Cohort 1 | Class of 2017

Blanca Baltazar-SabbahBlanca Baltazar-Sabbah

  • Hometown: Watsonville, California
  • Undergraduate: Major: Social Science with a concentration in Anthropology; Minor: Mathematics, Sacramento State University
  • Graduate: Counselor Education, San Jose State University
  • Research Interests:
    • Effective instructional strategies for English Learners 
      in mainstream common core math classes.
    • Peer instructional coaching as a model to improve the efficacy of teachers delivering and designing instruction to meet the needs of English Learners.
    • Why are there so few Latina Superintendents is California?
  • Personal Interests:
    • Traveling with my family, photography, and playing sports- being outdoors 

Marie-Helene BauguilMarie-Helene Bauguil

  • Hometown: Sunnyvale, California
  • Undergraduate: Architecture-Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Architecture de Toulouse (ENSA-Toulouse, France)
  • Graduate: Architecture-Ecole Nationale Superieure d'Architecture de Toulouse (ENSA-Toulouse, France)
  • Research Interests:
    • Art education, focused on project-based learning
    • Art-integrated curriculum
    • Leadership coaching to emphasize the importance of art in education
  • Personal Interests:
    • Art exhibits, plays, movies and TV shows, gardening, hiking in nature, and cooking 

Angela BirtsAngela Birts

  • Hometown: San Mateo, California
  • Undergraduate: B.A., English and Communications, 
    Lake Forest College
  • Graduate: M.A., Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies (POLS), Stanford University
  • Research Interests:
    • Professional Learning Communities
    • Cultural Relevant Pedagogy
    • School Leadership
    • Reculturing Schools for Equity
    • Multicultural Curriculum
    • Leading School for Social Justice
  • Personal Interests:
    • Traveling abroad, running, hiking, swimming, ushering, writing, and 
      spending time with friends and family. 

Pam ChengPam Cheng

  • Hometown: Campbell, California
  • Undergraduate: Psychology and Sociology, UC San Diego
  • Graduate: Curriculum and Teaching, Teachers College, 
    Columbia University
  • Research Interests: I'm interested in teaching practices and organizational structures that promote literacy engagement and achievement of English-learners and diverse student populations.
  • Personal Interests: An avid basketball player turned yoga enthusiast, I enjoy stretching and stretches of quiet time to punctuate an active life as a mother of two. Hikes, coffee, and good conversation also rank high among favorite activities. 

M. Clara FernandezM. Clara Fernandez

  • Hometown: Watsonville, California
  • Undergraduate: BA, Community Studies - University of California, Santa Cruz
  • Graduate: Education, University of California, Santa Cruz; 
    Educational Administration & Supervision, San Jose State University
  • Research Interests: I'm interested in teaching practices and organizational structures that promote literacy engagement and achievement of English Learners and diverse student populations.
  • Personal Interests: My personal interests include: listening to music, watching movies,  spending quality time with my family, and most importantly, nurturing, caring, reading, talking, listening, and loving my 3 year old son. 

Betsy FitchBetsy Fitch

  • Hometown: Hodgenville, Kentucky
  • Undergraduate: BA in Marketing, Murray State
  • Graduate: MBA, Xavier; Admin Credential, Masters in Education San Jose State University
  • Research Interests: Leadership for student-centered learning
  • Personal Interests: Running, yoga, reading, gardening, and anything outside 

Terry FloraTerry Flora

  • Hometown: Santa Clara, California
  • Undergraduate: Social Science. Schools Attended: De Anza College, San Diego State University, and The Institute for Shipboard Education "Semester at Sea"
  • Graduate: Education-Administration and Supervision, San Jose State University
  • Research Interests: I am interested in researching effective ways to close the achievement gap, methods to help incoming freshmen transition successfully into high school, and strategies to ensure that all students are prepared for college if they choose to attend.
  • Personal Interests: My personal interests include, spending time with my wife and kids, golfing, running, traveling, and playing music. 

Carrie HolmbergCarrie Holmberg

  • Hometown: Durham, Connecticut
  • Undergraduate: English, Stanford
  • Graduate: Education, Secondary; Stanford (STEP)
  • Research Interests: Novice and expert teachers' use of formative assessment research methods, study design, and program implementation of educational professional development in STEM-based formative assessment interventions alignment of  Common Core and Smarter Balanced policies with formative assessment practices, academic language development, and culturally sensitive pedagogies.
  • Personal Interests: Edible landscaping and water polo. 

Manuel NunezManuel Nuñez            

  • Hometown: Watsonville, California
  • Undergraduate: BS, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology - UC Santa Cruz
  • Graduate: Counselor Education, San Jose State University
  • Research Interests: I am interested in exploring if there is a correlation between students being referred to continuation high school and their aspirations towards a post-secondary education. I would also like to research the completion rates of students who enroll in post-secondary education and factors that contribute to degree.
  • Personal Interests: Some of my personal interest/hobbies include watching sports such as football, soccer, baseball and basketball. I enjoy traveling and exploring new places. I love the kitchen and enjoy cooking. I am an avid fan of the San Francisco 49ers, LA Dodgers , and the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Noralee Ortiz

  • Hometown: Pixley, California
  • Undergraduate: Deaf Studies, California State University-Fresno
  • Graduate: Mexican American Studies & Special Education, San Jose State University
  • Research Interests: My research interests are tied to examining race, 
    ethnicity, class, and gender as it pertains to education, specifically special education. Areas of study include: 
    • Deaf students of color and their classroom experiences
    • Deaf education teacher attitudes and support for students and their families of color
    • Families of color with children in special education
  • Personal Interests: My personal interests include learning about people, places, foods, and languages, that are different from my own. 

Michael PaytnerMichael Paynter

  • Hometown: Scotts Valley, California
  • Undergraduate: Philosophy, University of California, Santa Cruz
  • Graduate: Counseling Psychology Masters - ITP/Sofia University
  • Research Interests: Trauma Informed Care - Especially NMT, Foster Youth and Education, and Serving Alternative Education Students.
  • Personal Interests: Aikido Hakomi Psychotherapy, Curvy Roads for Motorcycles, and Occasional Snowboarding Trips with Family.

Deanna Peck Deanna Peck

  • Hometown: San Jose, California
  • Undergraduate: Secondary English Education - University of Wisconsin, Madison
  • Graduate: Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration, Indiana University, Bloomington
  • Research Interests: Diversity, Leadership, & Strengths
  • Personal Interests: Learning, travelling, and nature

Ana RamirezAna Ramirez

  • Hometown: San Jose, California
  • Undergraduate: Bachelor of Arts Liberal Studies - San José State University
  • Graduate: Masters of Arts Education (Curriculum and Instruction)-San José State University
  • Research Interests: The influence of parental involvement on early literacy achievement
  • Personal Interests: Dogs, running, and attending concerts. 

Adriana RangelAdriana Rangel

  • Hometown: Callao, Peru
  • Undergraduate:Spanish Language and Literature at U.C. Berkeley and a minor in French Language and Literature.
  • Graduate: Stanford University, M.A. in Education and 
    Teaching of Spanish Language; San Jose State University, M.A. in Education, Urban High School Leadership
  • Research Interests:
    • Intersection of race, language, & opportunity. 
    • Empowering disenfranchised students counteracting the school-to-prison pipeline
  • Personal Interests: Reading and Dancing

Long Troung Long Troung

  • Hometown: San Jose, California
  • Undergraduate: Mathematics and Computer Science at 
    Santa Clara University
  • Graduate: Urban Educational Leadership at San Jose State University
  • Research Interests: Low-income students in San Jose. The positive and negative effects of charter schools. 
  • Personal Interests: My personal interests include learning about people, places, foods, and languages, that are different from my own. 

Roberta ZareaRoberta Zarea

  • Hometown: San Jose, California
  • Undergraduate: Russian Language and Literature- 
    University of Michigan
  • Graduate: Elementary Education - University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Educational Leadership - San Jose State University
  • Research Interests:
    • Technology in teaching and learning
    • Achievement and motivation
    • Assessment
    • Organizational development and change.
  • Personal Interests: Spending time with family, hiking and backpacking, camping, reading, and gardening.