Meet Our Staff
At Success Academy schools, the teachers and staff care deeply about our scholars and work tirelessly to ensure their success. Our teachers are experienced educators and learners who constantly work to improve their instruction. The members of the school leadership team (Principals, Leadership Residents, Deans, Student Achievement Coordinators, Business Operations Manager) are capable managers and exceptional educators who continuously push each other to greater heights and who work with their staff to ensure we’re always providing the best education in the country.
Why did you decide to become a teacher or to work in the field of education?
I have always had a deep passion and love for children. Becoming a teacher was never just a possibility, it was a certainty since i was a child myself. I still have the old fashioned teacher's bell and pointer I received in elementary school to play with. - Mollie Korff, 1st grade Lead Teacher: SA Harlem 4
It was always my goal to work with children, even though I do not have a teaching degree I knew I could help in other aspects. I found the perfect fit for me on the school operations team where I support scholars, families and faculty daily while developing and improving the ways the Success Academy Charter Schools are run operationally. - Larisa Yarmolovich, Associate Director of Operations
Why did you choose to join a Success Academy school?
When looking for a place to have a career and not just a job, I came across SA schools and I instantly felt a connection with the ACTION values. I feel it is so important to build character at an early age. In addition, SA schools are unmatched in NYC by providing science 5 days a week for every scholar which is beyond amazing. - Meghan Daly, Science Teacher: SA Harlem Central
What is your favorite moment or story from your time at Success Academy?
A favorite moment which I'm most fond of occurred when I had a student that struggled tremendously in the beginning of her first grade year. She started out the year at a reading level A. By forming a team consisting of myself, the assistant teacher and her parent, we were able to identify the areas of weakness, develop a plan of attack, and by our efforts combined provide the nurturing support needed to assist the student in overcoming her struggles. By June she was one of the most active members of our class, therefore successfully concluding the academic year at a level J, nine levels higher than where she previously started. This experience was one of my most favorite moments at Success Academy to date. - Ruth Henry, 1st grade Lead Teacher: SA Harlem 3
It was my second week walking back home after school on a busy street in Harlem. A scholar shouted, "Hello Mr. Wilhelm", and I looked for a scholar that I recognized, and I couldn't fine one. I still have no idea who it was, but having just moved to NYC, it was one of the most welcoming things that could have happened to me, b/c it made me feel like I was assimilating into my new Harlem community. - Kurt Wilhelm, Business Operations Manager: SA Harlem 5
What surprised you most after joining Success Academy?
The amount of knowledge a Kindergartener can learn in a period of ten months is what surprised me most. I had been in a Kindergarten classroom setting before Success Academies and all I remember the students doing was playing, learning their sounds, and listening to stories. I could not believe that I had my Kindergarteners reading books level D and beyond, counting past 100 by 1's, 2's, 5's, and 10's, writing three page personal narratives with details and sentences, and solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division number stories by the end of the school year. The sky's the limit! If you push your students to be the best, they will certainly get there! - Sumera Ansari, Kindergarten Lead Teacher: SA Harlem 4
The things that Kindergarteners are capable of! At first when we were told that we always "pitch high" and set high expecations, I was not sure whether the kids would 100% be able to rise to the occassion, I was proven wrong! Behaviorally and Academically, our kids realize that they can do anything. Our Action Values remind them to never give up and to always try and try. It is amazing to see how much these action values stick with them and how capable they are of succeeding beyond expectations even at such a young age. - Jennifer Spritzer, Kindergarten Lead Teacher: SA Upper West
