Learning Specialist Team

Teams

• Leadership

• Arts

• Counseling

• ELA

• Foreign Language

• Math

• PE & Health

• Support Staff

• Science

• Social Studies

• Learning Specialists

• College Readiness

Amanda

Born and raised in San Jose, California, Amanda earned a B.A. in Music from Santa Clara University, where she had the opportunity to study abroad in Italy and Austria. She then earned a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Boston University. Amanda spent the next few years singing opera in the US and around the world before working in marketing at Carnegie Hall, Opera Boston, and acting as Executive Director of MetroWest Opera, a small company in Boston. Amanda began teaching in 2014 and earned her Master of Science in Special Education and Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Hunter College in 2016 and 2020, respectively. She has taught Earth Science, Chemistry, Forensic Science, Living Environment, AP Environmental Science, Physics, 7-12th grade ELA, Algebra 1, Geometry, AP World History Modern, AP Human Geography, Health, Choral Music, Girls Who Rocked the World and has music directed The Wiz and Into the Woods Jr! This is her 5th year at WESS and she is so excited to be adding AP Psych and Intro to Singing to her course list! Amanda is a huge fan of Doctor Who, mermaids, the beach, and continuing to sing in her spare time. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband, SUPER CUTE dog Luna, and daughter, Dottie, born in July of 2022.

Carlos

Carlos was born and raised in The Bronx, New York. In high school, he played for his school's basketball, baseball and bowling teams, as well as being a part of the student council and the yearbook committee. After high school, he remained in NYC, attending John Jay College of Criminal Justice, where he earned a double major in English and Forensic Psychology. After taking a year to travel and explore the world, Carlos joined WESS as a coach/teaching assistant to help develop the Manhattan Youth After School Program in 2017. The following year, he stepped in as a school aide, building stronger relationships with faculty and devoting more time to getting to know the students at WESS. It was then that he realized his next role was to become an educator, and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Special Education at Concordia College. Outside of WESS, he enjoys playing sports, hiking, traveling, reading, listening to music, and, most of all, eating different foods. Carlos is excited for another great year at WESS!

Grace

A native New Yorker, Grace grew up just outside of the city in Westchester County. After graduating with a bachelors from St. John’s University, Grace moved to Thailand to teach and travel for one year. A natural leader and teacher, Grace decided to come back to New York & join the NYC Teaching Fellows program, where she received her Master’s in Special Education. Almost 5 years later Grace is now in her 5th year of teaching and in her third year at WESS. This year she will be pursuing her School Building Leadership Certification through the College of St. Rose, and looks forward to learning more about the education system in the State of New York. While Grace loves to stay committed to her professional life, she is also very active and is currently training for the NYC Marathon in November. Additionally, in her free time, she travels often and enjoys photography and painting. She is currently working on turning her artwork into prints & greeting cards. This year she hopes to connect with her new body of students and looks forward to another year at West End Secondary.

Harony

Harony was born in the Dominican Republic, grew up in Brooklyn, and now resides on the Upper East Side, where she is enjoying her new community. She graduated Cum Laude from Brooklyn College with a BA in Childhood Education and Psychology. She also graduated with University Honors from Brooklyn College when she completed her Master’s in Special Education. Harony’s professional history includes teaching Language Arts, History, Science, Religion, Spanish, and Special Education across the tri-state area. In order to stay current in today's evolving education system, she has attended many professional developments and conferences. These learning opportunities have provided her with the knowledge, perspective, and skillset to make a positive and lasting impact in her classroom. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, picnics in the park, and spending time with her friends and family. Harony is looking forward to another great year at WESS!

Jamie

A native New Yorker, Jamie grew up just outside of the city in the suburbs of New Jersey. She attended Rutgers University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in Public Health. Growing up, Jamie was always passionate about helping others. She raised two Seeing Eye Dogs and participated in an organization called the Friendship Circle, where she spent her Middle and High School years volunteering with children who have special needs. Jamie worked as a research and teaching assistant for a distinguished professor at Rutgers, conducting research and assisting with classes on historic preservation, urban and public policy. After graduating, she worked in the medical field for Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where she assisted patients diagnosed with cancer. Jamie has always envisioned a career where she dedicated her time to helping those who need it most. Jamie was part of the NYC Teaching Fellows and graduated with her master’s degree in Special Education last year. She loves working with children and being an educator. Outside of school, Jamie can be found spending time with her family and friends, traveling and playing with her yellow lab Emmie and cat Stella. Jamie loves being a part of the WESS community and can’t wait for another exciting year to begin!

Laura R. 

Laura always loved working with children (babysitting for neighborhood kids starting at age 10), but for some reason, never thought of becoming a teacher. She originally moved to New York to pursue a job in magazines (this was in the mid-2000s, when people still bought them at airport newsstands) after graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas at Austin. Although she went to UT, she was born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, and remains a proud Cardinals baseball fan. After several years in TV production and other media jobs, she reassessed her priorities, and made the decision to return to school to get her graduate degree in Adolescent Special Education at Hunter College. As soon as she was in the classroom, she knew she had made the right choice. Laura has previously taught 9th and 10th grade ELA, and is excited to now be teaching 9th grade Human Geography and 10th grade World History, and hopes that her knowledge of social studies will provide a strong background if she ever makes it on Jeopardy!.

Monique

Monique is a proud member of the WESS family. This is her second year at WESS, where she serves the community as a Learning Specialist. This year she will be teaching Geometry, Algebra I, and her 7th grade Crew. Monique was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. As a teen, she landed her first job at a Folk Musicians Union as an administrative assistant, where she worked for nine years. She then embarked on a Real Estate career where she quickly learned the fundamentals of the business. During this time, she also attended Brooklyn College to pursue a degree in Psychology in hopes of one day becoming a Child Psychiatrist. After graduation, a friend introduced her to the Board of Education as a Paraprofessional. Serving the students in the community immediately gave her a change of heart. From day one, she fell in love with her students and decided to dedicate her life to enhancing her students' educational experience. She has worked in many neighborhoods and has touched the hearts of many of her students. She became a part of the Teaching Fellows program in 2014. Since then, she has worked teaching English and Social Studies in a middle school setting. Today, she is a proud High School Teacher in WESS, helping students with their studies and navigating through their teen years. She is pleased to be a part of the team and is here to support the families and students of WESS.

Rachel

Rachel is 9th-grade Special Education teacher and the proud Crew leader of the 8th-grade Squirrels. Rachel is from Long Island, New York, and studied English at Fordham University. She began teaching as a 4th-grade substitute teacher in Fresh Meadows, Queens. In 2021, she joined the New York City Teaching fellows and is currently completing her Master’s in Special Education at Hunter College. Outside of the classroom, Rachel loves spending time with family and friends, listening to music, and watching TV.

Richard

Richard is from eastern Long Island. He has a Bachelor's degree in History and Political Science from Iona College and a Master’s degree in Secondary Education from Dowling College. Richard taught in a public school in Arizona for one year and a private boarding school in East Hampton for two years. He is passionate about teaching. During his time at the boarding school, he taught English language learners and developed lessons to bridge the language barrier so the students would better understand the lessons taught in the classroom. During his undergraduate studies, Richard studied abroad for a semester in Dublin, Ireland. While abroad, he traveled to several countries in Europe. He strives to combine his experiences from the various educational settings he taught in and his travels to enrich his students' learning. Richard is excited and honored to continue to be a part of the WESS team.

Ross

Ross studied Soviet history in grad school at the University of Chicago, earning a master’s, having earlier received a degree in philosophy as an undergraduate. He moved to New York almost ten years ago, living mostly in Queens. Last year he taught English and Social Studies to students with disabilities across several grades in an integrated classroom in the South Bronx. Before becoming a teacher, Ross worked as a research assistant and a freelance writer and hopes to bring his passion for reading and writing to WESS. In his free time, he loves watching basketball and playing chess. He is thrilled to join the team this year and looks forward to teaching and supporting students in AP Human Geography and AP World History this year!

Stefanie

Stefanie was born and raised in New York City and has always had a passion for education. After 10 years of working in management and education in the Beauty and Wellness industry, she became a teacher to make a bigger impact than just teaching makeup artists how to perfect people’s complexions. Stefanie has a masters in education from Pace University in NYC and works in our high school serving our upperclassmen as a Learning Specialist. Stefanie values human connections and relationship building with students and understands that kids learn best from people that they like. This is Stefanie’s 5th year at WESS and is looking forward to making a difference in the lives of her students and supplying them with endless stickers and confidence. You can often find Stefanie on the 3rd floor during the school day wearing various bright colors, and when not in school, you can find her buying books that she has no time to actually read.