khaliah holds a B.F.A. from Carnegie Mellon University and an M.F.A. in counseling psychology from NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. With over 10 years of experience in both the private and public school systems, she is excited to run the annual admissions process for prospective families. Her favorite childhood book is "The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales" by Virginia Hamilton.
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  Vinya Agbor P'21 & P'23 

  Family Partnership Associate & Operations Manager

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  Vinya is the family partnership associate and operations manager. She holds a B.A. in English from Howard University and an A.S. in accessories design from Fashion Institute of Technology. In her free time, Vinya enjoys traveling, baking, yoga, and time with her family. Her favorite children's book is "Where Do Balloons Go?" by Jamie Lee Curtis.
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  Jasmine Ahmed 

  4th Grade Teacher

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  Jasmine is the fourth grade teacher. She holds a B.S. in childhood education from City College. She enjoys her free time by spending it with family and friends, reading, and DIY arts and crafts. Her favorite childhood book is “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle. 
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  Alexandra Amodei 

  Middle School Math Teacher

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  Alexandra (Alex) is the middle school math teacher and seventh grade advisor. She holds a B.S. in elementary education with a minor in business administration from Loyola University Chicago. In her free time, Alex enjoys traveling, watching sports, and spending time with her family and friends. Her favorite childhood book is "The Lorax" by Dr. Seuss. 
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  Liz Aponte P'22 

  Enrollment & Family Partnership Associate

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  Liz is the enrollment and family partnership associate. She is an avid crocheter who also loves baking, spending time with her daughters, and serving in her church. Her favorite childhood book is “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak.
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  Emma Baber 

  School Counselor

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  Emma is the school counselor at Harlem Academy. She holds a B.A. in social work from James Madison University, and an M.S.W.  from Silberman School of Social Work. As a licensed clinical social worker, her passion is working with children and families. In her spare time, Emma enjoys reading, running, listening to music, and watching Yankees games with her husband, two sons, and two cats. Her favorite childhood book is "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee.
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  Mohan Bell 

  Middle School English Teacher

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  Mohan is the middle school English teacher and sixth grade advisor. He holds a B.A. in English with a minor in African American studies from Brooklyn College and an M.A. in American and British literature from Hunter College. When he is not teaching, he loves reading and writing, baking, and watching movies from the 70s. His favorite childhood book is "Frindle" by Andrew Clements.
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  William Beller 

  Middle School History Teacher

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  Will is the middle school history teacher and eighth grade advisor. He holds a B.A. in history and an M.S. in social studies education from Fordham University. Outside of work, he enjoys reading, listening to music, and going on long walks. His favorite childhood book is "Baseball Players Do Amazing Things" by Mel Cebulash. 
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  Kristy  Castro 

  Primary and Elementary School Director

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  Kristy Castro is the primary and elementary school director. She holds a B.S. from Howard University and a M.A.T. in Elementary Education from Roger Williams University. In her spare time, Kristy enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog Bentley. Her favorite childhood book is "Matilda" by Roald Dahl.
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  Monique Castro 

  4th Grade Teacher

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  Monique Castro is a fourth grade teacher. She holds a B.A. in communications from the Borough of Manhattan Community College. Her hobbies include traveling and spending time with family. Her favorite childhood book is "Green Eggs and Ham" by Dr. Seuss.
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  Nobel Coste 

  Admissions Associate & Technology Manager

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  Nobel is the admissions associate and technology manager at Harlem Academy. He is currently pursuing a B.S. in exercise science - pre-physical therapy at Lehman College. In his free time, Nobel enjoys playing baseball, weight training, watching sports, and reading. His favorite childhood book is "The Outsiders" by S.E. Hinton.
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  Addie Crouso 

  3rd Grade Teacher

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  Addie is a third grade teacher. She holds a B.A. in communications from Grand Canyon University. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, dancing, listening to music, and traveling. Her favorite childhood book is "The Magician's Nephew" by C. S. Lewis.
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  Jhatia "Tia Clemons" Davis-Clemons 

  5th Grade Teacher

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  Tia is the fifth grade teacher. She earned a B.A. from Penn State - Harrisburg and plans to return for an M.A. in special education. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, studying astrology, watching crime investigation programs, spending time with her niece and nephew, and trying new restaurants. Her favorite childhood book is “Happy Birthday, Moon” by Frank Asch.
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  Vincent Dotoli 

  Head of School

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  Vinny is the founder of and head of school at Harlem Academy. He holds an M.A. in educational administration from Teachers College, Columbia University and a B.S. in psychology from Union College. He loves playing games and reading with his children and is still inspired by John Gunther's "Death Be Not Proud" and S.E. Hinton's "The Outsiders," both of which he read in middle school.
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  Awa Doukoure 

  3rd Grade Teacher, Science Teacher

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  Awa is a third grade teacher and science teacher at Harlem Academy. She holds a B.S in health and wellness from Buffalo State College. In her free time, she likes to travel, cook, and spend time with family and friends. Her favorite childhood book is “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle.
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  Tara Eagan '12 

  Science Teacher

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  Tara teaches fifth, sixth, and seventh grade science and is a seventh grade advisor. She holds a B.A. in African and African American studies with a minor in anthropology from The University of Rochester. She enjoys traveling, learning about new cultures, and adding to her sneaker collection. Her favorite childhood book is “The Outsiders” by S.E. Hinton.
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  Angela Ebron 

  Communications Director

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  Angela is the school's communications director. Angela graduated from New York University with a B.A. in journalism, and is the co-author of two books. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, browsing in bookstores, and spending time with friends. Her favorite childhood book is “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” by Judy Blume.
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  Essence Ellis 

  Graduate Coordinator

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  Essence is the graduate coordinator. She holds an M.Div. from Yale Divinity School and a B.A. in religious studies from Randolph-Macon College. Essence enjoys jigsaw puzzles, going for walks, and listening to podcasts and audiobooks. Her favorite childhood book is the “The Magic Tree House” series by Mary Pope Osborne.
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  Maria Fuentes 

  Kindergarten Teacher

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  Maria is the kindergarten grade teacher. She holds a B.A. in early childhood education from Almeda University. She loves spending time with her family, especially her mom and sons. Her favorite childhood book is "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" by Mildred D. Taylor.
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  Denise Hargrove-Blair 

  Kindergarten Teacher

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  Denise is a kindergarten grade teacher. She attended Touro College. In her spare time, Denise enjoys walking, working out, and watching movies with friends. Her favorite childhood book is “The Cat in the Hat” by Dr. Seuss.
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  Kai Holmes 

  1st Grade Teacher

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  Kai is a first grade teacher. She holds a B.A. in criminal justice from Monroe College. Outside of work, she enjoys drawing, watching movies, and spending time with friends. Kai’s favorite childhood book is “The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister.
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  Eric James 

  Middle School Director, Middle School Science Teacher

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  Eric is the middle school science teacher and seventh grade advisor. He holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Brown University and completed postdoctoral training in neuroscience and science education. He holds a B.A. from St. John's University. In his free time, he enjoys cooking, exercising, and outdoor activities. Eric's favorite children's book is "Oh, The Places You'll Go!" by Dr. Seuss.
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  Gwendolyn Kingsberry 

  Middle School Dean and Graduate Advisor

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  Gwen is the middle school dean and graduate advisor. She holds a B.A. in English, a B.S. in communications, and an M.S. in public relations from Syracuse University. Outside of work, Gwen enjoys reading, dancing, and spending time with her daughter, Jalyn. One of her favorite books is “The Shack” by William P. Young.
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  Abraham Ocasio 

  Enrollment & Operations Associate

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  Abraham is the enrollment and operations associate. He is completing a B.A. in psychology at Gannon University. In his spare time, Abraham enjoys photography, spending time with his two sons, reading historical nonfiction, and watching boxing. His favorite childhood book is “The Spiderwick Chronicles” series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black.
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  Abayomi Reaux 

  5th Grade Teacher

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  Abayomi is a fifth grade teacher. He holds a bachelor's degree from Western Connecticut State University. His hobbies include working out, playing sports, reading, and cooking. His favorite children's book is "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho.
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  Joseph Rivera '14 

  2nd Grade Teacher

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  Joseph is currently pursuing his B.A. in graphic design with a minor in art education at City College. In his free time, he is a freelance graphic designer who helps local organizations, including churches and startups, and works on his own brand. His favorite childhood book is “If You Give A Mouse A Cookie” by Laura Numeroff.
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  Vanessa Scanfeld 

  Strategy Director

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  Vanessa is the strategy director at Harlem Academy. She supports the school's strategic planning, evaluation, fundraising, and communications. Vanessa holds a B.A. in American studies from Cornell University and an M.P.P. from Harvard University. Vanessa loves hiking, chasing a frisbee, and listening to music -- especially if there's a banjo in the mix. One of Vanessa's favorite books to read to her children is "What Do You Do With An Idea?" by Kobi Yamada. Spoiler alert: You change the world!
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  Chanta Scott 

  2nd Grade Teacher

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  Chanta is the second grade teacher. She holds a B.A. in psychology from The College of New Rochelle and an M.S. from Fordham University in teaching. She has dedicated her life to teaching and working in the Harlem community and has taught in Harlem since 1993. Her favorite childhood book is "Freckle Juice" by Judy Blume.
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  Leonard Smith 

  Finance Director

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  Leonard is the finance director at Harlem Academy. He oversees financial responsibilities such as short and long-term financial management, budgeting, and audit oversight. He also takes the lead with financial work specific to the school, such as working with families to determine appropriate tuition assessments on the school's sliding scale. Outside of work, Leonard enjoys the outdoors (especially skiing), spending time with his family and dog, cooking, and honing his Microsoft Excel skills. Leonard holds a B.A. in finance with a religion minor from the University of Iowa.
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  Katherine Steinbach 

  Development Director

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  Katie is the development director and is responsible for meeting the school's annual fundraising goals. Outside of work, she can be found baking, reading historical biographies, and running. Katie holds a B.A. in political science and Spanish from Hunter College. Her favorite childhood book is "A Wrinkle in Time" by Madeleine L'Engle.
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  Joseph Vayas 

  Development Coordinator

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  Joe is the development coordinator. He helps the school meet its fundraising goals. Joe holds a B.A. in history from Rutgers University. Outside of work, he enjoys running, reading mystery books, and hiking in the mountains with his dog. Joe’s favorite childhood book is “Where the Red Fern Grows” by Wilson Rawls.
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  Lamarc Wigfall 

  Middle School Assistant Dean and Graduate Advisor

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  Lamarc is the middle school assistant dean and graduate advisor. He holds a B.A. in business administration from Lehman College. During his free time, he loves watching sports, listening to music, and playing basketball with his friends and family. His favorite children's book is anything written by Dr. Seuss.