Instructional Assistants

Antonia Joy Robertson is a high school educator in Hampton, Virginia. Her work aims to advance equitable and effective opportunities that empower Black women across the Diaspora to attain healthy, joyful, and liberated livelihoods.

A graduate of the Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Joy earned her Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service, majoring in Regional & Comparative Studies, focused on human and economic development in Francophone Africa. While studying abroad in Lyon, France, she completed coursework in African history, culture, and international politics. She served as a correspondent for the Berkeley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs. Joy was humbled to serve as a connective, caring leader throughout her undergraduate career in religious, Black affinity, women’s, and volunteer organizations. 

Following her time at Georgetown, Ms. Robertson earned a position in the highly competitive Global Citizenship Fellowship, working as a Community Engagement Fellow for UNICEF USA in Washington, DC, where she served as an educational spokeswoman, program manager, and lobbyist for the international children’s development organization across multiple stakeholder populations. Seeking on-the-ground field experience in development, she pursued the opportunity of a lifetime by serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Praia do Bilene, Gaza, Mozambique. During her two years, Joy taught secondary school, created and managed grassroots public health programs in HIV/AIDS and early pregnancy prevention, and led the peer support network for volunteers from diverse and marginalized backgrounds. This transformative experience propelled Joy to pursue community development through education in the United States. She’s attained French, Portuguese, and Spanish proficiency through her lifelong studies and work abroad.

Ms. Robertson earned a Master of Arts in Teaching of Social Studies from Teachers College, Columbia University, as a Jaffe Fellow - a Coverdell Fellowship that provides a 100% tuition scholarship for Returned Peace Corps Volunteers who commit to serving high-need youth in New York City schools for three years. Most recently, she returned to TC and earned her Master of Education in Public School Building Leadership as a member of the 2022 Summer Principals Academy, New York City cohort! Learning as much from the experiences and strengths of her classmates as she did from the expertise of her professors, Joy gained an invaluable set of skills necessary to affect systemic-level change for marginalized, under-resourced, and spiritually uprooted communities.

Taylor Panzer is the STEM Academic Coordinator at Harlem Village Academies High School. She has experience teaching high school Biology and Psychology in various IB-For-All schools in New York and Texas. Originally from North Carolina, she graduated from Duke University in 2018 with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and minors in Chemistry and Global Health.

During the summer of 2019, she first discovered her passion for education policy through her work with the Urban Leaders Fellowship, where she developed recommendations on best practices in teacher pipeline and retention for the Dallas Independent School District. In addition, she worked on the creation of a bachelor's degree program in early childhood education at the Dallas County Community College District.
Taylor decided to further explore the vast ways in which education policy and advocacy directly affect teachers, students, and families by studying for a Master’s in Public Policy at the University of Oxford. During her time in the United Kingdom, she studied literacy and numeracy rates in 26
countries, detailing the disparity in educational outcomes between developing and developed nations.
She has since returned to the classroom in NYC to continue working toward sustainable and equitable change in public education through both policy and practice. Taylor was a member of the SPA|NYC 2022 Cohort and is eager to support students as they begin their SPA journey!

Hello! I am Anthony Oddo, and I was a part of the 2021 SPA Cohort. I am currently a  Special Education Teacher in Greenwich Public Schools and am about to complete my 10th  year as an educator. In my tenure, I have held many different positions in special education.  

Post-SPA, I became immersed in many different leadership roles in my school and district. At this time, I am currently the following: Staff Advisor Representative,  Teacher Representative for the Student Council, Team Member of our Safe School Climate  Committee, and Lead Teacher for our Crisis Intervention Team. In addition to these responsibilities, I have chaired and facilitated PPT (IEP) and Team Meetings. Within Greenwich  Public Schools, I am also the lead special education teacher representative for a District  Committee revising the evaluation procedures for special education teachers.

Catherine Davis is from Wethersfield, Connecticut, and she attended Emmanuel College in Boston, Massachusetts, to pursue her dream of becoming an educator. Cat received her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Emmanuel in elementary education, and she is also licensed to teach special education to students with moderate disabilities. Cat's first years of teaching were in substantially separate special education classrooms in the Boston Public School system. She is a sixth-grade inclusion teacher at the K - 8 Murphy school in Dorchester, Massachusetts. In addition to teaching special education at the Murphy, Cat is a member of the Instructional Leadership Team and Restorative Justice team and leads the Social Emotional/Wellness Team. Cat is passionate about finding creative ways to reach all students and building strong relationships. She chose to continue her education at Teachers College because she wanted to surround herself with peers and professors who share her vision of creating more equitable and joyful schools. Cat enjoys coaching softball and basketball, exercising, and spending time with family and friends when she is not teaching.

Christopher Michael, a native of Orange, CT, transitioned to Fresno, CA, to pursue higher education at Fresno State University. His journey included a remarkable achievement—winning a national championship in bowling while proudly representing the university.

With a master's in Curriculum and Instruction from Fresno State University, Christopher dedicated years to teaching mathematics in Elementary and Middle Schools. His impact was recognized
when he rose to the position of Campus Culture Director at Scandinavian Middle School, where he played a crucial role in fostering an inclusive learning environment.

Christopher's pursuit of educational excellence led him to Teachers College at Columbia University, where he completed the Summer Principals Academy in 2023. Armed with a heightened understanding of academic leadership, he champions student engagement and equal opportunities for all learners.

Currently serving as an Instructional Assistant at Columbia University's Summer Principal Academy, Christopher Michael brings a wealth of experience and a passion for creating supportive and enriching
educational spaces. His commitment to student success and inclusive learning environments solidifies his role as a valuable asset in shaping future educational leaders.

My educational philosophy begins with me as a learner – the eighth grader who sat in a row facing the front of a classroom with a dream to become someone who impacts people, the high schooler whose English teacher influenced her to become a teacher, and the graduate student who excelled in the face of adversity.

I migrated to the Bronx from Antigua, West Indies, when I was 13. As an immigrant child of a single mother living in the Bronx, my first interaction with an educator in the United States was emotionally traumatizing. The eighth-grade English Language Arts teacher instituted unethical grading practices that were
ethically and racially biased. I once again experienced this form of emotional trauma in my first semester in graduate school. The professor used unfair grading practices to evaluate my work harshly, convincing me I did not belong in the graduate program. As a result of those experiences, imposter syndrome became a psychological hurdle I would have to navigate in my personal and professional life. It was the act of learning that
served as the thing that allowed me the opportunities to access resources, think critically about the world, and empower me to impact the world in a meaningful way. I have since earned a second master's degree from an Ivy League institution, and I am currently a Doctoral Candidate at Capella University.

Despite the implicit biases I was exposed to as an immigrant learner, I believed in the power of education. As a classroom teacher, I realized that education is how all children learn to be critical thinkers to transform our world. My role as a pedagogue was to provide the right conditions for my students to thrive academically and emotionally. The educators who negatively impacted me in eighth grade and graduate school neglected the emotional and interpersonal aspects of learning. As I have evolved as a pedagogue and a professional, I have grounded my educational philosophy in the tenets of social constructivism. Learning
occurs when educators invite learners to individually and socially construct knowledge based on their experiences. Learning is an independent and social experience; therefore, incorporating collaborative and autonomous learning opportunities is essential when planning and implementing learning experiences. Adopting a social constructivist approach to teaching and learning allowed me to establish and maintain a sense of community where each learner is a valued co-contributor and participant within the learning environment.

As I have transitioned into an administrative role within the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE), the shift from teaching students to supporting adults with their professional development expanded my philosophy of education to include Kolb's experiential learning theory. I further appreciate learners' knowledge and experiences in the learning environment. I relentlessly believe that it is my responsibility to not only leverage their prior knowledge and experiences but also ensure that learners are engaged in a cycle of learning that includes the amalgamation of new and old knowledge and experiences while applying their learning in new and innovative ways guided by feedback to deepen the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to meet the expectations of learning articulated in the instructional plan. My educational philosophy has evolved as I have in the past seventeen years. I strive to make every learner (child or adult) feel valued in the learning spaces I influence so that they can feel valued, welcomed, and safe when taking academic risks that will individually and collaboratively push their and their peers' thinking.

Connie Sanchez, EdD, is an accomplished and visionary educational leader, currently serving as
the Executive Director at Unity Charter School. With a strong academic background and a
passion for fostering student achievement, Connie has consistently driven the school towards
becoming a Tier I performing institution. This year, her school was designated a 2024 Blue
Ribbon Lighthouse School.

At Unity Charter School, Dr. Sanchez leads the staff collaboratively, focusing on
curriculum development, implementation, and continuous revision. Under her guidance, the
teaching methods align seamlessly with core curriculum requirements while fulfilling the
school's mission of promoting ecological sustainability. Connie's commitment to environmental
education has been instrumental in nurturing a learning environment that celebrates and honors
our planet and its diverse inhabitants.

As the Executive Director, Dr. Sanchez’s primary goal is to nurture eco-literate global citizens
who recognize the interconnectedness of humans with the planet. Her leadership empowers
teachers to create learning environments that promote global and higher-order thinking. With a
strong background in education and professional development, she has played a crucial role in
elevating STEM curriculum and language arts literacy intervention programs. Her experience as
a Peer Instructor with the Merck Institute for Science Education and a member of the science
leadership team, while a teacher, have honed her expertise in these areas.

Before her tenure at Unity Charter School, Dr. Sanchez showcased her exceptional skills as a
National Training Officer and National Development Officer with Smith Barney. During this
time, she focused on curriculum development and implementation for financial advisors,
collaborating with managers and subject matter experts across the country to design effective
professional development programs.

Dr. Sanchez’s prowess in adult development and her ability to create engaging and impactful
training programs have been widely recognized. She has received awards and grants for her
contributions to Technology Innovation in Elizabeth Public Schools, where as a teacher she was
also honored with the 2011 Keys to Excellence Award in Teaching for her outstanding
performance on the New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge Test in science.

Michael Cornell is a 5th-grade teacher in a New York City public school. He previously studied elementary education at Teachers College and the educational philosophy of Soka at DePaul University. He is also an SPA alumni and supports his school district with data
analysis and school progress monitoring for school-wide improvements.

Clementine Wurzbach is an actor, bodyworker, yoga teacher, and workshop assistant for the leadership development company Awareness In Motion (AIM).

Having grown up with a yoga and bodywork studio on her family’s property in rural CT, her work in the field of health and wellness is an extension of who she is and how she was raised. She began practicing yoga in earnest at the age of thirteen as a way of dealing with autoimmune issues and a host of injuries from playing soccer, horseback riding, and just growing tall, really fast. These studies deepened during her four years of study at Carnegie Mellon School of Drama, where she took movement and dance classes and led a yoga-based warm-up class for underclassmen. During the pandemic, when we all got stopped in our tracks, she decided to complete certification to become a yoga teacher and study anatomy. In the following years, she completed her bodywork training, got certified in Fascia Stretch Therapy through Stretch To Win, and began work for Awareness In Motion (AIM), where she has had the pleasure of working with school leaders across the country on workshops that bring mind and body awareness to SEL and leadership development.

When she is not offering bodywork, working with AIM, or pursuing a career in acting, she is writing music and singing in a band with some of her best friends or gardening at her parent's home in Connecticut.

Throughout my career, I have been deeply committed to creating inclusive learning environments, introducing innovative educational programs, and cultivating the next generation of learners and leaders. As the future Founding Principal of a distinguished private school in Northvale, NJ, scheduled to open its doors in June 2024, I am spearheading the development of an educational institution that epitomizes excellence, innovation, and community spirit. This endeavor is informed by the extensive knowledge and skills I've acquired at the Summer Principal Academy at Teachers College. My responsibilities are multifaceted, encompassing the establishment of the school's foundational curriculum, the recruitment of a team of exceptional educators, and the assurance that all staff commences with a consistent base of knowledge, coupled with ongoing opportunities for professional development.

Since August 2020, I have held various roles at a prestigious private high school in NJ, including Seton Hall PA Instructor, DEI Coordinator, and Math & Econ Teacher. In these capacities, I have actively led diversity and inclusion initiatives, markedly improving the school's cultural competence and the enrollment of minority students. My initiatives to integrate college-level courses and to develop comprehensive curricula in mathematics and economics have significantly raised academic standards and broadened the scope of remote learning opportunities. Moreover, my establishment of community outreach tutoring programs and leadership of the National Math Honor Society underscore my unwavering dedication to academic excellence and community engagement.

Ghipsel Cibrian (she/her/hers) is a non-profit professional and currently holds a master's in education policy as a candidate at Teachers College, Columbia University. Her interests are school choice models, resource allocation in the education sector, and how data informs decision-making from school-site to the national level. Before Teachers College, Ghipsel worked with rural schools in Peru and, most recently, with urban school teams across the Bronx, Harlem, and Cleveland, Ohio. Ghipsel earned her B.A. in Government from Georgetown University. 

Victoria went to her first Broadway show from her mom’s belly before growing up in Queens, New York, where her fire for performing ignited. Victoria’s family later moved to Palm City, Florida, where she attended high school and won state-wide awards for her performance.

During her time at CMU, Victoria was drawn to filmmaking, so she wrote, directed, produced, and acted in her short film, commenting on mental health awareness.

Outside of drama training at Carnegie Mellon, she enjoys running outdoors, modeling, learning about energy/art healing, and yoga. Now and again, she finds herself in her kitchen dancing to “No Scrubs” by TLC while cooking a vegan meal with her friends.

Victoria is grateful to have graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Carnegie Mellon at this point in her journey. As an artist, she finds that acting is her vessel of communication, and her purpose is to inspire people to be themselves—to have full and dimensional voices.