Meet Our Team | Teachers

At Kuumba Academy, we believe in the importance of recruiting, retaining, developing, and supporting great teachers and leaders who can help our students meet high standards. Read on to meet them!

""Kuumba is a great place to be. It allows kids to learn through the arts, dancing, singing, and jumping up and down. It exists to ignite passion in students."

- John Vitsorek | First Grade Teacher

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Arts Team
Kindergarten
1st Grade
2nd Grade
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade

Stephanie Morton

K-8 Visual Arts Instructor

stephanie.morton@kacsde.org

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Stephanie Morton

K-8 Visual Arts Instructor

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: stephanie.morton@kacsde.org

Darnell Miller

K-8 Music Instructor

dmiller @kacsde.org

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Darnell Miller

K-8 Music Instructor

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: dmiller @kacsde.org

Michnari Robinson

K-8 Band Instructor

mrobinson@kacsde.org

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Michnari Robinson

K-8 Band Instructor

Education: BM Samford University, MM University of Wisconsin-Madison

Experience: Michnari Robinson Brass | Michnari is an active brass instrumentalist based in Philadelphia. A versatile performer, he is a member of akadotdotdot, You Do You, and the West Philadelphia Orchestra. He also teaches at the school Kuumba Academy. Michnari’s pedagogy centers the transformational power of music to uplift students as individuals and members of their communities. Driven by his conviction that music is for everyone, he served in the ArtistYear Americorps teaching artist program to nurture young musicians in Title I schools. During that time he was also the audio engineer for the Rising Stars Podcast, hosted by Carol Jantsch and co-hosted by Bernard Flythe. The mission of the podcast was to conduct interviews with young brass musicians from underrepresented demographics. Throughout his time in Philadelphia, Michnari has been fortunate to perform with local acts such as Johnny Showcase, Simcha Band, and the Weez The Peeples Collective. He has a Bachelor’s degree in euphonium performance from Samford University, where he was awarded the Northrup Scholarship for outstanding performance. He continued his studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned his Master’s degree and was honored to attend on a fellowship (AOF) and teaching assistantship. His primary teachers were Charles Morgan, Demondrae Thurman, and Tom Curry.

Fun Fact: Michnari creates in music programming and music production.

Email: mrobinson@kacsde.org

Salimata Linguer

K-8 Drama and Passages Instructor

slinguer@kacsde.org

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Salimata Linguer

K-8 Drama and Passages Instructor

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: slinguer@kacsde.org

Alexis Rogers

K-8 Dance Instructor

arogers@kacsde.org

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Alexis Rogers

K-8 Dance Instructor

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: arogers@kacsde.org

Sianni Beckett

K-8 Dance Instructor

sbeckett@kacsde.org

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Sianni Beckett

K-8 Dance Instructor

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: sbeckett@kacsde.org

Preanna Jules-Hall

K-3 Drama

pjhall@kacsde.org

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Preanna Jules-Hall

K-3 Drama

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: pjhall@kacsde.org

Deborah Figueroa

K-8 Spanish Teacher

deboarahf@kacsde.org

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Deborah Figueroa

K-8 Spanish Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: deboarahf@kacsde.org

Danielle Harris

K-8 African American Studies, 8th Grade Team Lead Lead, Mentor/CIP Site Coordinator, K-8 Student Activities Coordinator

dharris@kacsde.org

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Danielle Harris

K-8 African American Studies, 8th Grade Team Lead Lead, Mentor/CIP Site Coordinator, K-8 Student Activities Coordinator

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: dharris@kacsde.org

Christopher Caldwell

K-8 Health & Physical Education Teacher, Athletic Director

ccaldwell@kacsde.org

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Christopher Caldwell

K-8 Health & Physical Education Teacher, Athletic Director

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: ccaldwell@kacsde.org

Immanuel Rufus

K-8 Health & Physical Education Resident Teacher

irufus@kacsde.org

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Immanuel Rufus

K-8 Health & Physical Education Resident Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: irufus@kacsde.org

Noelle Picara

K-8 Music Theater Instructor, Arts Integration Specialist

npicara@kacsde.org

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Noelle Picara

K-8 Music Theater Instructor, Arts Integration Specialist

Education: M.Ed, MFA Naropa University

Experience: 10 years as a choir, ELA, and musical theater teacher in public and private schools in Delaware and Ramstein, Germany. 16 years teaching dance, music, and theater in after school programs.

Fun Fact: Ms. Picara is working on becoming fluent in Spanish and loves learning salsa, African, and hip hop dances. She has played the piano since 1984 and performs as a singer-songwriter. Ms. Picara often travels solo and in the last year has visited Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic.

Email: npicara@kacsde.org

Glendoria Duncan

Kindergarten Teacher

gduncan@kacsde.org

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Glendoria Duncan

Kindergarten Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: gduncan@kacsde.org

Brielle Hurling

Kindergarten Teacher

bhurling@kacsde.org

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Brielle Hurling

Kindergarten Teacher

Education:

Experience:

Fun Fact:

Email: bhurling@kacsde.org

Khajay Gibbs

Kindergarten teacher

kgibbs@kacsde.ord

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Khajay Gibbs

Kindergarten teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: kgibbs@kacsde.ord

Tasia Muldrow

Kindergarten Co-Teacher

tmuldrow@kacsde.org

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Tasia Muldrow

Kindergarten Co-Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: tmuldrow@kacsde.org

Taniya Price

Kindergarten Paraprofessional

tprice@kacsde.org

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Taniya Price

Kindergarten Paraprofessional

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: tprice@kacsde.org

Teresa Stone

1st Grade Teacher

tstone@kacsde.org

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Teresa Stone

1st Grade Teacher

Education: West Chester University

Experience: Ms Stone has been a teacher at Kuumba for 16+ years.

Fun Fact: I have 3 dogs! I have lived in 9 places. I love the beach!

Email: tstone@kacsde.org

John Vitsorek

1st grade Teacher

jvitsorek@kacsde.org

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John Vitsorek

1st grade Teacher

Education: Mr. V. graduated from West Chester University.

Experience: Mr. V has been teaching kindergarten for over 22 years at only 2 different schools.

Fun Fact: Mr. V. loves to spend time with his family and going to concerts.

Email: jvitsorek@kacsde.org

Lisa Smith

1st Grade Teacher

lsmith@kacsde.org

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Lisa Smith

1st Grade Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: lsmith@kacsde.org

Wanda Ford

1st Grade Teacher

wford@kacsde.org

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Wanda Ford

1st Grade Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: wford@kacsde.org

Christine McFalls

1st Grade Co-Teacher

cmcfalls@kacsde.org

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Christine McFalls

1st Grade Co-Teacher

Education: Bachelors of Science Elementary Education Master Science of Education National Board Early Childhood Generalist

Experience: I have taught 18 years in the public /charter school system in South Carolina, West Virginia, and Delaware. I have taught ten years in a Christian School in South Carolina.

Fun Fact: I enjoy camping with my family. I like to fish and swim. I enjoy cooking and doing arts and crafts.

Email: cmcfalls@kacsde.org

Latisha Sapara

1st Grade Special Education Teacher

lsapara@kacsde.org

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Latisha Sapara

1st Grade Special Education Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: lsapara@kacsde.org

Tyshae Smart

1st Grade Paraprofessional

tsmart@kacsde.org

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Tyshae Smart

1st Grade Paraprofessional

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: tsmart@kacsde.org

Kim Warren

1st Grade Paraprofessional

kwarren@kacsde.org

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Kim Warren

1st Grade Paraprofessional

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: kwarren@kacsde.org

Iesha Huff

1st Grade Paraprofessional

ihull@kacsde.org

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Iesha Huff

1st Grade Paraprofessional

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: ihull@kacsde.org

Shysheen Nelson

2nd Grade Teacher

EMAILsnelson@kacsde.org

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Shysheen Nelson

2nd Grade Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: EMAILsnelson@kacsde.org

Nykisha Hall-Murphy

2nd Grade Teacher

nhall-murphy@kacsde.org

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Nykisha Hall-Murphy

2nd Grade Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: nhall-murphy@kacsde.org

Tawana Smothers

2nd grade Teacher

tsmothers@kacsde.org

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Tawana Smothers

2nd grade Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: tsmothers@kacsde.org

Tess Mukoda

3rd Grade Teacher

tmukoda@kacsde.org

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Tess Mukoda

3rd Grade Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: tmukoda@kacsde.org

Courtney Burruss

2nd Grade Paraprofessional

cburress@kacsde.org

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Courtney Burruss

2nd Grade Paraprofessional

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: cburress@kacsde.org

Alessandra Ehle

2nd Grade paraprofessional

aehle@kacsde.org

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Alessandra Ehle

2nd Grade paraprofessional

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: aehle@kacsde.org

Dominique VanCliff

K-2 Special Education Teacher

dvancliff@kacsde.org

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Dominique VanCliff

K-2 Special Education Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: dvancliff@kacsde.org

Sandira Burton

Special Education Support

sburton@kacsde.org

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Sandira Burton

Special Education Support

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: sburton@kacsde.org

Tawanna Marks

3rd grade Teacher

tmarks@kacsde.org

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Tawanna Marks

3rd grade Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: tmarks@kacsde.org

Emma Salsbury

3rd grade Teacher

esalsbury@kacsde.org

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Emma Salsbury

3rd grade Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: esalsbury@kacsde.org

Christopher Cush

3rd grade 1:1

ccush@kacsde.org

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Christopher Cush

3rd grade 1:1

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: ccush@kacsde.org

Judith Pratts

4th grade Teacher

jpratts@kacsde.org

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Judith Pratts

4th grade Teacher

Education: Graduated with a Masters degree from Rutgers University

Experience: Started teaching 4th grade at Kuumba in 2018. Previously gained experience at Woodrow Wilson Elementary in NJ, also teaching 4th grade math.

Fun Fact: I love spending time with my family, playing with my dog, Jeter and rooting for my favorite sports teams (NY Giants and NY Yankees).

Email: jpratts@kacsde.org

Carolyn Scott

4th grade Teacher

cscott@kacsde.org

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Carolyn Scott

4th grade Teacher

Education: She obtained her education degree at St Joseph’s University.

Experience: She has numerous years of experience in education and believes that children learn in different ways.

Fun Fact: Loves to travel.

Email: cscott@kacsde.org

Natasha Lamb

4th grade Teacher

nlamb@kacsde.org

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Natasha Lamb

4th grade Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: nlamb@kacsde.org

Kaylina Williams

4th grade Teacher

kawilliams@kacsde.org

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Kaylina Williams

4th grade Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: kawilliams@kacsde.org

Hunter Kleiner

4th grade Special Education Teacher

hkleiner@kacsde.org

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Hunter Kleiner

4th grade Special Education Teacher

Education: Hood College B.A. 2017 - Elementary 1- 6 /Special Ed K - 8 / Mathematic Minor/Endorsement (up to 9th); McDaniel College - Special Ed MS 2020

Experience: Special Education Resource Teacher : K - 5 and social/emotional/behavior support centered, Maryland - 3 years

Fun Fact: I have a different holiday outfit for each day, the whole month of December! This includes sweaters, vests, t-shirts, skirts, and socks, and leggings and I’m sure going to be masks, this year! :) I have jumped off a 50ft cliff into the ocean on the southernmost tip in Hawaii ( on Oahu) and I went indoor skydiving!

Email: hkleiner@kacsde.org

Naja Alexander

3rd grade Special Education Teacher

nalexander@kacsde.org

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Naja Alexander

3rd grade Special Education Teacher

Education: B.A. Psychology, A.A. Early Childhood Education

Experience: I have taught: Preschool, 2nd grade, 7th & 8th grade.

Fun Fact: I love baking and spending time with my family.

Email: nalexander@kacsde.org

Renee Taylor-Howard

4th grade Special Education Teacher

rthoward@kacsde.org

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Renee Taylor-Howard

4th grade Special Education Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: rthoward@kacsde.org

Adrian McDonald

5th grade Math Teacher

amcdonald@kacsde.org

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Adrian McDonald

5th grade Math Teacher

Education: Currently a senior at Delaware State University for Elementary Education

Experience: Completed junior practicum at various Elementary schools in Dover and a semester of student teaching at William Henry Middle School.

Fun Fact: Huge fan of the 76ers

Email: amcdonald@kacsde.org

Cevia Blevins

5th grade ELA Teacher

cblevins@kacsde.org

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Cevia Blevins

5th grade ELA Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: cblevins@kacsde.org

Nicole Gicker

5th/6th Grade Science Teacher

ngicker@kacsde.org

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Nicole Gicker

5th/6th Grade Science Teacher

Education: Graduated from Wilmington University

Experience: Ms. Gicker gained classroom experience at Providence Creek Academy, Prestige Academy, and Lombardy Elementary (in grades 5, 6, and 3 respectively) through student teaching and practicum placements.

Fun Fact: She loves spending time with her family, going to events and concerts with friends, gardening, and keeping her fingers crossed for the Phillies.

Email: ngicker@kacsde.org

Ronald Mickens

5th/6th grade Social Studies Teacher

rmickens@kacsde.org

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Ronald Mickens

5th/6th grade Social Studies Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: rmickens@kacsde.org

Lauren Robinson

6th grade ELA Teacher

lrobinson@kacsde.org

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Lauren Robinson

6th grade ELA Teacher

Education: Bachelors of Arts in English from Delaware State University

Experience: Taught both 10th and 11th grade ELA at Caesar Rodney High School.

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: lrobinson@kacsde.org

Joel Coppdage

6th grade Math Teacher

jcoppdage@kacsde.org

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Joel Coppdage

6th grade Math Teacher

Education: BA in math from Morehouse College, MS in applied math from North Carolina A&T State University, MA in math from Indiana University Bloomington

Experience: Mr. Coppadge as worked as a paraprofessional and math teacher at Gateway Charter School (8th grade science/social studies, 6th grade math). He has also worked as a long term substitute teacher at Middletown (high school math) and part time tutor at the Sylvan Learning Center.

Fun Fact: He loves spending time with his family and friends.
Joel also loves to watch movies and read comic books.
Lastly, Joel is a second degree black belt in karate and a part-time instructor at Gentle Palm Karate Academy.

Email: jcoppdage@kacsde.org

Meghan Serres

5th/6th grade Math Special Education Teacher

mserres@kacsde.org

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Meghan Serres

5th/6th grade Math Special Education Teacher

Education: Masters from Wilmington University

Experience: I have taught at Kuumba Academy for 9 years! I taught 1st and 2nd grade for rive years and now have shifted to a math focus, providing small group math intervention and teaching 5th and 6th grade math.

Fun Fact: I love hanging out with my husband and dog Esme. I enjoy reading and trying new things like sketching.

Email: mserres@kacsde.org

Sahar Ibrahim

5th/6th grade ELA Special Education Teacher

EMAILsibrahim@kacsde.org

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Sahar Ibrahim

5th/6th grade ELA Special Education Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: EMAILsibrahim@kacsde.org

Alice Robinson

5th/6th Special Education Teacher

arobinson@kacsde.org

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Alice Robinson

5th/6th Special Education Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: arobinson@kacsde.org

Eric King

7th grade Math Teacher

eking@kacsde.org

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Eric King

7th grade Math Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: eking@kacsde.org

Jaqueline Torkelson

7th/8th grade Social Studies Teacher

jtorkelson@kacsde.org

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Jaqueline Torkelson

7th/8th grade Social Studies Teacher

Education: EDUCATION

Experience: EXPERIENCE

Fun Fact: FUN-FACT

Email: jtorkelson@kacsde.org

Tianca Berrien

7th/8th grade Science

tberrien@kacsde.org

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Tianca Berrien

7th/8th grade Science

Education: Graduated from Lock Haven University

Experience: I have been working with youth and young adults in the areas of education and behavioral health for over 10 years.

Fun Fact: I am from Philly. I love traveling and spending time with the people I love. I have organization called journey to you that helps people go from being survivors to conquerors. Also I’m an Eagles fan.

Email: tberrien@kacsde.org