This year we are excited to welcome 29 new professional community members to Nightingale. Coming to 92nd Street from a variety of different backgrounds, these new professional community members bring with them years of real-world experience and are excited to continue Nightingale’s mission of inspiring students to be joyful learners who have the intellectual depth and the courage to be critical thinkers, compassionate citizens, and agents of their own lives.

Please join us in welcoming this wonderful group! Meet our new professional community members.



MARIE BELLEC, PhD
Modern Languages Faculty

Marie Bellec joins Nightingale as a Middle School French teacher. She earned her Ph.D. in French and francophone studies from the University of Pennsylvania and previously taught French language and culture at the college level for five years. Originally from France, she brings both an insider’s perspective and critical distance to her teaching, creating space for students to explore how language reflects identity and culture. Outside the classroom, she enjoys creative writing and swimming.


LISA BERNSTEIN
Lower School Counselor

Lisa Bernstein earned her B.A. in sociology and education from Bucknell University. Lisa began her career as an elementary school teacher, where she spent years fostering students’ academic growth and emotional well-being. Her passion for mental health led her to pursue a master of social work at Columbia University. Most recently, Lisa served as a therapist at The Child Center of NY. Outside of school, Lisa loves to cook and travel with friends and family.


MADISON BOLLART
Lower School Aide

Madison graduated from Syracuse University with a degree in international relations and will begin her masters in public administration at NYU this fall. Before joining Nightingale as a Lower School Aide, she taught eighth grade social studies in Charlotte, North Carolina through Teach For America. She later served as a high school ESL teacher in Costa Rica with the Peace Corps, where she developed and led community-based English programs. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, exploring the city, and spending time outdoors.


LORENA BRYANT
School Nurse

Lorena Bryant joins Nightingale as a school nurse. She earned her nursing degree from Tennessee Technological University and brings eight years of experience as an ER and trauma nurse. For five years, she ran her own self-care subscription box company, a passion project created to empower women and support their well-being. Lorena is also an advocate for birthmark awareness. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, spending time in the park, listening to music, and relaxing with friends.


TIONNE CARSON
Lower School Aide

Upon receiving her bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida in 2022, Tionne worked at Universal Studios Orlando for three years. She is currently pursuing a master's degree at New York University, and is incredibly excited to be living and working in NYC! She adores interacting with children while encouraging them to be creative and use their imaginations. Tionne is originally from Miami, Florida and, in her free time, you can find Tionne at the movies, talking to her family, visiting museums, or attending trivia nights.


YABOME CASPER
Assistant Head for Faculty and Instruction

Yabome is thrilled to join the Nightingale community as the assistant head for faculty and instruction. A visionary and introspective educational leader, she is devoted to fostering the growth and development of every member of the community. Over the past 16 years at the Berkeley Carroll School in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Yabome has held a variety of roles, including mathematics teacher, grade dean, assistant director of the middle school, and, most recently, middle school director, a role she has held since 2019. Known for her calm, collaborative style, Yabome is a thoughtful problem-solver who prioritizes connection and creative thinking in her work. She holds a BA in economics and sociology from Boston College, an MA in mathematics education from City College, and an MSEd in school leadership from the University of Pennsylvania. With over 22 years of experience spanning public, charter, and independent schools, Yabome is eager to bring her leadership experience and instructional expertise in service of the Nightingale mission and community. Beyond her professional work, Yabome enjoys time in nature with her husband and three children, reading, writing, reflecting, and is dedicated to learning the cello.


CELIA CHORZEMPA
Modern Languages Faculty

Originally from Riverside, Illinois, Celia recently graduated from Middlebury College in Vermont with a B.A. in political science and French. There, she spent a semester abroad in France studying at Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. Immersing herself in the French language and culture deepened her understanding of both, and Celia found that conversing with Parisians in their first language opened up perspectives she would not have otherwise encountered. Upon returning to Middlebury, she combined her love for French and education by working as an assistant at the French Language Tables, where I helped fellow students gain confidence in speaking French. This solidified her interest in teaching and ultimately her to Nightingale. Celia is eager to share her enthusiasm for the French language and the richness of various francophone cultures with the students this semester.


CATIE CLARK
Lower School Aide

Catie is excited to be joining the Nightingale community as a Lower School Aide. Originally from Tampa, Florida, she earned her B.A. in theatre from Middlebury College in 2023. During the 2024–2025 school year, she served as a Kindergarten teaching fellow at Trinity Episcopal School in Austin, Texas. In her free time, Catie enjoys seeing live performances and making music with friends.


SHANNON COMER
Science Faculty

Shannon Comer is a dedicated and experienced Upper School science educator with over 20 years of teaching in a variety of school settings, including international and independent schools. Most recently, she taught upper grades integrated science at Avenues: The World School, where she worked for five years. Before that, she held science teaching roles at Poly Prep, the International School of Zug and Luzern, and within the NYC Department of Education. Shannon is known for creating inquiry-based, real-world science curricula that foster critical thinking and student engagement. Outside the classroom, she enjoys traveling, running in Prospect Park, and spending time with her friends and family.


ELLIE CULLEN
Lower School Associate Teacher

Ellie studied sociology at UC Santa Barbara and, following her graduation in 2022, moved to Madrid, Spain to teach English at a bilingual elementary school for two years. Ellie absolutely loved working in a caring school community, and looks forward to contributing to the warm atmosphere at Nightingale. Ellie grew up in LA and Boston and is so excited to now explore NYC! In her free time, Ellie loves to read, go running, try out new cafes, and have picnics in the park with friends.


ADELINE “ADDY” DEBELLA
Lower School Aide

Adeline DeBella is a contemporary flutist, vocalist, improviser, and chamber musician based in New York City. She is active in performing and commissioning interdisciplinary works for solo flute/voice, low flutes, and unconventional chamber ensembles. Adeline is a Trevor James Low Flutes artist. Additionally, she is a founding member of Dice Trio and Duo Bellota, both ensembles committed to experimental performance and discovery of new music.


SHAZIA DURRANI
Head of Middle School

Shazia Durrani is an experienced educational leader with over two decades in both public and independent schools. Most recently, she served as director of the middle school at Hackley School, where she led academic programming, faculty development, and student life for grades five through eight. Prior to that, Shazia held multiple leadership roles at Riverdale Country School, including assistant head of middle school, grade dean, and English teacher. Her earlier experience includes teaching and dean positions at The Archer School for Girls and Pomona Middle School, where she was deeply involved in curriculum design, student support, and community engagement.


SEAN FEDELI
History Faculty

After graduating from Yale University, Sean spent four years in the United States Army, serving as an air defense artillery officer in Korea, Germany, and Kosovo. He began his educational career as a volunteer teacher at Nativity Mission School on the Lower East Side and has taught middle and high school students in several schools in and around New York City, including Brooklyn Jesuit Prep, Saint John’s Preparatory School, Professional Children’s School, the Ursuline School, and Saint Bernard’s School. Sean has also earned two master’s degrees: one in adolescent social studies from Fordham University and a second in school building leadership from Saint John’s University. When not in the classroom, Sean enjoys reading both fiction and nonfiction and spending time with his wife and eleven-year-old son.


KATE FISCUS
Director of Major Gifts

Kate joined Nightingale’s advancement team in February after working in advancement offices at several other schools including Loyola, Speyer, St. Bernard's, and Regis. She is excited to contribute to Nightingale's mission of empowering young women and is inspired by the unique environment of an all-girls school. Outside of Nightingale, Kate enjoys live music, perfecting homemade pasta, and checking out the new release shelf at the library. Originally from Scranton, PA, Kate always appreciates discussing pizza varieties and The Office episodes.


MARGARET GARTH
English Faculty

Margaret is an Upper School English teacher who recently moved to New York after spending the past 12 years teaching in the metro Atlanta area. She believes students learn best when they’re engaged, curious, and laughing, so Margaret works to create a classroom where humor and connection are just as important as content. Outside of school, she is a devoted Taylor Swift fan and a passionate college football enthusiast. Margaret is always ready to swap book recommendations, song lyrics, or game-day predictions!


JARENA HARMON
Lower School Aide

Jarena comes to Nightingale with a BA in hearing and speech language sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park as well as a master’s in speech-language pathology from New York Medical College, with interest in brain injuries, math, cognition, and communication science. A D.C. native, Jarena has been living in New York since 2022. Outside of Nightingale, Jarena’s interests include athletics, education, food, and transportation. She also coaches soccer and basketball outside of school, in addition to playing both sports.


EMMA HUMPHREY
Computer Science Year Long Leave Replacement

Emma comes to Nightingale from a career as a software engineer, where she wrote and maintained data pipelines for a big bank. Prior to that, Emma earned her AB in applied mathematics from Harvard. Outside of her career, Emma loves reading novels and baking ambitious quantities of shortbread for consumption by her household of two. This summer, she was fortunate to spend time with her grandparents on Cape Cod, to travel with her brother after his college graduation, and to lose spectacularly in a Tour de France fantasy league.


VICTORIA JENKINS
Class I Associate Teacher

Victoria holds a BFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is currently earning her M.Ed. from Teachers College, Columbia University. Before starting at Nightingale last year as a leave replacement associate teacher, she taught at the Advent School in Boston and acted as a teaching assistant both at the University of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She also taught English to elementary-aged students while living in Rome, Italy.


GENEVIEVE MADIGAN
Chief Financial and Operations Officer

Genevieve has been working in service of independent schools for the past 30 years. For the past year, she served as the chief financial and operations director at the International Coalition of Girls' Schools, a membership organization which represents 550+ schools for girls around the world. Prior, she was the chief financial and operations officer at Kent Place School, a pre-K-12 school for girls in Summit, NJ, overseeing the development and design of their new Leadership Center for Athletics and the Performing Arts. Prior to Kent Place, she was the vice president of professional development and research at the National Business Officers Association which serves finance, human resource, and operations professionals in independent schools. Genevieve speaks both regionally and nationally on topics related to school operations, as well as previously serving on a number of non-profit boards and task forces. She and her husband are parents to four children and recently survived having the older three in college at the same time. Genevieve is personally and professionally committed to schools for girls, having sent all three of her daughters to girls' schools.


HILARY McDONOUGH
Director of Global and Civic Engagement

Hilary is excited to join Nightingale as the director of global and civic engagement. Experienced in teaching French, Spanish, and global learning courses to students in lower, middle, and upper school settings, Hilary has been a department head of world language faculty, and was most recently a director of global programs. She is passionate about collaborating with faculty to design competency-based curricula in and out of the classroom, and integrating intercultural dialogue into courses. When she's not at school, she's most likely traveling, plotting out her family's next travel adventure, or coaxing her plants to grow. She earned her BA in French and government from Wofford College and MA in French from Middlebury College.


ABED MURIEL
Director of Safety & Security

Abed comes to Nightingale with 32 years of security and fire safety experience within commercial and hospital organizations. Abed most recently served as deputy director for Bloomberg's flagship headquarters at GardaWorld Security. Prior to GardaWorld, Abel was sergeant at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Hospital and an operations manager at David H. Koch, Alexandria Cohen Hospital for Women and Newborns. Abel enjoys being in security and fire safety, and teaching others about the field. Outside of Nightingale, Abel has two beautiful grown kids, and loves spending time and taking care of his family.


AMY NICHOLS
Middle School Counselor Leave Replacement

Amy studied psychology as an undergrad at Carleton College, and received a master's degree in school counseling from Teachers College. Upon graduation, Amy worked for several years at the Center for LGBTQ+ Youth, where she led support groups for parents, trans young adults, and LGBTQ+ youth, and provided educational workshops for schools and organizations. Amy was a leave replacement counselor at Nightingale in 2018 and 2019, and an Upper School counselor at The Hewitt School for the past six years. Amy is thrilled to be re-joining Nightingale as a leave replacement Middle School counselor for fall 2025. Amy lives in Westchester with her husband and two teens, and loves knitting unusual gifts (most recently a miniature birthday cake for her niece), trivia nights, and playing pickup soccer and ultimate frisbee.


BRIDGET MORGAN
Lower School Administrative Assistant

A lifelong New Yorker, Bridget has spent most of her career working in education, specifically within New York City schools. She enjoys working in schools because of the energy the students bring and specifically enjoy working in an early childhood/Lower School setting. In her spare time, Bridget enjoys spending time with her three children, reading mysteries and thrillers, and running, having completed the NYC Marathon four times.


KATY NOWISZEWSKI
Senior Associate Director of College Counseling and Director of Student Life

Katy is excited to join the Nightingale community, bringing nearly 15 years of experience in college counseling, admissions, and student development. Her career began in college admissions research, leading to roles in Thessaloniki, Greece as a university counselor and at Bates College in Maine as an assistant dean of admission. Since 2016, Katy has supported students and families in both public and independent schools across New York City. Most recently, she led the college counseling and grades 11–12 deans program at Avenues. She is especially committed to building inclusive programming, supporting student wellbeing, and championing girls’ education and leadership. As a native New Englander, Katy loves spending time outdoors, especially near the ocean. Outside of work, she also loves to read, create art, and travel. She holds degrees from Barnard College and Harvard University, and a certificate in international school counseling.


ALYSSA PYLE
Computer Science Faculty

Alyssa began her career in IT consulting before making a career pivot and becoming a teacher. She began in an interim teaching role at an international school in Shanghai, China before returning to NYC. In her previous role at Learn & Explore Academy in Brooklyn, she taught both elementary and middle school STEM and founded the school's robotics club and 3D printing club. She is currently pursuing her doctorate in learning, design, and technology from the University of Wyoming. In her free time, she enjoys crafting and playing pickleball.


CHRISTINA TUCCILLO
Lower School Librarian

Christina joins the Nightingale community as a Lower School librarian, following her time as the Lower School library associate at the Convent of the Sacred Heart. She studied English language and literature at the University of Chicago and received her masters of library and information science from the Information School at the University of Washington. Christina loves reading, knitting, learning new languages, spending time with her adorable one-eyed cat, and helping young students fall in love with storytelling.


KEZIAH VARGHESE
Mathematics Faculty

Originally from Long Island, Keziah is passionate about making math engaging and accessible for all students. She recently taught middle school math at Our World Neighborhood Charter School in Long Island City, where she worked to create lessons that inspire and support every learner. Keziah earned a BA in mathematics from Adelphi University and her MAT in secondary mathematics education from New York University. Keziah is excited to be teaching Middle School math at Nightingale and help build a positive, joyful classroom community. Outside of teaching, Keziah enjoys Solidcore workouts, trying new bakeries and coffee shops, and relaxing with reality TV.


AILIE WOOD
Mathematics Faculty (Leave Replacement)

Ailie is excited to be joining Nightingale as a leave replacement teacher in Upper School mathematics. Ailie studied math at Wellesley College, where she researched ring theory and graph theory with a focus on philosophical connections and the accessible communication of abstract ideas. She also worked in the department on accessibility and inclusivity efforts and supported linear algebra courses. After college, Ailie was in a math PhD program before deciding to focus more directly on teaching and mentoring students. This past spring, she was a math leave replacement in the Upper School at Birch Wathen Lenox. This summer, she worked at the New York Math Circle to teach unique topics to students who want to learn more outside of class. Beyond math, Ailie loves reading, spending time outside with her dog, and picking up random new skills like bookbinding.