Teachers
Rodrigo Coppelli - Math/Science
rodrigo@envisionacademy.org
Rodrigo is an 11th grade Math and Physics teacher here at Envision Academy. In 2002 he graduated from University of California, San Diego with B.S. in Earth Science and a M.S. in Earth Science. This is his second year teaching, and he recently moved up from San Diego to the Bay Area. He loves to play ultimate frisbee, chess, guitar, run, cook, travel, and is an avid (but not so good) surfer. He will tirelessly educate your children on the complexities of math and science to no end.
Evrim Çakir - Digital Media Arts
evrim@envisionacademy.org
Evrim is a new Digital Media Arts Teacher at Envision Academy.
Melissa Fully - English
melissa@envisionacademy.org
Melissa Fully is is a 9th and 10th grade English Teacher at Envision Academy. She has taught in Oakland, Redwood City, and the South Bronx. She has an MST from Pace University and a BA in Modern Literature from UC Santa Cruz. She is originally from Southern California but calls the Bay Area her home. In high school she was assigned The Hunchback of Notre Dame in English class and the last sentence changed her {literary} life. Melissa loves to travel, swim in the sea, and hang out with her husband. She is very excited to be teaching and sharing her passion for literature at EA.
Trevor Gardner - Humanities
trevor@envisionacademy.org
Trevor Gardner has been teaching in the Bay for 10 years and continues to be inspired by the young people with whom he shares the classroom. He currently teaches 9th grade Humanities (English Language Arts and World History) and is a lower division lead teacher.
AnnE Grajeda - Visual Arts
anne@envisionacademy.org
This is Anne's first year teaching at Envision Academy and she is super excited to be the Visual Art teacher. She has been teaching Art in the Bay Area for the last 5 years after graduating from San Francisco State University where she earned a B.A. degree in Industrial Arts with an emphasis in Graphic Design. Anne is thrilled to be teaching here and honored to introduce the first year of Visual Art to the students. As an art teacher, she hopes to provide the space for EA students to discover a deeper sense of their self through creative expression and by taking lots of risks with the materials provided. When not at EA, you'll find her riding her bike, playing soccer, sewing, crafting, hiking/backpacking, taking photographs, eating delicious food, traveling, and spending time with her friends and family.
Stay tuned for an up-to-date website of all the student work created in The Studio!
Sonia Hansra - English
sonia@envisionacademy.org
Sonia is a new Social Studies Teacher at Envision Academy.
Open Position - Physics
yournamecouldbehere@envisionacademy.org
We are hiring a new Physics Teacher at Envision Academy.
Abbey Kerrins - English
abbey@envisionacademy.org
Abbey is a new Lead Teacher at Envision Academy.
John Kittredge - Humanities
john@envisionacademy.org
I teach World Cultures, the 9th and 10th grade history class and I love every second of it! I received my undergraduate degree in Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, and my teaching credential and Masters from Holy Names University, Oakland. I am also a Fellow of the Center for Social Innovation at the Stanford GSB. I have been in education for 5 years but I have been teaching my whole life. I've worked in the music world, the telecommunications world, and the computer world but, no matter where I was, much of my duties involved teaching. The turning point came when I was helping a small youth services non-profit in Berkeley and I decided to make the teaching of youth, and the struggle for social justice, my full time vocation.
Outside of work I am supremely devoted to my family, and we enjoy cycling, anything to do with beaches or water, and our food garden - where we joining the urban homesteading movement. I believe that reading is the key to lifelong learning and curiosity the key to lifelong understanding.
To me Envision Academy is like an eddy in which great ideas and great people are collecting. Little of what we do here is new, and most of us have taught or learned elsewhere, but we are drawn by the promise that here we will intentionally do so many of the things that elsewhere are just talk, or half-taken measures. At EA I feel I get the opportunity to become the best teacher I can be - I feel like EA tries to treat me the same way we treat our students... with respect, an eye towards the complete learner, and with a common goal of uplifting the entire community to a higher plain each and every day.
Ainye Long - Math
ainye@envisionacademy.org
Bio coming soon
Elizabeth Lopez - Math
elizabeth@envisionacademy.org
Elizabeth is a new Math Teacher at Envision Academy.
Daniel McDonnell- Science
daniel@envisionacademy.org
Daniel teaches integrated science in the lower division and advanced biology in the upper division. “For me, teaching science is not about memorizing details. It’s about making proper observations, asking relevant questions, and developing the right system to seek solutions.”
Daniel is originally from Milwaukee, WI. He earned his Bachelors degrees in biology, broad field sciences, and teaching from the University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire. Daniel is bilingual English-Spanish, thanks to his time living in Central and South America. Before teaching at EA, Daniel taught high school completion to adults who were previously unsuccessful. He also taught environmental sciences in Southern California, Alabama, and Costa Rica. In the summers, Daniel directs adventure and service learning programs in Central America. In the few hours he’s not working, you can find Dan climbing, sailing, bicycling, or dabbling in photography.
Carissa Romano - English
carissa@envisionacademy.org
Carissa is a new Science Teacher at Envision Academy.
Vu Long Trinh - Learning Specialist
vulong@envisionacademy.org
Vu Long has a BA in ethnic studies from UC Berkeley and an MA in asian american studies from UCLA. He received his teaching credential from SFSU and has been teaching for the last 5 years. When not at the school, he enjoys sports, bowling, participating in Settlers of Catan, and spending time with his wife Chhayleng and two puppies Loomis and Lulla. His favorite part about working at Envision Academy is knowing that his efforts positively impact the student body.
Joe Truss - Spanish
joe@envisionacademy.org
Joe Truss is the Spanish Language Instructor at Envision Academy. He has a strong background in Math, Science, Technology and Foreign Languages. He grew up in a single mother home in the Tenderloin, an inner-city neighborhood of downtown San Francisco, and is a first generation college graduate. He holds a B.A. in Spanish Language from UC Berkeley and a M.A. in Teaching from Tufts University. Mr. Truss has worked as an educator in Berkeley, East Oakland, Boston, and rural Ghana and Honduras. He has traveled to Honduras, Guatemala, Belize, Spain, and Ghana. He has experience in developing culturally relevant curriculum and instruction. His interests include multimedia, graphic design, traveling, physical fitness, spoken word poetry, and hip hop music.