Who We Are

This marks Dr. Lisa Wright’s 35th year as the director of The Hollingworth Center where she works closely with all of our programs. For 45 years Dr. Wright has devoted her practice and her research to early childhood and gifted education. The depth of her comes from playing and working with over 700 Hollingworth preschoolers. As a faculty member in Teachers College Department Curriculum and Teaching with a specialization in giftedness,  Professor Wright teaches masters level students in courses including the Nature and Needs of the Gifted, Nurturing Potential in the Early Years, and guides practicum experience.  Dr. Wright has published articles in peer reviewed journals, won two paper of the year awards with Professor James Borland from the National Association for Gifted Children, as well as the MENSA Award for Excellenece in Research. With a deep commitment to practice, she has consulted with 80 schools globally, and is the recipient of federal and private grants. Professor Wright’s current research focuses on courage in very young children, the historical arc of LGBTQ+ picture books from the first publication to present, and tikuum olam, how children repair the world through play. Her absolute greatest joy is listening to and learning from her activist adult son and daughter Hollingworth alums, class of 2000.

Sarah Duer is the Director of Hollingworth Preschool. Beginning in 2014, Sarah has held a number of leadership positions within the Center. In these capacities she designed early childhood programs and developed curriculum with a special focus on phenomenon and place–based science as well as robotics. As an undergraduate Sarah received her Bachelor’s of Art from Occidental College where she was awarded the Davis Fund Award in Educational Leadership. Immediately after Occidental, Sarah made her way back east to begin her Master’s Degree program at Teachers College. Upon acceptance to TC, Sarah was awarded the Abby M. O’Neill Fellowship and received her dual certification in elementary and gifted education. Sarah taught at a citywide gifted and talented program as well public schools and independent schools, and has TA’d for graduate courses at TC. Teaching drew Sarah to school leadership, and she completed her MEd from Bank Street College in progressive leadership and her principal internship at a local DOE elementary school. Sarah is now a doctoral candidate in the department of curriculum and teaching at TC with a research focus at the intersection of early childhood education, culturally responsive pedagogy, and teacher professional learning. Sarah brings joy to Hollingworth everyday, tremendous care for all in our community, and enormous support for our parents and loved ones. When she is not directing the preschool or engaged in her doctoral studies, she replenishes herself through yoga, cooking, and running in Prospect Park.

Sophie Brotherton is delighted to begin her second year as the Head Teacher in the Yellow Class at Hollingworth. A graduate of Smith College, Sophie received her B.A. in East Asian Languages and Culture. While at Smith, Sophie spent her junior year in at Doshishs Univeristy in Kyoto, Japan. This experience inspired Sophie to begin her teaching career in Tokyo where she taught English at the high school level. During this time, Sophie realized her passion for multicultural and social justice-oriented curricula. Upon returning to NYC, Sophie entered the Teachers College, where she was an Annual Fund Scholar, and completed the Early Childhood & Special Education program and attained her New York State certifications in Early Childhood and Students with Disabilites Birth through Grade 2. Post graduation, Sophie has taught at a variety of early childhood centers and independent schools, most recently in kindergarten at the Ethical Culture Fieldston School. Each of these experiences solidified one of Sophie’s core beliefs:  children draw on their strong early childhood foundation for a lifetime and with that commitment always in mind, Sophie’s  inquiry process is inspired by a commitment to responding to the needs of each child, progressive education pedagogy,  and following the natural curiosities of her students. Sophie is also very passionate about early childhood LGBTQ+ curriculum. Beginning in September 2022, Sophie will commence her second MA at TC in the Literacy Program. Within a culture of care, Sophie ensures that all of her students feel represented and have agency in her classroom. When Sophie is not teaching, she enjoys reading, spending time with friends and family, biking around the city and yoga.

Emily Kutz is the Blue Class head teacher at Hollingworth Preschool and a current second-year student in the Teachers College MA in Applied Linguistics program. She holds a bachelor's degree Summa Cum Laude from Juniata College in both Early Childhood and Spanish Education. While at Juanita, Emily received numerous awards and was a member of four honor societies. Prior to her position at Hollingworth, Emily taught PreK in Madrid, Spain at the American School of Madrid for two years and on a prestigious Fulbright Teaching Fellowship grant at Colegio Alameda de Osuna International School for one year. Emily also taught preschool and kindergarten in Pennsylvania and Mexico. As an early childhood educator, Emily explores and incorporates process art and inquiry into her practice to scaffold student learning. She enjoys witnessing young students construct their own learning through natural play and authentic experiences. Emily is multilingual with her research focus on the intersection of emergent literacy of young children and multilingualism. Emily is a certified teacher in early childhood as well as Spanish Pre-k through grade 12. When she is not in the classroom, she loves boxing and traveling. Some of her favorite places she has visited include Portugal and Mexico.

An alum of both the Hollingworth Preschool and Hollingworth Science Camp, Nina Borland completed her undergraduate studies at Clark University, where she studied studio art and graphic design. Nina joined Hollingworth Science Camp as an assistant art teacher where she encouraged children's understanding of scientific phenomena through the visual arts for five summers. Currently Nina is a Curriculum Innovator and Creative Designer at Hollingworth, supporting our programs with her expertise in graphic design, communication, research, teaching, and the visual arts. She continues to build and maintain Hollingworth’s ever-evolving visual identity, She also teaches our youngest learners at Hollingworth Preschool, fostering artistic, creative, and critical thinking skills through exploratory play in her Art Exploration class.

In addition to her many Center-wide responsibilities, Nina also works with art and educational institutions as an independent freelancer. She finds time for her personal practice as well, creating art and photography surrounding themes of body, sense of self, the natural world, and intersectional feminism. A born-and-raised New Yorker from a multi-generation family of artists, Nina can be found exploring the nooks and crannies of NYC, singing songs, making art, and delving into the wonderful world of sci-fi and fantasy.

Antonio will be working as a Part Time Assistant Preschool Teacher and Administrative Assistant at Hollingworth Preschool. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and a Minor in Computer Science from the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College and is now working toward obtaining a Master of Arts in Music and Music Education with Initial Certification from Teachers College. His experience with early childhood education stems from his position as an intern at the Diller-Quaile School of Music, where he aided head teachers in creating musical classrooms and
experiences for young children, and where he earned a Certificate in Early Childhood Music. In addition to working with young children, he has worked with college students as a Computer
Science Teaching Assistant, and with high school students as an Access Coach at Let’s Get Ready. Antonio’s most recent position was at Brooklyn Botanic Garden, where he worked as a President’s
Assistant to support the President and his office. In addition to education and specifically, music education, Antonio is interested in music theory, music technology. and composition, and has
created music in his free time. He also often plays the trumpet and piano, and spends time with his friends, family, and dog, Olive.

Anamaria Amador grew up in Puerto Rico with an interest in education that was informed by her early experiences. She attended an arts-based Pre-K founded by Marisol Matos (daughter of Isabelita Freire a writer of children’s books and Francisco Matos Paoli nominated for Nobel Prize in Literature). At 4 years old, Anamaria was evaluated as a gifted child and entered the world of laboratory schools, studying from Kindergarten until High School in the Laboratory Schools from the University of Puerto Rico. Here, she enjoyed the areas of theater, movement, and visual arts, while receiving education in dance and music outside of school. She has a B.A. in Psychology (credits in Dance) from the University of Puerto Rico with a one-year exchange experience at Hunter College, CUNY. While in college she worked as a creative movement instructor for children and since then, has taught in educational environments that include performing arts schools, the Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico, the University of Puerto Rico and many community-based projects. She earned an M.F.A. in Dance from New York University and at Teachers College completed an M.A. in Psychology from the SMB Institute, and an Ed.M. in Applied Physiology. Right now, she is an Ed.D. student in the Applied Physiology program. She worked as an Arthur Zankel Fellow at the CU Early Head Start through the SKIP! project and recently, worked as a research assistant for both TC and Gibney Dance Center. She spent one semester at the Benjamin Altman Elementary School, where she guided SEL and mindfulness lessons for children. Anamaria loves the visual arts, dance and taking long walks through Central Park. She wants to share with Hollingworth’s students the joy of developing our creativity while learning.

Adela Lopez is thrilled to begin their first year as an assistant in the Blue Class at Hollingworth Preschool. Adela is a proud first-generation Mexican American who navigated their youth through visual imagery. They found that visual arts could be used as a way to communicate with others when their early English learning skills limited them and would later recognize its power in developing critical thinking skills to solve today's social injustices. It's no surprise that Adela went on to acquire their BFA in Art Education with a concentration in 3-Dimensional Studies at Georgia State University. They acquired skills in exploring social issues and traditions from students' communities to internationally recognized artists during their studies. Adela has a lengthy experience sharing their expertise including spaces such as museums, traditional classrooms, after-school programming, the Georgia Capitol as a legislative aide, and even at an elementary school in Taipei, Taiwan under a Fulbright teaching grant. This driving force has led Adela to pursue their MA in Art and Art Education at Teachers College as a Gates Millenium Scholar. They have a deep research interest in developing a sustainable and well-needed social reconstructionism framework for English Language Learners in art education. Adela's focus on socially conscious curriculum is significant in child development which has led them to Hollingworth Preschool. Outside of art education, Adela can be seen in the studio making their own work, crying at the movie theater over sad movies, singing their guts out at karaoke and at concerts, and serving their native community in Atlanta -- shout out to Buford Highway!

Hannah Mascuch is an Assistant Teacher at Hollingworth Preschool, and is a student in the Teaching and Curriculum Department at the Columbia Teachers College Masters of Arts in Elementary Inclusive Education with Gifted Extension Program. She graduated cum laude from Tufts University last May with a B.A., double-majoring in Education and English. Hannah took many psychology-driven Education classes that focus on teaching through an equitable, whole-child lens that places social and emotional learning and mindfulness at the forefront of students' learning. Previous to her current role, Hannah was an Assistant Preschool Teacher at the Friedberg Jewish Community Center, where she worked with children ages six weeks to five years old. She also worked throughout her senior year at Tufts as the Communications Director for Somerville Partnership for Young Children, a grant-funded program of Somerville Public Schools, in which Hannah advanced advocacy and outreach efforts for sustainable funding of the district's childcare and preschool system. In addition, she was a Breakthrough Greater Boston Teaching Fellow, which is a nine-week selective teacher-training program that serves underprivileged students in the Greater Boston area. Hannah taught 7th through 9th grade students English Language Arts and Bioethics, while also leading a Strong Links advisory curriculum for youth that focuses on connection and self-expression in social contexts. Outside of the classroom, Hannah loves painting, going to the beach, and boxing for exercise. She is so excited to meet new friends and young learners at Hollingworth!

Kathryn Hunter is looking forward to her first year at Hollingworth Preschool as an assistant teacher. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Education and Primary Science first-class honors degree from the University of Plymouth, Rolle College of Education, and received Qualified Teacher Status from the General Teaching Council for England.

As a result of this program, Kathryn realized a deep desire to create opportunities for young children to engage with and explore the world around them, embedding learning in sensory-rich environments that encourage children to discover, ponder, and question. A traveler at heart, Kathryn jumped at the opportunity to experience educational programs in The Gambia and Oman and volunteered at a school in the central highlands of Sri Lanka at a mountain school in Sri Lanka, valuing the joy and connection that comes from learning with and from one another. 

A dual citizen, Kathryn arrived in New York after teaching for three years in a small, nurturing Westcountry primary school in the U.K. In her first position in the city, Kathryn was fortunate to join The Children's Museum of Manhattan as an exhibition assistant. There, she gained a unique perspective on curriculum, design, and a child's emotional experience as they moved through the museum space. These experiences sparked Kathryn's keen interest in children's social and emotional well-being in a learning context.  

Throughout Kathryn's classroom and administrative roles, most recently at The Brearley School and Saint David's School, the positive impact of social and emotional skill development on a child's sense of self and their feelings of comfort and belonging when learning and exploring are at the forefront of her mind. This recently resulted in developing a social, emotional, and character development curriculum for elementary students in her last administrative position. Kathryn is thrilled to start her first year of the Ed.M. Counseling Psychology program this fall. 

When she is not in the classroom, Kathryn enjoys writing short stories, reading, walking her dog, Dylan, spending time with family and friends, and pilates.

Akane Yamamoto (she/her/hers) is a Yellow Class assistant teacher at Hollingworth Preschool. Growing up in a suburban area near Tokyo, Japan, nature and animals have always been important to her. It led Akane to the University of Vermont, where she majored in Environmental Studies and Political Science. She realized the importance and beauty of early childhood and school education through her honored thesis project of developing a nature-based curriculum with traditional Japanese children's songs for local kindergarteners in Burlington, Vermont. Upon graduation, Akane worked at a special school in Brewster, New York. As a Farm Intern, she worked with gifted children and took care of varieties of animals, including friendly llamas, rescued baby squirrels, and an injured Andean Condor.

After returning to Japan, she obtained nursery, kindergarten, and primary school teaching certificates in Japan. She taught at a public elementary school as a Teach For Japan fellow and remained to teach after completing the program. Her classroom centralized on understanding self and others through social and emotional learning and community building. Many experiences with her students in the classroom made her interested in children's self-esteem and personality development. 

Last fall, she came to Teachers College as a Fulbright scholar M.A. student in Developmental Psychology to pursue her passion to realize education that all children can have confidence in themselves as they are and live joyfully with others.

When she is not teaching, Akane enjoys going to the museums and theaters to feel arts and music, talking to squirrels in the parks, hiking, and camping.