Our Teacher Team

Jamie Long

Math

Ms. Long has been teaching math for 6 years. After majoring in math and education at Stonehill College, she spent a year teaching at a village school in Namibia (a country in Southern Africa), where she experienced what education is like in another country and learned to do laundry by hand! Since returning to the States, she has enjoyed teaching math at a variety of grade levels and advising both the GSA and Theatre clubs in the schools she’s been in. She thinks that The ChangeMaker Academy is the perfect fit for her teaching style. Outside of school, Ms. Long enjoys traveling, reading, and spending time with friends, whether it’s enjoying the great outdoors or staying in and having game night. ​

Emilie Perna

English

Mrs. Perna has been teaching 9th and 10th grade English in Waltham since 2004. She attended Clark University  for undergrad and her Masters in Urban Education and Teacher Research. Mrs. Perna chairs the One School, One Story Summer program, and her dream was realized last year when her hero, Speak author, Laurie Halse Anderson visited WHS. Mrs. Perna has lead many study groups in the English department; most recently, she worked to transform the sophomore comp class to a project-based class. She has also lead the Boston Writing Project Summer Institute for teachers. When she is not teaching or chasing her three daughters around, she enjoys trying to keep up with her bookclub reading and finding new podcasts. She is so excited to start this new adventure with The ChangeMaker.

Rob Emery

Physics

Mr. Emery has been teaching for five years. He graduated form the University of Connecticut with a Bachelors in Mathematics/Statistics and a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction. He began teaching at Connecticut River Academy, where he taught Algebra 1 and Geometry, using a collaborative teaching approach. Since, then his love of science led him to teach Physics in Medford and he began teaching in Waltham at the beginning of this school year. He is excited to use his experience teaching two subjects to foster an interdisciplinary learning approach to The ChangeMaker Academy. When he’s not teaching, Mr. Emery likes enjoys the outdoors: skiing in the winter and hiking/backpacking in the summer. If he’s not outside, he is either rooting for the Celtics, Patriots, or Red Sox.

Krystal Cervantes

Modern World History

Ms. Cervantes is joining ChangeMaker Academy as a first year history teacher. For undergrad, she attended the University of Southern California, earning her bachelor degree in history with honors. As an undergrad, she was able to attend research programs at the University of Chicago and Princeton University. She earned her Masters in Education from Boston College, where she was also a Donovan Urban Teaching Scholar. Ms. Cervantes is invested in social justice and urban outreach and has heavily researched civil rights movements led by students of color and youth empowerment. She was a student teacher with BPS for a year and is excited to begin her journey with ChangeMaker Academy, where she hopes to create a unique learning environment for her students. Outside of school, Ms. Cervantes enjoys reading, watching movies, binge-watching new TV shows and exploring new areas.

Viviana Borges

ESL Teacher

Ms. Borges, a native of Brazil, has lived and taught in the U.S. for 20 years.  She earned her undergraduate degree from the Universidade Paranaense in Paraná, Brazil, and later a Master’s degree in English as a Second Language and a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS) in Educational Leadership from Cambridge College.  She is fluent in three languages and is licensed to teach Portuguese, Spanish, and English as a Second Language. Ms. Borges developed a passion for hands-on, PBL at Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School, where she taught for many years.  She came to Waltham 5 years ago, and has incorporated her background and enthusiasm for project-based learning in her ESL classes here. Outside of school, Ms. Borges loves spending time with her children, ages 2 and 3. She also enjoys snowboarding, traveling, zip-lining, and fishing.

Robert Admire

Special Education

Mr. Admire has been teaching for eight years.  He graduated from the University of Maine with a Bachelors in Child Development & Family Relations.  After undergrad, Mr. Admire worked as an outreach coordinator for at-risk homeless youth.  He would visit group homes, juvenile delinquent centers, and homeless shelters to teach them various skills to meet their needs.  Mr. Admire then switched occupations and went on to teach at The New England Center for Children.  While there, he earned a Masters in Special Education from Simmons College and worked with a range of students.  He also had the privilege to work at their sister school in Abu Dhabi for four years.  Mr. Admire started working at Waltham this past year and is enjoying every second of it.  Outside of school, you can catch him on the golf course, basketball court, or at home enjoying family time.

Allyson McHugh

Director

Ms. McHugh was a high school English teacher for ten years, before becoming the English Director 6-12 for the district. She attended Fairfield University for undergrad, and then earned her Masters in the Art of Teaching at Boston College. She was selected as one of five national Master Teachers for Better Lessons and her work with that program can be found online. In her years in Waltham, she has brought AP Language and Composition to the high school program of studies, developed the One School, One Story program, and instituted a similar model at the middle school. She is proud of the work around PBL in the department and is excited to create an interdisciplinary model next year with a great team. Outside of school, Ms. McHugh likes reading, running, and traveling. Her most recent adventure was to Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.