Kim Buchanan - Trustee
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I live in the Souderton Area School District with my husband and one adult child. I hold a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry from University of Pharmaceutical Science in Philadelphia and a Master's Degree in Analytical Chemistry from Villanova University. I have been at Merck & Co since 1989 and my experience ranges from supervision of a testing laboratory, Quality Control, Packaging Operations and Clinical Supplies to the project management and technology.
As a mother of two boys who graduated from Souderton Charter School Collaborative, they both were very pleased with the program. Neither of them said, "I don't want to go to school" and loved both their friends and classmates, and the learning environment at the Souderton Charter School Collaborative. They even ask for extra homework. The thirst of learning and SCSC’s solid foundation enabled both to not only excel in high school but also in college (including attending Stanford University and Embry Riddle). And as young adults, they still talk about so many things they accomplished and learned at SCSC. I believe that they will continue to be lifetime learners.
I believe charter schools offer a learning environment that promotes children's imagination and development in a learning community made up of not only students, but parents and teachers as well. I believe experiential learning enables children to learn for themselves, and also to teach others.
Pattie Guttenplan, RLA, AICP - Trustee
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I have served on the Board of Trustees since June 2001, but have been a member of the SCSC community since before the first day of school in September 2000. I have two sons who graduated from SCSC who found in both high school and college that the lessons learned at SCSC were invaluable and the educational foundation second to none. I have actively voluneteered in all aspects of the school community and have found that volunteering is one of the best ways to feel a part of a school family.
My background is in Land Planning and Landscape Architecture and I have a love for art, music and the theatre. I have a strong commitment to lifelong, experiential, inclusive learning and therefore feel that my family will always have a place at the Souderton Charter School Collaborative.
Vickie Kozhushchenko - Trustee
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Our family resides in Souderton Area School District and moved into Harleysville from Delaware County shortly after our youngest daughter was born. As we were house hunting (and knowing we wanted to be within 15-20 minutes of Souderton to be close to family), my mother sent me a link to the SCSC website, and asked if I had heard of this school. I quickly did some research and after reviewing SCSC’s academic record and awards, faculty bios and community-based learning models, we determined that when the time came, we wanted to have our best chance of sending our kids to SCSC. We felt that SCSC had the type of environment that not only fit our expectations for what public K-12 education should be, but also created individual opportunities for students to be their best selves. Our search for a new home immediately pivoted to within the boundaries of SASD. Both of our children have been at SCSC since first grade and they thrive, exceed our expectations and enjoy their school experiences in ways that we know are attributable to the thoughtful, holistic and individually-focused environment created at SCSC.
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management from Cornell University and a Master’s degree in Organizational Dynamics from Penn. My career experiences span a wide range of industries, and have been focused in Human Resources since I completed my undergrad degree. I now lead HR for a mid-size organization in Philadelphia, while also providing coaching and HR consulting services to leaders and businesses across the region. My coaching work is rooted in Emotional Intelligence and Positive Psychology and gives me the opportunity to help executives, managers and early career professionals as they discover their passions, lead teams and improve their strengths.
Through both my work and my personal life, I seek to uncover the myriad ways in which individuals thrive and grow, convinced that we each have something amazing to contribute to this world and everyone/everything within it. Learning is a lifelong exercise that fosters those contributions. For me, education and learning are about helping every person succeed, while simultaneously nurturing curiosity and developing an instinct to seek out solutions and improvements to problems big and small. SCSC is a small but powerful educational community where curiosity is sparked through diversity of thought and experience; I feel fortunate to be able to contribute to this community through serving on the board and supporting our faculty, staff, students and families.
Jenny Turner Marion - Board President
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I live in Souderton School District with my husband and two daughters. We were fortunate to discover SCSC when it was time for my oldest daughter to attend school. Currently both of our daughters are thriving in their education under the creative and innovative leadership of the teachers and fellow students.
I received a Bachelor's Degree in Biology from Lehigh University. After working in Baltimore, MD for several years, I needed to change course. I wanted to be passionate about what I do in life which led me to continue my education in Virginia where I graduated from a program in Medical Massage Therapy. It was a wise decision as I have been a board certified and licensed massage therapist for over 18 years now. After I moved back to PA from VA, I opened a massage therapy business, married my husband and my daughters soon followed.
From the moment I read SCSC's mission, I was intrigued and felt strongly that it would be a perfect fit for our daughters. To me, education is a continual process that comes from many different sources. Education reaches beyond the classroom. It is imperative to learn how to live in our world at a fast pace while remembering the tenets of humanity. It is individualized as we all learn differently. It is an approach where we teach each other, we learn from each other, we learn how to cooperate and work together to solve bigger problems, we respect and embrace our differences and help each other to move ahead with the goal of enriching our community, locally and globally. I believe education is everything to our future. It is an honor to serve a community such as SCSC. It provides proof that this level of education exists and is indeed making our world brighter, one mind at a time.
Shahrzad Missaghi, Ph.D. - Trustee
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I live in Harleysville with my husband and two children. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy from The Bahá'í Institute for Higher Education (BIHE) and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Temple University. We moved to Souderton School District in 2012 for an opportunity for our children to receive their education at Souderton Charter School Collaborative (SCSC). We patiently tried and waited for 4 years until both our children were offered spots in 2016.
We consider ourselves very fortunate to be part of SCSC. As someone who was denied access to higher education in my native Iran due to religious persecution and faced several struggles to achieve it, I consider education as central to growth and development. I live by the words that “regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom”. I derive insight from Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on education stating “everyone has the right to education...Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms...Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.”
SCSC is the embodiment of the purpose of education with a philosophy of training children holistically to achieve academic excellence and be empowered in becoming agents of positive change in their communities. It is an honor to serve on the school board and help with providing the students with an innovative and creative educational environment and watch them thrive and develop to their fullest capacity.
Trevor Naidoo - Board Treasurer
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Our journey with SCSC began in 2006 when our son joined the school. His experience at the school was most enjoyable and as parents we enjoyed becoming part of the community and getting more engaged in his education. We currently have our three daughters at SCSC as well who are also enjoying their experiences. We feel rather fortunate to have our children receive a great education and have a great experience doing so.
"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela
I grew up in South Africa during apartheid and education helped change the course of my future. I received a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer and Science and Statistics from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal in South Africa and an MBA from Widener University in Chester, PA. Today, I teach at the University of Pennsylvania, Widener University and Jefferson University in an Adjunct capacity.
I have spent the past 30 years of my career in the technology field as a strategy/management consultant helping organizations across the country understand how technology can have a material impact on their business. It is an honor to serve on the board of trustees of The Souderton Charter School Collaborative and I hope that the decisions we make, can positively change the futures of many children.
John Page - Board Secretary
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It is a privilege to serve on the board of the Souderton Charter School Collaborative. Consistently achieving top honors with a fraction of the budget of other public schools, the Collaborative is a beacon of excellence in national public education, and a local jewel.
Originally from Philadelphia, I attended public schools including Julia R. Masterman and Central High School. Later I earned a Bachelor of Fine Art from New York City's Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. I have lived in Philadelphia, New York, New Orleans, and Italy. Over time, I have taught fine art painting, sold classical guitars, worked as a carpenter, and a software engineer. For the last fifteen years I have been a software developer: building web, big data and streaming applications for government, medical and insurance sectors. Currently I am studying the German language, enjoy walking, swimming, fixing old cars and renovating our 100 year old home. I make a decent crepe; and I am a member of Mensa.
An enthusiastic Soudertonite, I feel lucky to live amid friendly streets, brimming with creative energy and potential. My family moved here in 2008 in part because of the Souderton Charter School Collaborative (for more local commendations, please consult my wife.) The Collaborative continues to foster the dynamic relationships between children, school, parents and community that build resilient kids and a stronger societal fabric.
John V. Penny, MBA - SCSC Founder, Trustee and Chair of Properties Committee
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I grew up in Warrington Township in Bucks County and received a degree in history from La Salle University. After graduating with a Masters in Computer Science from Temple University, my professional experience comprises forty years as a software engineer.
Currently, I am responsible for setting the strategic direction for the development of software to achieve corporate goals of delivering innovative solutions for financial institutions in the areas of Image Delivery, Internet Banking, and Electronic Payment systems.
My computer expertise is transferred to the Souderton Charter School Collaborative through creating administrative systems, providing technology solutions, and using broadband communications to link all school computers to the Internet, thus enabling all involved with the charter school to enhance their learning experiences.
My goal in founding the charter school was to create a learning environment that breaks away from the traditional structured school and recognizes that every child learns differently. I am proud to have sent my two children to the Souderton Charter School Collaborative and pleased with all they have learned, both academically and socially.
Carina Husband Urbach, MSEd, - Board Vice-President and Chair of Fundraising Committee
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When joining the Souderton Charter School Collaborative Board of Trustees in September 2000, my desire to be involved in high quality, effective education for all children found a home. As a believer in publicly funded education and an early childhood educator, I believe SCSC's mission and vision serve as a beacon of hope for the larger public education system that is struggling to provide innovation, effective education in the 21st century. By valuing the inherent worth of every human, children and adults alike, SCSC has created a school that serves the interest of ALL students and for that I am incredibly proud.
My love for schools goes back to my own schooling that started at a small, progressive school in Berkeley, California where I learned to think critically, express my thoughts clearly and incorpoate new ideas into existing frameworks. After graduating from a huge public high school, I moved to Washington, DC to pursue my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at American University before moving to Philadelphia to earn my Masters in Education. I taught in a variety of preschool settings including early-intervention and a large corporate-sponsored childcare center in Montgomery County, before having children of my own and turning my focus to leadership at SCSC.
I currently live in Lower Gwynedd with my husband. Having raised two children and spent over 20 years in the field of education, I recently returned to school to earn my Masters in Social Work from Bryn Mawr College.