Our Team
Senior Leadership
Shawn Benjamin believes that education opens doors and opportunities for students to have access to the careers and lives they want to live. She was born in Michigan and grew up in the Bay Area, primarily Marin. Her favorite subject in school was Psychology. She has a BA from UC Berkeley, and two MAs in Education: one from the University of Pennsylvania, and one from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She is currently learning about dog training, obedience, and behavior modification. She loves trail running (and sand dunes at the beach!) with her dog.
Shawn Benjamin, Executive Director
Esther Prokopienko believes deeply that access to a high-quality education can transform lives and create previously unimaginable futures. She is committed to ensuring that all students are supported to grow and achieve. Originally from upstate New York, Esther has called the Bay Area home since 2012.
Esther Prokopienko, Principal
Maren Kato has over 14 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit sector, developing diverse teams in educational and behavioral health organizations. In 2012, she earned her MAEd in Adult Education and Training to enhance her understanding of the adult learner. For six years, Maren taught GED classes to adults with serious mental illnesses (ages ranging between 18-68!). Observing the challenges that her adult students brought with them to their learning spaces, she created and implemented programs that addressed the underlying barriers to education including stress management, trauma recovery, executive functioning impairments, and access to resources. Finding a passion for this work, she pivoted to team development and leadership roles within behavioral health, crisis work, charter school staff sustainability initiatives, and Special Education. She advocated for bringing therapeutic interventions to vulnerable populations AND the professionals who serve them. Maren is committed to improving the student experience by empowering the adults who serve them while approaching complex issues with curiosity, fairness, equity, empathy, and vision.
Maren Kato, Head of People & Compliance
Brittany has personally experienced the transformative power of a college education. She is committed to ensuring that students in underserved communities have similar opportunities to earn a college degree, fostering economic mobility and well-being for themselves, their families, and their communities. Brittany grew up on a farm in West Virginia and later moved to California to pursue her bachelor's degree in Political Science with a minor in Education at Stanford University. To follow her passion for education, she completed Stanford's Teacher Education Program (STEP), earning both a master's degree in education and a teaching credential. Brittany taught and served as a teacher-leader at Robertson Continuation School for six years. Looking to expand her leadership in education, she went on to earn a second master's degree in Education Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship from Harvard. Brittany’s favorite subject in school was history, and in her free time, she enjoys watching Formula 1 and playing video and board games.
Brittany Martino-Weinhardt, Head of Data & Compliance
Born and raised in Oakland, Chris Washington is a passionate advocate of college access and high quality public education. As a first-generation college graduate, he has experienced the uplifting power of mentorship, one-on-one support, and rigorous coursework. He holds a BA in Philosophy from UC Santa Barbara, and a Masters Degree in English with a specialization in TESOL from San Francisco State University. Chris has spent the past decade designing curricula and supporting faculty as an Assistant Dean and Program Director at Hult International Business School, and most recently as the Managing Director of Academics at Noodle, an online program management firm. In his spare time, he enjoys cooking (and cooking shows), live music, video games, and hanging out with Mariah Carey and Nina Simone (his cat and dog).
Christopher Washington, Director of Operations
Leadership Team
Ms. Baah grew up in Ghana, where she learned to value education as a way to open doors and create opportunities. Her journey eventually brought her to Arizona State University, where her passion for learning and teaching deepened. Now, she’s dedicated to helping others reach their potential and build brighter futures through education. Her experiences have taught her that education isn’t just about knowledge—it’s about relationships, growth, and making a difference in people’s lives. When Ms. Baah is not working, she loves reading, cooking traditional dishes, and spending time with family.
Kwamah Baah, Director of Curriculum & Instruction - STEM
Megan Carter believes that quality education and being able to make informed choices about your future is a right for every child, not a privilege. Megan loves building relationships in the school community and seeing students grow and thrive! Megan grew up in London, and then Essex, in England. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Durham, UK, and more recently her graduate study at UC Berkeley, CA. Megan enjoys reading fiction, writing, traveling, and sports -- especially Arsenal FC!
Megan Carter, Director of Curriculum & Instruction - Humanities
Eric Tamriel is passionate about working in education because he believes every young person deserves a champion—someone who sees their potential even when they can’t see it themselves. Education has the power to transform lives, and Eric is driven by the opportunity to create environments where students feel safe, challenged, and inspired. Through a blend of structure, compassion, and high expectations, he strives to support students in becoming the best versions of themselves. Whether through academic support, behavior intervention, or life skill development, he is committed to being a consistent presence in the lives of youth—especially those who need it most. Dean Tamriel grew up in Shreveport, Louisiana, where his roots in community and service were shaped early on. He attended Fair Park High School and later went on to play collegiate basketball at the University of North Texas, where he earned my degree. Athletics played a major role in his development, instilling values like discipline, teamwork, and perseverance. Because of athletics, he has had the opportunity to spend a decade living internationally in countries such as Argentina, Israel, and Chile. Outside of work, he enjoy traveling to new places, staying active through basketball, scuba diving, and horseback riding. These interests fuel his belief in experiential learning and the importance of giving students opportunities beyond the classroom.
Eric Tramiel, Dean of Students
Robyn Shapiro, Director of MTSS
Teachers
Ms. Alvarez is passionate about empowering students to unlock their academic potential and become successful in all aspects of life. She strives to inspire a love of learning that lasts a lifetime by implementing mutual aid principles in the classroom. Ms. Alvarez grew up in Richmond, California, and attended school in both Mexico and Brazil. She graduated from Scripps College, where her academic focus included Psychology, Human-Centered Design, and U.S. Politics. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new restaurants around the Bay, writing handwritten letters to loved ones, and spending time with her kitten.
Alondra Alvarez, Middle School U.S. History
Melinda Boettcher is passionate about working in education because she loves getting to know her students, learning about the world with them, and supporting them as they pursue their goals. She grew up in Fallon, Nevada and attended the University of Oregon (B.A., M.A.) and the University of California, Santa Barbara (M.Ed.). Ms. Boettcher has studied and lived in Mexico, Spain, and Chile -- she loves exploring new places! She recently moved here from Eugene, Oregon, with her husband and two daughters, and is excited to put down roots in the Bay Area. She loves reading, hiking, baking gluten-free treats, and (when lucky) petting her unfriendly cat.
Melinda Boettcher, High School Spanish
Leah Borquez started teaching because of the wonderful teachers and professors she had who made significant impacts on her life. She believes that education helps students grow into themselves and is honored to be a part of that process. She was born and raised in Ann Arbor, MI. She went to Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania for her bachelor's in History with intensive study in both Latin and Ancient Greek. After graduating, she moved out to the Bay Area and received her MA in History from UC Berkeley. In her free time, she likes swimming, playing violin, reading, and video games.
Leah Borquez, High School Social Studies
Gizem Caliskan
Gizem Caliskan, High School English Language Arts
Lucy is originally from Charlottesville, Virginia. Before coming to Invictus, Lucy worked as an English and History teacher in Colorado, where she guided outdoor programs for high school students. She holds both her Master’s in English and her B.A. in English and creative writing from the University of Virginia. When she isn’t grading papers, she can be found cooking, biking, writing, surfing, or reading on a good porch.
Lucy Catlett, Middle School English Language Arts
Tobias Childs is an educator because of his High School Art teacher, Mr. McCabe, who instilled a love of art and creativity in Tobias who now wants to pass on that passion and education to more future artists of California. Tobias grew up in the mountains of Washington State where he studied art, theatre and creative writing. When he is not painting, drawing, writing or producing a comedy show, he is climbing, skiing, running, cooking or gardening.
Tobias Childs, High School Art
Jiayi Ding grew up in Shanghai, China. She attended elementary school through high school there. Ms. Ding then applied for universities in the United States and earned her Bachelor of Science degree from UC Davis. In her spare time, she enjoys video editing and creating animations, which allow her to express her creative thoughts. These hobbies have also helped her develop valuable technical skills.
Jiayi Ding, High School Math
Jeff Grossmann loved his Engineering classes, where he got to work on a team and build projects. But, he didn't get to experience this until college, so he’s excited to help our students build their creativity and problem-solving confidence in a hands-on way in high school. His favorite subjects are Physics and Algebra. He grew up in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, has a BA in Engineering from Dartmouth College, and would like to learn more Spanish. Outside of work he spends time with his family, including 2 young daughters, and riding his bike.
Jeff Grossmann, High School Science
Samantha Kephart
Samantha Kephart, Middle School Science
Ayesha Khalid
Ayesha Khalid, High School Biology
Seeing students discovering the journey of learning is Mr. Liu’s reason for teaching. Having grown up in the East Bay, he understands where many of his students are coming from. He is passionate about working in education because he fully believes that all students deserve a chance at success. Mr. Liu graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry from his alma mater, University of Southern California, and is currently working towards his M.A. in Education at Loyola Marymount University. In his spare time, he enjoys animal rearing, discovering new music, and learning about recipes and the history of food.
Colton Liu, High School Chemistry
Jasmin Lopez
Jasmin Lopez, High School Geometry
Corey Parker
Corey Parker, High School Algebra II
Lucia Rios is passionate about working in education because she wholeheartedly believes that we all deserve a high quality education regardless of our background. As someone who grew up in Richmond, she has seen the impact that a caring and dedicated teacher can have on a students. Having an educator who can truly understand a student’s experience and perspectives truly makes a positive impact on students. This impact lasts throughout high school and beyond, influencing the decisions and paths we take. Ms Rios’s educators pushed her to reach the goals she set for herself. Their guidance led her to Williams College where she studied American Studies and concentrated in Latinx Studies. She was heavily involved in student organizing within her affinity groups and leading the Latinx dance team on campus. Her educators equipped her with the skills and confidence to pursue her interests in and outside of school.
Lucia Rios, High School English Language Arts
Olivia Robertson grew up in San Luis Obispo, California, where she started tutoring at her school’s after-school math lab in seventh grade. Through middle and high school, she had fantastic teachers who nurtured her love for math, even as she struggled with the subject sometimes. Ms. Robertson attended UC Berkeley to study mathematics, while also continuing to work as a math tutor. It was through this work that she first fell in love with education. She is passionate about working in education because she knows what it feels like to struggle in math class, and also knows that math is for everyone. She wants to pass on her love for the subject to her students, and give them the same problem-solving tools and confidence that her math teachers encouraged in her. In her free time, she enjoy cooking and baking, reading speculative fiction, playing board games, and going on long walks with her rescue dogs.
Olivia Robertson, Middle School Math
Aaron Rosenthal is passionate about working in education because it presents a unique opportunity to personally transform kids' lives. Originally from our nation's capital, Aaron grew up as a student of DC Public Schools, where he witnessed the profound harm of educational inequality. Aaron’s experience in DCPS always made him want to teach. Now, after graduating from Dartmouth College, Aaron has gotten the chance to do just that. Outside Invictus, you can find Aaron at Fremont High School, where he plays for Oakland's professional ultimate frisbee team, the Spiders.
Aaron Rosenthal, High School English Language Arts II
Mr. Schauss focuses on teaching concepts that will be useful to humans, not only in the classroom, but in the course of everyday life. It is his calling to teach students how to locate those concepts in literature, especially when the source material belongs to a different historical moment than ours right now. Though born in San Francisco, Mr. Schauss spent his childhood years in Spain and England. He has a PhD in Philosophy from the New School for Social Research, where his favorite classes were on the history of Western thought and architectural design. Outside the four walls of the classroom, you can find him watching soccer (Hala Madrid!) and on East Bay playgrounds with his six-year-old.
Philip Schauss, High School ELA
Jennifer Sosa is passionate about working in education because it has the power to break down barriers, challenge prejudices, and create a more inclusive and compassionate society. She believes in helping others think critically, freely, creatively, and with empathy. Ms. Sosa grew up in Richmond and attended school in Richmond so she is very excited to serve her own community! She obtained a BA in Hispanic Studies from Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She loves going to bachata social dances and would love to try other types of social dancing!
Jennifer Sosa, High School Spanish
Jia Xin Sun is passionate about working in education because she understands the importance of a quality education in shaping students’ lives. Therefore, her goal as a teacher is to plan and implement lessons that students find educational, fun, and useful. She is also passionate about creating a safe space where her students can feel comfortable learning and growing. Growing up, her favorite subject in school was biology. So combining her love of teaching and science, Ms. Sun received her BA in Molecular and Cell Biology and later her MA in Education both from UC Berkeley. Outside of work, she enjoys reading a good mystery novel and watching TV shows to relax.
Jia Xin Sun, Middle School Science
For Soren Tjernell, any other job seems boring in comparison to education! His favorite subjects were literature and government. He grew up in Marin County, holds a BA in Literature from Claremont McKenna College, and is currently learning French. Outside of school he enjoys building forts with his son!
Soren Tjernell, High School English Language Arts
Emersyn White is passionate about teaching because she wants to help make learning feel accessible and empowering for all students. She was born in Berkeley and grew up in the Bay Area. She has a BA in Economics from UC Davis; her favorite classes were comparative literature courses and a tight-wire walking seminar! Outside of the classroom, you'll find her in a park walking on a slackline or simply enjoying the sun.
Emersyn White, Middle School ELA & History
Julia Wiersema grew up on the beach in Pacific Grove, on the tip of the Monterey Peninsula. Ms. Wiersema went to school at U.C. Santa Barbara… also on the beach! She loves swimming, hiking with her dog, photography, reading, hanging out with her cat, and playing the piano, the cello and the ukulele. She thinks there is nothing more important than opening up the minds of the future! It is a serious and awesome responsibility.
Julia Wiersema, High School US History
Student Supports
Emma Aguilar
Emma Aguilar, Academic Counselor
Ariel Dale attended Fordham University in New York City and played Division 1 basketball. She developed an interest in entertainment while studying at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Dean Dale has collaborated with many successful producers of shows on Youth Radio, Amoeba, Under Armour, and iHeart Radio, all while working alongside young people.
Over the past six years, she has been developing leadership skills and empowering young people in Oakland. She’s proud to be an educator. She enjoys watching the students evolve and take pride in their accomplishments. She wants them to know that someone genuinely cares enough about their future to invest time and energy to develop their potential for leadership.
Ariel Dale, Middle School Associate Dean of Students
Chris Diener
Chris Diener, Education Specialist
Rachel Freeburg grew up in Berkeley and went to schools there. She has been an instructional aide for 18 years and loves what she does. Some of her hobbies include reading, doing arts and crafts, walking with her dog, spending time with friends/family, and listening to 90’s R&B, pop, and hip hop. Ms. Freeburg loves working with young people and seeing the world from their unique perspectives.
Rachel Freeburg, Instructional Aide
Ben Graber is passionate about working in education because he believes in the transformative power of learning- especially when young people are given tools to question, explore, and shape the world around them. Education is not just about mastering content, but about helping students find their voice, their confidence, and their sense of purpose. He is committed to creating spaces where every student feels seen, challenged, and supported, and where their diverse identities and lived experiences are honored in the classroom. Mr Graber grew up in Berkeley, California and earned my AA from Laney College before earning an BA and MA from San Francisco State University. His academic and teaching career has centered on amplifying voices often left out of traditional narratives, with a focus on oral history work in partnership with California tribal communities. Outside of the classroom, he enjoys stargazing, exploring old bookstores, tutoring students in a range of subjects and spending time with my family. He’s also presented research at conferences across the state and maintain a permanent exhibit on Alcatraz Island about the 1969 Occupation. At heart, he is a storyteller, a listener, and someone who never stops learning.
Ben Graber, SPED Program Specialist
Ms. Hansleben is passionate about working in education because it is a field that, for her, provides a perfect combination of challenge and reward. She loves the challenges and rewards of building and being part of a learning community that can serve to improve lives and create opportunities for young people and families. She is also passionate about her personal interests and feels it is her job to inspire others to try new, challenging activities no matter what age or skill level. Personal interests and activities have significantly enriched her life and those of her students; some of her favorite activities include flow arts and juggling, garden science and ecology, paddleboarding, hiking, and rollerskating. Ms. Hansleben grew up in St. Louis, Missouri and attended Columbia College for her undergraduate degree in Social Work. Shortly after earning her bachelor's degree, she moved to Arizona and attended Northern Arizona University and earned a Master’s Degree in Special Education.
Tina Hansleben, Education Specialist
Isabella Ordaz believes in the power of education as a practice of freedom. A first-generation college graduate, Ms. Ordaz studied Political Science and Women's Studies at Pepperdine University, where she learned college is a space of amazing possibility for students seeking to learn more about themselves and the world. She also graduated with a Master of Social Science from UCLA. Ms. Ordaz is passionate about helping students access higher education to encourage social mobility and intellectual growth. She was raised in the East Bay Area and enjoys taking her dogs for hikes, writing poetry, and studying for her Master of Divinity degree at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Isabella Ordaz, College Access Counselor
Jack Severson, Education Specialist
Matt Taylor is passionate about working in education because of a sincere desire to contribute meaningfully to the next generation's growth and development. Mr. Taylor was born and raised in Gainesville, GA and graduated from Middle Georgia State University in 2017. He migrated west for work and found himself landing in California over 10 years ago. He fell in love with the state and has never looked back. When he is not teaching Government and Economics, he enjoys spending time with friends and family, playing with his dog, reading (especially fantasy and sci-fi), and gaming (at a computer or around a table).
Matt Taylor, High School Associate Dean of Students
Meka Tull was exposed to the educational field at a young age because her mother was a Speech Pathologist and worked with severely disabled individuals. In high school she wasn’t sure she’d be working in education, but after completing her undergraduate program, her mother proposed she consider a job in school psychology believing it’d be a good fit for her personal and professional goals.
In high school she took a memorable physiology class and in college, she loved Black Studies courses, particularly classes related to civil rights issues, and at one time wanted to become a Civil Rights Attorney. Her BA is in Black Studies and Sociology from UCSB and her MA is in School Psychology from Howard University. She recently adopted a rescue dog so has a current interest in getting good at dog training! She was born in Oakland and grew up in El Cerrito/SF Bay Area and outside of work enjoys cooking, cycling, and spending time with family and friends.
Meka Tull, School Psychologist
Operations
Sara Cano
Sara Cano, Meal Service Provider
Molly Gonzalez, School Operations Manager
Ryan Guzhnay, Enrollment & Family Liaison Manager
Christian Nieves
Christian Nieves, Tech Coodinator & OPS Assistant
Sophia Ramirez, Front Office Manager
School Leadership Contact
Esther Prokopienko, School Principal
eprokopienko@invictusofrichmond.org
Phone: (925) 435-1866
Office Hours: Fridays, 3:00-4:00 PM or by appointment