Faculty & Staff

Dr. Carter has committed his career to improving social and economic justice for Black and Brown communities and has more than 20 years of experience working with children and families with few resources and limited access to power and privilege. He approaches this work with equal parts curiosity, humility, passion and humor, aiming to positively impact the systems and organizations that work on behalf of vulnerable populations. Before joining Beacon Academy, Dr. Carter was a Founding member of the leadership team for Project Evident, a national organization focused on helping not-for-profit organizations and philanthropic foundations harness the power of evidence to achieve greater impact. He also co-created and led a virtual learning program for practitioners and leaders called a Talent Accelerator. Similarly, Dr. Carter designed and piloted the Data & Evidence Equity Guide, a tool to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion principles into evidence building. Prior, he served as Deputy Director and Chief Strategy Officer at the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University, where he created a learning strategy and built the capacity of individuals, organizations, and systems to drive and scale innovation.

Dr. Carter is currently a Trustee for Concord Academy and the Foundation for MetroWest, and a member of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation National Evaluation Advisory Committee. He has been an Adjunct Faculty member at Boston College Graduate School of Social Work and guest lecturer at Harvard Graduate School of Education and Simmons College Graduate Schools of Management and Social Work. He earned his master’s degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Ph.D. in Social Work from Boston College. He lives in the MetroWest area with his wife Robyn and their two children.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Nicole brings over 15 years of fundraising, events, and volunteer management experience to Beacon Academy. She has extensive knowledge in managing a robust strategic development and engagement plan that fosters a culture of philanthropy and engages all members of the community to propel organizations forward. Nicole has led engagement and fundraising efforts at the Australian Red Cross, Concord Academy, Scope Victoria, and Cancer Council Queensland. In addition to leading the Development, Engagement, and Communications team at Beacon Academy, Nicole is thrilled to serve as a student advisor.

Doly Castro is the parent of a Beacon Academy alumna, Dolli Castillo ’20. Before her daughter attended Beacon Academy, Doly knew about the school and admired the students for their hard work and the opportunities they seized by being a part of the Beacon Academy community. She always told herself that someday, her daughter would attend Beacon Academy, and she did. Doly is proud and honored to be part of the Beacon Academy community. Doly has extensive customer service experience and is bilingual in Spanish and English. Doly is a very warm and social person who treats other people with kindness, respect, and, above all, charisma.

Matt Duff joined Beacon Academy in the Summer of 2024 as the Science Teacher and Athletics Coordinator. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of Southern Maine and a Master’s degree in Earth Sciences from the University of Hawaii. Before transitioning to a career in teaching, he worked as an environmental consultant for multiple large consulting companies, specializing in water quality and hydrology projects. His goal is to connect with each student and try to make science a fun and compelling part of their lives.

Kate is an educator, author, and poet originally from Philadelphia, PA. Kate taught middle school and high school English for over a decade for Boston Public Schools before transitioning to publishing and development. Kate holds her B.A. from Vassar College, her M.Ed. from University of Massachusetts Boston (Boston Teacher Residency), and her M.F.A. in Creative Writing for Young People from Lesley University. Her debut novel, THE SONG OF US, was published by HarperCollins and was named a 2024 Notable Verse Novel by the National Council of Teachers of English.

Cary Hammonds has worked with students who represent a wide variety of ages, privileges, and cultures in Florida, Texas, the Czech Republic, Spain, and South Korea. In each environment, her goal is always to instill empathy and build equity. Cary believes that the study of humanities—of history, of literature—plays a strong role by offering students windows into the past, mirrors to who we are today, and opportunities to dream of better futures. She holds a degree in English from Rollins College and state certifications, and she has served a previous school as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Co-Chair.

Annie Jean-Baptiste is a dedicated education professional with a Master's degree (M.Ed) in Teacher Education History and Education Policy from Brandeis University. She is committed to positively impacting individuals and communities through education and civic engagement. With a solid foundation in teacher education, she has seamlessly transitioned into various roles in the education field. As a classroom teacher, facilitator, and guidance counselor, she had the privilege of guiding and supporting students through their academic and personal development journeys. Her passion lies in fostering an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all students, especially empowering young girls and women. AnnieJB is also a proud member of the 2024-2025 SPARK Boston Council, serving as a youth advisor for the great city of Boston in the Mayor’s office.

Nihal Kodavarti is originally from Chicago, IL, and graduated from Oberlin College with a degree in Math and Economics. Before joining Beacon Academy, Nihal worked as a Teaching Fellow at Providence Day School in Charlotte, NC, becoming familiar with different pedagogical practices in math education and independent school culture. He is passionate about improving educational accessibility and actively tries to make his teaching practices more equitable. His approach to teaching math focuses on analytical reasoning, problem-solving, and persistence, emphasizing the foundation behind concepts and how they apply to a student's broader academic experience. Finally, he firmly believes that no one is "bad at math" and that anyone can succeed with confidence, drive, and practice!

Natalia Lindsey grew up in Boston, MA, and brings to Beacon Academy a strong commitment to education equity and a dedication to supporting youth in the Greater Boston area. Most recently, Natalia was an Enrichment Instructor at the Old Colony YMCA - Brockton, where she collaborated with Brockton Public School staff to teach social-emotional learning lessons to elementary school students. Prior to that, Natalia was a litigation paralegal at Ropes & Gray LLP, and she has additional experience in political advocacy, nonprofit development, global health research, and student advising. Natalia also spent a semester teaching English in Logroño, Spain as a Fulbright recipient. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Health and Societies from the University of Pennsylvania.

Born and raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts, Ashley Miranda comes to Beacon Academy with an unwavering dedication to education equity and a passion for supporting students through educational transitions. Most recently, Ashley was the Associate Director of Talent at BES, leading recruitment and selection operations and strategy for the school-founding fellowship program. Prior to that, as the Assistant Teen Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester, she created youth development programming and spearheaded community outreach efforts on behalf of the organization. She has also worked as an Alumni Services Coordinator for Roxbury Preparatory Charter School, and served as a National Teaching Fellow with Citizen Schools, providing high school placement support to eighth graders. She received her Master of Arts in Digital Culture & Society from King’s College London and her Bachelor of Arts in English from Amherst College.

Before joining Beacon Academy, Eric taught high school English at independent schools. He has experienced multiple facets of school life: teaching a range of classes, coaching several sports, and working as a dorm parent. In his time at Beacon Academy, he has been a classroom teacher and has led work on recruitment, placement, and alumni support. He hails from the Midwest and graduated from the University of Michigan, where he studied English and Creative Writing.

Dr. Offner is a clinical psychologist who specializes in adolescent mental health. She has worked on the front lines and in teaching, supervisory, and leadership roles in independent schools and colleges for more than two decades. Dr. Offner provides counseling and psychosocial support to Academy Year students and their families. She also partners with Beacon Academy alumni and their secondary schools and colleges to help ensure they can succeed and thrive on their post-Beacon Academy campuses. In addition to her work at Beacon Academy, Dr. Offner maintains a clinical practice and consults with numerous independent schools regarding student mental health & well-being.

Ben Perez has a keen interest in storytelling through visual documentation, Ben Perez BA’19 uses videography and photography to share his life experiences of being a recent graduate of Phillips Academy Andover and a current college student at Columbia University. With hopes of providing a blueprint of such academic experiences to aspiring students, Ben uses social media platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram to connect with other like-minded students and their families/caregivers across the globe. As a remote intern, Ben helps plan and create multimedia content aimed at connecting you with the Beacon Academy community by showing you the day-to-day experiences of current students and alumni.

Joni Shaw-Prophete has been a nurse for 27 years including 10 years as a public health nurse in Boston providing health education through workshops and small classes. The other portion of her nursing career has been with school nursing which she has come to love. Born and raised in Boston, Joni raised her children here as well. She is a mom of 7 (4 biological and 3 bonus children) and a Nini (grandmother) of 2. Joni’s passion is helping people understand and have access to comprehensive healthcare and she’s always looking for ways to both educate and empower the community.

Scott Steele is the Director of Finance and Operations and has been a member of Beacon Academy’s Finance Committee since 2019. Prior to joining Beacon Academy, Scott was the Director of Finance and Operations at the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology (BFIT), a Boston-based minority-servicing technical college founded in 1908. Scott was previously co-founder and Managing Partner of JMH Capital Partners, a private capital investment firm. Prior to JMH, Scott was a Principal at Parthenon Capital in Boston and a Principal in the New York office of Electra Investment Trust PLC, a London-based private investment firm. He started his career in the Leveraged Funding Group at Heller Financial in New York.  Scott received his B.B.A. from the University of Michigan and his M.B.A. from the Stern School of Business at New York University. In addition to his work at Beacon Academy, Scott serves on the board and chairs the finance committee at the Wily Network, a non-profit that serves college students who don’t have academic, emotional or financial support from family. Scott lives in Newton with his wife Ursula, their three boys, and their new rescue dog Zeke and closely follows all things related to University of Michigan athletics.

Anne-Marie Yu-Phelps is a strong believer in the value of education, especially for those trying to break out of a cycle of poverty into which they may have been born. She came to Beacon Academy from João Pessoa, Brazil, where she worked for three years in a women’s holistic health and education center as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner. Previously, Anne-Marie taught for ten years at Newton Country Day School and taught English in a school for orphaned and abandoned children in Honduras and to refugees in Hong Kong and El Paso, Texas. Anne-Marie graduated with honors in English and Spanish from Amherst College and earned her Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard with a focus on teaching and curriculum for secondary school English.