Teachers & Staff

Muniba is a senior development and communications associate at Harlem Academy. She works on special events, communications, and donor strategies. She holds a B.A. in psychology and business from Queens College. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, doing yoga, and making handcrafted coconut bowls. Her favorite childhood book is the “Arthur” series by Marc Brown.

Mariah Bell is a Harlem Academy alumna ('13)  and the school's graphic design and development intern. She is currently pursuing a B.A. at New York University’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, focusing on representation and social justice in art and media. She loves writing, creating art, listening to music, and watching movies. Mariah’s favorite childhood books are “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan and “Cupid” by Julius Lester.

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.

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.

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.

Eric is the middle school science teacher. 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 history teacher. 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.

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.

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.

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.

Kia is the middle school English teacher. She enjoys using her love of words and the English language to build strong, thoughtful, and confident readers and writers. Kia earned a B.A. in history and literature at Harvard University and an M.A. in the learning and teaching of English language arts at Harvard Graduate School of Education. Outside of the classroom, Kia enjoys running, listening to music, playing the guitar, singing, and of course reading and writing.  The book that made her fall in love with reading in the sixth grade was "The Giver" by Lois Lowry.