Staff and Faculty Bios

Fabiana Ahumada has been a fixture in the Havenscourt Community for over 10 years. She is a native of Oakland and earned a B.A. from Berkeley. She is the co-vice-principal. She has spent the last 15 years of her life working with Oakland's youth as a mentor and teacher..
Mariko Baumgardner has been teaching at CCPA for the past 4 years.  In those years, she had been teaching Humanities for division 1--her first group of students at CCPA are now 10th-graders, and her second group have entered division 2 as 8th-graders this year.  She is excited to move into a new position teaching targeted language skills to our long-term English learners.  It has been a joy working across grades and divisions, reconnecting with former students as well as meeting new ones.  Ms. Baumgardner first became interested in teaching after tutoring elementary students in her undergrad year at UC Berkeley (English major; Education minor). She started her teaching carreer in New York City teaching 6th grade at IS 172 and Bronx Green Middle School. While in New York, she also earned her Master's Degree in Education from Fordham University.  She moved back to California in 2007 to teach at CCPA and has enjoyed collaborating with students, families, and staff within this small school community.
Perry Bellow-Handelman is thrilled to be returning to CCPA this year as the coordinator of the Division 3 Make the Road Internship and Concurrent Enrollment Program.  She teaches a leadership and career preparation internship class, coordinates student internships on and off-campus, and runs the Concurrent Enrollment Program at Laney Community College. Perry taught World History, U.S. History, Government and Economics at Mandela High School and East Oakland School of the Arts prior to coming to CCPA. 
Perry holds a Bachelor's Degree in History with a concentration in Visual Art from Macalester College and earned her California Credential in the Teaching of Social Sciences at San Francisco State University.  Before becoming a teacher, Perry worked as a community organizer to support young people in challenging racism and fighting for immigrant rights, and learned about the incredible power of youth to create change in their lives, their communities, and the broader world. In 2007 she decided to become a teacher so she could work more closely with young people and help them develop their visions for the life they wanted for themselves and others and the skills to realize these dreams.  
After two years as an Instructional Coach and teaching high school math at CCPA, Ms. Boyle joined the administrative team as an Assistant Principal in the summer of 2011.  Prior to Coliseum College Prep Academy, Ms. Boyle taught math at Madison Middle in Oakland, where a student taught her to solve a Rubik's cube in under 2 minutes.  Ms. Boyle graduated from UC Berkeley's Principal Leadership Institute with her Administrative credential and a Masters in Education.  She attended Boston College as an undergraduate, where she majored in mathematics and served as captain of the rowing team.  She is dedicated to "paying it forward" to all the teachers that shaped her life.  
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah Mr. Callis was raised with a great love and reverence for education. Whether it be in the classroom, out in nature or learning the lessons of life from his amazing family. At the age of 7 his family moved to Europe, spending a total of seven years there. The first stop was in Germany where he learned how to really play “football” as well as mastering the German language. After a year and a half his family then relocated to England where he learned the ins and outs of dry humor as well as how to be prim and proper. After a well spent two and a half years in “Jolly Old” it was off to Switzerland. This is where Mr. Callis spent his Middle School years, at the American International School of Zurich. This was a great turning point, where the value of an amazing teacher was learned and he was introduced to skateboarding. Then in 1996 it was back to the states.
After graduating from high school he then attended the University of Utah, studying Psychology and Sociology, working in a lab for three semesters studying the awful effects of driving while on cell phones. After getting his bachelors he decided to join the Peace Corps and ended up being sent to the wonderful country of Haiti. Although short lived, due to being evacuated, it remains one of the most fantastic and educational experiences in his life. His love for the people, culture, music, and language remain very strong.
When it was time to move on and after a stint of substitute teaching, the decision was made that education was route that would fulfill both the need to make a positive impact in the world and the desire to open students’ eyes to the beauty surrounding them. He found his way to Oakland through the Oakland Teaching fellows and in now in his fourth year teaching for OUSD.  He is very excited to join the staff of CCPA as a Special Education Specialist and is privileged to be able to spend so much time with the wonderful students, staff and faculty here.
Amy Carozza is ecstatic to join the Coliseum College Prep Academy team as Principal in the Summer of 2011.  Prior to being appointed as Principal, Ms. Carozza served the CCPA community as a Resident Principal/ Assistant Principal through the New Leaders for New Schools educational leadership program and Oakland as a Teacher for 5 years at Elmhurst Community Prep Middle School.  Ms. Carozza also coordinated a GED program serving homeless, parenting and incarcerated youth, taught community college and teacher credentialing classes and mentored over a dozen teachers over the past 10 years.  Ms. Carozzahas a Masters in Special Education from San Francisco State and a Bachelors degree in American Studies and Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin.  Ms. Carozza is dedicated to student learning and preparing students to be highly successful in college.

 

Ms. Diaz teaches 8th grade english and intervention classes at CCPA. This is her 2nd year at the school.

Abby Friedman is the Director of the Family & College Resource Center, the hub of family engagement and college information on the CCPA campus. She has over ten years of experience working with students and parents in both the Bay Area and New York City. Abby earned her BA at UC Berkeley and later worked at Cal in the Early Academic Outreach Program, which provides college-preparatory advising and academic enrichment opportunities to low-income and first generation college-bound high school students. Abby is passionate about ensuring college access for all, and creating opportunities for parents to gain skills, knowledge, information and confidence to support their children's academic achievement and success in life.  When not at work, Abby enjoys being outdoors and spending time with her friends and family.
Sandra Glenn Gaines is a 1971 graduate of College of Alameda, a recipient of a Ford Foundation Upper-Division Fellowship and a former student body president and graduate of Mills College -1973.  She has General and Special Education, GLAD training and teaching experience at all levels of instruction.  Ms. Gaines has always been an active community member and civic participant and was appointed, by Ronald Dellums, to the Alameda County Human Relations Commission.  Subsequently, she was appointed and elected as the first Chairperson of the Alameda Commission on the Status of Women.  Sandra continued her education with  course -work from numerous colleges/universities and was accepted into the Harvard University School of Education, Special Education  Summer Institute.  However, it was the year OUSD entered into receivership and she elected not to attend.  Ms. Gaines has held several administrative positions, the most memorable as a national Educational Consultant/Evaluator for what is now West Ed Regional Laboratory under the Federal Department of Education, being the Assistant/Acting Director for Upward Bound-Special Service Programs at Mills College and an enjoyable Summer as the Coordinator for the Internal Revenue Service's Summer College Internship Program - Northern California Region.  Her teaching and educational administrative experience spans 30+ years and also includes the San Francisco Sheriff's Five Keys Charter School located in the San Bruno and San Francisco County Jails.  She enjoys learning, world travel, reading, movies to think about, her cat Dr. Watson, her grand and great-grand sons, semi-retirement and planning her "bucket trip" to the African Serengeti.  Sandra is passionate about CCPA and its goal of "College  for All" and is currently co-assigned as an Instructional Aide for Programs for Exceptional Children and an Instructor in the Visual Arts and Math 7 Intervention classes, both part of the CCPA-UNITY after-school programs. 
This is Jamie Golden's third year at Coliseum College Prep Academy.  She teaches English 1 (9th grade), English 2 (10th grade) and Journalism.  Ms. Golden received a Bachelors degree from Grinnell College in Sociology and Spanish.  She attended San Francisco State University for her teaching credential.  Before coming to CCPA, she was a Site Support Substitute at Sanchez Elementary School in San Francisco and did her student teaching at Life Academy, in the Fruitvale neighborhood.  She lives in Oakland and enjoys forming lasting relationships with students and their families. Ms. Golden is excited to see students' growth over the years.   
Carlus Harris is a gregarious, outgoing person who has a love for travel, new experiences, and interesting challenges.  His passion, however, is providing the kind of instruction and support to students that helped him to reach his goals.
Carlus Harris teaches 11th and 12th grade Language Arts (English) at CCPA.  He believes that using both the foundations of classic literature, and modern writing that more closely reflects dimensions of the students’ world, make for a well-rounded curriculum in support of a rigorous application of state standards.
Carlus attended Northwest Christian University, earning a Bachelors of Science in human resource management.  He was awarded the university’s highest award for outstanding thesis.  After working in law enforcement and superior court administration, Carlus attended Southern Oregon University, where he earned a Masters of Arts degree in Education. 
Carlus is the author of “Tomorrow Leaves”, a collection of short stories.
Laura Holguin is excited to be working at Coliseum College Prep Academy as the fulltime College Adviser. Prior to working at CCPA, Ms. Holguin served as the College Adviser at Willow Glen Middle School in San Jose, CA. After receiving her B.A. in English and Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley in 2010, Ms. Holguin began working for UC Berkeley’s Destination College Advising Corps. Through this outreach program Ms. Holguin will be working at CCPA in assisting to create a college going culture on campus through workshops, events, working with students and families in all grade levels, as well as running the College Center in the FRC. Ms. Holguin will also be working with CCPA’s first senior class, assisting students in applying to Colleges/Universities, filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, finding and filling out Scholarships and much more.
Carina Ibarra is so excited to be at Coliseum College Prep Academy as the 6th/7th grade English Language Arts teacher. She has previously worked with Girls Inc of Alameda County and is passionate about helping students build their literacy skills and become college ready. Mrs. Ibarra received her B.A in English and History from the University of California- Davis and her Masters in Teaching from the University of Southern California. Mrs. Ibarra is looking forward to a great year of learning! Fight on!
Griselda Jimenez has worked on the Havencourt campus for over 5 years and has been working in the front office at CCPA for the last 4 years.
Komoia Johnson writes I have worked with students in the Pre-K - 12th grade educational setting for over 13-years. My experience ranges from long-term substitute teaching to after school and summer school programs around the Bay Area. I have been in OUSD for the past 6-years and began working as an Outreach Consultant on the Havenscourt campus in February of 2007. I hold a BA in Psychology, MS in Counseling Psychology, currently working my Ph. D. in Educational Psychology. I enjoy working with and learning from young people and their families.
Rachel Korschun is the Resource Specialist for all grades at CCPA.  Rachel began her career in education after joining Teach for America in the summer of 2009 and teaching at Animo high school in Los Angeles for the summer.  This is  Rachel's third year at CCPA and she's excited to see our first group of students graduate from high school.  Rachel graduated from Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont with a B.A. in environmental policy. During college Rachel spent her junior year abroad studying in both Northern Tanzania and Buenos Aires, Argentina.  In her free time Rachel enjoys cooking, eating, and exploring the outdoors around the bay.  She is motivated by integrating special education students in as many ways as possible with the rest of the school and providing them the same opportunities.  
At CCPA, Mr. Lai currently teaches 11th and 12th grade math, which includes Geometry, Math Analysis (Precalculus), and Statistics. Before joining the CCPA team, Mr. Lai worked as a software engineer, kindergarten teacher, and college lecturer. He studied Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences as an undergrad at UC Berkeley, completed a Master's in Computer Science at Cal State East Bay, and is currently finishing a Master's in Education at Alliant University. Years ago, Mr. Lai was a marathon runner, but these days he relaxes by walking with his dog and finding math puzzles. He spends a lot of time in his classroom, where he hopes to challenge students to complete high school at marathon pace: running into a future that has been earned through hard work and perseverance.
Ms. Lee teaches 7th grade math and science at CCPA. She recently returned from Hawaii, where she worked for a non-profit organization using the sport of surfing to empower the youth and locals in poverty and serving the locals in Third World countries. Prior to that, Ms. Lee spent five years teaching in other Bay Area schools. Ms. Lee earned her Bachelors Degree in Psychology from UC Irvine and her Masters Degree in Education from Columbia University in New York City. She believes that equipping today's youth not only academically, but socially too. When Ms. Lee isn't teaching, you can find her surfing, marathon running, hiking extreme hikes, traveling or bicycling.
Deanita Lewis is currently one of the Parent Coordinators of Coliseum College Prep Academy. She has 5 children, three of whom are enrolled at what she likes to call "my school". She didn't realize when she began designing this school, that it would come to mean so much to her or that she would become so involved in so many students lives. "Now, I'm not just Mom to my daughters but I'm also Mom or Ms. Lewis to a host of other students that I can call by name." I've always said that " If I can reach just one child and instill in them the belief that they can go on to college, then I've done my job." "My job is great! I get to interact with the parents and with the students in ways that enrich all of our lives!".
Matt McCabe has been on campus since CCPA's first class and is the technology teacher and digital arts teacher. He attended Trinity College in Connecticut and earned his teaching credential at San Francisco State. Before teaching technology classes Matt taught English and History at CCPA, worked in a one-room classroom in Half Moon Bay, and worked in a group home setting as a counselor. Matt lives in San Francisco with his wife and son and enjoys biking, playing guitar poorly and, of course, computers.
This is Javier Mesa’s second year teaching at CCPA.  Currently, he teaches Algebra I, although last year he taught Geometry. Javier began working in Oakland in 2008 as a substitute teacher. He has also previously taught for one year in San Jose where he worked at ACE Charter School, teaching math and science to sixth graders. Mr. Mesa was born in Colombia where he obtained his BA in Economics at the Universidad de Bogota Jorge Tadeo Lozano and has studied English at PACE University in New York.  He believes that education is the only way to overcome the social and economical gaps that exist in our world.  He believes that he is living proof of how education allows one to succeed in any of life’s conditions. Teaching is the most challenging experience that he has experienced thus far.  Mr. Mesa looks forward to each day that he works with the students of CCPA.
Gary Middleton is excited about rejoining the staff at Coliseum College Prep Academy after a short stint at another OUSD school.  He was part of the founding staff at CCPA in 2006 and will continue as the Physical Education teacher for all grades. Mr. Middleton has taught physical education for the last 7 years and coached youth sports for over 20 years. He has served the Bay Area soccer community as a board member, administrator, and coach for the last 12 years. Mr. Middleton is finishing his last semester for a Master's in Education and holds a degree in Criminal Justice. Mr. Middleton is dedicated to making a model PE program at CCPA.
Art Mola is from Bronx, New York, who is enjoying his 11th year as a Services Coordinator in Oakland Public Schools under Safe Passages' ELEV8 Initiative, which is committed to advocating for children, youth, and families with a special emphasis on vulnerable populations within the City of Oakland.  He has a Masters in Education with teaching credentials in Social Sciences and ESL, and teaches the History of Street Gangs in the U.S. class on the Havenscourt campus.  One day he will return to the neighborhood of his youth in New York to teach and pursue a Ph. D in Social and Cultural Studies at Columbia.  After fulfilling his dreams to teach and advocate for youth in New York City, he longs to retire and teach in his native land of Cuba.
Sarah Moore-Goepfert teaches 9th grade Biology, 11th grade Physics, and 9th grade E1 BUILD for CCPA. She attended the University of Denver were she received both a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience and a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies with a minor in Leadership.  Mrs. Moore-Goepfert came to CCPA in the fall of 2010 with 3 years of experience in teaching.  During those years she taught 6th grade Social Sciences, 8th grade United States History, and 8th grade Integrated Physical and Life Sciences.  Mrs. Moore-Goepfert chooses to teach and believes that it is an honor for her to educate and empower Oakland youth.  She is a firm believer that every student can learn and will be inspired to learn in her classroom.  
This is Mrs. Moreno's first year working in the front office.
Gary Owens is the UNITY, or after-school program coordinator, and has been working at CCPA on and off for about 4 years.
Yvette Pulido was the first member of her family to attend college.  She is a Chancellor’s Scholar and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2001.  Shortly after graduating she began substitute teaching and was saddened to find that so many Latino and African American students were not planning on attending college.  So, in 2003, she returned to Cal, this time as a graduate student, to earn her Master’s Degree in Ethnic Studies.  It was there that she discovered that what she really wanted to do was teach—so she enrolled in San Francisco State’s Teaching Program and, shortly thereafter, began teaching English, World History, U.S. History, and Civics, at a small charter school in Richmond.  She is delighted to be at CCPA, where many of the students are facing some of the same challenges she faced as teenager, and, with the help of the caring staff, parents, and administrators, looks forward to helping these young people achieve their dreams.  She teaches American Government, American History, and Economics.
Maria Robles is a parent coordinator at CCPA, was a part of the design team and is the mother of a CCPA student.
Torn Saepan has been a security officer at CCPA for over 3 years.
Edgar Sanchez currently teaches 8th grade U.S. History and 10th grade Modern World History at CCPA.  Edgar is from Los Angeles California where he taught High School History in South Los Angeles for 8 years.  Edgar went to the University of California at Santa Barbara where he double majored in History and in Art History.  He enjoys spending time with his two kids, 2 year old Lucia and 4 year old Citlali, as well as his partner a former first grade teacher Olivia.  Edgar moved from Los Angeles recently and is happy to be working and living in the East Oakland community. 
Jessica Sawczuk currently teaches 8th grade physical science, 10th grade chemistry, and 12th grade physiology at CCPA.  Jessica studied math and science education at Miami University of Ohio; she has always wanted to be a teacher.  After graduating she moved to Philadelphia where she did a year a service with City Year, an AmeriCorps group, working in inner city schools as a mentor and leading community service projects around town.  For the next two years she explored the world via bicycle with tours across the US, Hong Kong to Singapore, and Delhi to south India.  Her first year teaching was spent at a middle school in Austin, TX, although missing her family in the bay area chose to move back.  She is very happy to find herself at a small school in Oakland, getting to know the kids and the community she is feeling very much at home.
Pallavi Singh is very excited to join CCPA’s positive and energetic team as advanced algebra teacher and a math coach. Prior to joining CCPA, Ms. Singh served Oakland Unified School District as math teacher at McClymonds High School and Leadership Preparatory High School at Castlemont community of small schools. Ms. Singh has six years of experience in teaching variety of math subjects like Pre- Calculus, Advanced Algebra, Geometry, and Algebra and 2 years of experience in coaching the new teachers. Ms. Singh has a Bachelors degree in Computers from India and has a Masters degree in educational leadership from Cal State East bay. Ms. Singh’s strongly believes that students learn in different ways and by providing differentiated instruction, she strives to meet the needs of ALL students.
Bianca Sonnenberg is excited to be teaching sixth and seventh grade social studies at CCPA this year. She attended the University of California, Santa Cruz and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology. Upon graduation, Ms. Sonnenberg decided to pursue a career in teaching and obtained her California teaching credential from Sierra Nevada College in Lake Tahoe. She taught middle school in San Francisco for five years before moving to Madison, Wisconsin to pursue a graduate degree in education. She earned a Master of Science degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Wisconsin. Ms. Sonnenberg taught middle school for three years in Madison before returning to California. Ms. Sonnenberg looks forward to sharing her passion for learning about the world through the study of history with her students.  
Ms. Soval joined CCPA in 2009.  She has been teaching Spanish - to both native and non-native speakers - for almost 10 years.  The last five years have been with middle and high school students within OUSD.  Prior to that, she worked for Kaiser Permanente as a Senior Health Educator and Program Coordinator, managing the diabetes self-management and other health promotion programs for Latino patients.  She is originally from Mexico and is a fluent speaker of the Spanish language. 
Ms. Soval loves teaching young people. She pushes her Latino students to master their own language by integrating academic Spanish into their vocabulary. Her methodical approach prepares students for the rigors of college performance.
Ms. Soval holds a BA in Health Services Administration from Saint Mary's College of California and a BA in Anthropology from the University of Veracruz.  She obtained her teaching credential from Patten University.  
Mr. Williams has been working at CCPA for over three years as a security officer.

 
 
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