Our Team / Introducing the TCN 21-22 Team

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B.A. -- Vanessa is ecstatic to join the Think College Now community as a 4th-grade teacher. Vanessa grew up in South L.A. and moved to the Bay Area after high school to pursue her bachelor’s in Cognitive Neuroscience and Education from UC Berkeley. Vanessa previously taught at Voices College-Bound Language Academy in San Jose, California where her passion and drive for equitable education increased. In her free time, Vanessa enjoys catching Pokemon on the go, playing music with friends, jogging, and intense 30 minute workouts with upbeat music in the background.
B.A. English, Sarah Lawrence College; MA Urban Education and Social Justice, University of San Francisco. -- Michael Taylor graduated from USF. He received a Master's in Teaching with a focus on urban education and social justice. He is a once and (hopefully) future stand-up comedian, and he tries to bring his sense of humor into the classroom. Humorless kindergarten teachers rarely survive. When he is not teaching he is often hiking, cooking, or playing with his dog.
BA Anthropology, University of Chicago; MA Education, UC Berkeley -- Emily Bronston-Joseph completed her student teaching at Think College Now in the 2020-2021 school year and loved it so much that she started teaching fifth grade there the next school year. She lives in Berkeley with her husband. In her free time, Emily enjoys reading, playing board games, trying new restaurants, and spending time outside.
BA English, Boston College; MS Education, Pace University
BA English, Boston College; MS Education, Pace University -- Julie Dulay joined TCN Elementary at the start of the 2007-08 school year. Before that, she worked as a classroom teacher in New York City. She taught 2nd grade for 5 years in Washington Heights and Harlem, and 1st grade for 4 years at TCN. In 2013, she began working as a Reading Interventionist and ELD teacher. She is a passionate supporter of public education, which she sees as a crucial element of a functioning and healthy democracy. Julie is from Seattle WA, and currently lives in Alameda with her husband and two sons.
BA Environmental Studies -- Natalie is thrilled to join Think College Now as a 3rd-grade teacher. She was born and raised in the Bay Area and received her bachelor's degree in Environmental Studies from Davidson College in North Carolina. After graduating, she returned home to the Bay Area where she worked as a college advisor for Oakland high school students with the educational opportunity program College Track. She also spent a year traveling and living in South America. In her free time, Natalie enjoys rock climbing, hiking, spending time with friends and family and listening to good music!
Bachelor's Degree: Communications: University of Puget SoundMasters in Teaching: Pace University -- I grew up in Newark, California (not far from Oakland) and love to go home and visit my family—even though they now live in Livermore. My sister is also a teacher in Oakland and works at Alliance Academy on 98th Ave. I began my teaching career through a program called Teach For America in 2007. I was a second grade teacher in New York City. I have been at Think College Now since 2010.In my free time, I spend lots of time outdoors. I enjoy hiking, biking, and time at the beach. I also like to lift weights and try to get stronger. I also like to spend time with my cat Modell.?
BS in Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University; MA in Education, UC Berkeley -- Emma started teaching 2nd grade at Think College Now (TCN) in 2018. She attended UC Berkeley's Developmental Teacher Education program to receive her MA in Education and her teaching credential. Before that, she worked as the Reading Partners site coordinator at TCN and International Community School, delivering reading intervention to students at both schools. Emma is a strong believer in public education, and so excited to be working with the incredible students and families of OUSD. She is originally from Berkeley, CA, and currently lives in Oakland.
BS Psychology, UC Berkeley; MA Special Education, Loyola Marymount University -- Fabiola Ramirez, RSP Teacher, joined Think College Now at the start of the 2017-18 school year. Before that, she worked as a Special Day Class Teacher at East Oakland Pride Elementary School in OUSD. Fabiola was born and raised in Oakland and began her career in education in 2011 working as an After School Program Instructor at Horace Mann Elementary. In 2017, she was selected to be one of the awardees of the Mayor's Teaching Award. Fabiola enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, biking, and also likes to spend time cooking and watching movies with her family.
Cal State Eastbay, Sociology -- I grew up in Oakland and I am a product of Oakland Public Schools. One of the main reasons why I made it to college was because I had educators/ teachers that saw potential and supported me to get a higher education. I want to conintue giving that same support to other youth to be thier own successful human beings and go to colege! I received my Bachelor's degree in Sociology from Cal State Eastbay. I have 16 years working in Oakland’s education and I do not see myself working anywhere else than within my own community where I lived my whole life, Oakland!
Hello! My name is Sabrina and I am one of the two Counseling Interns at TCN for this academic year. My pronouns are she/her. I am a second year Master's of Social Welfare (MSW) student at UC Berkeley, specializing in "Strengthening Children, Youth, and Families". I am also pursuing my Pupil Personnel Services Credential (PPSC) in order to work towards my career goal of becoming a school social worker. I was raised and currently reside in Berkeley, and I am passionate about working with children from diverse communities in the Bay Area. I speak Spanish and German, and am learning Mam. I provide services to students and families in Spanish and English, and can utilize a basic level of Mam when working with Mam-speaking students and families. I am available to support students on Fridays, as I also intern at Melrose Leadership Academy. I am grateful to be a member of the TCN community this year!
Hello, my name is Lauren Williams. I just completed my first year with Seneca Family of Agencies working as a Mental Health Counselor within the classroom. I am a recent graduate from a HBCU, Grambling State University located in Grambling, Louisiana. I graduate May 2019 completing a duo Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Sociology. I always wanted to work with the youth population and very appreciative of currently being able to do so. The youth cannot afford to lose or have anyone else give up on them. On my off days I enjoy music, trivia, poetry, gaming, hands-on activities watching sports and series.
Hola TCN Community, My name is Jacqueline Garcia and I am one of the counseling interns at TCN this year. I am currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in community mental health at California State University, East Bay. I am also working towards my Pupil Personnel Services Credential in order to fulfill my career goals. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Childhood studies and an Associates degree in Sociology. I am from Salvadorian descent, born and raised in San Francisco CA. In my free time I love to travel, spend time with my family, and binge watch shows on Netflix. I am thrilled to be a part of the TCN community this year.
Holy Names University - Multiple Subject Teaching CredentialNotre Dame de Namur University - BA Communications -- Monica Purdy started teaching kindergarten at Think College Now in January 2006. Before that, she was an AmeriCorp member in Oakland and an after school instructor in Alameda. In addition to her many years at TCN as a teacher, she participates in the K2C program, helps coordinates school wide events such as Math Night and Electives Day and is a member of the PBIS team, which helps to grow and support a positive school culture. Outside of school, she loves to volunteer as team mom for her son's baseball and soccer team. She also mentors a first year college student at Mills College. To relax, she enjoys hanging out with her husband and son, reading, gardening, watching the Oakland A’s and has a new found love of running and working out.
I am really excited to be working with all of you. After getting in touch with Mandra, I will be working Mondays & Tuesdays. I am a bilingual SLP from Puerto Rico with more than 6 years of experience. I moved to California with my husband in December 2015 and worked in a charter school in Alameda until last year when I joined OUSD.
Isabella is so excited to be joining Think College Now as a student teacher! She recently graduated as a first generation student from UC Santa Cruz with her BA in Literature and Psychology, and she is currently a graduate student at UC Berkeley. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, painting, hiking, listening to music, and spending time with her friends and family.
Jael is originally from Nicaragua, grew up in Daly City, and has been an Oakland resident for the past fourteen years. Before TCN, she attended Cal East Bay Hayward and worked with the youth in after school programs both at ICS/TCN and St. Anthony School. Working in After School Programs inspired her to continue working with youth in a different capacity. She now joins the TCN team as the Bilingual Attendance Specialist for both ICS and TCN. When she's not at Think College Now, you can find Jael spending time with her three children and her pug, reading books, and watching Netflix.
My name is Katie (she/her) and I'm so stoked to get the opportunity to work within OUSD. I grew up in a little town in Pennsylvania and am a recent Penn State graduate. Aside from loving all things food, most of my free time is spent running, making/drinking coffee, thrifting, and exploring new places (so this experience is pretty perfect for me). Food has always been important to me - both as fuel and as a way to connect with the people I care about - so I am looking forward to getting to share my perspective as well as learn some new ones.