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| Jennifer Coughlin
Geometry, Algebra II |
Where are you from?
I was born in New Jersey but raised in a small town called Jamison, Pennsylvania. I went to college in Virginia and lived there until 2004. I moved to California in 2004 and have lived in San Francisco, Newport Beach and soon to be Los Angeles.
What will you be doing for Ánimo Venice?
I will primarily be teaching Math. My classes will be Geometry and Algebra II and one elective class of Circuit Training.
What did you do before Ánimo Venice?
My prior career was in Investment Banking. I have a B.B.A. in Finance and a California Real Estate License so I worked as a Commercial Underwriter for 4 years. When I decided to go back to school for my Credential, I started substitute teaching and took a long term position teaching Pre-Algebra and Geometry.
What is your educational background?
I went to James Madison University for my Bachelor's in Finance and am currently taking my Credential classes through Cal State Fullerton.
What were some of your accomplishments, awards, leadership roles?
I have fund raised and competed in 3 triathlons through Team in Training. I also mentored two of these events where I helped coach other people through the training and fund raising and saw them complete these races (which most of them thought they could never do).
At my first job I was given an award for having the most "Passion" for my work. I like to think that I put my heart into whatever it is that I do and give it my all.
What are your future plans?
I hope to someday go to UCLA to get a master's in Math.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I love to ride my bike along PCH and watch the waves crash. I love animals and I try to volunteer with them as much as I can. I love to be out on the water-whether it be in a boat, kayak or splashing around in the waves. I also love to be around my family, even though they are on the East Coast we are all very close and keep in touch a lot, I try to see them at the holidays and breaks as much as possible.
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Imeh Edu
Math Support, Algebra I |
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| Jennifer Mack
Department Chair
Geometry, Precalculus |
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Where are you from?
I was born in Pasadena and grew up in Long Beach.
What will you be doing for Ánimo Venice?
I will be teaching Geometry and PreCalculus this year at Ánimo Venice.
What were you doing before Ánimo Venice?
Before becoming a teacher, I was an actor. While pursuing my career in acting and educational theater, I held numerous day jobs, including bartender, nanny, tutor, and sushi chef. After struggling for several years to make ends meet (who knew Shakespeare would be so unprofitable?), I felt the desire to do something more socially responsible with my life, so I made a drastic change and went into teaching. I chose Mathematics because I have always found it very exciting to solve problems and figure things out. Before coming to Ánimo Venice, I taught at Suva Intermediate in Bell Gardens and then Nightingale Middle School in Los Angeles.
What is your educational background?
After graduating from Long Beach Polytechnic High School, I attended Mills College, a small women's college in Oakland, where I studied drama in London and later received a BA in Dramatic Arts with a minor in English. I also trained for three years at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. Most recently, I completed my Master's Degree in Education and my Professional Clear Credential in Secondary Mathematics at Claremont Graduate University, and I am now entering my seventh year as a math teacher.
What are some of your accomplishments, awards, leadership roles?
I’m pretty proud of my academic achievements and my work with various mathematics competitions. Because of my AP credits from high school, I was able to skip a year of college and graduated with honors at age 20. I also completed my Master’s program with honors. Just a few years ago, I placed sixth in the school when I participated in the AMATYC national math contest at Los Angeles City College. At both Suva Intermediate and Nightingale Middle School, I organized the schools’ first math teams and their subsequent trips to math competitions. At Nightingale Middle School, I not only administered the MathCounts School Competition, but also took a team of finalists to the MathCounts Chapter Competition, which happens to be the same contest I won when I was in the seventh grade! My other leadership roles at Nightingale Middle included being a MESA advisor, a committee member of the Safe & Civil Schools Leadership Team, and the organizer of Student-of-the-Quarter recognitions. I hope to organize a math team at Ánimo Venice soon and enter more mathematics competitions in the upcoming years.
What are your future plans?
I love to travel and learn about other cultures and languages, and dream of moving to Europe some day-- but not before I spend many years at Ánimo Venice, helping to make this school the best possible school it can be!
What is one thing that people find interesting about you?
In addition to living in London for a year, I have also lived in South America for a bit and Japan for a year (not in that order), and at one time was able to speak Spanish, French, and Japanese. Sadly, I have since forgotten most of all three languages! Altogether, I have traveled to 17 different countries in search of adventure.
What are your hobbies and interests?
I am an avid cook and also enjoy yoga, hiking, literature, old movies, the theater, the opera, the symphony, the ballet, museums, beaches, and good food! My favorite books are Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy, Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, and anything by Steinbeck, Shakespeare, or Tennessee Williams.
What is one of your favorite restaurants in LA?
My favorite restaurant in LA is currently Real Food Daily, but it changes frequently!
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| Stepan Mekhitarian
Algebra I, Algebra II |
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 Where are you from?
I was born in Beirut, Lebanon but moved to Pasadena, CA at the age of 6.
What will you be doing for Ánimo Venice?
I will be teaching Algebra I and Algebra II this year.
What were you doing before Ánimo Venice?
Before becoming a teacher, I was a tax consultant and accountant at Arthur Andersen and at Deloitte & Touche in downtown LA.
What is your educational background?
After graduating from Pasadena High school, I attended UCLA and earned a BA in Business-Economics with a Specialization in Computing. Later, I attended the Harvard Graduate School of Education and earned a Master in Education degree and my teaching credential.
What are some of your accomplishments, awards, leadership roles?
I’ve always pushed myself academically. I was the valedictorian of my high school and graduated from UCLA in two years. At Harvard, I was voted the top student in my program and won a fellowship.
What are your future plans?
I plan on spending a lot of time at Ánimo Venice teaching math. My goal is to see every single student not only succeed in math but to actually enjoy learning about it.
What is one thing that people find interesting about you?
I can speak Armenian, a very rare language with completely unique letters. If you want to know how to say something in Armenian, just ask (keep it clean!).
What are your hobbies and interests?
I love to travel. Over the last year, I went whitewater rafting and zip-lining in Costa Rica, hiking in New Hampshire and Maine, and camping in Vermont. I also spent time in New Orleans cleaning up schools after the hurricane and taught English to high school and college students in China. I’m a huge car fan… whether it’s racing on a track or going to car shows, you’ll find me there. I also enjoy movies, sketching, sports, going to concerts, and snowboarding. Now that I’ve moved to the Venice area, I may be picking up surfing too.
What is one of your favorite restaurants in LA?
Currently it’s Sahara in Pasadena. It doesn’t look like much but the food can’t be beat. My all-time favorite is still In-N-Out, especially since it was my first job in high school.
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Ánimo Venice High School
5431 West 98th Street • Los Angeles • CA 90045
Phone: 310-392-8751 • Email: Ánimo
Venice
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