球队

作为校长，罗斯·特劳伯特致力于为学生创造新的机会，让他们探索、体验新事物，并在Intrinsic社区中建立归属感。她还确保全校教学严谨，为学生的长期成功做好准备，并确保所有教职员工和学生都能获得所需的组织架构和支持，从而发挥出最佳水平。. 

对罗斯而言，这份工作可谓是回归故里。她此前曾担任Intrinsic的学术创新总监，负责指导和培养教师、领导专业学习社群，并创建严谨且包容的课程体系，从而提升各年级学生的学习水平。她还曾担任国家教育公平实验室的学术主管，负责每个学期为400多所学校的7500多名高中生提供29门大学水平课程。. 

“Intrinsic兼具创新精神和对学生成功的执着追求，以及我们学生和老师的奉献精神，都令我深受鼓舞。我接触过的每个人都热爱Intrinsic，并全心全意地希望它取得成功。我认为，培养芝加哥未来领袖的最佳途径莫过于让他们与来自全市各地的同龄人交流互动，同时充分利用芝加哥的一切资源。” 

罗斯在哈佛大学获得了本科和硕士学位。工作之余，她喜欢带着两个孩子和两条狗探索芝加哥的公园，并参加铁人三项训练和比赛。.

本·戴维斯加入Intrinsic，担任市中心校区的高级校区总监。他在此职位上，在创始团队成员早期工作的基础上，领导学校的文化建设、运营和多元化学习团队，确保学校成为一个温馨友好的场所，让所有学生都乐于在此度过时光、探索新机遇，并最终充满信心地毕业。.

“Intrinsic 正在大力创新，致力于为学生打造独特的学习环境，我非常赞赏我们对学生意见和选择的重视。我也看到了 Intrinsic 的 POD 式教室模式在最大程度上为不同学习者提供包容性支持方面的潜力，这对于像我们这样实行开放招生和免学费的公立学校来说尤为重要。”

加入 Intrinsic 之前，Ben 于 2007 年成为美国教师培训项目（Teach For America）新奥尔良分部的成员，之后担任新奥尔良 Collegiate Academies 旗下两所高中的创始校长。最近，他担任美国教师培训项目大芝加哥-西北印第安纳分部的领导力发展总经理。他拥有米德尔伯里学院的本科学位，目前正在芝加哥大学攻读政策学硕士学位。.

“作为一名有特殊教育需求（IEP）孩子的家长，我致力于确保所有学生，无论其能力如何，都能获得优质教育，并在一个关爱和重视他们的学校就读。我也热爱课堂，并支持教育工作者们从事世界上最重要的工作。” 

工作之余，本喜欢烹饪、参加业余足球联赛以及陪伴家人。. 

Chikaya Cartman 加入 Intrinsic 担任市中心校区的助理校长，她主要负责以下三个方面：1）与教职工、学生和更广泛的社区建立牢固的关系；2）围绕 Intrinsic 的共同教学愿景指导和培养教师，以确保所有学生获得最公平的结果；3）利用数据来指导教学和监控学生的进步。. 

Chikaya加入Intrinsic之前，曾在多个教学岗位担任领导职务，最近担任过芝加哥Noble Street Charter School的STEM教学主任、CICS Longwood的资深教师和代数讲师，以及“教师互助”项目的教师教练。她的教学生涯始于阿拉巴马州蒙哥马利的Robert Lee高中。. 

“Intrinsic 对公平、机会均等和归属感的坚定承诺，与我作为一名教育者和领导者的信念不谋而合。作为第一代大学毕业生，我曾在阿拉巴马州的一所 Title I 学校教授代数，亲眼见证了高期望与悉心支持相结合的力量。“我很高兴能与各位老师携手合作，将我们共同的教学愿景——一个植根于公平、参与和高期望的愿景——付诸实践。”

奇卡娅是家中第一位大学毕业生，她获得了阿拉巴马州立大学的总统奖学金，并在那里获得了数学理学学士学位。工作之余，她热爱一切能让她亲近自然的事情——无论是漫步沙滩、照顾她的七只宠物、参观动物保护区，还是仅仅享受户外时光。任何与动物、美食或新鲜空气有关的事物，都能让她感到无比幸福！

泰勒·特里是Intrinsic市中心校区的教学助理校长。他负责为学生提供教学指导。 教师负责组织数据会议，计划和促进教师的专业发展课程，并监控学生的GPA和出勤率数据——所有这些都是为了促进高水平的教学严谨性和积极的校园文化。. 

加入 Intrinsic 之前，Taylor 曾在 KIPP 圣路易斯高中担任教学助理校长，负责类似的工作，同时还协助学校成功扭转了学术颓势，并推行了多项旨在提升学生发言权和选择权的计划。他拥有佐治亚州立大学历史学学士学位和威廉伍兹大学管理学硕士学位。他目前也是 Alpha Phi Alpha 兄弟会的成员，该兄弟会是第一个由非裔美国男性创立的大学兄弟会。.

“我深受自身及他人的卓越、自豪和成长所激励。我希望学生们拥有所需的工具和自信，相信自己能够成就伟大，实现任何他们想要的目标。我深受身边人的成功所鼓舞，并乐于创造让人们共同进步的空间。帮助年轻人认识到自己是强大而持久的事业的一部分，是我每天工作的动力。”

工作之余，泰勒是贝尔蒙特校区院长霍莉·特里的丈夫，也是莱拉妮的骄傲父亲。莱拉妮让他的生活充实而快乐。他喜欢保持活力，探索美丽的芝加哥城，经常可以看到他在健身房锻炼、玩任天堂Switch游戏机，或者和他的猫查韦斯玩耍——查韦斯觉得自己才是家里的老大。.

理查德·布朗-埃尔南德斯是Intrinsic Schools的助理校长，他致力于构建一个让学生和教职工都能蓬勃发展的校园文化。他以全情投入、认真倾听和发挥优势为领导方式，营造积极向上、互助友爱的氛围。这种方法注重培养以身心健康、教师发展和共同致力于学生成功为基础的卓越学术能力。.

理查德的职业生涯始于美国教师培训项目巴尔的摩分部，此后，他为洛杉矶和芝加哥的学生设计了严谨的数学学习课程。在诺布尔学校，他曾担任多个领导职务，最近担任教务主任，负责学术战略、教师指导和教学系统开发。.

作为一名自豪的第一代大学毕业生和终身学习者，理查德曾参与美国教师培训项目（Teach For America）的拉丁裔领导力培养计划（ALLÍ）和Aspire Fellowship项目。他拥有加州大学尔湾分校的学士学位和约翰·霍普金斯大学的硕士学位。工作之余，他喜欢力量训练、骑自行车、跑步、打篮球以及探索芝加哥的美食。.

理查德深受“我们可以不断成长和进步，无论是个人还是集体，以及进步永远是可能的这种想法”的启发。”

瓦妮莎的孩子目前就读于贝尔蒙特校区九年级，将于2028年毕业。她选择Intrinsic是因为这所学校离家近，而且班级规模比附近的公立高中要小。她很看重Intrinsic的小班授课模式，这种模式能够提供个性化的指导。.

她认为家长大使可以通过增进理解和解决问题来提高家长的参与度。“家长大使通过收集反馈并将其传达给校方，确保不同的观点得到倾听和重视，从而促进更大的包容性。”她非常期待与Intrinsic学校的现有家长和未来的家长们建立联系！

南希是两位Intrinsic校友和一位在读学生的母亲。她的大儿子于2019年从Intrinsic Belmont毕业，并于2023年获得芝加哥大学软件工程学位。她的女儿也于2023年毕业，目前同样就读于芝加哥大学。她的小儿子将于2026年从Belmont毕业。.

“作为创始家长大使，我很高兴我们能够支持许多独特的项目，并有机会在这些机会和过程中与其他 Intrinsic 家长建立联系。”

她知道新家庭可能会对 Intrinsic Schools 感到好奇，并很高兴他们看到有一支家长大使团队为他们提供支持，并在需要时有人可以与他们交谈。.

Tecole的女儿目前是该校学生，将于2025年春季从市中心校区毕业。她最初选择的是Intrinsic a专业。经过一番调查研究，她发现 Intrinsic 非常适合她的女儿，因为我们拥有“女儿需要的所有教育优势”，而且“这所小规模学校让我和我的女儿都能发表意见”。”

她希望家长大使们能够获得有关公民和社区参与的知识，并培养领导技能，从而为自己、家人和其他人发声，为早期学习项目、学校和社区带来积极的改变。. 她最兴奋的是能够为其他家长发声，并帮助他们解决可能遇到的任何问题。.

“到目前为止，我在 Intrinsic 最喜欢的经历之一就是员工们提供的沟通服务。”

安吉拉的儿子目前就读十年级，是市中心校区2027届的学生。她最初选择Intrinsic是因为我们为学生提供优质的课程，而且我们似乎真的关心学生的未来发展。“对很多学校来说，学生只不过是一个数字，但Intrinsic让我看到，他们真心实意地帮助我的儿子规划未来。”

“到目前为止，我最喜欢的经历之一就是为十年级学生装饰学生走廊。我觉得Intrinsic希望学生们来到一个充满活力的校园，这真是太棒了。”

安吉拉认为，家长大使能够通过向家长和学生展示他们得到了其他家长的支持，从而对英特林西克社区产生积极影响。“我们将能够告诉他们为什么英特林西克是他们孩子上高中的理想选择。”

伊薇特是一名全职医疗编码员，也是两个就读于Intrinsic学校的孩子的妈妈。她的女儿目前在市中心校区读十年级，儿子将于2023年春季毕业，最近刚从西班牙的篮球之旅回来。他们一家选择Intrinsic是因为学校的文化氛围和额外的课堂辅导。.

伊薇特在Intrinsic最喜欢的经历之一，就是从入学第一天起就参与家长咨询委员会（PAC）的工作。“与教职工和其他家长保持联系，了解学校动态，建立社区，这真是一段美好的经历。”

作为家长大使，她希望有机会成为家长和学校之间的桥梁。“家长们已经对我们井然有序的流程给予了积极的反馈，并且乐于就问题和疑虑与我们联系。我很高兴能在全校活动中见到所有新家长。”

丹妮丝目前担任学前班助教，她的孩子是我们市中心校区的一名高年级学生，将于2025年春季毕业。她最初选择Intrinsic是因为…… 参观市中心校区后，“我爱上了这里的课堂教学方式。我的孩子能够以多种方式学习，无论是小组学习、集体学习还是独立学习，都能游刃有余地掌握每个单元的知识。”

到目前为止，最令她感到欣慰的是，她的女儿四年来一直都能参与体育运动。“这给了她所需的自信心。”

作为家长大使，她最期待的是能够与家长沟通，分享信息，并帮助即将步入高中生活未知领域的新家长们消除一些疑虑。”

Senitra 是一名全职高级财务助理，同时也是市中心校区一名学生的母亲——这名学生即将于 2025 年春季毕业。她和女儿很早就找到了 Intrinsic——当时她女儿还在上六年级！

“我们喜欢这所学校的一切——从学校的使命、价值观和文化，到对教师和学生的投入，再到班级小组、课程设置和地理位置。最终，我们知道我们找到了一个能让我的女儿在学业、社交和情感方面茁壮成长的学校社区。”

塞尼特拉认为，家长大使能够通过加强沟通、促进参与以及在两个校区的家长、教师和管理人员之间建立联系，对更广泛的社区产生重大影响。这一角色对于培养包容性、确保每个家庭都感到被重视和被倾听至关重要。通过培养学校精神和鼓励积极参与，他们有助于营造积极向上、充满活力的校园文化。.

“家长大使将为营造充满活力的校园环境奠定基础，让每个人都能在塑造有意义的教育体验中发挥重要作用。我们非常期待与其他家长交流！”

杰米是三个就读于Intrinsic学校的学生的骄傲父亲——一个目前在贝尔蒙特校区读七年级，另外两个已经毕业——而且都是Posse奖学金获得者！他的大儿子即将就读奥柏林学院，二儿子则即将就读威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校。他们一家最终选择Intrinsic是因为“我们的大儿子在学校的教学和课程中取得了巨大的成功，我们希望小儿子也能体验到同样的教育。” 

他目前最喜欢的两件事分别是：他的大儿子在九年级时为学校拍摄广告，以及他最近毕业的孩子参与贝尔蒙特大学的演出。 在高地 2023年冬季。. 

作为家长大使，杰米期待着与其他家长交流，并参与更多为学生组织的活动。他很高兴能为“任何有助于提升孩子们的事物贡献力量，就像Intrinsic社区帮助我们的家庭获得许多令人惊叹的机会和成功一样”。”

朱莉有两个孩子，都是我们贝尔蒙特校区的校友，其中一个已经回到母校，成为IT团队的全职员工。她的儿子于2018年获得Posse奖学金毕业，之后就读于康涅狄格学院。她的女儿于2021年毕业，并已获得紧急医疗技术员（EMT）资格认证。.

“Intrinsic对我孩子的教育历程产生了深远的影响。我将继续支持这所学校，帮助其他渴望获得同样机会的家庭。俗话说，众人拾柴火焰高，我希望继续成为这个大家庭的一份子，帮助我们社区的家庭。”

巴里·罗杰斯于2022年7月加入我们，担任市中心校区的校长。他在芝加哥公立学校和北部郊区拥有丰富的经验，曾担任校长、助理督学和学区领导。在担任北区大学预科学校校长期间，他带领学校成为伊利诺伊州排名第一的高中（#1）。巴里不仅是一位经验丰富、卓有成就的领导者，而且他以对未来的无限可能充满信心的态度对待自己的工作——他的目标是为Intrinsic的学生提供与他曾在其他地方帮助学生获得的机会相同的机会。.

巴里是土生土长的芝加哥人，他的教育生涯始于芝加哥公立学校，担任科学教师。在任教14年后，巴里加入了芝加哥公立学校的LAUNCH校长培养项目，在芝加哥西区的西屋公司担任校长实习生，之后被任命为北区大学预科高中的校长。在北区高中担任校长六年之后，巴里受聘担任伊利诺伊州莱克福雷斯特市莱克福雷斯特高中的校长。出于对创新的热情，巴里转至温内特卡公立学校，担任教学创新总监六年。巴里拥有威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的理学学士学位和国立路易斯大学的教育学硕士学位。他和妻子住在芝加哥，两个儿子在外地上大学。巴里的爱好包括演奏音乐、自然漫步和各种运动。.

阿布纳德·约瑟夫于2022年夏季加入Intrinsic市中心校区。作为文化助理校长，他的主要工作领域包括校园氛围、学生纪律、全校过渡和流程以及学生安全。阿布纳德拥有五年助理校长经验，此前任职于KIPP亚特兰大都会区学校。在担任此类领导职务之前，他曾教授代数和生命科学五年。作为一名教师，他在课堂上实施了积极的行为干预和支持措施，并与学区团队合作，在亚特兰大公立学校推广最佳实践。业余时间，他喜欢出国旅行、健身、听音乐和观看体育比赛。.

阿布纳德拥有佛罗里达州立大学心理学学士学位，目前正在佐治亚州立大学攻读教育领导学硕士学位。“我非常喜欢这所学校为学生提供的一切。优越的地理位置让学生们能够充分体验芝加哥这座城市的魅力。我相信，无论过去的经历如何，每个学生都能取得优异的成绩。”

德安德莉亚·弗劳尔斯于2022年夏季加入Intrinsic学校，担任教学助理校长。她主要负责教师的教学指导工作。她与同事们共同致力于课程开发与实施、课堂管理、教学实践，以及如何运用数据指导教学和教师发展。她还协助提供每周一次的专业发展培训，旨在促进教师的全面成长。此外，她还担任考试协调员，在教职工缺勤时提供代课服务，并协助审查、修订和评估课程及评分政策。.

德安德里亚致力于营造一种氛围，让学生和教职员工感到安全，可以畅所欲言、坦诚相待，并能毫无顾虑地寻求帮助。她在芝加哥从事教育工作超过24年，是家族中最早一批大学毕业生之一——她凭借全额奖学金从佛罗里达农工大学获得数学教育学士学位，并在芝加哥康考迪亚大学获得校长培训硕士学位。.

德安德莉亚最受鼓舞的是看到别人相信自己，并运用这种信念去实现他们原本认为遥不可及的目标。她总是面带微笑，周围人的笑容也让她倍感鼓舞。.

“在我多年的教育生涯中，我只在以非裔美国人为主的城市中心学校任教。加入 Intrinsic 让我有机会与来自不同背景和文化的学生一起工作。我们提供的 POD 空间非常新颖，但它有潜力成为当今学生取得成功所需要的。我相信 Intrinsic，也觉得我们拥有无限可能！凭借我们作为教育者的指导和专业知识，我们的学生正在走向成功！”

肖恩·麦奎尔于2023年夏季加入Intrinsic学校，担任教学助理校长。他主要负责教师的教学指导和专业发展，支持学校文化团队的工作，协助学生调整课程安排，并参与数据收集工作。加入Intrinsic之前，他曾在芝加哥公立学校系统（CPS）担任科学教师12年，除了教学之外，他还参与课程开发、支持新教师、担任教师领导、培训同事使用新技术，并指导多个学生组织。2022-2023年，他曾是芝加哥领导力合作项目的驻校教师，目前正在伊利诺伊大学芝加哥分校（UIC）攻读城市教育领导力博士学位。.

肖恩最难忘的Intrinsic经历是面试期间与学生小组的交流。学生们表达了对学习的热情以及对Intrinsic提供的机会的感激之情。. 肖恩深受这种热情的鼓舞， 学生们克服困难、勇于面对挑战的能力。’我非常赞赏Intrinsic致力于营造协作环境的使命。我很荣幸能成为这支充满热情、致力于服务家庭、学生和教职员工的领导团队的一员。“

工作之余，他喜欢和妻子以及他们两岁的女儿共度时光，创作音乐，在芝加哥河上划独木舟，以及在湖边骑自行车。.

库尔蒂斯·埃里森于2024年7月加入Intrinsic学校，担任文化助理校长。他负责指导其他教职工提升领导力，并通过指导教师和文化团队成员，实施各项策略，帮助学校实现三大目标：1）强化教学；2）增强学生与学校的联系；3）提供更多机会和发展平台。他致力于确保最佳教学实践与完善的体系和结构相辅相成。加入Intrinsic之前，埃里森拥有20年的教育经验，曾担任助理校长、学生主任、体育主任、教练、特殊教育教师和系主任等职务。.

库尔蒂斯凭借橄榄球奖学金就读于东密歇根大学，并在肯塔基州的派克维尔学院完成了本科学习，期间他还参加了橄榄球和篮球校队。他先后获得了国立路易斯大学的教育学硕士学位和州长州立大学的教育领导学硕士学位。.

“我热爱与青少年一起工作。工作之余，我运营着一家非营利组织，为服务欠缺社区的弱势青少年提供资源和机会。我也热爱运动。闲暇时，我打篮球，还执教旅行篮球队。在Intrinsic的这段时间里，我学到的最宝贵的一点就是我们为学生和成年人提供的各种机会。”

贝丝·拉巴格于2022年夏季加入Intrinsic市中心校区。作为教学主任，她指导教授人文、语言和艺术的教师进行教学和课程设置方面的培训，同时支持所有教师的教学实践和Summit Learning平台的使用。贝丝拥有丰富的教学经验，曾在乡村、郊区和城市地区的高中任教15年，并在教师团队和教学指导方面担任过领导职务。她拥有普罗维登斯学院的中等教育硕士学位和芝加哥洛约拉大学的学校管理教育博士学位。.

“与充满热情的老师们一起工作，让我深受鼓舞。教书育人是一项充满挑战却又意义非凡的职业，我由衷敬佩老师们的辛勤付出和对学生的关爱。我的目标是尽我所能地支持他们的工作。” 工作之余，贝丝已经跑过10次马拉松，她喜欢烹饪、旅行、阅读和装修新家。. 

坎迪斯·穆罕默德于2023年夏季加入Intrinsic。作为学术顾问，她主要负责…… 致力于营造大学升学氛围，提升学生的学业意识，并为9至12年级的学生做好大学入学准备。加入Intrinsic之前，Candace曾担任芝加哥公立学校的学校辅导员。她拥有芝加哥国立路易斯大学的心理学学士学位和学校辅导硕士学位。业余时间，她喜欢旅行、外出就餐和陪伴家人。. 

坎迪斯在学术、大学和职业准备以及个人和社会发展方面为所有Intrinsic学生提供支持。“深知一个人完全可以改变一个学生的人生，正是这份信念激励我成为一名学业辅导员。我希望我的学生能够获得一切机会，充分发挥他们的潜力。.”

克里斯汀·佩拉尔塔于2024年夏季加入Intrinsic学校。作为院长，她主要负责学业辅导、学生干预以及支持九年级团队的工作。加入Intrinsic之前，她曾在Noble Schools工作九年，担任学生院长、大学及校友顾问、数据管理员和教师。她还曾在布鲁克林和南布朗克斯的Achievement First和Legacy College Prep担任领导和教学职务六年。她拥有东北伊利诺伊大学的学士学位和夏威夷大学马诺阿分校的教育心理学硕士学位。.

“P面试过程中最精彩的部分是由一群学生组成的面试小组，他们问我为什么想来这所学校工作。学校如此重视学生的意见，这让我印象深刻，我知道这就是我梦寐以求的工作场所。. 我感到团队给予了我极大的支持，我们的学生和家长们也都非常棒！”

工作之余，克里斯汀会花时间陪伴家人，包括她的丈夫和两个孩子，以及在芝加哥地区的几十位表兄弟姐妹、侄子侄女。. 

格里尔·塔格勒于2020年6月加入Intrinsic学校，担任英语教师。如今，她作为市中心校区的“选择日”（Choice Day，简称C Day）负责人，负责组织和安排每周C Day的所有活动——包括面向学生和教职工的活动。她还积极拓展新的合作伙伴，以确保C Day始终为学生提供尽可能多的选择。此外，她还协助协调大学参观活动，并策划全校和各年级的校外考察活动。.

格里尔深受Intrinsic学生和芝加哥这座城市的启发。“我们生活和工作在全美最酷的地方之一，这里有太多值得探索的地方和机会。我每周都能带领学生们体验这一切。”她在Intrinsic最美好的回忆是看到市中心校区的创始班学生在她执教三年后顺利毕业。工作之余，她喜欢阅读、烘焙和饲养动物。.

艾什莉在芝加哥地区青少年社区服务超过十年，担任过各种职务。她的工作涵盖广泛，从小学教师到直接提供社会情感支持，都对青少年产生了积极影响。在加入Intrinsic担任社工之前，艾什莉曾为芝加哥的Mercy Boys and Girls Home和Gary Comer Youth Center等机构贡献力量。工作之余，艾什莉喜欢陪伴女儿，听歌唱歌，品尝各国美食，探索城市，并注重身心健康。. 

“我的未来一代激励着我。想到年轻的领导者们即将统治这个世界，就激励着我继续为他们奠定基础。”

Kim Oria于2023年加入Intrinsic，担任社会工作团队负责人。她负责支持市中心校区社区的心理健康和社会情感福祉，并确保 她致力于确保学生拥有在学业和个人发展方面取得成功所需的资源。她提供个人和团体咨询，帮助学生应对个人、情感和社交方面的挑战，并与教师和员工合作，满足学生的需求。.

“Intrinsic是一个特别的社区，我们每天都在努力进步。我们专注于如何通过提供各种新颖独特的机会，帮助学生为未来做好准备，让他们对未来充满热情。我亲眼见证了这对学生长远发展的影响，这真是太棒了！”

在从事社会工作之前，她曾在纽约市的百老汇剧院公司工作。她曾在纽约市的多所高中教授戏剧，并运营一个学生剧团，为外外百老汇剧院制作演出。她拥有伊萨卡学院戏剧艺术管理学士学位和芝加哥大学社会工作硕士学位。工作之余，她喜欢带着爱犬博（Beau）徒步旅行，用自家花园里种植的蔬菜烹饪新菜谱，并担任Intrinsic女子足球队的教练。.

“我深受学生们的鼓舞。我亲眼目睹了许多学生克服逆境，努力实现目标。他们激励我不断鞭策自己，成为最好的自己。”

Cornelius Bellamy joined Intrinsic in Spring 2019 as the founding teacher of the 9th Grade Postsecondary Seminar at the Downtown Campus. He moved into his current role as dean in Summer 2024, where he supervises the main office, helps maintain facility operations and compliance, supports the student enrollment team, and helps manage the administration of annual tests including the ACT, AP Exams, ACCESS and others. Cornelius was named a Golden Apple Scholar in 2015 and a Crystal Apple Recipient in 2024, and holds a bachelor’s degree in English Teacher Licensure and an ESL endorsement from Northern Illinois University, and a master’s of education in educational leadership from DePaul University.

One of his favorite memories at Intrinsic has been taking an early tour of the Downtown Campus as it was being renovated, and being able to see the evolution over time as we’ve made 79 W. Monroe our home. Outside of work, Cornelius enjoys baking – an elite skill that many Intrinsic staff members can attest to!

“The best thing about working at Intrinsic is that students and staff are all so kind. I’m also inspired by my students, who are open-minded and willing to explore life after high school.”

Sara Moses joined Intrinsic in Summer 2015 as a special education math teacher and brings with her years of experience as a teacher of math, physics and biology, and as a case manager and special education coordinator. Today, in her role as dean of specialized services at the Downtown Campus, she makes sure that all special education students receive all of their services; guides special education teachers in the creation and implementation of IEPs and 504s; communicates with parents about all IEP and 504 meetings; and coordinates with Intrinsic’s providers to implement all related services to our diverse learners.

Sara earned her bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Wisconsin, and outside of work likes to cook, watch sports, and spend time with friends and family. Sara’s favorite Intrinsic memory is graduation. “It’s such a special event, getting to see kids – some who I taught in middle school – walk across the stage. It’s really amazing.”

Brandi Campbell joined Intrinsic in Summer 2022. As academic counselor and principal intern, she ensures that students have the credits they need to graduate, coordinates credit recovery, is the evening school principal, and develops MTSS plans for students who need additional assistance. Brandi brings a wealth of experience to Intrinsic with 18 years in education and three years of experience in social service, having worked as a math teacher, a special education teacher, counselor, programmer and coach.

Brandi has earned a bachelor’s degree from Benedictine University, a M.A. in Mental Health Counseling from Webster University, and is finishing up her M.A. in Educational Leadership in April 2023. Brandi completed an alternative teacher certification program in Florida. Outside of work Brandi enjoys playing basketball, volleyball, dining out, cooking and spending time with loved ones. 

Eleanor Abrue joined Intrinsic in 2021 as a physical education teacher before transitioning into her role as dean in Summer 2024. In this role, she focuses on four main areas: promoting and upholding school culture and values, addressing behavior and social issues, supporting student well-being, and collaborating with staff and families.

“I find great fulfillment in working at Intrinsic because of the dynamic and diverse student population we serve. Our students bring a wealth of unique perspectives and innovative ideas that continually enrich our school community. The supportive and collaborative environment among the staff allows us to work together to make a positive impact on our students’ lives.”

Eleanor has an undergraduate degree from Ohio Northern University and a master’s degree in education from North Park University. Outside of work she spends time playing tennis, reading, running and strength training. She’s also a mom of daughter Everly, who inspires her to be the kind of teacher she’d want her to come into contact with during her own educational career.

Tony Bennett joined Intrinsic in Summer 2023. As dean of culture, he focuses primarily on helping students learn from and contribute to Intrinsic’s culture around academics and student behavior. Before joining Intrinsic, Tony served in leadership roles at the University of Chicago Charter School and Michele Clark Academic Prep Magnet High School, and played professional basketball abroad for 11 years. He holds degrees from Bradley University and Pratt Community College.

“I love the fact that Intrinsic Downtown is pretty much a new school and that I have the opportunity to be a part of building its traditions from the ground up. Also, it’s not the typical make-up of a traditional high school, and seems to be more of a challenge. I am a competitive person who is always up for a challenge.” Outside of work Tony spends time with his twin daughters and plays basketball, and is inspired by his kids and making an impact on the next generation.

Haley Stoecker joined Intrinsic in Fall 2022. As dean of culture, she is focused on making sure students feel safe and loved within the school, and that they know they have someone advocating for their success. Before joining Intrinsic, Haley was a history teacher – for two years in Wisconsin and four years on the west side of Chicago. She attended Howard University first and then transferred to UW-Madison to graduate with her bachelor’s and then a master’s in curriculum and instruction.

“I have enjoyed seeing how Intrinsic teachers teach, and that learning is really student-centered. It seems like a school where student voice is actually considered. And my favorite moment so far has been homecoming. Seeing the kids excited, and dressed up, and really having a good time was heartwarming.” Outside of school Haley enjoys going out with friends and longboarding.

Javier George joined Intrinsic in Spring 2021. In his role as dean of culture, he focuses on building positive relationships with students, parents and staff, and creating daily team schedules that help students learn conflict resolution and strengthen the school community overall. He has more than eight years of experience working with young people, and comes to Intrinsic after serving in a disciplinarian role with the Noble Network. Javier is the first person in his family to graduate from college, and holds a BA in business from Dominican University. 

“Growing up, I would see how hard my dad would work and it wasn’t until I was older that I realized how much he sacrificed for the good of his family. He inspires me to always work hard and to not take things or people for granted.” Outside of school Javier enjoys traveling, eating good food and spending time with his wife. 

“The best thing about working at Intrinsic is working with our young people and watching them grow up into amazing men and women.”

Rachel Stephens joined Intrinsic in Winter 2022 and serves as office manager of our Downtown Campus. Her day-to-day work includes communicating with parents, maintaining student’s record files, managing transfers and overseeing all general main office functions. Before Intrinsic, she served as executive coordinator for Staff Development at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. Currently, she is working on her MBA at Loyola University Chicago.

Outside of work, Rachel is inspired by her daughter, serves as Intrinsic’s head cheerleading coach, enjoys $5 Tuesday movies at the AMC theater, and likes trying new restaurants. The best part of Intrinsic for Rachel are the students, the work community and the opportunities available to our students being downtown.

“Intrinsic gives me the opportunity to make a difference and impact the lives of our students.”

Orlandus Thomas或“ OT教练”于2020年加入Intrinsic。作为体育总监，他领导体育和健康计划，该计划利用技术促进社会，情感和身体发展。他还经营多样化和竞争性的体育项目，并开发了各种俱乐部和计划来促进所有内在青年的全面发展。加入Intrinsic之前，OT教练曾在Noble Street和Gary Comer College Prep担任体育和健康老师。他是伊利诺伊州州长健康与体育健身理事会的理事会成员，以及伊利诺伊州芝加哥市健康与体育教育，娱乐与舞蹈协会（IAHPERD）的前主席。

“内在的是通过设计21世纪青年人理想的教育和社会情感环境来缩小芝加哥青年人机会差距的主导力量。成为一个不断创新的组织的一员，这对我来说就像一个家庭。”

梅利莎·扎科斯（Melissa Zaikos）于2013年与他人共同创立了Intrinsic Schools。她在这个职位上最享受的是有机会为两个校区的校长，员工和家庭提供支持。她归功于Belmont强大的团队和家人的支持，使新的Downtown Campus成为可能。她还领导了多个主要队列，旨在促进芝加哥地区学校与特许学校之间的合作。在成立Intrinsic之前，她在芝加哥公立学校工作了9年，期间担任首席地区官，负责管理100所高性能高中的网络，并担任网络西南地区的30所小学的网络负责人。加入CPS之前，Melissa是Deloitte的经理。在工作之外，梅利莎（Melissa）与丈夫和两个孩子在一起，使她忙于骑自行车，棒球和跳舞。

“我们以不同的方式开始了Intrinsic，采用了新的创新技术，并为高中毕业后的学生成功制定了个性化计划。该模型必须在财务和人员方面都是可持续的。我为我们由家庭，学生和员工组成的社区所创造的一切感到自豪，并为我们不断学习和改善的集体动力感到鼓舞。”

Melissa Zaikos co-founded Intrinsic Schools in 2013. What she most enjoys in this role is the chance to provide support to principals, staff and families across both campuses. She credits the strong team and family support at Belmont for making the newer Downtown Campus possible. She also leads multiple principal cohorts designed to foster collaboration between district and charter schools in Chicago. Prior to founding Intrinsic, she spent nine years at Chicago Public Schools where she served as a chief area officer overseeing a network of 100 high-performing high schools, and as a network chief serving 30 elementary schools on Chicago’s southwest side. Prior to joining CPS, Melissa was a manager with Deloitte. Outside of work, Melissa spends time with her husband and two children who keep her busy with biking, baseball and dance.

“We started Intrinsic to take a different approach – with new innovations, and individualized plans for student success after high school. The model had to be sustainable – financially and for staff. I am very proud of what we have created as a community of families, students and staff, and I am inspired by our collective drive to continually learn and improve.”

Ami Gandhi co-founded Intrinsic schools in 2013, and in her role as chief learning officer she oversees innovation, technology and data, as well as Intrinsic’s collaboration with other educators – in Chicago and beyond. She spent 10 years as a secondary mathematics teacher – seven of those years teaching within Chicago Public Schools – where she also served as an instructional leader for 100+ schools. Ami became a Golden Apple Scholar while a student at Northwestern, and is a National Board Certified Teacher. She is also a proud member of Transcend Education’s ‘Yellow Hats League’ and the Achievement First Charter School Accelerator. Ami is a lifelong Chicago resident and loves to travel, spend time with her family and friends, and see live music with her husband Brian.

“在Intrinsic，我们正在重新设计学校，以更好地为我们的学生，家庭和教职员工服务。我们的学校设计充分利用时间，空间和技术，以确保学生不断学习。有了个性化的支持和信任的关系，我们相信所有学生都可以朝着我们的毕业成绩发展。”

Dr. Daena Adams is a passionate instructional leader with a belief that collaborative teacher teams, robust teacher leadership, ambitious instruction and strong community engagement are critical to increasing student achievement. She has worked in education for 14 years, including 12 with administrative responsibilities, and has proven success in developing teachers and teacher leaders through strategic coaching as a principal, network operations manager, assistant principal, program director and department chairperson. She has a track record of collaborating with parents and community members as an essential part of the school improvement process, and is dedicated to increasing the college and career readiness of students in an increasingly globalized economy. Adams has a BA and MT from Hampton University, an MSEd in special education, an MSEd in educational administration from Northern Illinois University and an Ed.D in supervision and leadership with a Superintendent’s Endorsement from Loyola University Chicago.

“What has attracted me the most to Intrinsic is the commitment to postsecondary success and the willingness to explore different ways to help students achieve this. Intrinsic is committed to continually seeking new and innovative ways to reach students and provide them with opportunities that they may not otherwise receive.”

Tim Ligue joined Intrinsic in 2013. As chief strategy officer, he oversees our finance and postsecondary teams, as well as key projects and initiatives critical to the success of all Intrinsic students. Tim also leads all of Intrinsic’s emerging work to build pathways, networks, and employer and apprentice partnerships that will take students straight from high school into the workforce – i.e., meaningful, proven, supportive resources for our students and recent alumni whose goals don’t include full-time, on-campus college.

Over time, he has also served as chief operations officer, overseen the construction of our new buildings, and served as co-principal at the Belmont Campus and as principal at the Downtown Campus. Before Intrinsic, Tim worked with Morgan Stanley and later as a Broad Resident within CPS, supporting principals in the autonomy zone and Pershing Network. Tim is a life-long resident of Chicago and die-hard Sox fan, and enjoys spending time with his wife and three kids.

“内在的机会提供了帮助，在我爱的城市找到特别的东西。教育是游戏规则的改变，所有学生都有接受优质教育的权利。”

露西·韦瑟利（Lucy Weatherly）是贝尔蒙特土著校友的骄傲父母，于2017年正式加入土著员工。当他们寻求入学选择并开始学习土著知识时，她常常是第一批认识的家庭。她还担任Intrinsic与各种社区居民和组织之间的重要联络人。露西（Lucy）拥有发现和创造新机会与人脉的天赋，并且是所有内在学生及其家人的坚决拥护者。在工作之外，露西（Lucy）是恩典与和平教会（Grace and Peace Church）的长期成员，还是GAP社区中心的董事会成员，并且喜欢摄影。

“在儿子在贝尔蒙特公司（Intermontsic Belmont）的四年中，我看到了对儿子的影响，并希望成为变化的一部分。因此，我加入了工作人员，同时也在西北大学攻读了自己的大学（现在是研究生！）学位。关于内在的最好的事情是个人和专业人士不断学习的机会。”

凯蒂·雅各布斯（Katie Jacobs）于2015年加入Intrinsic，她有机会将其会计和财务专业知识带入一个充满创新，活力和动力的成长型组织。在加入Intrinsic之前，她曾在医疗保健，军事防御和航空航天行业工作。凯蒂（Katie）的职业生涯始于Grant Thornton LLP的审计师，在那里她曾与美国和国际各行各业的财富500强公司合作。

“I am very mission-driven. At Intrinsic, I have never felt more connected to and empowered by our mission to prepare Chicago youth for life-changing endeavors. I am in awe of the passion and dedication that our staff brings day in and day out, not only to further that mission, but also evolve and improve it.”

Ryan joined Intrinsic Schools in 2023 and is very excited to support our students, families and staff in helping our students achieve their postsecondary goals. Passionate about ensuring all students have the resources they need to be successful, he spent time working in college admissions, non-profit education, and serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Nicaragua prior to joining the Intrinsic team. Outside of work, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and following his favorite sports teams.

Meg Albera joined Intrinsic in 2016, and in the role of director of instructional technology ensures that all members of the Intrinsic community have the tools they need to maximize student learning. She makes sure the Intrinsic network is always up and running, and that software and technology are all flexible, reliable and well-synced. When Intrinsic staff and students are efficient, it is because of Meg! She taught for four years before transitioning to educational technology, and has a deep interest in social justice. Outside of Intrinsic, she likes kayaking, photography and traveling.

“内在是如此独特和令人惊奇。真正吸引我进入“内在”的是我们必须教给学生的不同模式以及我们如何整合技术。另外，当Marcial在万圣节期间打扮成热狗时，我们将其身份证照片改为她打扮成热狗。”

In her role as director of operations, Chrissy provides leadership around compliance and reporting, facilities, technology, and developing and implementing processes that support our schools in their daily work – including budgeting, transportation, internal communications and procurement. 

Chrissy started her career as a middle school math and science teacher through Teach For America in Washington DC. She then worked for KIPP in both Washington, DC and Chicago, and served as a high school principal in Gary, Indiana before founding Steel City Academy, also in Gary. Most recently, she worked at National Louis University’s Undergraduate College. Throughout her career, she has helped students to achieve success in their education in order to determine their own futures. 

“I care that students have access to the opportunities that will allow them to control their own future. And I care about the conditions of the people who work with those students. Intrinsic centers students and teachers at all levels of their decision-making, and I want to make sure that it is felt day-in and day-out in the work we do.”

Chrissy has a bachelors from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, a masters from the American University and an MBA from National Louis. Outside of work she enjoys concerts, weightlifting, and spending time with her family at Lake Michigan, and on road trips and at National Parks. 

Harpreet is the Director of Data at Intrinsic where he leads the data team and special projects. His favorite things about Intrinsic are the org-wide innovative initiatives like PODs, C Day and the EPIC Store that re-imagine what school can be. Harpreet started his journey in education as a middle school Math and Science teacher in New Orleans with Teach For America in 2008. Ever since, he has been learning and building data systems exclusively for the K-12 education sector. Harpreet studied philosophy and economics at St. John’s University in New York, and holds an MPA from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. Outside of work, Harpreet enjoys traveling and has a goal to visit each of the 35 countries in the Americas.

Saybah-Katrina is our Director of Data and manages data and reporting for Intrinsic Schools. Before coming to Intrinsic, she spent 9 years teaching science; 3 years of those years were spent teaching the Bay Area. She transitioned to an instructional leader, where she developed  her passion for data in education. Saybah-Katrina holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Mills College, earned a Data Analytics certification from Springboard and is an Alumni of the 2021 Harvard SDP Leadership Analytics Institute cohort.

Saybah-Katrina is a California native and enjoys long bike rides and hiking trails when she travels.

Erin Estrada joined Intrinsic in 2015, specifically to establish the Postsecondary Team. In this role, she has implemented programs and supports that have resulted in a department that is frequently touted as exceptional by students and families. Today, she oversees Postsecondary Seminar, counseling and alumni support, as well as partnerships with supporting organizations, student opportunities and networking events. Erin joined Intrinsic because she believes students can take multiple pathways to achieve postsecondary success, and because she values a highly-personalized, holistic approach to academic counseling. Prior to Intrinsic, Erin taught English in Chicago and Houston.

“我们与学生的关系在毕业时走上舞台就不会结束。几年后，当我们看到我们的校友过着富裕，幸福的生活，并利用他们的才能，激情和价值观使他们的社区变得更美好时，我们的工作获得了最大的回报。”

Jason joined the Intrinsic team in 2022. In his role of Technology Infrastructure Manager, he prioritizes all tasks with integrity, thorough research and clear communication to all stakeholders. His prior experience overseeing infrastructure, operations and “all things IT” has truly prepared him for this challenging role. When Jason is not navigating his passion in the tech realm, he spends time with his wife and son, who inspires him daily to be the best version of himself.

“Intrinsic is a very inclusive school that provides a healthy work environment along with cutting-edge tech. I want to be able to impact the future of the students by providing them with the best technology experience possible. Intrinsic’s diversity among students and staff is very welcoming and refreshing.”

Maya joined the Intrinsic team in January 2022. She received her Master’s Degree in human resources from DePaul University. As Intrinsic’s human resource director, Maya provides one-on-one and group coaching for our community. She also focuses on organizational development and compliance. Last but not least, Maya implements programs to improve efficiency and effectiveness. 

Maya is excited to be a part of an organization that aligns with her ethical guidelines and leadership perspective. She has committed herself to trying her best to always align with reliability, responsibility, reciprocity and respect, and each one can be principles related to the school’s competencies. In Maya’s personal time, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and trying new foods. 

“I am inspired by Intrinsic’s mission and inclusivity. Acknowledging the different needs of students and our responsibility to attend to them shows that understanding and appreciating diversity truly matters. This is something that should apply in all aspects of our lives.”

Alejandro Vega joined Intrinsic as a data analyst in Winter 2023. In this role he works behind the scenes to review student data, make our business processes more efficient, and report on matters related to public school compliance. He has worked with data in education for more than six years, and started in a charter school in LA working with students in underserved communities. Before Intrinsic, he served as a technical lead for InnovateEDU where he helped advocate for data interoperability for K-12 education by working with EdTech vendors and school districts. Most recently, he was with BUILD.org, a nonprofit that teaches entrepreneurship to high school students in various regions around the country.

Alejandro is inspired by his Dad, who has worked really hard his whole life. “I’m thankful to have learned a lot by seeing his work ethic on a day-to-day basis. And his favorite thing about Intrinsic is that it’s “led by great, amazing people, and that’s one thing that you want when you decide to become a part of something.”

Alejandro has a bachelor’s in psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Outside of work, he enjoys learning about topics that catch his interest, playing soccer, and spending time with his family and friends. 

Sameka Gates is on Intrinsic’s talent team, and leads work in resume collection and screening, first round interviews, internal staff trainings, and management of things like time and attendance. She brings to Intrinsic extensive experience with young people, having worked as a 7th grade social studies teacher with KIPP Academy, where she also served as the SEL Chairperson, founded their student council and produced the school’s first Black History assembly. She completed the Surge Fellowship in 2022, which exists to accelerate and empower emerging leaders of color working specifically in education. Sameka has a master’s in human services from Concordia University, and is on track to complete her master’s in clinical mental health counseling in 2025.

“On my first day at Intrinsic when I walked to the front door, the first person I saw was one of my former students. Seeing him calmed my nerves and served as confirmation that this is where I should be.” Sameka is inspired by seeing kids do what they thought was impossible, and outside of work enjoys hanging out with her two kids and having dinner with friends.

Priscilla Gomez is the proud parent of two Belmont Alumni students and officially joined the staff in 2019. Her infectious smile has impacted both the Belmont and Downtown communities as their office manager, and now she has expanded that same energy to her new role as the COVID-19 Support Team Manager. Her day is filled with cultivating calm and balance for our environment of students, families, and staff during such an uncertain time. Priscilla’s ability to balance predictability with the unpredictable continues to make her a vital person in our community.

“I saw how my children never wanted to leave Intrinsic, they were always involved, and I thought to myself, why? I then learned and saw hands-on how Intrinsic has always cared for my children and saw their potential, walking them through all aspects of life during their time at Intrinsic and even after they graduated. Intrinsic’s consistency and genuine actions captivated my heart. Now I am so thrilled to be a part of this community to give back what Intrinsic gave my children to our future families and graduates’.

Jen Daar joined Intrinsic in August 2021 after six years of teaching as a learning behavior specialist. Before joining Intrinsic, Jen had experience teaching in a co-taught and self-contained classroom setting in public and charter schools throughout Illinois. She had taught English, world history, US history, algebra, and a reading-based science class. Outside of teaching, Jen has experience leading grade-level teams, serving on the Diversity Equity and Inclusion committee, coaching cross country & track, and sponsoring student organizations, such as Student Council, pep club, or yearbook. In her free time, she enjoys reading, running, and discovering new restaurants.

“My philosophy is that every student is capable of learning and achieving greatness. It is my role to identify how a student best learns to support the student, their family, and the team. Being able to recognize their strengths will foster an environment of growth, learning, and support.”

Michelle Trojan joined Intrinsic Schools in 2014, and as principal of the Belmont Campus is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the school and coaching Intrinsic teachers. Michelle joined Intrinsic as the dean of culture and became assistant principal before taking over as principal. Because of these roles, Michelle knows almost all of our families personally. Before coming to Intrinsic, Michelle taught U.S. History and AP U.S. History and served as dean of students at Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy. Outside of work, you can find Michelle cheering on the Chicago White Sox.

“我从这里长大一个街区，没有负担得起的，值得信赖的学校选择。现在，我们有了Intensic Belmont，这是向所有人开放的绝佳公共选择，并在包容性环境中提供了出色的教育。每个芝加哥家庭都应该得到的。”

Sara Schuler joined the Intrinsic Downtown team in 2020 as an Intervention Specialist in 9th and 10th grade. As case manager, Sara oversees the creation and implementation of IEPs and helps ensure our school curriculum is accessible to each student. Sara also supports teachers in creating a school setting where each student feels confident, supported, and proud of what they achieve in their time at Intrinsic. Before joining the Intrinsic team, Sara was a middle school special education teacher in Raleigh, NC, for three years, focusing on behavior intervention and support. Sara is also one of the soccer coaches at Intrinsic. 

“My favorite thing about Intrinsic is the passion staff and students have to make our school a place where students can develop as individuals and feel empowered to make their impact on the world.”  

克里斯·林（Chris Lin）于2019年加入Intrinsic，并在贝尔蒙特校区担任助理校长，主要专注于在课程和教学上指导数学和科学老师。他看到Intrinsic的创新精神，希望推动学校的共同传统，并找到新的方法来鼓励我们的年轻公民积极参与终身学习的过程，以使世界变得更美好。在加入Intrinsic之前，克里斯曾在Westview Hills中学担任助理校长，并在Jones College Prep和伊利诺伊州数学与科学学院担任领导职务。与周围充满热情，积极和有创造力的人们一起激发了他的灵感，而他最喜欢做的事情就是陪伴女儿。

“在第一天，一位同事在午餐时间向我挥手说，'告诉我你自己，我想知道一切。”这是一个愉快，热情和热情的手势，这充分说明了Intrinsic和我们的社区。”

Coryn Thompson joined Intrinsic Schools in August 2023, and as assistant principal of instruction at the Belmont Campus spends her time coaching and supporting teachers to achieve important outcomes for all Intrinsic students. She also ensures students have a strong advisory/mentoring experience. Before Intrinsic, Coryn was a diverse learning and science teacher, teacher leader, and varsity softball coach at Amandla Charter School in Chicago, and served as assistant principal of curriculum and instruction and as a science teacher at Chicago Tech Academy. She has a bachelor’s of science and a master’s in special education from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in educational leadership. Coryn loves athletics, and in her free time she coaches and plays on different sports teams.

“Intrinsic has a strong history of using innovative approaches to education to meet the needs of all students within the community. I have loved getting to know the Intrinsic team.”

Miguel Rivera comes to Intrinsic with nearly two decades of service in education in Chicago, Baltimore and Miami. He is a Chicago native of Puerto Rican descent and grew up a mile west of the Belmont Campus. Most of his work has focused on student development as he has served as a teacher, coach, dean and director of both student experience and student affairs.

Miguel did not take a direct approach into education. After graduating from Northside College Prep High School in Chicago, he went on to earn his bachelor’s from Washington Bible College, with a major in biblical studies and a minor in sports ministry. He knew that coaching was something he wanted to pursue, and quickly fell in love with working with students. In 2014, he earned his master’s of education in curriculum and instruction from the American College of Education.

Miguel has two key priorities for the culture of Intrinsic. He wants it to be a safe place, physically and emotionally, for all students, staff and families, as well as a place of joy – a place where students and staff want to come to every day, because they know that the Intrinsic experience is like no other in the city!

阿什利·奥康塔·马修斯（Ashley Okonta Mathews）于2016年加入Intrinsic，曾担任8年级科学老师，9年级体育老师，高中研讨班老师和高校篮球教练，然后升任现任助理校长。作为助理校长，她的职责涵盖整个学校的文化，多样性，平等和包容，老师指导和学校运营，她目前为一群12年级的男孩提供建议，这些男孩每天都要保持扎扎实实，充满动力和大笑。在工作之外，阿什利（Ashley）喜欢钉球，足球，篮球，摩托艇，远足-都很活跃。她喜欢与丈夫和她的狗科比（Kobe）闲逛。

“我受到每天看到的孩子们的启发。所有的学生都可以提供这么多的东西，我迫不及待地看到他们成长并改变世界。”

Holly Terry joined Intrinsic Belmont in Summer 2025 as the dean of multilingual students. She comes to Intrinsic with extensive leadership experience having worked as manager of English language learning at the KIPP St. Louis school district and the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) department lead at Stripling Elementary School in Gwinnett County, GA. Holly began her career as a Teach For America music teacher in Osceola, AR, has taught English online to young students across China, and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia. Holly is the daughter of two immigrants – her mom is originally from Vietnam and her father from Kenya. 

In her role as dean, Holly sets the vision and oversees support for multilingual learners at the Belmont Campus – about 40% of enrollment any given school year. She also coaches and supports other teachers and staff focused on this work. The collective goal is to accelerate students’ acquisition of the English language alongside all content knowledge. 

“I’m inspired by passionate people, brilliant ideas and great stories. It’s exciting to be part of an innovative, collaborative and passionate group of educators, and to use my experience to make a positive impact on the academic experiences of our multicultural, multilingual and immigrant communities.” 

Outside of work, Holly enjoys time with her husband Taylor Terry, an assistant principal at the Downtown Campus, and their daughter, Leilani. She’s into thrifting and upcycling, roller skating, watching Korean dramas and having brunch!

Pedro Rodriguez joined Intrinsic in 2016 as a middle school social studies teacher and in 2018, also began serving as a dean of culture and athletic director. In these roles, he worked to ensure the physical and emotional safety of all students, and supported and developed Intrinsic’s student-athletes. In 2021, he moved into the role of assistant principal, where today he focuses on instructional coaching and day-to-day building management.

Before joining Intrinsic, Pedro taught middle school social studies for two years in East Garfield Park. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Southern Illinois University and a master’s in education from Concordia University Chicago. He values Intrinsic’s commitment to its stakeholders as students, families and staff are prioritized to create a unique school community that values each member. Pedro’s favorite Intrinsic moment occurred while coaching the boys’ soccer team in their incredible run to the Sectional Championship Game in 2019.

Evely Herrera joined Intrinsic in 2015, and now as our Restorative Justice Coordinator focuses primarily on student culture and discipline, data analysis, and building relationships with students and families. Prior to this role, she was a physical education teacher at Intrinsic for four years, where she helped establish the Middle School girls volleyball program – which she still coaches! She also served as a Dean of Culture for three years. Evely is a Chicago native and was the first in her family to graduate from a 4-year college. She attended the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and was a part of Gamma Phi Omega-International Sorority Inc. Outside of work, Evely loves spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and taking strolls around the park with her husband Nando, dog Blue, and baby boy Izra. 

“I am grateful for the ability to work with students and families in the very neighborhood where I grew up. Building and maintaining these relationships is what I hold dear to my heart. Student growth – and in turn my growth – keeps me going. I am inspired by my colleagues and network who encourage me to be the best version of myself.”

Jorge Andres Duarte joined Intrinsic in Fall 2013 as a PE teacher and created our first-ever sports program – Ultimate Frisbee! Coaching ultimate proved to be the pathway that set him on the course to a career in social work, and he left Chicago to work for two years as a middle school therapist in Oakland, CA. In that role he strengthened his skills and knowledge that he eventually brought back home to Chicago and to Intrinsic.

Today, in his role as social work department lead at the Belmont Campus, Jorge supports the social-emotional well-being of the entire Intrinsic community. He provides one-on-one and group support to students, in-person and online mental health support, and creates professional development sessions for staff. He has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Northern Illinois University and a master’s in social work from UIC.

Jorge’s favorite thing about Intrinsic is “being able to work with a community that is reflective of my own. This is special, and allows me to address systemic/historical needs of our community in a creative way. Being born of Colombian immigrants, I was raised being acutely aware of the obstacles and challenges our community faces. So uplifting and supporting those in need is what inspires me.”

Outside of work, Jorge loves playing competitive ultimate frisbee, biking, swimming in the lake and walking his two beagles.

Von Powell joined Intrinsic Belmont in Summer 2022. In his role as dean of culture, he ensures Intrinsic students have a safe, structured and positive environment every day they come to school. Von is a West Englewood native and a Teach For America alum with 10 years of education experience. He attended Western Illinois University and Columbia University and holds Spanish and Political Science degrees. Von serves on the wellness committee, and one of his favorite moments at Intrinsic to date is dancing and singing to Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On one Friday during dismissal.

“I chose Intrinsic for the community. We do a ton of cross-team collaboration, and I love it because those touchpoints provide opportunities for me to get to know other colleagues who aren’t on my team. The mission and resources our students have access to are inspiring, and I appreciate the opportunity to serve this generation of students. After working in Charlotte and Atlanta, being home in Chicago feels good.” Outside work, Von enjoys hikes, road trips, traveling abroad, reading, cooking and spending time with friends.

Maureen Raffenetti joined Intrinsic in August 2015 to teach Spanish, and eventually taught AP Spanish Language & AP Spanish Literature and served as the Spanish team instructional coach and department chair. In Fall 2023, she moved into the role of Choice Day manager and student experiences coordinator, while also still teaching students and coaching other teachers part-time. In this new role she manages programs for Intrinsic’s weekly C Day, which often includes coordinating field trips and student retreats. She is most inspired when she’s able to figure out new ways of doing things, learn new languages, and help students have different interesting experiences.

Maureen has a bachelor’s from the University of Illinois in teaching of Spanish and Spanish linguistics, and in her free time likes traveling, trying new restaurants, concerts, SoulCycle and spending time with family. Her favorite Intrinsic memory is graduating her 2018 Advisory. “It was a long road but we made it … and I cried on stage …”

The best thing about working at Intrinsic? “The people!”

LaToya Teague joined Intrinsic Belmont in Summer 2021. In her role as dean of culture, she supports the development of a positive school culture, a structured environment that is conducive to student achievement, and ultimately, positive character development. She also supports teachers as they build strong relationships with students and families, while implementing a school-wide behavior management system with logical incentives and consequences. To this role, she brings more than 10 years of experience servicing youth and families, including serving as a reading and math interventionist, a schoolwide interventionist, and a teacher of math and ELA.

Outside of work, LaToya enjoys spending time with family, serving with her local worship assembly, road trips, reading articles about earth and life sciences, and spending time outside at parks and on trails. She is inspired by knowing that her day-to-day service to students has a direct impact on generations to come.

On any given day, Jose focuses on maximizing the opportunities that our scholars have to build their confidence and to achieve their utmost potential – both academically and socially-emotionally. He is driven to assist young people from historically marginalized communities to become inquisitive learners, leaders in the field, leaders in their communities, and eventually, leaders in our global community. His core responsibilities include establishing a structured, positive and inspiring school culture that reinforces Intrinsic’s EPIC values of Empathy, Perseverance, Identity and Curiosity. Jose is also an on-call disciplinarian when scholars demonstrate behaviors that deviate from Intrinsic’s code of conduct, and often partners with his team, students, families, social workers and teachers to execute any needed behavior interventions.

Jose has worked in education for six years, as a teacher and then dean at Rowe Middle School, and before that as an instructional facilitator with the Illinois Department of Corrections helping inmates earn their GEDs. Jose is the first in his family to graduate with a master’s degree, and outside of work enjoys spending time with his family and friends, nature walks along the lakefront, weekend getaways and exploring different parts of the city. 

Eric Porter joined Intrinsic in 2015, where he serves as assistant dean of culture. In this role, Eric ensures the safety of the Intrinsic community and their well-being. He also makes sure staff members have the tools they need to be successful in the classroom – all in service of Intrinsic’s school culture and student learning.

“我渴望帮助我们的学生。我们经常通过问题解决棘手的情况。我很乐于帮助学生在当下以及对自己的未来进行反思和做出明智的选择。”

Dinah Hahn joined the Intrinsic community in 2016 as a learning specialist in the 11th grade English Language Arts POD. Before coming to Intrinsic, she taught for four years at Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy, two years at Jane Addams High School, and one year at North Shore Academy. Her 11 years of teaching experience in Chicago has prepared her for her current position as a dean of instruction, and she is passionate about teaching a rigorous curriculum, holding students to high expectations, and creating classrooms that are full of joy and love. When Dinah is not working, she enjoys taking her kids to the park, trying out new restaurants, cooking and biking with her family.

“我本人最喜欢的部分是我们的学生。他们在保持积极态度的同时能够在课堂内外管理职责的能力使我感到鼓舞。我最喜欢的内在记忆来自我在咨询中的圈子讨论。我们在一起欢呼雀跃，互相欢笑，互相支持。我们之间的对话是我永远不会忘记的，感到很幸运。”

Haley Giannone joined Intrinsic in 2014. In the role of dean of diverse learning, she oversees all Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and 504 plans, and ensures that all plans are developed in the best interest of students and families and are compliant with federal law. She also coaches and supports teachers, and works with service providers who provide related, wraparound support to students, families and staff. Haley has been in special education for 10+ years, initially as a teacher in co-teaching and general education settings. At Intrinsic, she values the team approach and innovative practices, and in her free time she spends time with family.

“我对Intrinsic的最挚爱记忆是我的顾问在一起四年后毕业的那一天。我们创造的类似家庭的纽带真的很特别！我喜欢结识每个人，与家人结伴，看着他们彼此建立联系。”

豪尔赫·安德烈斯·杜阿尔特（Jorge Andres Duarte）于2013年加入Intrinsic，作为一名社会工作者，它通过提供一对一和小组服务来确保Intrinsic学生的健康。他在需要时将学生和家庭与外部专业服务联系起来，通常侧重于心理健康，粮食安全，家庭预算和财务管理以及一般社区服务和联系。他与同事合作，以确保每个教室环境中都有积极的社交情感环境，并与Intrinsic的多样性，平等与包容性（DEI）委员会合作。

豪尔赫（Jorge）是极具竞争力的极限飞盘运动员，并于2013年在Intrinsic发起了飞盘计划。“这种经历的一大亮点是，该团队于2016年获得州冠军，并获得第二名。我们极限计划的第二个亮点是2017年，当时高级队长斯蒂芬妮·帕迪拉（Stephanie Padilla）被邀请参加美国队在西雅图的国家选拔赛，这是唯一受邀的芝加哥运动员。”

此外，豪尔赫（Jorge）正在与芝加哥的极限飞盘运动员一起建立一个新的DEI小组，以提供来自BIPOC社区的更多代表。在加入Intrinsic之前，他在加利福尼亚州奥克兰市担任心理健康临床医生，在那里他学会了种植人形和胡须。

Elvira joined the Intrinsic team in January 2021. As the Belmont Campus office manager, Elvira oversees many procedures including student enrollment, and maintains resources for students and staff. She enjoys speaking to families daily and making sure they each feel supported. Elvira’s children inspire her to continue smiling and be the best version of herself while embracing the Intrinsic community with open arms. 

“I love the people I work with. I already consider this my Intrinsic family.”

Cera Allen joined Intrinsic in August 2016. In her role as dean of specialized services, she supports staff to develop thoughtful and personalized 504 and Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that respond to student needs, while also ensuring that all plans are implemented with fidelity. She collaborates with relevant stakeholders to ensure all elements of school are accessible for all students. One of her favorite things about Intrinsic is the chance to work alongside colleagues who share the same vision for Intrinsic: students feeling comfortable to bring their whole selves to school and being prepared for their postsecondary plans. In her free time, Cera enjoys reading by the lake and participating in triathlons.

Her favorite memory at Intrinsic is witnessing her first group of 7th graders graduate. “It was so special to be a part of their growth and development over their six years at Intrinsic, and then celebrate all of their accomplishments! As a middle school teacher, one of my favorite things about Intrinsic is how many of our students choose to stay for high school. I love being able to maintain those connections with both students, and their families.”

Nicole Elman于2019年加入Intrinsic。作为一名社会工作者，她为学生提供了一次性的，持续的社交和情感支持。她帮助学生解决点对点冲突，并根据需要为学生和家庭提供危机支持。她还为具有个性化教育计划（IEP）的学生举办个人和小组会议，以支持社交和情感发展，并将各种社区资源与学生及其家庭的需求联系起来。在加入Intrinsic之前，Nicole在私人诊所中主要是为儿童和青少年担任治疗师。在工作之余，她喜欢做饭，跳舞，瑜伽和棋盘游戏-她热衷于任何能够使自己起床并动起来的东西，以及喜欢与朋友和家人一起大笑的任何事物。

“我以基于优势的方法开展工作，并相信每个人都具有自我爱护，自我完善和成功的能力。”

布鲁诺·费尔南德斯（Bruno Fernandez）于2019年开始在内在学校工作，并享受通过社区和心理健康资源以及社交情感学习为学生，教职员工和家庭提供的支持。除了在内在的角色外，他还自愿担任学校的糖尿病护理援助，并喜欢让学生参与有关健康生活方式的对话。他出生在墨西哥，年轻时就搬到芝加哥，亲身经历了许多本地贝尔蒙特学生面对的一些挣扎，他们生活在一个主要是拉丁美洲人的社区中，这激发了他与青年一起工作的热情。在加入Intrinsic之前，他曾在天主教慈善机构担任芝加哥青年和家庭的治疗师，而布鲁诺在工作之外还喜欢举重和运动。