KIPP Raíces Academy Staff

Amber Young, Founding Principal - bio
ayoung@kippla.org

Adriana Acero, Instructional Support Director
aacero@kippla.org

Matthew Bragman, School Operations Coordinator
mbragman@kippla.org

Candice Cruz, Office Manager
ccruz@kippla.org

Mara Bond, Kindergarten Teacher
mbond@kippla.org

Ashley Brickner, PE Teacher
abrickner@kippla.org

Mercedes Castro, Instructional Assistant
mcastro@kippla.org

Yesenia Castro, First Grade Teacher
ycastro@kippla.org

Kim Clement, Kindergarten Teacher
kclement@kippla.org

Christina Duenas, Instructional Assistant
cduenas@kippla.org

Stephanie Garza, Kindergarten Teacher
sgarza@kippla.org

Carrie Gendreau, First Grade Teacher
cgendreau@kippla.org

Kasey Gentry, Teacher
kgentry@kippla.org

Sasha Gorelick, Teacher
sgorelick@kippla.org

Tania Hernandez, First Grade Teacher
thernandez@kippla.org

Chris Hofmann, Associate Teacher
chofmann@kippla.org

Janine Juarez, Instructional Assistant
jjuarez@kippla.org

Heather M. Lynch, Associate Teacher
hlynch@kippla.org

Brett MacArthur, Teacher
bmacarthur@kippla.org

Stephanie Maggard, First Grade Teacher
smaggard@kippla.org

Rosana Maran, Instructional Assistant
rmaran@kippla.org

Amanda Mull, Teacher
amull@kippla.org

Tina Nguyen, Teacher
tnguyen@kippla.org

Tanya Piyaratanaphipat, Teacher
tpiyaratanaphipat@kippla.org

Natasha Pytlik, Associate Teacher
npytlik@kippla.org

Adriana Rodriguez, First Grade Teacher
arodriguez@kippla.org

Candy Rodriguez, Instructional Assistant
crodriguez@kippla.org

Suzanne Stasica, Art Teacher
sstasica@kippla.org

Melissa Vasquez, Instructional Assistant
mvasquez@kippla.org

Chelsea Wiener, Kindergarten Teacher
cwiener@kippla.org

 

About Our Staff

 

Amber Young is the founder of California’s first KIPP elementary school, KIPP Raíces Academy. Most recently, she served as the Interim Principal at Ralph J. Bunche Elementary School, her original placement school through Teach for America. Prior to becoming principal, she served as a resource teacher. In this position, she coached teachers and oversaw the categorical budget, among other responsibilities in and out of the classroom. At Bunche, she also taught second grade, served as grade level chair, and created the school’s “College Bound” program. During her six-year tenure at Bunche, she played an integral role in transforming the school from low-performing to Compton Unified’s first California Distinguished School. Amber received her BA from Amherst College as a double major in History and Sociology. She also holds a Masters of Arts in Elementary Education and a Masters in School Administration from Loyola Marymount University. Amber was one of 13 Fisher Fellows selected out of approximately 550 applicants for the prestigious and rigorous KIPP School Leadership Program.