Jamaica Plain
Adult Learning Program Staff
Dr. Joyce Henderson, Director
Dr. Joyce Henderson joined the ALP community as Director in August, 2019. Joyce has worked as an Administrator, Director and Teacher in various educational settings from Harvard University to Bunker Hill Community College. She attended the University of Massachusetts, College of Public and Community Service, has a Master’s Degree in Administrative Education from Cambridge College and has completed Doctoral studies in Higher Education Administration from Northcentral University.
Email: joyce@jpadulted.org
Amina Hilowle, Assistant Director / Assessment Specialist
Amina is the current Assistant Director at ALP. She started as an AmeriCorps volunteer and was placed at ALP as her host organization. After finishing her service year with Americorps, Amina accepted a part time Administrative Assistant and Program Assessment Specialist at ALP. She has also taught the math numeracy classes. Besides English, Amina speaks Somali and conversational Swahili.
Email: amina@jpadulted.org
Phone: (617) 681-4174
Tomm McCarthy, Education Coordinator
Tomm McCarthy joined JPCC ALP as the Education Coordinator in August 2021. He holds a bachelor's of fine arts in English from The Evergreen State College and an MFA in creative writing and poetry from the University of Washington. With his background in writing, education, and production, Tomm is excited to offer continued support to the staff and students of ALP.
Email: alpedcoordinator@gmail.com
Mark Henderson, Volunteer Coordinator / Project Manager
Mark was born and educated in Massachusetts. He attended the Wellesley School System and Curry College. Mark worked in the banking industry for 29 years as a Project Manager. He then worked at City Year as a Uniform Fulfillment Manager responsible for outfitting City Year Corp Members nationally, South Africa and London. Mark is an advocate for civil, social and human rights and enjoys being involved in an agency that recognizes and accepts diversity.
Email: mark@jpadulted.org
Phone: (857) 230-0183
Cheryl Danzy, Curriculum Developer
Cheryl is excited about all of the great things happening at ALP! She holds a B.S., Human Development (focus on education/pedagogy) and a M.S., Policy Analysis and Management (program evaluation /planning concentration). Her previous experience includes serving as a teacher, curriculum writing, co-authoring publications about cultural competency, and consulting. In addition, she enjoys taking professional development in education so that she can stay abreast of best practices in the field. Cheryl has a passion for learning and looks forward to using her background to serve ALP.
Email: cheryl@jpadulted.org
Charles Ramsay, Technology Coordinator
Charles began his career as a Moderate Special Needs teacher for the Boston Public Schools. After 14 years in the classroom, he worked in a variety of administrative positions including Administrative Assistant to the Director of Special Education for the Boston Public Schools. He has extensive experience and knowledge in Secondary Education, Higher Education, Students At-Risk, Special Education, and Technology & Technology Careers. Charles has taught technology courses at several local colleges and universities. Charles holds a B.S. in Regular and Special Education from Boston University, a Master's degree in Administration/Management from Cambridge College, and a Master's degree in Educational Leadership from Northeastern University.
Email: charles@jpadulted.org
Phone: (857) 293-0996
Rosario Medina, Program Assistant
Rosario is excited to be part of the ALP staff. She is bilingual (Spanish/English) and enjoys learning new languages and cultures. Rosario holds a nursing assistant position certification and medical Interpreting. Rosario looks forward to ALP!
Email: rosario@jpadulted.org
Phone: TBA
Alondra Bobadilla, Administrative Assistant
Alondra Bobadilla is a recent member of the ALP staff. She is a student at UMass Boston majoring in International Relations with a minor in Spanish. Her background is mainly in arts and education programs with a concentration in creative writing. She has taught workshops, worked as a teacher’s assistant, collaborated with non-profits and other projects. She is currently doing a legal advocacy internship with the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice.
Email: abobadilla2002@gmail.com
Phone: TBA
William Washington, Office Manager
Will earned a Bachelor's Degree in Business from Bradley University. After working in Michigan for 18 years, Will has spent the last 8 years as a member of the Jamaica Plain Community. In addition, Will assists in various classrooms and advises students on career and educational goals. William has been a volunteer with the Community Food Drive for the last 3 years.
Email: william@jpadulted.org
Phone: (617) 682-0729
Rana Elbeih, College and Career Advisor
Rana received an Associate degree from Massasoit Community College, earned a Bachelor degree in Biology from the University of Massachusetts Boston, and a Master's degree in Higher Education Administration from Eastern Nazarene College. Rana has more than ten years of teaching experience and has worked as a mentor at Massasoit Community College. Rana enjoys helping others and she is passionate about assisting students to obtain success. Rana is very excited to be a member of the ALP community as a Student Advisor.
Email: rana@jpadulted.org
Phone: (508) 622-5654
Sandra Alexander, College and Career Advisor
Sandra has 23 years of Military experience and have deployed to various countries while serving. Sandra is currently a Retired Army Veteran, who is closely connected to the Veteran community. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services and a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Sandra enjoys working with diverse populations and is actively engaged in social change throughout her community to help strengthen communal bonds while fostering growth in the city.
Email: sandra@jpadulted.org
Phone: (915) 257-9331
Emilie Davis, College and Career Advisor
Emilie is excited to join the ALP team in September 2024 as a College Readiness and Career Pathways advisor! She has lived in Jamaica Plain since 1989 and has a deep commitment to the neighborhood and community. Emilie holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Lesley College and an undergraduate degree from Smith College in Art History. Her prior work history includes over 30 years with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the field of housing and homelessness services. Emilie looks forward to partnering with ALP Students to achieve their career and educational goals!
Email: emiliejpadulted@gmail.com
Phone: (617) 545-4197
Susie Foster, Basic ESOL Instructor
Susie started ESL teaching at secondary school level as a Peace Corps volunteer in Democratic Republic of the Congo (then called Zaire) in the 1970s. After two years in DR Congo, she was posted to Cameroon to be an ESL teaching advisor for a French-speaking province of that bilingual country. She has worked in international development with the World Bank, World Health Organization, and Boston University School of Public Health, where she taught global public health topics for 22 years. In addition to DR Congo and Cameroon, Susie has lived in London (UK), Geneva, Uganda, and Zambia. She has been a volunteer ESL tutor in several community centers in Boston. Susie likes to garden and kayak, and take care of her dog Claire. She is an Airbnb host, and also runs an electric bike tour of Boston through Airbnb Experiences in the summer.
Email: susie.alp21@gmail.com
Phone: (617) 858-1492
Anastasia Ekman, Morning Level 1 ESOL Instructor
Ana started teaching ESOL as a volunteer for multiple organizations in and around Boston. She has a love for languages and cultures and is excited to work in a field that she is passionate about. Ana lived in 5 countries and speaks Russian, German, French and Spanish in addition to English. She started teaching music at the age of 16 and holds a Master's degree in performing arts from Codarts (Netherlands). Ana is grateful for calling Jamaica Plain her home and for the wonderful people she encounters here.
Email: ana@jpadulted.org
Phone: TBA
Anthony Silvestri, Morning Level 2 ESOL & ESOL Basic 2 Instructor
My name is Anthony Silvestre. I am an English coach and I have received my certification to teach English as a foreign language (ESL) from the Dominican Republic. Currently, I am an English Language teacher in Boston. I am passionate about motivating and inspiring people, and how they communicate as they learn languages. I believe that all students are capable of learning and I hope to make a huge impact in the lives of all my students. I always have a sense of humor and a strong motivation to help people communicate better.
Email: anthony@jpadulted.org
Phone: (617) 600-8894
Shannon McEvoy, Evening Level 1 ESOL Instructor
Shannon is from Minneapolis, Minnesota. She loves learning about different languages and cultures, meeting new people, and listening to their stories. Shannon earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Studio Art and Hispanic Studies from the College of Saint Benedict. She studied abroad in Chile in 2010, and began her ESL teaching career there in 2012. Since then, Shannon has been teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language to youth and adults for over 8 years.
Shannon’s teaching philosophy reflects her artist background. She believes that just like traditional art mediums such as painting, teaching is also an art - no two students are alike, and it takes sensitivity, empathy, and creativity to co-create each students’ unique learning journey. Shannon takes great pride in her work, and she puts her whole heart into making learning English an enjoyable experience for her students. She feels privileged to be part of the ALP team and to be a support for our motivated students with big dreams.
Email: shannon@jpadulted.org
Phone: TBA
Valerie Thomas, Evening Level 2 ESOL Instructor
Valerie earned her Bachelor’s in English from Howard University. She went on to earn a Master’s in African American Studies from Columbia University. After working in New York for a few years, she moved to Georgia and began a career in education. She has spent the last 20 years in both K-12 and Higher Ed. She loves working with students in different ages and stages of life.
Email: valerie@jpadulted.org
Phone: (770) 686-7540
Elaine George, Evening Level 3 ESOL Instructor
Elaine George recently joined ALP. She began her career teaching ESL at ELS Language Centers in Boston while getting her M. Ed. in Teaching English as a Second Language at Boston University. She then moved to Virginia with her family and spent the next 23 years helping students in her community as an assistant professor of ESL at Northern Virginia Community College. During that time, she also co-founded and taught at George Mason University’s INTO Workplace English Program. After her kids left for college, she felt New England calling her home and moved back to Connecticut where she currently teaches high school ESOL. In her spare time, she bakes sourdough bread and teaches online bread-baking workshops. She is a strong believer in remote education, and she’s very excited to be a part of the ALP team. She can’t wait to work together with her students to help them achieve their English goals.
Email: elaine@jpadulted.org
Phone: (860) 341 - 2019
Meghan McBain, Morning & Evening Level 4 ESOL Instructor
Meghan was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Georgia and a TESOL Certificate from Kennesaw State University. Meghan has always had an interest in other cultures and after receiving a TESOL Certificate, began teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language in Spain, the USA, and Chile. Meghan has been teaching students of all ages since 2013, and loves every second of it. Meghan has been introduced to many new cultures and customs, improved her Spanish, continued improving as an educator, and developed a whole new perspective on life.
Email: meghan@jpadulted.org
Phone: (434) 362-0669
Surya Ishaya, Evening Level 5 ESOL Instructor
Surya has a background in the helping professions and has been an online educator for several years now. She has obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology at the University of Winnipeg, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Art Therapy at BC School of Art Therapy and has her TESOL certificate. She has taught ESL classes to adults, both individually and in groups, and has tutored in math and English. She loves assisting adults to learn and develop their English skills in order to achieve their goals and dreams. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and meeting people from other cultures, exploring nature, cooking and swimming in the ocean.
Email: surya@jpadulted.org
Phone: (515) 329-6040
Mary Jones, HiSET Instructor
Mary Jones acquired a business degree and MBA from Missouri State University in Computer Information Systems. After working as a programmer for seven years, Mary started to teach business courses at a local community college and then HiSET classes at a local tech center while raising her family. In her free time, Mary enjoys family, exercising, and cooking.
Email: maryjones@jpadulted.org
Phone: (417) 413-4609
Meredine Pierre, RN, CNA for ESOL Instructor
Meredine Pierre is a Registered Nurse with more than 5 years of experience in Massachusetts. She enjoys being a preceptor to nursing students and colleagues in the work setting. She enjoys providing care to elderly clients. Outside of work, she is a mother of three wonderful children and enjoys cooking.
Email: meredine@jpadulted.org
Phone: TBA
Lauren Horan, Contextualized ESOL Instructor
Lauren is excited about joining the ALP team! She grew up in Boston and went to college in New York for an MBA in International Business. After graduating, she was determined to travel no matter what. Instead of taking a corporate job in New York, she went to Costa Rica to teach English and stayed for two years. There, she developed and executed the curriculum for a Conversational English course for students of all ages and all levels (1st grade to 11th grade), and fell in love with teaching. Now, she is teaching the CNA ESOL Class for those who want to become Certified Nursing Assistants. She is bilingual (Spanish/English) and loves singing, writing, and coffee.
Email: lauren@jpadulted.org
Phone: TBA
Johanna E. P. Littlewood, Executive Director of Friends of the Rafael Hernandez School
Johanna Littlewood is the Executive Director of Friends of the Rafael Hernández School in Roxbury. Through ALP she manages, supports, tests, and enrolls students into two classes of ESOL at the school. She has been a teacher for twenty years, teaching both children and adults at a variety of levels. She feels very fortunate to continue to teach and support students in this job that she loves.
Email: johanna.littlewood@gmail.com
Phone: N/A
Marisel Rivera, Satellite ESOL Instructor, Rafael Hernandez School
Marisel Rivera joined the team at the satellite location of the Rafael Hernandez School. She earned a Master’s Degree in Moderate Special Needs at Northeastern University. She has taught ESL in Boston Public Schools primarily to the Latino/Hispanic population. She is dedicated to empowering others and takes pride in preparing them for their future success.
Email: mrivera617@yahoo.com
Phone: N/A
Mary Glenn, Satellite ESOL Instructor, Rafael Hernandez School
Mary Glenn joined the team at the satellite location of the Rafael Hernandez School. She earned a masters degree in TESOL at Boston University. She has taught ESL at Boston University, at the Haitian Multi-Service Center in Dorchester, and at the Cambridge Community Learning Center. She is delighted to be teaching in her own neighborhood for a change.
Email: esolmaryg@gmail.com
Phone: N/A
Isabel Gonzalez, Satellite ESOL Instruictor, Margarita Muniz Academy
Isabel joined ALP in the spring of 2024 as the new Spanish HiSET instructor. She has a bachelor's degree in journalism from UMass Amherst and a master's in special education. A travel enthusiast, she taught at an international school in Egypt before returning to Boston. Recently, she has been working at a hospital coordinating educational services and tutoring inpatients. Isabel is thrilled to work with and get to know new students at ALP.
Email: isabel@jpadulted.org
Phone: (617) 858 - 1057