Staff

Ann Fraioli (Global Studies/Introduction to New York Harbor Teacher) had one year of New York City public school teaching experience from John Ericsson Junior High School in Greenpoint before joining the Harbor School. Before that she graduated from Barnard College at Columbia University where she majored in Environmental History and minored in Education. Additionally, Ann has crewed on tall ships all over the North Atlantic, with Sea Education Association and other outfits, where she gained experience sailing and doing on-water education.
Classes: Intro to NY Harbor Flickr Group
Intro to NY Harbor Blog
Intro to NY Harbor Course Outline

Shane Riordan (Earth Science Teacher) joined the New York Harbor School in 2004-5.A New England Native, Shane has spent half of the previous 10 years living in, on and around the ocean. He has traveled extensively around North America, and sailed through the Caribbean, around the North Atlantic, along the East Coast of North America, the Canadian Maritimes, Puget Sound, Chesapeake Bay, Long Island Sound, and the Hudson River. He currently holds a 100 ton inland masters license for sailing vessels of no more than 100 tons. Shane has been involved with both outdoor and traditional education since graduating Marist College in the mid 1990?s. He is currently attending Queens College and working towards his Masters in Science Education and in Geology.
Classes: Intro to NY Harbor Flickr Photostream
Intro to NY Harbor Blog
Intro to NY Harbor Course Outline

Sonia Tilley Strobel (Harbor Arts, 9th Grade Advisory Team Leader) comes to us from Vancouver, Canada, and has been working in education for the past 12 years. Growing up on the west coast, Sonia has had a life-long passion for the water, environmental conservation, and outdoor education. She earned her B.A. in English and B.Ed. at the University of British Columbia and has worked as an educator and programmer onboard educational sailing programs and in parks, zoos, cultural centers, and museums in Canada and Guatemala. She has a strong background in art, literature, and outdoor education. Sonia also runs an art club at the New York Harbor school teaching drawing, photography, and taking students to the vast array of art galleries and museums around the city.
Classes: Harbor Arts Flickr Photostream

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Tizoc Gomez (Community Associate and Open Water Rowing Consultant, Robotics, MAP) comes to the school with an amazing amount of on-the-water experience. A jack-of-all-trades, Tizoc is an invaluable member of the team, helping us with anything from making videos to sailing ships. He co-teaches the Marine Technology lab and also shows his school spirit by co-coaching the school's premier rowing team.

Brendan Malone (Marine Technology Teacher, Rowing)  is a life time sailor and rower who attended The Sound School in New Haven Ct. and graduated from City College in 1991. Brendan has been both a house and boat carpenter, founding and running his own company, Malone Marine Carpentry for many years. He was the Youth On Water Coordinator for Floating the Apple from 1998 to 2005. He began his teaching career in 1996 at PS 811M in Manhattan where he supervised a junior high school class in the building of Rachel Carson, a 25 foot white hall gig. Brendan has two daughters in NYC public schools.

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Shirley Brito (Math Teacher) joined The New York Harbor School in September 2005 as a New York City Teaching Fellow. She comes to the field of education with over five years experience in the investment banking industry. One of her contributions to the Harbor community is the creation of Math A/B in 2007, a course which aims to support students transition from Math A to Math B. Shirley graduated from New York University with a B.S. degree in Business Management, and from St. John's University, earned a MBA degree in International Finance and a MA degree in Secondary Education of Mathematics.

Noah Heller (Math Teacher, Testing Coordinator) traveled from his hometown, Seattle, to Brooklyn in 2003 to work at the Harbor School. His first professional teaching experience was in a small community in Ecuador where he taught English. Prior to teaching Noah worked as a college tutor, a NASA intern at the High Altitude Observatory, a high school communications coordinator and a paperboy. He is dedicated to the belief that math literacy is a crucial gateway to unlimited post-high school opportunities. He relentlessly advocates for rigorous math education so that Harbor School students can reach their goals of becoming doctors, engineers, captains, scientists, pilots, accountants, business owners, designers or whatever else they may dream of. Noah holds a BS in Math and Physics from Evergreen State College and an MS in Secondary Math Education from Pace University. When he is not teaching he can be found in faraway countries sporting Harbor blue and eating spicy food.

Lily Kolman (Math Teacher, Programmer) a native of Chicago, Illinois, joins the New York Harbor School after graduating from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut and moving to the Big Apple. Besides teaching, which has occupied her in various ways since 9th grade, she is pursuing her passion for dance (ballroom, latin, and ballet) in her adopted city. Lily is a member of the New York City Teaching Fellows program.

Rick Lee (Math Teacher, Technology Coordinator, Robotics) is a native of Colorado, where he was born and partly raised. He received his B.A. in English and Creative Writing from NYU and his M.S. in Math Education from Pace University. Prior to teaching, Rick spent 8 of his summers fishing salmon commercially in Southeast Alaska. Prior to teaching, Rick reviewed books for Associated Press while working as a welder and carpenter for various small shops in Brooklyn. He teaches Math Inquiry, a hands-on application based math and co-teaches Marine Robotics.

Pia Mohsen (Math Teacher, Website Coordinator) arrived at the New York Harbor School through the New York City Teaching Fellows program. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where she studied Economics and Psychology. As a recent transplant to New York City, she enjoys spending her free time exploring and experiencing parts of the city she is unfamiliar with. 

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Marving Autry (Teacher) joined the staff of NYHS in 2005. A bio is coming soon!

Lydia Espinoza (Teacher) has 8 years experience as an educator. Lydia graduated from Queens College with both a Bachelors and Masters degree in physical education; Lydia also earned a Health certification from Nassau Community College. Lydia teaches not only Physical Education, but also swimming, dance and weight room.

Melissa Franco (Teacher, Swimming Coach) joined the staff of NYHS in 2004, and again in 2006. A bio is coming soon!

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Alma Cruz (School Secretary) came to us from District 79, where she worked as a Secretary in the Special Education office for several years. Prior to that she spent much of her professional life as a dancer and dance instructor.

Pamela Edwards (School Aide) Pamela joined the staff of NYHS in 2005. A bio is coming soon!

Luis Gracia (School Aide) came to us after many years as a School Aide at John Jay High School. At the Harbor School, Luis has been a jack-of-all trades who has made sure we keep our sense of humor and keep any perceived difficulty or disobedience in perspective.

Maureen Hopkins (Principal's Secretary) Maureen comes from a long line of proud civil servants. Her grandfather settled in Bushwick after arriving from Ellis Island. She grew up near the beach in Staten Island and has seen the NYC waters go from swimmable to highly polluted and back again in her lifetime. Her father ran the Staten Island ferry, which afforded her the privilege of riding high over the harbor in the Pilot House. After college, Maureen worked as a special education teacher in District 19 for 2 years. She married (after a sailing honeymoon in the BVI) and moved to New Jersey near the Navesink River. There she was a stay at home mother for 7 years. She later held various writing positions for The Two River Times and the New York Times Magazine Group. A native New Yorker, she only knew how to raise New Yorkers so she moved her family back to NYC in 2000 and enrolled her 2 boys in public schools where they are excelling. She is most proud of introducing paid advertising to PS 40s school newsletter that increased the PTAs revenue stream by $5,000 per year. A favorite family activity is riding around the tip of Manhattan along the waterfront bike path. Glad to be back in a school community, she hopes to be part of the New York Harbor School for a long time.

Sharon Jacker (Community Coordinator) came to New York Harbor School from Chicago, Illinois, where she was the Training Director of a youth leadership development non-profit. Since graduating from Smith College with degrees in Latin American Studies and Portuguese & Brazilian studies, she has worked in a variety of capacities involving language, communities and education. She has been sailing on Lake Michigan with her family since she was an infant and is excited about becoming a New Yorker and exploring new waters as Community Coordinator.

Belia Lopez (School Aide) joined the school in 2004-5. She is the mother of three and her youngest son attends the New York Harbor School.

Beverly Means (School Aide) Bev joined the staff of NYHS in 2005. A bio is coming soon!

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Roy Arezzo (Science Teacher) grew up in New York City and has taught Science here for 16 years, including eighth grade at 318 in Williamsburg and at City-as-School, a second-chance, alternative high school. He has become well-known for working with outside organizations to enhance and inform his science classes, and has become especially involved in community gardens, bicycling, and on-the-water activities such as rowing and kayaking.

Nasiha Ocasio (Earth Science, Marine Science) Nasiha joined the staff of NYHS in 2006. A bio is coming soon!

Gijon Polite (Living Environment) is originally from the Boston area. This is his fifth year teaching and his third year at the NYHS. Previously he worked at a school in Massaschusetts, in pharmaceuticals and in outdoor education. He studied zoology and anthropology at the University of Wisconsin before doing his masters work at the University of Massachusetts. He is a huge Boston sports fan and will tell you all about it.

Sara Scott (Earth Science Teacher) began her teaching career at East New York Family Academy in East New York in the Fall of 2003. A native of Rochester, New York, Sara came to NYC via Mount Holyoke College in Massachusetts where she received a B.A. in Environmental Studies. After completing her undergraduate work, Sara entered the New York City Teaching Fellows Program. In May of 2005, she completed her Master's in Science Education at Pace University. Sara is excited to be a part of the New York Harbor School community, where the theme of stewardship and environmental awareness are such an integral part of the curriculum.

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Dorothy McPhee-Djan (Global Studies Teacher) began her teaching career at Truman High School in the Bronx in 2002 After completing her Bachelors in Political Science at Hobart and William Smith Colleges, she joined the New York City Teaching Fellows program. While in school, she interned for two congressmen, and worked at the United Nations in Geneva Switzerland. She joined the Harbor school because she loves sailing and water sports. In addition to teaching History at the Harbor School, she is also the COSA, and works with the student government. Mrs. McPhee-Djan completed her Masters in May of 2004 at Fordham University.

Megan Purvis Spector (Global Studies Teacher)A native New Yorker, Meg found her way to the Harbor School after a varied educational career. Meg attended Wesleyan University, where she majored in Sociology and studied Portuguese in Brazil. Meg merged her love for education and travel by leading student groups abroad with the Experiment in International Living. Once settled back in New York, Megan resumed her education at Long Island University while completing the Teaching Fellows Program and teaching at a Bushwick middle school before assuming her role at the Harbor School in 2007. When she's not teaching, Meg enjoys peaceful nights with her husband and two cats.

Shaun Strobel (Global History Teacher) is from Vancouver, Canada. He grew up on the water, commercial salmon fishing with his father, and holds a Limited Master Mariner ticket. He earned a B.A. in History, a Certificate in Public History, and an M.A. in Labor history from Simon Fraser University. After working as a museum educator and researcher, commercial fisherman, and scuba diver, he earned his B.Ed., at the University of British Columbia. In addition to teaching Global History at the Harbor School, Shaun runs the water polo and scuba diving clubs.