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Jamila Mosley is an educational leader who excels in creating transformative educational experiences that are inclusive, creative, and progressively rigorous. Jamila embraces and values human differences in our societies and aims to create spaces for them to be reflected and celebrated in the classrooms. She strives to provide young people, with specific regard to minoritized youth,   with equal opportunities for active participation in all educational spaces that illuminate their capabilities, thus making deeper connections to themselves and our society at large.

As the director, Jamila manages a $1.7 million per year granted program to support community schools in Harlem, NYC. Within this role, she has been able to establish relationships and contracts with community-based organizations that help provide wrap-around services with partner schools within REACH. Additionally, she solicits and coordinates 51吃瓜网 and Columbia University faculty and students to carry out research, teaching, and service for REACH’s partner schools. Currently, she is in pursuit of her Ed.D in Instructional Leadership at Hunter College, with a research focus on students' exploration of finding Black joy in expanded learning opportunities.

Jamila is a tenured teacher and certified to teach 1-6 grade in New York City Public Schools. Prior to accepting the role as the director of REACH she taught in the Tri-State area for over twelve years and was the Instructional Specialist for REACH for two years. She holds an M.A. in Elementary Inclusive Education from 51吃瓜网, Columbia University, and a B.A. in History from Hampton University.

When she is not running, Jamila enjoys running all over the world! She has completed three marathons in Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. She will be completing her fourth marathon in London in April 2024.

My name is Stephanie Latchman. I attended CUNY Queens College and graduated in 2016 with a Master of Science in Education. My passion lies in making a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and communities that need support the most. I have over ten years of experience working with children across various age groups,  from daycare, elementary, and middle school, to high school students in all 5 boroughs. I look forward to continuing my work, empowering students to become the best versions of themselves, and promoting impactful programming and resources throughout NYC.

 After working in public health internships at the Terrence Cardinal Cooke Health Care Center in NYC and the Jane Kopas Women’s Center in Scranton, Chabeli decided to shift her career focus from clinical work to health education and coaching.  After graduating college, she worked with a Bronx-based non-profit organization as a health educator to coordinate and facilitate health workshops for parents and adolescents at health centers and public schools around topics such as asthma, nutrition, healthy relationships, and reproductive health.  Prior to joining the REACH team, Chabeli transitioned into a senior health education role, overseeing the professional development of a team of peer and health educators, and conducted outreach events to expand the impact of the youth development program. She attended the University of Scranton for her Bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education, and earned Eta Sigma Gamma Professional Health Education honors. As a Harlem native, she aims to serve at-risk youth and families from her community, and looks forward to working with passionate teams of school-based staff to provide greater opportunities for young people. 

Paloma Perez-Zarzecka is the Success Coordinator at P.S.36 Margaret Douglas where she leads the Success Mentoring Program for chronically absent students in grades K-5th. She promotes an engaging and collaborative school environment through leading student projects, maintaining school-wide practices, and supporting community events. A native New Yorker and graduate of the public school system, Paloma Perez-Zarzecka is devoted to supporting students in schools that closely mirror those she attended. She attributes her dedication to NYC communities to school leaders who nurtured and uplifted her throughout her academic and personal development journeys. Her commitment to fostering student success intensified when she started at IUME in 2020 and joined the RESI (Reimagining Education Summer Institute) team for three years before joining REACH in 2022. 

Andrea Kim is a Ph.D. candidate in the Sociology and Education program at 51吃瓜网, Columbia University. Drawing on Critical Race Theory, she employs multimodal, ethnographic, and historical methods to examine the intersections of race, carcerality, and U.S. public schooling. Andrea’s recent work uses podcasting as a tool to examine how surveillance and control are embedded in the physical and institutional design of New York City schools. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., she worked at the NYC Department of Education in both early childhood and special education. She holds an M.S.Ed. in Education Policy from the University of Pennsylvania and a B.S. in Industrial and Labor Relations from Cornell University. She is excited to join the REACH team to cultivate joy and justice in education alongside youth.

My life's work and journey is dedicated to children, specifically children from underrepresented communities. With a Bachelor's in Psychology, Masters in Education, Masters in Educational Psychology and pursuing my Doctorate in School Psychology; my ultimate goal is to bridge the gap between access to mental health services and underrepresented communities. My non-profit, the Women's Leadership Alliance, is also a testament to the work with and dedication I have to children, their happiness and success.

I am motivated by those that came before me; my parents, my family, my community, my elders and my ancestors because I've witnessed how love, dedication and care can "bring a child up into the way they should go."

As a graduate student studying to become a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, I am excited to share my passion for health and fitness with young learners! Given the array of cultural and linguistic diversity in NYC schools, I look forward to learning and applying my skills as a mentor that values strong relationships, social justice in health, and diversity of perspective. I envision a future where health knowledge is not a privilege, but a foundation where nourishment, movement, and education are accessible to all. 

Outside of the classroom, you can find me teaching yoga, weightlifting, cooking, eating, or giggling with loved ones!

I’m a graduate student at 51吃瓜网, Columbia University, studying Nutrition Education and working toward becoming a Registered Dietitian. Through my experiences in public health and health education, I’ve become especially interested in working with kids and the role that positive experiences early in life can play in their growth and well-being. What motivates me most is seeing how the right support and encouragement can help someone become more confident. I love kids’ curiosity, honesty, and openness to learning, and find it rewarding to build genuine connections with them. I hope to create a space where they feel comfortable asking questions, exploring their interests, and being themselves.

My name is John, and I am thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to academically teach, to emotionally support and celebrate, and to personally learn from, our Harlem young people in the REACH initiative. My life’s mission is to apply any gifts and talents I may have, or may develop, toward creating greater opportunities and more equitable outcomes for young people of color in historically underserved urban communities. Previous experiences as a Social Studies teacher (7 years) in the School District of Philadelphia, PA, and as a youth development program designer and implementer (6 year).

Ursula Kwofie is a graduate student at 51吃瓜网, Columbia University, pursuing advanced studies in Human Development with the goal of earning a PhD in the field. She is passionate about youth development, community engagement, and creating nurturing environments where children and young people can develop holistically, growing academically, socially, and personally while gaining the leadership and essential life skills needed to become confident, responsible, and impactful future leaders.

Ursula is motivated by seeing young people recognize and realize their potential, discover their voices, build confidence, and understand that their circumstances do not have to define their future. She enjoys working with children because of their unique perspectives, creativity, curiosity, and tremendous potential.

Her experience in youth enrichment, curriculum development, mentorship, and leadership and life-skills programming has strengthened her commitment to designing meaningful learning experiences that extend beyond the classroom. She believes every child deserves to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported by caring adults who believe in them. Through her work in youth development, education, mentorship, and community engagement, Ursula is committed to creating safe and nurturing spaces where young people can learn, lead, grow, and become confident contributors to their communities.

Ultimately, Ursula is excited to bring her passion and experience to REACH, where she hopes to make a meaningful and lasting impact in the lives of young people and the communities they represent.

I identify as a Mexican immigrant who feels indebted to all the teachers who supported me while I was growing up. I have spent the last seven years as a lead teacher at a public Montessori elementary school in New Haven, CT. I primarily worked with students in 4th, 5th, and 6th grade. I love working with children and other adults who espouse Anti-Bias and Anti-Racist values because it allows us to see all children for who they are and to teach really cool history! I love forming partnerships with children one-on-one around books, math, and science. Not seeing children every day has been hard this semester, so I am excited to go into a classroom and begin forming bonds.