KIPP STRIVE Academy Staff
Kimberly Bradley, Learning Specialist
Kimberly is a Learning Specialist. She began her career as a Teach for America corps member in New Orleans as a 4th and 5th grade learning coach. She continued her journey with TFA as a learning team leader, an admissions selector, and was honored to be selected as a regional finalist for the Sue Lehmann Teaching Award in her second year. Kimberly Bradley graduated from The University of Georgia with a degree in Psychology.
Vanessa Buchanan, 5th Grade Writing Teacher
Vanessa serves as the 5th Grade Writing Teacher. Before coming to KIPP, she taught 7th grade Language Arts in Memphis, TN as a Teach For America corps member. Vanessa earned a BS in Marketing from Indiana University and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Christian Brothers University.
Ed Chang, Principal
Ed is the Founder and Principal. Ed served the students of Atlanta for four years as a Teach for America corps member and seventh grade science teacher at Martin Luther King, Jr. Middle School after graduating. He was a founding teacher at Atlanta Charter Middle School and the Director of Strategic Initiatives at KIPP WAYS Academy. He participated as a Fisher Fellow in the KIPP School Leadership Program. Ed attended Washington University in St. Louis, where he earned a B.S. in biology and psychology and attended the Master's Program in Physical Therapy through the School of Medicine.
Abby Currens, 5th Grade Foundations Teacher
Abby currently serves as a 5th Grade Foundations teacher. While in college, she studied abroad in Rome, Italy. Following graduation, Abby relocated to Atlanta to begin her teaching career with Teach For America. Ms. Currens graduated from Depauw University with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a minor in Art History.
Brenda Douyon, 7th Grade Math Teacher
Brenda serves as the 7th Grade Math Teacher. She began her career in as a Teach for America corps member teaching 7th grade life science, 6th grade earth science and reading. She then went on to teach 6th and 8th grade math. She received her degree from Boston University.
Ayana Dunston, 6th Grade Writing Teacher
Ayana is the 6th Grade Writing Teacher. Ayana held her first teaching job in an elementary school in the Bedford Stuyvesant community of Brooklyn. She went on to manage programs for an educational non-profit and The Center for Black Literature at Medgar Evers College. She also had the opportunity to be a founding Dean of Students and teacher of a middle school in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Ayana earned her Bachelor’s of Sociology and Bachelors of Education degrees from York University.
Anne-Ross Edwards, Special Education Teacher
Anne-Ross serves as the Special Education Teacher. Upon graduation, she pursued a lifelong dream of living abroad by spending a year in Edinburgh, Scotland, working in a hostel and traveling through Western Europe. Later, she decided to serve Atlanta students as a Teach for America corps member. During her Teach for America tenure, she was nominated as a regional finalist for the Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching award. Anne-Ross graduated from Clemson University with a BA in psychology and an English minor. She also recently completed her Master's degree in teaching from Oglethorpe University.
Jennifer Freeman, 7th Grade Life Science Teacher
Jennifer serves as 7th Grade Science Teacher. Post graduation, she moved to Atlanta as a corps member in the Teach For America service movement where she taught 7th Grade science for four years before pursuing her Master of Arts in Teaching Science Education at Emory University. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Christy Harris, Lower School Dean & 5th Grade Reading Teacher
Christy is the Lower School Dean. She began her teaching career as an English teacher at Ben Carson Honors Prep School through the Teach For America program. During her term with TFA, she served as a School Site Coordinator and Secondary English Learning Team Leader. She attended the KIPP Pathways Leadership Institute and became the Lower School Dean of Culturje at Achievement First. She received a B.A. in English from the University of Georgia and a M.A. in English from Georgia State University.
Marsha Ivey, Office Administrator
Marsha serves as the Office Administrator. She Attended Clark Atlanta University and received an Associate Degree in Biblical Studies from Seed Faith Theological Seminary. She is also a founding KIPP parent with children attending both KIPP STRIVE Academy and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate.
Stephanie Jones, 6th Grade Math Teacher
Stephanie is the 6th Grade Math Teacher. Stephanie began her educational career as a 4th Grade Teacher at an Atlanta Public School through the Teach For America program. Stephanie is a graduate of the Westminster Schools and the University of Pennsylvania and she holds a Master’s degree from Georgia State University.
Kimberly Karacalidis, Director of Strategic Initiatives
Kimberly is the Director of Strategic Initiatives. She began her career as a Teach For America Corp Member in Atlanta, and worked with students from several different grade levels at Oglethorpe Elementary School, where she taught for three years. Kim was a founding teacher at KIPP WAYS Academy, the vice-principal and later principal. Kim received a BA in Religious Studies from Agnes Scott College and a Master's in Early Childhood Education from Georgia State University. She has a master’s in leadership from National Louis University.
Layla Latif, Receptionist
Layla serves as the Receptionist. Layla served on the Board of Directors for the Positive Edge, a nonprofit organization that provides career wardrobe for economically disadvantaged women and worked as a contributing writer for Culture Magazine, a teen publication focused on positive youth development. Layla earned a BA from San Francisco State University.
Olaava MacKenzie, 7th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Olaava currently serves as the 7th grade Social Studies Teacher. Olaava began her career as a Teach for America corps member teaching at South Atlanta High School of Law and Social Justice. She is a graduate of Evergreen State College with a Bachelor’s in Economics and History. She has a Masters in Teaching from Georgia State University.
Joshua Mathews, 6th Grade Earth Science Teacher
Joshua serves as 6th Grade Earth Science Teacher. Upon completing college he taught middle school in Arkansas. He then moved back to Georgia to accept a teaching opportunity with a middle school in Austell. He taught 6th grade Earth Science for four years and was nominated for Teacher of the Year in his 3rd year. Joshua earned his degree from Valdosta State University.
Sharon McDaniel, Education Assistant
Sharon currently serves as Educational Assistant. She has a corporate background in the field of law, and she is also a 2010 Founding Parent at KIPP STRIVE Academy. She earned her degree from the State University of New York at Farmingdale.
Celeste McNeil, 6th Grade Reading Teacher
Celeste is currently the 6th Grade Reading Teacher. As a member of Teach For America’s Eastern North Carolina Corps, Celeste taught Language Arts for three years in North Carolina. In her time there, she served as the Content Learning Community co-leader for the region’s middle school ELA teachers and was nominated for the Sue Lehmann Excellence in Teaching Award. She is a graduate of Clemson University, where she majored in English.
Maiesha McQueen, 7th Grade Literacy Teacher
Maiesha serves as the 7th Grade Writing Teacher. After beginning her teaching career as a Teach for America Corps Member, she has spent the last 8 years working in private, pubic, and charter schools in both New York and the metro Atlanta area. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre and Masters in Education from Fordham University
Johanna Mitchell, 7th Grade Reading Teacher
Johanna currently serves as 7th Grade Reading Teacher. At Santa Clara University she spent a semester teaching preschool on an Army base in Germany, built homes in Tijuana, and wrote her senior thesis on the oppression of Salvadoran youth after an immersion experience El Salvador. Johanna was a TFA Corp member. She graduated cum laude with a BA in Communications from Santa Clara University, specializing in Broadcast Journalism.
Grady Morris, Facilities & Technology Manager
Grady is a founding member of the KIPP STRIVE Academy team. He has always had an interest in understanding the workings of anything mechanical, computer related and the building construction process. He decided to pursue a career path related to these interests and has held positions in maintaining the condition and operation of corporate motor yachts, to the upkeep of a library's network, to housing construction and renovation. Grady graduated from Georgia State University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and later earned a Juris Doctor from John Marshall Law School.
Crystal Nasir, Director of Business Operations & Community Affairs
Crystal is the Director of Business Operations. Although a business major, she served as an Administrative Lead with both the Marin City Children's Program (MCCP) of Marin City and The Making Waves Education Program of Richmond, California. With both programs focusing on high school and college preparation, Shortly after this 8 year commitment, she worked as a Marketing Executive within the health care industry. Crystal graduated from Dominican University of San Rafael with a degree in International Management with an emphasis on Global Marketing.
Sarah Petters, 5th Grade Non-Fiction Teacher
Sarah currently serves as the 5th Grade Non-Fiction Teacher. She relocated to Houston during Hurricane Katrina, but worked in the recovery efforts when she moved back to New Orleans before she graduated. Sarah earned her BA in French and International Development and her Master’s degree from Harvard School of Public Health.
John Rajeski, Upper School Dean
John is the Upper School Dean. Prior to teaching, John spent twelve years in the television industry including several years on the staff of the Emmy award winning show, "Frasier.” He later joined Teach For America and taught 4th grade at PS 153 in Washington Heights. After two successful years there, he accepted a position at KIPP STAR College Prep Charter School in Harlem as their 5th grade founding writing teacher. In 2006, John joined several other KIPP teachers and school leaders to launch the KIPP World Class Writing Project, a study of the most effective strategies used in classrooms across America to create strong student writers. John graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in writing from the Newhouse School of Communications.
Master Nathaniel Robinson, Tae Kwon Do
Nathaniel currently serves as Tai Kwon Do Instructor. With 34 years of teaching experience, Master Nate has a passion for teaching youth and watching their development and improvement, not only in Taekwondo, but in school grades, personal home, and life skills. Master Nate also teaches classes for Camp Village, Greater Travelers Rest Church and his own dojang Superkicks.
Amber Stewart, 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Amber is the 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher. Amber began her career as a first grade teacher with Teach for America. Amber graduated from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcast Journalism.
Mike Stewart, 5th Grade Math Problem Solving Teacher
Mike is the 5th Grade Math Problems Solving teacher. Before teaching, he spent four years with Sears Holdings Corporation, during which time he enjoyed much success as the Operations Manager of the largest store in the Atlanta district. He ultimately decided to leave the business world to join Teach For America and enter the classroom. He served his commitment with the corps as the 4th grade mathematics teacher at Seaborn Lee Elementary in Fulton County where he was named the 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year. Mike was a 2003 graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Marketing. He completed a Master's Degree from the University of Georgia in Educational Administration and Policy.
Jennifer Trapp, Sixth Grade Writing Teacher
Jennifer currently serves as the sixth Grade Writing Teacher. She began teaching fourth and fifth Grade English and Social Studies in Newark, New Jersey through the Teach for America program. After completing her two year commitment, Jennifer relocated to Atlanta, where she worked as the fifth Grade Reading Teacher and Reading Coach at KIPP WAYS Academy for four years. In 2010, Jennifer moved back to New Jersey where she served as the founding fifth Grade ELA teacher, Master Teacher, and Instructional Leader at North Star Academy, part of the Uncommon Schools network. She earned her Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Ilantha Ushry, Part-time Administrative Assistant
Ilantha is an Administrative Assistant. She is also a KIPP parent and has committed more than 500 service hours to several office projects prior to coming on board with the KIPP STRIVE Academy administrative team. She oversees the parent communication tool, the Monday Folder. She is proud to contribute to an organization she believe in.
Warren Wade, Physical Education Teacher
Warren currently serves as Physical Education Teacher. He finished his undergraduate studies in Health and Physical Education and received his Bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College. He obtained his Master’s degree in Special Education from Clark Atlanta University. Most recently, he completed classes in Educational Leadership from the University of West Georgia.
Victoria Young, Cafeteria Manger
Victoria manages the cafeteria at KIPP STRIVE Academy. Previously, she worked at KIPP Tech Valley in Albany, New York as the Food Service Supervisor. She takes pride in preparing the best meals for KIPPsters and staff.