Brionna Adams is a second grade teacher. She holds a B.A. in political science with a minor in African American studies from Loyola University New Orleans. In her free time, she enjoys painting, traveling, and watching documentaries. Her favorite childhood book is “Fablehaven” by Brandon Mull.
Jasmine Ahmed 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.
Alexandra (Alex) Amodei 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.
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.
Mariah Bell is a development and communications associate. She holds a B.A. from New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, focusing on "Representation and Social Justice in Written and Visual Media". She loves reading, listening to music, and watching movies. Mariah’s favorite childhood books are “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan and “Cupid” by Julius Lester.
Mohan Bell 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.
Will Beller 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.
Agnes (Aggie) Bisselle is a development and communications associate at Harlem Academy. She holds a B.A. in media & society and entrepreneurial studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges and a M.S. in nonprofit management from Columbia University. Outside of work, Agnes enjoys playing ice hockey, running, painting, and discovering new restaurants. Her favorite childhood book is "Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch.
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.
Emily is an elementary and middle school teacher working as fitness and wellness support. Emily has a Masters in sport psychology and a Masters in applied psychology, and majored in leadership studies at the University of Richmond. In her free time Emily enjoys watching Marvel movies, playing outdoor sports, and traveling (preferably somewhere warm). Her favorite childhood book is "Goodnight Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown.
Nobel Coste
Elementary School Teacher
Wellness and Physical Education Teacher and Third Grade Advisor
Wellness and Physical Education Teacher and Third Grade Advisor
ncoste@harlemacademy.org
Nobel is an elementary school teacher, wellness and physical education teacher, and third grade advisor. He is currently pursuing a B.A. in mechanical engineering technology at City Tech. 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
LaShonda is the assistant head of school at Harlem Academy. She supervises curricular goals, planning in humanities, and works to strengthen school culture. LaShonda holds a B.S. in early childhood and elementary education from Temple University and an M.A. in literacy from Columbia University, Teachers College. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, reading, and watching documentaries. Her favorite children's book is "The Hundred Dresses" by Eleanor Estes, and she still has the copy her second grade teacher gave her.
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.
Tara Eagan is an elementary school teacher, science teacher, and fifth 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.
Angela is the communications director. She develops and manages communications for the school. 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.
Nataglia is the operations director and secondary school placement coordinator. She holds a B.S. in accounting from Binghamton University. Outside of work, she enjoys dancing and spending time with her puppy. Her favorite childhood book is "The Giving Tree" by Shel Silverstein.
April is the mindfulness and meditation specialist at Harlem Academy. She holds a B.A. in anti-racist education and community development from Mount Holyoke College, an M.A. from Fordham Graduate School of Education, and an M.A. in clinical psychology as a first year cohort of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Columbia University, Teachers College. Additionally, she holds certification in yoga, leadership training in trauma-informed practices and play therapy. In her free time, she enjoys doing yoga, dancing, and boxing, and laughing at all opportunities. Her favorite books are "Mindful Monkey Happy Panda” by Lauren Alderfer and “The Moody Cow Meditates" by Kerry MacLean.
Maria Fuentes is the first 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.
Krizia Garcia is the operations associate at Harlem Academy. She holds a B.A. in communications from University at Albany. Outside of work, she serves as a leader at her church plant in Central Harlem, likes to go shopping, discover new restaurants, and spend time with friends and family. Her favorite childhood book is "The Rainbow Fish" by Marcus Pfister.
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.
Gwen is the middle school dean, sixth grade advisor, and alumni support 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.
Eunice Lee is the fourth grade teacher. She holds a B.S. in elementary education from the University of Texas and an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from the University of North Texas. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking, volunteering, and eating chocolate. Her favorite childhood books are "Holes" by Louis Sachar and "Old Yeller" by Fred Gipson.
Beth Lobasov is the first and second grade teacher. She holds a B.A. in English from Hunter College and plans to return for an M.A in early childhood education and early childhood special education. In her free time, Beth enjoys completing puzzles, decorating her home, watching documentaries, and spending time with her family, friends, and cat Oliver. Her favorite childhood book is "The Giver” by Lois Lowry.
Jennifer is the enrollment director at Harlem Academy. She manages the annual admissions process for prospective families and facilitates communication between the school and our community partners. Jennifer holds a B.A. in art history from Bryn Mawr College and an M.P.A. from Columbia University. She is a life-long Harlem resident and member of our local Community Board. Her favorite childhood book is the "The Jolly Postman" by Janet and Allan Ahlberg.
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!
Chanta is the primary school dean and 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.
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.
Katie is the development director. She helps meet 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.
Alexis is the third grade teacher and lower school instructional coach. She graduated from Truman State University with a B.A. in literature and an M.A. in elementary education. Her hobbies include traveling, reading, running, and anything that involves working with her hands such as designing and building furniture or knitting. She also enjoys *attempting* to cook. Alexis' favorite children's books include "The BFG" by Roald Dahl and "Number the Stars" by Lois Lowry.
Lamarc is the middle school teacher, eighth grade advisor, 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.
