Former division 1 Football player, international wrestling champion, lover of healthy eating, and daily movement. The class centers on students creating personal goals for health and fitness, then coming in each day and working toward those goals. With my help we put together strength routines, learn to eat for longevity, play ping pong, and just have fun with movement everyday

Andy Snyder has worked for many years with young people to help them develop their insight, courage, and strength. In his own words, “Why? Partly because he wants to work on his own qualities. Partly because it feels like the right thing to do – to help others develop their capacity to live more deeply. And there’s something magical about a group of people working together to do something really important.” Andy lives in Brooklyn by Prospect Park, sails a small boat in Sheepshead Bay, and originally grew up in Southwestern Florida. One of his main difficulties in life is that he likes to have challenging discussions but is also an introvert. His interests include philosophy and juggling—he leads our Think TANK after-school group—and he feels he has room to grow in dancing and writing. Andy is a National Board Certified teacher.

Angelo unites his background as a neuroscience researcher at NYU-Mount Sinai coupled with years of teaching at an independent middle school to bring the beauty and wonder of the scientific world to Harvest Collegiate. Angelo holds a PhD in Cellular Neurobiology. Angelo started his public school teaching as one of the founding teachers of the school learning so much from teachers who were experienced master teachers. It has already been more than a decade since those early years at Harvest Collegiate. That experience informs the basis of his teaching. Angelo seeks to connect students to the relevance of science in their lives and its role in shaping society. His goal is not just to empower students to be critical thinkers but to help them ‘see’ the amazing beauty that is right in front of their eyes if they only could see with the penetrating vision and imagination of a scientist who remains a curious child all of their lives.

Anna Solovyeva is a Chemistry teacher at Harvest Collegiate. She enjoys planning chemistry lab experiments and inquiry activities to help students curious and versed in Chemistry. She holds a Bachelors degree in Biology from Rutgers University, and a Masters in Science Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. In her free time, Anna loves being outdoors, playing tennis, swimming, and spending time with her family.

Ashraya has taught in New York City since 2009. In the classroom, she specializes in STEM curricula focused on art chemistry, climate change, environmental justice, and journalism. She is a two-time Math for America master teacher and an Academy for Teachers Bread Loaf School of English fellow. Outside of teaching, she has worked in radio, producing two seasons of the podcast Lost Women of Science and one season of the podcast Sapiens. She is a musician and is glad to have found all her bandmates here at Harvest Collegiate.

Betsy Nordlander received her Master’s in Social Work from Hunter College where her thesis focused on how parent-child connectedness influences adolescent emotional functioning. Betsy joined Harvest in its inaugural year while completing her Master’s degree and was invited to come on board full-time in 2014. At Harvest she helps foster social and emotional growth in students and their families through supportive counseling and advocacy. She is honored to work alongside an incredibly dedicated faculty in helping Harvest students develop their minds, hearts and voices. Betsy’s past experiences include working with families in the pediatric unit of New York Methodist Hospital and at Birch Family Service’s Queens Early Childhood Center. While living with her family in London, England Betsy trained to work preventatively with immigrant, refugee and low-income expectant mothers identified as being vulnerable to post-partum depression and also took part in The Race Equality Foundation’s Strengthening Families Strengthening Communities program. In 2016 she completed the One Year Introductory Program in Relational Psychotherapy at the Stephen Mitchell Relational Study Center. Prior to finding her calling as a social worker, Betsy obtained a B.A. in Literature from Bard College and then worked for nearly 10 years offering creative and organizational support in the Architecture and Design fields. She maintains a love for architecture, design and all things DIY. Her other interests include spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, reading, getting lost and practicing yoga.

Dakota Lew is Harvests marketing Specialist for the Futures Office and our dedicated Photography teacher. In his class you'll dive into the world of photography, gaining hands-on experience with cameras while learning essential technical skills. 

Gemma Cangero-Serna joined the math team at Harvest in 2023. She is a graduate of Bard College at Simon's Rock and New York University, and a current Master Teacher Fellow at Math for America. In addition to teaching Algebra II this year, she greatly enjoyed her Puzzle Club and co-leading a Crocheting and Knitting intensive, and hopes to bring both back in the future.

Janelle is an ASL, ELA, and Musical Theatre Teacher, as well as the chair of the Performing Arts Department, at Harvest Collegiate. They are an Alumni of Manhattanville College, Juilliard School, and Lehman College. They have had their musicals presented at various Theaters such as The Kennedy Center, Legoland New York, Joe’s Pub, Seattle Public Theater, and National Black Theatre, and take such pride in being the Director for Harvest Collegiate High Schools Musicals and Concerts.

Jessica Lovaas has been working with young people as an organizer, college counselor, and educator for nearly two decades. She loves teaching because it is always pushing her to grow, because young people are often energizing and honest, and because she believes schools can be an important avenue for trying to build a more just and more meaningful world. She currently teaches courses in US history, gender studies, and social movements, building off her PhD in American Studies & Ethnicity. She began her career working with young people and adult learners on Rikers Island and lobbying for criminal justice reform at the city and state level. She has also worked with foster youth in California, helping build out statewide college and career support systems that make it easier for students in extedned foster care to get into and excel in college. She has six sisters and one brother, loves long and complex strategy board games, and on the weekend, can often be found running or playing with her baby in Central Park.

Julia is in her 9th year of teaching at Harvest. She teaches Advanced Functions and Trigonometry and Infinity and Beyond: An Introduction to Calculus. She has also taught Computer Science and runs the Coding Club. Julia is also Harvest's UFT Chapter Leader. Outside of school, Julia enjoys knitting, listening to podcasts, and going for walks and runs in Prospect Park. Julia has a B.A. in cognitive science from Brown University and a M.A. in secondary math education from City College. Julia is also a Math for America Master Teacher and National Board Certified.

Katia is an innovative mathematics and special education teacher, with twenty years of experience teaching and a background in architecture and anthropology. Born in Brazil and fluent in Portuguese, Katia worked in the architectural field for more than a decade in a variety of projects, many of which involved Indigenous people in the Amazon region. Her work focused on green architecture, sustainability, and ethno-knowledge. Upon moving to the United States in 1993, she explored a career in education and pursued a Masters in Math Education at City College in New York, as well as her Students with Disabilities license. In this capacity, she taught at the Child School/Legacy High School on Roosevelt Island for 11 years. She is committed to developing project-based hands-on lessons in a friendly, respectful, and engaging environment. She enjoys putting together cross curriculum projects, and she is dedicated to creating a classroom in which every student’s curiosity for learning is cultivated. Katia has been an enthusiastic synchronized swimmer since childhood, and continues to practice and coach this sport as a therapeutic hobby.

Laura uses her world experience of over 15 years at United Nations to bring the study of numbers and patterns alive for students. As the Statistician for the United Nation’s Human Development Report Office, Laura worked one-on-one with prominent policy makers including Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen to develop various metrics that captured multi-dimensional poverty. She was the focal point for Latin America of her unit and specialized in gender empowerment and educational policies. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay and fluent in Spanish, Laura holds a Bachelors of Business and Administration degree from Baruch College, intensive Graduate studies in Economics from New York University and a Masters in Arts in Education from St. John’s University; she also has specialized training in Singapore Mathematics and advanced training on quantitative research from the Luxembourg Income Studies. Rooted in New York now to raise her son and committed to education for the past decade here, Laura loves to see the “ah ha” moments of mathematical understanding on her students’ faces. Recently, she was involved with a team of experts in developing STEM performance tasks bundles for the NYC Department of Education as well as the City College STEM Institute. Over the summer, she was a leading member of Hunter College’s Peer Enabled Restructured Classroom grant and mentored several math educators. Laura has earned several awards and recognitions including nomination for Teacher Fellow of the Year and winning Walsworth’s Yearbook National Yearbook of the Year award in 2011-2012. Laura enjoys creating Lego designs with her son, visiting aquariums, cycling, raising money for charity and making short films. Laura leads our Filmmaking Club and Student Ambassadors program. Her mantra: Life is good!

With a decade of experience as a beloved educator, I am dedicated to creating an inclusive and engaging classroom where every student's voice and lived experience is valued and their presence recognized. I strive to foster an environment where joy, curiosity, and compassion thrive. In my role as an ICT English and Social Studies teacher, I've had the privilege of co-creating engaging courses like Identity Quest, Love and Rage, Culture Clash, Postmodern Black Girl Blues, Banned Books, Writing the Great American Novel, and Revolutions. Beyond the classroom, my role as the co-lead teacher of the Black Student Union allowed me to develop a culturally sensitive curriculum to facilitate open dialogues on the rich tapestry of the Black Diaspora. I have a BA in Philosophy from Bryn Mawr College, M.Ed. from Hunter College, and I am a certified MNDFL Mindfulness Teacher and Trauma-Informed Breathworker.

Mary Ann has been teaching for 12 years and has been at harvest for 8! She loves teaching, coffee and her dog Mona. When she isn't teaching Spanish, Health or art, Mary Ann leads Harvest's sewing club and Harvest Outdoors club.

In 2008 I started my journey with the Department of Education as the Community Assistant for Brooklyn Preparatory High school in Williamsburg. My passion for helping students and parents elevated me to become the school's Parent Coordinator in 2013. After many years at Brooklyn Prep I was ready to lend my guidance and support to another educational institute. I joined Harvest Collegiate High School as the Parent Coordinator in February 2016. I am honored to be part of Harvest's diverse community. In addition to my daily duties , I was able to bring mental health workshops to our parent community as the need for Mental health support is needed more than ever these days. I live with my daughter in Brooklyn, NY. and in my free time you can find me Disneybounding (Look it up) as my favorite Disney Character .

Lucas Brooks is a music teacher and Futures counselor at Harvest. He is a multi-instrumentalist and was a member of Harvest's first graduating class, helping to start the after-school rock band as a student. Lucas is excited to now be teaching rock band classes and to return to the after-school rock band club as he continues to run it with Stephon on Tuesdays. This club focuses on music fundamentals, such as learning chords/beats, playing as a band, and performance. 

Nitzan is passionate about teaching and connecting students to opportunities beyond the classroom. 

She has worked for over 17 years as a learning specialist, collaborating and supporting social studies classrooms. Now, she is serving as the coordinator and counselor with the Futures Office. In this role, she provides comprehensive post-secondary counseling and assistance to students, helping them navigate pathways to pursue their passions and professional futures.

Nitzan graduated with honors from Wesleyan University. She holds two master's degrees—one in Education through the NYC Teaching Fellows program and another in Social Policy and Applied Statistics—from New York University. She has also participated in several educational programs in Mexico and San Diego with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and Gilder Lehrman. 

Phillip is an experienced educator, avid historian, and professional musician. As someone who has had a nontraditional path to teaching and education, he is passionate in mentoring students to experience an intellectual journey that will lead them towards their own paths in life. As an educator, his goals are to expand student access to vocational opportunities, especially in music and the arts, and cultivate civic awareness and community activism among students. Besides being a teacher at Harvest, Phillip has also been recognized for his commitment to community development and non-profit work on Staten Island where he currently resides.

Michelle R. Britto, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and the lead social worker with the counseling office. The office works with a team model approach with 5 social workers. Each of them bringing their own expertise.

Merida teaches in Harvest’s English department, designing courses that center rigorous literary analysis and social justice. Before starting at Harvest she taught middle and high school in New York City for seven years. She holds a M.A. in the Teaching of English from Teachers College, Columbia University and a B.A. from Hunter College (CUNY) in Sociology. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate at The University of Georgia, in the Language and Literacy Department with a focus in English Education. Her research interests include restorative justice and practices, and the ways that care is enacted in the secondary classroom. Recent publications include an essay, “Seeing in Color: How Are Teachers Perceiving Our Diverse Autistic Students?” in Ought: The Journal of Autistic Culture, a book review of Dr. Maisha Winn’s Justice on Both Sides: Transforming Education Through Restorative Justice, and a chapter in Multicultural Curriculum Transformation in Literacy and Language Arts, Volume 2 on Harvest’s practice of inquiry-based learning.

Native New Yorker from the Upper Westside and UCLA graduate BA in Dance Education and MA in Media Arts from SUNY Empire State. A former professional dancer with Lula Washington Dance Theater while at UCLA. Background includes production associate for NBCUniversal, New Line Cinema, NBA Entertainment, FOX Television before teaching dance and media education to 9-12 in the public high schools. This is her 5th year at Harvest Collegiate teaching the Advanced Choreography Program. Sharon enjoys attending film festivals and also a soccer mom.

Susan has been doing college counseling since the 1990s, helping students with their applications, financial aid, essays, interviews, recommendations, and SAT preparation. She worked at the United Nations International School and St. Johns University. She's also been a journalist since 1981, spending the bulk of her career at The New York Times, writing special sections on education, home decorating, fashion, and weddings. She was also the Kids Editor and columnist at New York magazine, the Ask A Mom advice columnist at Brides magazine, and the media columnist at Adoptive Families magazine. On the web side, she served as the Founder and Chair of AOLs Editorial Advisory Council, the Founding Executive Editor of Grandparents.com, and the Digital Director at More magazine.  Susan has a masters degree in journalism from Northwestern University, another masters degree in education from CUNY City College, and a bachelors degree in community health education from Hunter College. Susan also spends most of her time as the artistic director of the Pacemakers, a groovy senior-citizens dance team.