Local Board

Elizabeth leads PowerMyLearning‘s programs and services in Los Angeles and the Bay Area to ensure a strong, positive, and sustainable impact in our partner communities. Prior to joining PowerMyLearning, Elizabeth taught elementary school in low-income communities in Los Angeles, including experience teaching in Spanish. Elizabeth is a Teach For America alumna. As a Los Angeles native, she is determined to help the community reach higher academic gains to close the achievement gap. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and a minor in Spanish from Harvard University. She also holds a master’s degree in urban education from Loyola Marymount University and she holds a California multiple subject teaching credential.

As a Blended Learning Manager, Maria works with teachers from grades 2-12 to effectively integrate digital technology in order to provide personalized, meaningful instruction for students. In addition to 1-on-1 coaching with teachers, Maria leads the California team of Blended Learning Specialists. Before joining PowerMyLearning in 2015, Maria was a middle school math teacher at KIPP Central City Academy in New Orleans, Louisiana where she implemented a 1-to-1 technology model in her classroom. She previously taught 6th grade in Miami-Dade County Public Schools as a Teach for America Corps Member and served as a Fulbright Teaching Assistant in rural Taiwan. Maria earned a bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies from Lewis & Clark College and a master’s of science degree in Education and Social Change from the University of Miami.

Cynthia leads PowerMyLearning’s Family Engagement Services in the Greater Los Angeles area and works closely with the Professional Development team to coordinate high-quality programming for each school partner.  She first became a part of the organization as a Family Trainer, where she conducted trainings for families. She has over 8 years of management experience ranging from retail to corporate level customer service/program management. Cynthia also has over 7 years of experience working with people with disabilities, as a one-to-one teaching assistant for 5 years in the Lennox School District and most recently as a case manager for Marriott Foundation for People with disabilities. Cynthia continues working with people of different abilities and maintains close working relationships with schools, students, and teachers.

Maryell works alongside teachers and school leaders to support instructional practice and technology integration at elementary and middle schools across Los Angeles. Through one-on-one coaching and school-wide educator workshops, her teachers facilitate engaging learning experiences for all students. Prior to PowerMyLearning, Maryell was a self-contained second grade bilingual teacher and founding Academic Program Manager for a comprehensive 9th to 12th grade college access program in Houston, Texas. Maryell earned her B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Government from Harvard University and holds a bilingual generalist EC-6 teaching credential.

Rocio supports fundraising efforts in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Prior to joining PowerMyLearning, Rocio served on the development team at one of the largest charter school networks in Los Angeles. Her work focused on efforts to raise funds for scholarships and school operations. She has over three years of experience serving underprivileged students in Southern California. Rocio holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from UCLA.

Nancy manages office operations and supports communications and fundraising efforts in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. She joined PowerMyLearning in 2010 and has since served the organization in various capacities. Most recently, Nancy managed the volunteer program. Prior to joining the PowerMyLearning team, Nancy served as the Office Manager for an early intervention program on the campus of California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) which serves toddlers with special needs. Additionally, she was an active member of South Central Los Angeles Regional Center’s Oral Health Promotion Project where she helped coordinate parent trainings and free dental screenings for the students. Nancy holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from CSUDH with an Emphasis in Public Relations.

Roque is the Senior Manager of Partnerships for PowerMyLearning in Greater Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. In his previous role at PowerMyLearning, Roque worked alongside teachers and school leaders to support the integration of technology to foster a blended learning environment where personalized learning positively impacts all students. In addition to consulting with teachers, he supported the Los Angeles team in securing new school and district partnerships for the coming school years. Roque holds a California teaching credential in secondary math and has experience teaching at the middle school and high school level. He is a proud product of the LAUSD public school system where he attended schools throughout his K-12 experience. In addition, Roque has experience serving low-income communities ranging from East Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley. As a teacher, Roque modeled school-wide initiatives on how to build collaborative learning environments, sponsored an after school coding club, and held family engagement workshops in English and Spanish. Prior to his time as a Teach For America corps member, Roque worked in sales at TransFirst and Capital One. Roque earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Management from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in Digital Learning from Loyola Marymount University.

As a Blended Learning Specialist, Earl works alongside teachers and school leaders to support the integration of technology to cultivate a blended learning environment where teachers transform the learning experiences for all students. Having spent a portion of his career as a Residential Developer in New Orleans LA, Earl made the decision to transition from the role of president of his business in 2013, to join Teach For America. As a middle school mathematics teacher, Earl championed the induction of the Common Core State Standards and led the role out of a 1-to-1 laptop initiative for his placement school, ICEF Inglewood Middle Charter Academy. Earl has also worked as a policy analyst for LAUSD’s school board president where he made key recommendations for the district Superintendent’s 2016 – 2019 Strategic Plan, analyzed expenditures for the districts $7.6 billion budget, and drafted a report evaluating factors affecting student achievement in mathematics. Earl has earned a bachelors degree in Business Administration from Nebraska Wesleyan University, a Master’s of Art in Digital Learning from Loyola Marymount University and is a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University in the School of Education.