In the spirit of Esperanza’s “high challenge, high support, and high joy” approach to learning, we asked our team members to share a little bit about what brings them joy in their personal lives or in their work at Esperanza.
Administrative Team
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Jadihel (Jadi) Taveras
he/him
HEAD OF SCHOOL
Email MeBeing a father to my three kids. Walking, especially in nature. Cooking meals over an open fire. Laughs with friends and family. Music, lots of it. Reading and writing poetry. Solitude. Spending time by the water. Wired headphones.
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Delia Durán-Clark
she/her
SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
Email MeI am lucky to be able to claim that people make me happy. I'm fortunate to be surrounded by my incredible family, students, friends, and faculty. Esperanza Academy is a birther of joy! A hug, a query, an unexpected chocolate cake, arroz con pollo, or a student's learning discovery can all bring you joy. The best part of our happiness is that we can share it with the rest of our school and the larger community.
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Viviana Cordero Garcia
she/her
CHIEF ALUMNI SUCCESS OFFICER
Email MeThe smell of café, mountains, a baby's laughter, dancing with my husband, and traveling with my toddler and dog.
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Pati Fernández
she/her
CHIEF DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Email MeCommunity and connection brings me joy, particularly around creative activities and food.
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Tessa Kumari Young
she/her
CHIEF OF STRATEGY & IMPACT
Email MeWatching my kids swim. Following my dogs through the woods. Making a fresh To Do list with a steaming Americano. Finding middle ground on Netflix with my husband. Memorizing a poem. Dreaming up children’s book ideas that I have no real intention of writing. Learning something new.
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Lisa Lee
she/her
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
Email MeI find joy in working with a community of learners that have unique stories to tell. It's incredible to witness students' growth and achievements throughout their journey, and it makes my work meaningful. Outside of work, spending time with my family and reading books across all types of genres brings me joy.
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Savannah Armstrong
she/her
VICE PRINCIPAL
Email MeTrue joy sparks when witnessing young people and all folk learn something new. To learn and grow is a reminder that we are ALIVE!
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Ariel Aggarwal
she/her
DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION
Email MeSnuggling with my cats, making/appreciating jokes involving anthropomorphizing animals, playing math games with the 5th and 6th grades, eating ice cream, shooting the breeze with family and friends, giving people food, and being at the beach.
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Kate Thompson
she/her
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE HEAD OF SCHOOL
Email MeBlack coffee. A new notebook and a freshly sharpened pencil. Puzzles of all kinds: sudoku, crossword, jigsaw. Being outdoors, especially on the snow or in the water. Checking things off my (and Jadi’s) to-do lists. Learning and making art. Dancing (badly) to (good) music. Dogs.
Faculty & Staff
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Melania Arias
she/her
CHEFThe people I work with bring me the greatest joy. I feel very satisfied when my students and school staff approve of my food. Personally, traveling is my language of joy and love.
Las personas con las que trabajo me traen la mayor alegría. Me siento muy satisfecha cuando mis estudiantes y el personal del colegio le dan aprobación a mi comida. En lo personal, viajar es mi lenguaje de alegría y amor.
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Stephanie Basora
she/her
SCIENCE TEACHER
Email MeI find joy at Esperanza through our Monday morning check-in circles during advisory, using the outdoors as my classroom, and witnessing the growth of our students while they lead their own progress conferences.
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Rev. Jacqueline (Jack) Clark
she/her
CHAPLAIN
Email MeRunning (slowly, preferably at night). Dancing (badly). Laughing. Listening to the thoughts and ideas of young people. Doing church with children and youth. Being a priest, which is to say, knowing and loving people out of love for God. Nurturing community. Helping people give voice to and claim their experiences of God. Long talks with good friends. Learning new ideas. Building relationships. Silence and solitude. Helping people to know they are loved.
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Natalie Cole, MA, MT-BC, NMT
she/her
MUSIC THERAPIST
Email MeSeeing the students grow and actively put to work healthy coping and communication skills brings me joy.
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Peter Dalton
he/him
DIRECTOR OF INSTITUTIONAL GIVING
Email MeThe roar of curling rocks, the music of David Byrne, a night in with my wife and dogs, the Sunday crossword, and working in a community that sees the world “isn’t broken, but simply unfinished.”
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Cándida del Rosario
she/her
KITCHEN STAFFThe experience of feeling at peace with myself and with my surroundings. When I feel internal peace, the strength to face any adversity that comes my way is born.
La experiencia de sentirme en paz conmigo misma y con mi entorno. Cuando siento paz interna me nacen las fuerzas para enfrentar cualquier adversidad que llegue.
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Kristina Dolce
she/her
ENGLISH TEACHER
RESTORATIVE JUSTICE COORDINATOR
Email MeMy students’ “aHA!” moments, black coffee, when the moon is in Leo, and of course, reading!
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Hannah Eisner
she/her
SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER
Email MeHaving animated conversations with people about anything that interests them. Following curiosities to explore new ideas, perspectives, and questions. Embracing humor, from little Easter egg jokes you almost miss to big rolling waves of laughter that consume everyone for just a moment. Giving and receiving (genuine) compliments. Taking long walks through city streets. Seeing theatrical performances and museum exhibitions. Watching and analyzing television. Experimenting in the kitchen. Making art on a whim. Remembering and imagining. Celebrating growth as it happens, one leaf at a time.
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Marlene Ferrer
she/her
FRONT OFFICE MANAGER
Email MeMy passion comes from my love for personal interaction with my community. I have gained strong skills in designing and implementing programs/projects, seminars, and training throughout my career. At my time in Esperanza Academy I’m looking forward to supporting and growing with the students, parents and faculty members for many years to come.
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Katherine Justo
she/her
KITCHEN STAFFFor me, family time is my greatest source of joy. I am a mother of two, a girl and a boy, and seeing them happy is my greatest blessing and joy.
Para mi, el tiempo en familia es mi mayor fuente de alegría. Soy madre de dos, una niña y un niño, y verlos felices es mi mayor bendición y alegría.
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Lillian Leggio
she/her
ART TEACHER
Email MeMaking food & recyclable art; giving students choices and music. Playing board games with my family. Overfeeding my koi.
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Xander Oliveira
they/them
ENGLISH & HUMANITIES TEACHER
Email MeDancing bhangra, the smell of the kitchen at mealtimes, the texture of chewy foods like mochi and rice cakes, the sound of wind in the trees, hand-ground spice blends, brewing herbal tea, tabletop roleplaying games, telling and hearing stories told skillfully, kneading bread, performing theatrically, music with drones, singing harmonies, warm soup, the sound of chanting, the moment a student realizes they feel proud of themselves for learning something, a fresh cut from the barber, talking with my cats, rocking new tattoos for the first time once they've healed, sitting down after all the chores are done, thrifting, learning something new, the sound of the people I love laughing, getting lost in a fictional book or podcast, the sound and smell of running water, floating in the ocean, talking with my cats, the feel of my cats' fur, stargazing, mango sticky rice, fireplaces, when I can smell the neighbors' laundry detergent or fireplace smoke, possums, and thunderstorms.
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Candice Pechilis
she/her
DIRECTOR OF STEWARDSHIP AND ENGAGEMENT
Email MeTraveling to new places. Beautiful sunsets. The sound of ocean waves crashing. A nice breeze on a hot day. Listening to music (all kinds). Reading a good book. Taking a walk in nature. The smell of coffee brewing. A delicious meal. A friendly dog. Spending quality time with family and friends. Joking around with my spouse. Reminiscing on the good times. Setting goals and reaching them. A calm and peaceful heart and a clear mind.
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Andrew Powell
he/him
MATH TEACHER
Email MeSpending time with my family and friends. Spending time outdoors. Mountains, lakes and rivers. Traveling to new places. Learning new things. Listening to music. Playing music. Dancing in the kitchen. Navy blue crewneck sweaters. Talking sports. Outwitting fish. Teaching Math.
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Dianerys Rodriguez
she/her
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE SUCCESS
Email MeI usually find joy in the simple things like a new leaf growing on one of my plants, seeing a dog out of a car window, napping in the sun, thrifting, interior decorating, and cuddling with my dachshund. At Esperanza, there is joy everywhere! I find joy in seeing a child celebrate after getting the correct answer to a problem, chatting with my teacher friends after a school meal, seeing if I could go higher than a student on the swings, and visiting alum at various high schools throughout New England.
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Jennifer Suriel
she/her
DIRECTOR OF GRADUATE SUCCESS
Email MeThat first sip of morning coffee, cotton candy sunsets by the beach, my niece's contagious laughter, celebrating small wins with my students, diving into a good mystery novel, family meals around the table, nurturing my thriving plants, expressing my creativity through cake decoration, and the bliss of sleeping in on Saturday mornings.
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Libertad Vargas
she/her
SCIENCE TEACHER
Email MeI find joy in a quick game of dominos with my mom (she always wins). I find joy in a clean home, a hard day's work, and a simple meal of tostones and salami. I find joy in laughing and dancing with my family and friends or just listening to a good book as I cook a meal. I find joy in singing to God, reading the Word of God, and serving others for His glory.
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Bethany Wieczorek
she/her
MANAGER OF STEWARDSHIP AND GIFT ADMINISTRATION
Email MeVolkswagon buses
Spending time with my daughters
Nature and sunshine -
Grex Wolfe
they/them
MATH TEACHER
Email MeWhat brings me joy is coming together to accomplish a common goal, learning new things, being a part of a supportive community, spending time with animals, exploring and resting in nature, knitting and sewing, circus arts, autumn weather, and sharing laughter!