Staff – BEC DC

Our staff are highly-qualified professionals who are dedicated to promoting student success. Our staff come from a range of professional backgrounds in the public and private sectors.

Kym Sturdivant, Principal

Principal

Cierra Branch-Harris

School Psychologist and 504 Coordinator

Janay Brooks

Manager of Strategy and Logistics

Kiah Campbell

Athletic Director & Activities Coordinator

Denise Colbert

Administrative Officer

Denise Daniels

School Psychologist

Donna Desormeaux

Special Education Case Manager

Arya Espahbodi

Dean of Students, Assistant Professor of Mathematics

Jordan Frasier-Lakes

School Counselor

Tony Gallemore

Administrative Officer

Tonya Hawkins

Administrative Aide

Quartni Kazmik

Clerk

Pamela Mason

Clerk

Ellen Moharsky-D’Angelo

Special Education LEA Representative IEP Case Manager, English Teacher and Co-teacher in the Math Department

Waynonia Potts-Harris

Social Worker

Sophia Thomas

Social Worker

DeWhitney Upchurch

College Transfer Officer

Toni Winsett

Librarian and Media Specialist

Kym Sturdivant, Principal

Principal

[email protected]

Cierra Branch-Harris

School Psychologist and 504 Coordinator

[email protected]

BA Psychology with a minor in Child & Family Services- Southern Illinois University of Carbondale; M. Ed. – The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, Ed.S. School Psychology- The Chicago School of Professional Psychology

Cierra Branch-Harris, completed her graduate studies in School Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Illinois. Currently, she is entering her 2nd year at Bard High School Early College in Washington, D.C. In this role, Ms. Branch-Harris has the opportunity to provide mental health services, consultation, prevention, and intervention. Ms. Branch-Harris is passionate about working with at-risk youth and utilizing social-emotional learning.

Janay Brooks

Manager of Strategy and Logistics

[email protected]

Kiah Campbell

Athletic Director & Activities Coordinator

[email protected]

Kiah Campbell is an accomplished Athletic Director with 10 years of experience in the DCIAA (District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association). With a passion for working with urban youth, AD Campbell brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role. Holding a Master’s degree in counselor education, she takes pride in establishing positive and healthy relationships with students both on and off the court. Her dedication to fostering an environment of growth and success makes her a valuable asset to the Bard DC Community.

Denise Colbert

Administrative Officer

[email protected]

Denise Daniels

School Psychologist

[email protected]

Donna Desormeaux

Special Education Case Manager

[email protected]

Donna Desormeaux (Ms. D) is a special education case manager, adjunct professor of journalism, and co-teacher of Algebra 1 at Bard High School Early College DC. She has taught special education math for Kindergarten, 1st grade, and 5th grade math at DC Scholars Public Charter School. Her career as an educator includes the position of enrichment teacher and math and English tutor with Little Scholars, LLC. An educator for more than 15 years, Donna has taught English Language Arts and other subjects in middle and high schools in Washington, D.C. Before becoming an educator she was a senior writer and public/media relations professional in the corporate sector. She has two master’s degrees and is in the dissertation stage of a doctorate in Philosophy in General Psychology with an emphasis on cognition and instruction.

Arya Espahbodi

Dean of Students, Assistant Professor of Mathematics

[email protected]

Jordan Frasier-Lakes

School Counselor

[email protected]

BA, Howard University; MA, Seton Hall University

Jordan Frasier-Lakes is a native of Montclair, New Jersey. Mr. Frasier-Lakes is a proud graduate of Howard University, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Administration of Justice. He also earned his Master of Arts in School Counseling from Seton Hall University. Mr. Frasier is a passionate counseling educator in the DC area. He is excited to be one of the newest Professional School Counselors at Bard DC. Previously, he served as the College Counselor for The SEED School of Washington, DC. He has spent 13 years counseling students and families in the DC/Baltimore area through their post-secondary options. During his time at SEED, he received multitudes of recognitions, like the first ever SEED Network School support team member of the year award, and was featured in many publications to promote network growth. Mr. Frasier-Lakes believes building relationships and breaking down the barriers of inequities is the pathway to success for all young people. Outside of work, Mr. Frasier-Lakes volunteers his time assisting first-generation college students with applying to college and local/national scholarships. He has provided students and families one-on-one consultation through the ever-changing higher education process. He is a proud resident of Southeast DC, enjoys music, family, discovering new restaurants in the DC area, and is an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

Tony Gallemore

Administrative Officer

[email protected]

Tonya Hawkins

Administrative Aide

[email protected]

Tonya Hawkins is a native Washingtonian. I grew up in Ward 5 and graduated from McKinley Senior High School. I attended Hood College in Frederick, MD. I have spent my entire career in the field of education I have served the students in the District of Columbia in elementary, middle, high and alternative school settings. I believe that all students can and will achieve if given the opportunity.

Quartni Kazmik

Clerk

[email protected]

Quartni Kazmik graduated from Hospitality High School of Washington, DC with honors in 2007, and from The University of the District of Columbia in 2017 with the title of Cum Laude. While obtaining her bachelor’s degree, she launched her own clothing line Kazmik Runway in 2016. After graduating, Quartni incorporated her company and began touring major cities in the US for Fashion Week. Quartni began her career with DCPS in 2022 as a Clerk and Modeling coach. In the near future, she will be obtaining her master’s Degree and creating and managing BARD DC’s modeling team and shows.

Pamela Mason

Clerk

[email protected]

My name is Pamela Mason, I have retired from the federal government (43 years). I was born in Washington, DC. I am the mother of two wonderful children. I am a veteran of the United States Army reserve.

Ellen Moharsky-D’Angelo

Special Education LEA Representative IEP Case Manager, English Teacher and Co-teacher in the Math Department

[email protected]

BA in Elementary Education-Bloomsburg University of PA, an MS in Curriculum and Instruction- at University of Scranton, PA, and an MS in Administration and Leadership- at Western Governor’s University, UT

Ms. D’Angelo has over 20 years of teaching experience in educating students from pre-kindergarten to adult. She has worked in a variety of educational settings, which include non-profit organizations, juvenile corrections, charter and public schools. Ms. D’Angelo enjoys teaching Literature and co-teaching Mathematics. She becomes very excited when students have that ah-ha moment of understanding new concepts, skills, or information. She also likes to assist students with ACT and SAT Prep, so that students can earn academic and /or athletic scholarships to college/university. In her free time, Ms. D’Angelo enjoys playing the piano, reading, and walking her dog Sasha.

Waynonia Potts-Harris

Social Worker

[email protected]

MSW, Howard University; BA Ramapo College of New Jersey.

Waynonia is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who enjoys working with adolescents to help them identify their strengths and utilize them to expand their opportunities. She has been a social worker with DCPS for over ten years and has worked with students in all grade levels. Waynonia was the recipient of the 2019 Rubenstein Award of Excellence for staff. She believes that being a social worker means serving those who need our help, particularly those most vulnerable in society. In her free time, Waynonia enjoys spending quality time with her family, volunteering within her community and completing Peloton challenges.

Sophia Thomas

Social Worker

[email protected]

DeWhitney Upchurch

College Transfer Officer

[email protected]

BA, University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill; MEd, University of North Florida.

DeWhitney is a Tar Heel native who received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an M.Ed. in Counselor Education from the University of North Florida. DeWhitney’s previous professional experience has seen her in various roles of student development within the K-12 and higher education arenas. In particular, her interests lie in college access, multicultural advising and counseling, and cultural competency in education. When she’s not assisting students in actualizing their dreams, you can find her cheering on (more like yelling at) her UNC Tar Heels and Philadelphia Eagles, reminiscing on some good Eastern NC BBQ, playing Jeopardy from her couch, or on a deep dive of a random Google search. As a recent transplant to to the DMV area, DeWhitney hopes to immerse herself in the local community through intentional relationship-building and being of service to the Bard students and their families.

Toni Winsett

Librarian and Media Specialist

[email protected]

BA, Point Park University; MPA, Southeastern University; Ed.S. Liberty University.

Toni Stanley-Winsett has served as a librarian for the past 5 yrs. at Wheatley EC in Washington, DC. Before becoming a Librarian Media Specialist, she served as an an AP Language/literature English teacher for DCPS. She has also served as a research instructor at Montgomery College. Also, she won a internship at the news magazine USA Today.