
Success Academy’s 2017 Excellence Award Winners
Success Academy – February 10, 2017
Congratulations to Success Academy’s 2017 Excellence Award Winners! Success Academy has selected outstanding school staff members from all 41 Success Academy schools to recognize their tremendous contributions to the Success community, families, and most importantly, scholars. Awards are given in three categories below:
Academic Achievement
The Academic Achievement Award honors the teachers who inspired their scholars to perform at the highest academic level across all 41 Success Academy schools.
Teacher Growth
The Teacher Growth Award is given to the teachers who have exhibited the most significant progress in achieving classroom-wide excellence since the start of the school year.
ETHOS Award
The ETHOS Award recognizes school staff who best demonstrate the Success community’s values: Excellence, Teamwork, Humor, Ownership, and Students.
The Success Academy community is deeply grateful to all of this year’s winners for going above and beyond — Beyond Z, as we say at Success — in their classrooms, offices, and school buildings to ensure their scholars get world-class public educations. Their countless hours of hard work, their enthusiasm, and their commitment to excellence for their scholars is an inspiration to the entire Success Academy community. This year’s winners are role models and leaders to our scholars and school staff alike, and we are proud to celebrate their work.
SA Bergen Beach
Jaclyn Warner
SETSS Teacher
ETHOS
SUNY Oneonta
Kelly Passafiume
1st Grade Teacher
Teacher Growth
Wagner College
SA Bensonhurst
Hannah Inglut
2nd Grade Teacher
ETHOS
The College at Brockport, SUNY
Courtney Yadoo
3rd Grade ICT Teacher
ETHOS
Harvard University
SA Bed-Stuy 1
Jessica Velasco
1st Grade ICT Teacher
Academic Achievement
Iona College
Rachel Jones
1st Grade ICT Teacher
Academic Achievement
University of Southern California
Johanna Umpierre
Elementary School Science Teacher
ETHOS
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Lucero Villasis
2nd Grade Teacher
Teacher Growth
Brooklyn College, CUNY
SA Bed-Stuy 2
Ashley Wilson
Operations Manager
ETHOS
University of Pennsylvania
SA Bed-Stuy 3
Frank Alesci
Soccer Coach
ETHOS
Long Island University Brooklyn
Ania Lisa Etienne
1st Grade ICT Teacher
Teacher Growth
Davidson College
SA Bed-Stuy MS
Patrick Salazar
5th Grade ELA Teacher
Academic Achievement
Columbia University
Kristin Jones
ELA Teacher
Academic Achievement
Macaulay Honors College, CUNY – Hunter College
SA Bushwick
Katie Miecznikowski
Art Teacher
Teacher Growth
SUNY New Paltz
SA Bronx 1
Mahelia Mighty
Community Relations Manager
ETHOS
SUNY Geneseo
Diana Rawson
School Psychologist
ETHOS
Wagner College
SA Bronx 1 MS
Emily Mulkerne
Community Relations Manager
ETHOS
Wells College
DaShawn White
Dance Teacher
ETHOS
Christopher Newport University
Stefanie Persichilli
School Psychologist
ETHOS
University of Hartford
SA Bronx 2
Ashley Sansing
Kindergarten Teacher
ETHOS
Bloomsburg University
Maria Del Valle
Music Teacher
ETHOS
University of Florida
SA Bronx 2 MS
Caitlan Carberry
6th Grade ELA Teacher
ETHOS
University of Pennsylvania
Karina Mateo
7th Grade Math Teacher
ETHOS
Vassar College
SA Bronx 3 Lower
Jose Rosario
2nd Grade ICT Teacher
ETHOS
Rose Hill Campus – Fordham University
SA Bronx 3 Lower & Upper
Dakim Vanterpool
Chess Teacher
Teacher Growth
Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY
SA Bronx 3 Upper
Stephen Schwarz
Athletic Coach
ETHOS
SUNY Oswego
SA Bronx 4
Salema Jackson
Chess Teacher
ETHOS
Passaic County Community College (A.S. Human Services)
Javaughn Smith
Education Coordinator
ETHOS
University of Hartford
Yahaira Perozo
3rd Grade 12:1:1 Teacher
Teacher Growth
Brooklyn College, CUNY
SA Cobble Hill
Nicole Babbitt
4th Grade ICT Teacher
Teacher Growth
Wesleyan University
SA Cobble Hill MS
Sophia Ripple
5th Grade ELA Teacher
Academic Achievement
Smith College
SA Crown Heights
Allison Turck
4th Grade Teacher
Academic Achievement
Niagara University
Gregory Perrin
Athletic Coach
ETHOS
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Cole Yaverbaum
SETSS Teacher
ETHOS
Colby College
Kara Alden
4th Grade Teacher
Teacher Growth
Brigham Young University
SA Flatbush
Lily Freedberg
1st Grade Teacher
ETHOS
University of Michigan
Peter Witzig
1st Grade ICT Teacher
Teacher Growth
Emory University
SA Fort Greene
Susanna Sierra
1st Grade ICT Teacher
ETHOS
University of West Georgia
Nicole Carlson
Musical Theater Teacher
ETHOS
Brandeis University
Angela Moyer
School Psychologist
ETHOS
University at Albany, SUNY
SA Far Rockaway
William Hennep
Kindergarten Teacher
ETHOS
Sage College of Albany
Angel Roopnarine
Kindergarten Teacher
Teacher Growth
SUNY Fredonia
SA Harlem 1
James Casey
1st Grade ICT Teacher
ETHOS
Howard University
Tanisha Haney
1st Grade ICT Teacher
ETHOS
City College of New York, CUNY
Kayla Bostwick
Kindergarten Teacher
ETHOS
Georgetown University
John Gonzalez
Dance Teacher
Teacher Growth
Hofstra University
SA Harlem 2
Hillary Scott
3rd Grade ICT Teacher
Teacher Growth
Eckerd College
Victoria Brienza
3rd Grade ICT Teacher
Teacher Growth
Marist College
Tyreen Sims
ES Science Teacher
Teacher Growth
Gettysburg College
SA Harlem 3 Lower
Lauren Diorio
3rd Grade ICT Teacher
Teacher Growth
Seton Hall University
SA Harlem 3 Upper
Stephanie Retana
ES Science Teacher
Teacher Growth
Smith College
SA Harlem 4
Brianna O’Sullivan
1st Grade ICT Teacher
ETHOS
SUNY Oswego
Traci Ritterband
School Psychologist
ETHOS
University of Delaware
Samantha Mayer
3rd Grade Teacher
Teacher Growth
SUNY Cortland
SA Harlem 5
Aaron Marcus
3rd Grade ICT Teacher
ETHOS
Morehouse College Atlanta
Kate Benenson
1st Grade ICT Teacher
Teacher Growth
Bucknell University
April Jones
Kindergarten Teacher
Teacher Growth
Binghamton University
SA Harlem Central
Lauren Nemchik
Art Teacher
ETHOS
The Pennsylvania State University
Zanifa Campbell
MS ELA Teacher
Teacher Growth
Howard University
SA Harlem East
Melissa Albanese
8th Grade ELA Teacher
Academic Achievement
McGill University
Fabio Janeiro
Athletics
ETHOS
Hofstra University
Kaitlyn McCloy
6th Grade Science Teacher
Teacher Growth
Wake Forest University
SA Hell’s Kitchen
Eileen Jonas
2nd Grade ICT Teacher
Academic Achievement
Binghamton University
Jaime Kobak
2nd Grade ICT Teacher
Academic Achievement
University of Michigan
Agatha Cummings
3rd Grade Teacher
Academic Achievement
Vanderbilt University
Zachary Bijesse
ES Science Teacher
Academic Achievement
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hil
SA Harlem North Central
Brian Leacock
5th Grade Math Teacher
Teacher Growth
Florida State University
Lexis White
6th Grade ELA Teacher
Teacher Growth
Howard University
Quantasia Islam
7th Grade History Teacher
Teacher Growth
College of the Holy Cross
SA Harlem North West
April Junta
6th Grade Math Teacher
ETHOS
University of Richmond
Kelly Murphy
7th Grade ELA Teacher
ETHOS
Bucknell University
Cara Dennen
Math Teacher
Teacher Growth
Vanderbilt University
SA High School of the Liberal Arts
Courtney MacNealy
English Teacher
ETHOS
The Pennsylvania State University – Schreyer Honors College
Katelyn Klipfel
School Psychologist
ETHOS
SUNY Buffalo State
Jessica Lovaas
History Teacher
Teacher Growth
Williams College
SA Harlem West
Christina Carfora
8th Grade Science Teacher
Academic Achievement
New York University
Dujuan Heath
Athletic Coach
ETHOS
Bryant University
Elizabeth Pierce
History Teacher
ETHOS
Princeton University
SA Midtown West MS
Leah Green
5th Grade Math Teacher
Academic Achievement
University of Vermont
Katelynn Lucyk
6th Grade Science Teacher
Academic Achievement
Quinnipiac University
SA Prospect Heights
Kristen Morrissey
3rd Grade Teacher
ETHOS
University of Vermont
SA Rosedale
Melissa Small
Art Teacher
ETHOS
Hartwick College
Gina Castillon
ES Science Teacher
Teacher Growth
New York University
SA Springfield Gardens
Alyssa Yurasits
Community Relations Coordinator
ETHOS
New York University
Stephanie Schwartz
2nd Grade Teacher
Teacher Growth
Concordia University
SA South Jamaica
Liam Allman
Community Relations Coordinator
ETHOS
Hobart College
AnnaMaria Smeraldi
1st Grade Teacher
Teacher Growth
SUNY Geneseo
SA Union Square
Emilie Ganter
1st Grade Teacher
Academic Achievement
Emory University
Kelly Cabezas
Art Teacher
ETHOS
The School of Visual Arts
Mary Jerz
Kindergarten Teacher
Teacher Growth
SUNY Fredonia
SA Upper West
Laura Watson
Kindergarten Teacher
Academic Achievement
Molloy College
Adriana Belalcazar
3rd Grade ICT Teacher
ETHOS
Hunter College
Emily Martucci
3rd Grade ICT Teacher
ETHOS
Fairfield University
Gabriella Scull
Community Relations Manager
ETHOS
Binghamton University
SA Williamsburg Lower
Amanda Kinsley
ES Science Teacher
ETHOS
Brooklyn College
Rashid Perkins
1st Grade ICT Teacher
Teacher Growth
Hobart & William Smith Colleges
SA Williamsburg Lower & Upper
Lauren Farrara
School Psychologist
ETHOS
Temple University
SA Williamsburg Upper
Samuel Gradess
5th Grade History Teacher
Academic Achievement
St. Lawrence University
Toni Donohue
4th Grade 12:1:1 Teacher
Teacher Growth
Maine College of Art
Sara Burneal
4th Grade 12:1:1 Teacher
Teacher Growth
University at Buffalo
SA Washington Heights
Kelly Vaile
3rd Grade Teacher
Academic Achievement
The George Washington University
Martha Ozoria-Mejia Pichardo
Community Relations Manager
ETHOS
Brooklyn College, CUNY