English Language Arts Department
Ms. Akter came to America when she was five years old and has been living in NYC since then. She loves to read, write (primarily novel-length fiction), bake, cook, and do arts and crafts. She graduated from Hunter College with her bachelor’s in English Adolescent Education and is currently working on her master’s at Hunter for Adolescent Literacy. You can talk to Ms. Akter about anything Marvel, ATLA, or Disney related (this is how you make it onto her list of favorite people).
Ms. Amoako is a Libra living in Brooklyn. They have a Guinea pig named Poopy, play the drums, and love gardening. Their favorite book is Another Country by James Baldwin, and they are really excited to dive into some good literature with the students of MESA!
Mr. A holds a degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University and a Masters in Education from Johns Hopkins University. A proud New Yorker for more than a decade now, Mr. A previously worked in television news and edited comic books! He is an avid soccer and football fan (GO BUFFALO!) and enjoys spending his spare time with his wife, his cat Gus, and his two godchildren.
Ms. Cintron is a proud mom of two black cats named Ryder and Star. (So be kind to her or else she will cast a spell on you!) She grew up in New Jersey and moved to NY once she started college. At Fordham she majored in English with minors in Spanish Language and Women's Studies. And at NYU Steinhardt she earned her Masters in Teaching ELA for alomost a year. Before working at MESA, she taught English to young adults in the Dominican Republic. Her "cool" hobbies include dancing and improv theater. Her "regular" hobbies include cooking, bingeing shows, and reading.
ELA Teacher
Mrs. Cotton was born and raised in Brooklyn... Bushwick to be exact (yurr!) She graduated from the High School for Environmental Studies and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison through the Posse Foundation scholarship. It was there she discovered her deep passion for literacy teaching through an after-school program at a local middle school. Soon after, Bushwick called her back, and she has found herself teaching 9th grade ELA at MESA for the past 6 years. She has a deep love for inspiring students to read books from contemporary fiction to manga; all books are welcomed in the classroom! In her spare time, you can find Mrs. Cotton riding her bike throughout the city, finding hidden local gems in Bushwick and Ridgewood, and eating oysters.
Mr. Ghirdharie was raised in Schenectady, NY. For undergrad, he attended St. Lawrence University and majored in English. After undergrad, Mr. Ghirdharie attended New York University and received his master's degree in the Arts of Teaching. Mr. Ghirdharie hopes to empower students by encouraging them to cultivate their love of reading and writing in his Writing Seminar 10 class. In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing, watching anime, playing video games and knitting.
Mr. Gibbs was born in northwestern New Jersey, where he spent most of his early years on the family dairy farm. Mr. Gibbs went on to attend The College of New Jersey and graduated with a degree in Political Science and Economics. From his experiences and studies at TCNJ, Mr. Gibbs acted on an opportunity to pursue his passion in teaching and coaching. For his first five years of teaching, Mr. Gibbs taught ELA and History at a middle school in Red Hook, Brooklyn. He also had the pleasure of coaching the boys' and girls' middle school basketball teams and continues to build his coaching resume at MESA. If you happen to run into Mr. Gibbs in the hallways of MESA, he’s either talking ball, books, or social issues. He may also be looking for his next city or country to visit and appreciates a good recommendation!
Faye grew up in Manchester, England, a city you might know because it used to have a great football team! She attended university just down the road, in the city of Liverpool, where she studied English Literature and Theatre Studies. She wanted to be an actor before she became a teacher.
In her free time, she enjoys being entertained in any way! From reading to live theatre to TV to watching boxing, or even just watching neighbours play dominoes on the street - all culture is fascinating. Before living in NY, Faye lived in Bogota, Colombia for 12 years, learned Spanish and really tried to learn salsa with a growth mindset! She is here in NY with her family and looking forward to lots of discoveries out there.
Ms.Rodriguez grew up on the Central Coast of California, where mostly all of her family is still currently located. Rodriguez also attended college in Southern California at California Lutheran University. In both high school and college, Ms.Rodriguez ran cross-country and track and field and hopes to help coach the track team here at MESA. Rodriguez has always had a passion for reading and writing since High-School and is more than happy to begin her high school teaching career here at MESA. Before MESA, Ms.Rodriguez taught Middle School ELA for the past 3 years, while also coaching middle school track for one year. In her spare time, you can find her exercising, whether it's a walk/run in Prospect Park, or dancing at one of her many concerts, as music is her second passion among teaching.
Ms. Salazar is a dedicated and passionate educator with a lifelong curiosity for literature. A Dominican-born, Queens-raised woman, she believes in understanding the world through storytelling. Becoming an English teacher was a meaningful choice for her, driven by the desire to empower young voices and create a strong sense of community. With a bachelor's degree in English literature from Queens College, she aims to inspire her students at MESA, nurturing their curiosity and love for literature and knowledge. Ms. Salazar also plans to empower them to work together, fostering an environment where they can learn from each other, grow collectively, and thrive as a united community.
Ms. Spinabelli grew up outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She attended Penn State University where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and her master’s in Creative Writing. She also taught freshmen writing composition class at Penn State for two semesters. A writer as well as an educator, Ms. Spinabelli has been published in The New Yorker, McSweeney’s, Luna Luna Magazine, Yes Poetry, and others. Prior to becoming a teacher, she worked for five summers as a camp counselor for teens and led 100-mile canoeing trips down the Allegheny River. In her free time, she likes to write, read, roller skate, and rock climb.
ELA Teacher
Originally from West Windsor, New Jersey, Ms. Sun holds an English Literature degree from NYU and a MAT from Relay Graduate School of Education. She founded Domus Middle School in New Haven as a 2010 TFA Corps Member and has since taught ELA in Harlem and Brownsville. When not grading essays, Ms. Sun is biking and eating her way around the city.
Khoanh TranI graduated from Castleton University with a bachelor's in English
literature. Later, I pursued studies at Lehman College, earning a
bachelor's in SLP. My focus has been on working with students with
IEPs and English Language Learners. Currently, I am working towards a
dual certification at Relay Graduate School.
Reading Culture Coordinator
Ms. White is originally from Portland, Oregon, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in English from Portland State University. After moving to New York in 2013, she earned her Master of Arts in English Education at Columbia University Teachers College. Before joining MESA, Ms. White taught abroad in Sichuan, China. In her free time, she enjoys riding her bike, jamming on ukulele, and playing feather-stick with her cat.