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Abdulmalek
Sulaiman
Teacher
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Abdulmalek Sulaiman
Teacher
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Ailyn
Galvan
Teacher
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Ailyn Galvan
Teacher
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Alberto
Vera
Teacher
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Alberto Vera
Teacher
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Alexandra
Brown
School Counselor
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Alexandra Brown
School Counselor
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Alexis
Carrero
Teacher

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Alexis Carrero
Teacher
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Alexsandr
Kanevskiy
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Alexsandr Kanevskiy
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Amanda
Lopez
Campus Aide

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Amanda Lopez
Campus Aide
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Andrea
Garcia Chavez
College & Career Counseling Assistant
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Andrea Garcia Chavez
College & Career Counseling Assistant
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Angelique
Lopez
Teacher
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Angelique Lopez
Teacher
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Anita
Pande
Teacher

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Anita Pande
Teacher
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Anthony
Lentz
Counselor
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Anthony Lentz
Counselor
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Asma
Ali-Dodough
Assistant Principal of Student & Family Services

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Asma Ali-Dodough
Assistant Principal of Student & Family Services
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Bernadette
McComish
Teacher

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Bernadette McComish
Teacher
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Beth
Pollak
Instructional Coach

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Beth Pollak
Instructional Coach
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Bryan
Alfaro
School Data Specialist
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Bryan Alfaro
School Data Specialist
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Carla
Chavez
Inclusion Specialist Teacher

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Carla Chavez
Inclusion Specialist Teacher
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Chloe
Resler
Teacher
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Chloe Resler
Teacher
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Christie
Romero
Teacher

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Christie Romero
Teacher
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Christopher
Simpson
Teacher

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Christopher Simpson
Teacher
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Colleen
Trejo
Assistant Principal

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Colleen Trejo
Assistant Principal
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Curtis
Nash
Dean of Student & Family Services
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Curtis Nash
Dean of Student & Family Services
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Cynthia
Astorga
Counselor

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Cynthia Astorga
Counselor
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Danny
Oliver
Dean of Operations

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Danny Oliver
Dean of Operations
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Darryl
Garris
Principal, Stella High Charter Academy

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Darryl Garris
Principal, Stella High Charter Academy
Darryl Garris is the principal for Stella High Charter Academy, and he leads the school to ensure all Eagles achieve academic excellence and grow their unique talents so they find joy and fulfillment in higher education, career, and life.
Previously, Darryl served Bright Star Schools as principal of Stella Middle Charter Academy (Grades 5-6) and as assistant principal of Stella Middle Charter Academy. Darryl also taught pre-algebra, algebra readiness, and Algebra 1 at Stella Middle Charter Academy and Bright Star Secondary Charter Academy.
Prior to joining Bright Star Schools, Darryl was a teacher at Dorsey High School as a Teach For America corps member.
Darryl holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in environmental economics from UC Berkeley’s College of Natural Resources. He also holds a master’s degree in urban education, a master’s degree in school administration, and a certificate in charter school leadership from Loyola Marymount University's School of Education.
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David
Liebhauser
Teacher

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David Liebhauser
Teacher
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David
Salinas
Instructional Assistant
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David Salinas
Instructional Assistant
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Elizabeth
Rojas
Alumni Support and College Success Coordinator

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Elizabeth Rojas
Alumni Support and College Success Coordinator
Originally born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Elizabeth, a first-generation college graduate, went to Gertz-Ressler High School near the Pico-Union area of the city. At 18, she took the biggest leap of faith that would change her life and moved to the midwest to attend the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University in St. Joseph, Minnesota.
St. Joseph became her new home for the next 4 years. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Hispanic Studies and Communications, and also studied abroad in Guatemala where she was able to connect to her roots through food and poetry.
After graduating from college, Elizabeth served in College Possible AmeriCorps as a college coach, where she mentored and coached numerous first-generation and low-income college students. She then became a high school college counselor for the next 4 years at a private Jesuit high school in Twin Cities, Minnesota. She fulfilled a goal of 100% college acceptance rate for all students and collaborated with Georgetown University to create a retention and persistence program.
After living in Minnesota for 10 years, she returned to replant her California roots. She is thankful and grateful for the countless mentors she had along her journey. She looks to pay it forward to under-resourced and historically excluded communities to ensure they have access to information, resources, and higher education.
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Emily
Robles
Paraprofessional
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Emily Robles
Paraprofessional
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Frank
Amezcua
Teacher

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Frank Amezcua
Teacher
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Genesis
Peinder
Teacher
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Genesis Peinder
Teacher
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Genoveva
Cortes
Director, Alumni Support and College Success

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Genoveva Cortes
Director, Alumni Support and College Success
Supporting: Bright Star Schools alumni, classes of 2010-2022, in graduate school applications and career coaching
M.A., Harvard Graduate School of Education, Class of 2010
B.A., University of California, Los Angeles, Class of 1997
Genoveva Garibay Cortes has over two decades of experience working as an elementary and middle school teacher, K-12 and college administrator, and program coordinator. She was Bright Star Schools’ founding math teacher for Stella Middle Charter Academy in 2003, and currently serves as the Director of the Alumni Support and College Success (ASCS) Program for the organization. Geno developed and launched Bright Star’s ASCS Program to support the organization’s alumni to persist in and graduate from higher education. ASCS tracks, supports, and coaches Bright Star Schools' alumni to get to and through higher education, with a goal of 60% of Bright Star Schools alumni graduating with a bachelor's or associate's degree, vocational certificate, or from a workplace development program within six years of high school graduation. Geno is a former foster youth and the first in her family to have graduated from college. She is passionate about educational equity and reform, and social justice.
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Georgina
Perez
Campus Aide
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Georgina Perez
Campus Aide
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Gustavo
Herrera
Teacher

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Gustavo Herrera
Teacher
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Gustavo
Padilla
Teacher
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Gustavo Padilla
Teacher
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Heidi
Bretado
Inclusion Specialist Teacher

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Heidi Bretado
Inclusion Specialist Teacher
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Idalia
Farias Izaguirre
Campus Aide
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Idalia Farias Izaguirre
Campus Aide
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Jarol
Dubon Argueta
Campus Aide
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Jarol Dubon Argueta
Campus Aide
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Javier
Caldera
Teacher

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Javier Caldera
Teacher
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Jennifer
Shetland
Teacher
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Jennifer Shetland
Teacher
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Jessica
Fernandez
Teacher

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Jessica Fernandez
Teacher
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Jessica
Romero
Instructional Assistant
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Jessica Romero
Instructional Assistant
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Jesus
Ramirez
Assistant Principal

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Jesus Ramirez
Assistant Principal
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Johanna
Lopez
Office Manager

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Johanna Lopez
Office Manager
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Johanna
Madrid-Gastelum
Dean of Culture and Restorative Practices
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Johanna Madrid-Gastelum
Dean of Culture and Restorative Practices
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Jonathan
Meneses
Instructional Assistant

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Jonathan Meneses
Instructional Assistant
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Jose
Cabrera
Instructional Assistant
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Jose Cabrera
Instructional Assistant
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Juana
Garcia
Maintenance
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Juana Garcia
Maintenance
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Julia
Davis
Teacher
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Julia Davis
Teacher
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Kestler
Mencos Alonzo
Campus Aide
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Kestler Mencos Alonzo
Campus Aide
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Kimberly
Sanders
Culture and Restorative Practices Specialist

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Kimberly Sanders
Culture and Restorative Practices Specialist
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Liliana
Lopez
Teacher
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Liliana Lopez
Teacher
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Luis
Garcia
Maintenance
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Luis Garcia
Maintenance
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Maigon
Buckner
Assistant Principal of Culture
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Maigon Buckner
Assistant Principal of Culture
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Marcus
Turner
Teacher
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Marcus Turner
Teacher
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Marvin
Casasola
Campus Aide
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Marvin Casasola
Campus Aide
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Mayra
Moreno de Valle
Meal Server
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Mayra Moreno de Valle
Meal Server
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Miguel
Fuentes
Instructional Assistant

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Miguel Fuentes
Instructional Assistant
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Miriam
Hernandez
Paraprofessional
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Miriam Hernandez
Paraprofessional
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Monica
Gonzalez
Dean of Student & Family Services
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Monica Gonzalez
Dean of Student & Family Services
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Morganne
Gigray
Teacher
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Morganne Gigray
Teacher
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Oscar
Moreno
Teacher

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Oscar Moreno
Teacher
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Preeyam
Roy
Teacher
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Preeyam Roy
Teacher
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Ranica
Hortelano
Campus Aide

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Ranica Hortelano
Campus Aide
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Ricardo
Galvan
Teacher
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Ricardo Galvan
Teacher
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Ricardo
Gomez
Instructional Assistant
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Ricardo Gomez
Instructional Assistant
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Rigo
Torres
Lead Campus Aide

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Rigo Torres
Lead Campus Aide
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Said
Cambray
Teacher

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Said Cambray
Teacher
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Samuel
Perez
Attendance Coordinator

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Samuel Perez
Attendance Coordinator
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Sandra
Nevarez
Behavior Implementation Interventionist

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Sandra Nevarez
Behavior Implementation Interventionist
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Shelby
Goodrich Jr
Teacher
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Shelby Goodrich Jr
Teacher
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Stephanie
Martinez
Instructional Assistant

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Stephanie Martinez
Instructional Assistant
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Wendy
Pineda
Counselor
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Wendy Pineda
Counselor
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Zayra
De Leon
Instructional Assistant
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Zayra De Leon
Instructional Assistant
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In our small, joyful schools we provide students with excellent academics, holistic and inclusive support, personal attention, and rich life opportunities beyond the classroom so they thrive from kindergarten through high school.