Middle School Team
Hector Cocula de Alba, Middle School Humanities Teacher
Coming soon!
Ricardo Cruz, Math Teacher
University of California, Santa Cruz, BA in Latin American and Latino Studies, Minor in Education
Raised in Oakland, Ricardo attended East Oakland School of the Arts (now known as Castlemont High) from 2009-2012. He then attended UC Santa Cruz where he developed a passion to guide, educate and empower the youth in his hometown of Oakland. Soon after graduation, he landed a position as an Academic Adviser at Life Academy. He plans on going back to school to get his Masters or PhD in either Counseling or Educational Leadership, which will provide him with a platform to make meaningful change in his community. As a hobby, Ricardo likes to write poetry and produce music.
Toai Dao, PE Teacher
Coming soon!
Christi Grossman, Reading Teacher and Literacy Lead
University of Michigan, BA in English and Teaching Credential
University of Michigan, MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education
UC Irvine Extension, Reading Certificate
Ms. Grossman has been a teacher for over 20 years. She started teaching in a small community in Ethiopia, then worked as a high school English teacher in Detroit before moving to Oakland. Life Academy has been home since 2014 and she delights in continuing to build a school community that supports students in reaching their dreams. At school, Ms. Grossman can be heard singing in the hallway and seen chasing students down for a permission slip. Ms. Grossman’s passion is books and she loves to turn reluctant readers into skilled, eager ones.
Daisy Hernandez, Resource Specialist Teacher
Ms. Daisy is Life Academy alumni who graduated in 2014. She attended CSU East Bay and graduated in 2018 with a BA in Childhood Development. Aside from being a RSP, she’s also the soccer coach for the high school and middle school soccer team. When she’s not at school, you can usually find her playing soccer, hiking, and spending time with family.
Juhi Khemani, Middle School Math Teacher
UC Berkeley, BA in Integrative Biology
University of San Francisco, MA in Urban and Public Affairs
Juhi came to the Bay Area in 2011 to attend college at UC Berkeley and immediately fell in love with the East Bay. She graduated Cal in 2015 and obtained her Master's in Urban and Public Affairs in 2020 from the University of San Francisco. She then decided to pursue work in education and joined Life Academy in 2021 as a math teacher. Outside of the classroom, Juhi enjoys the movies, the Warriors, reading, and her cats.
Julio Molina, Science Teacher
Coming soon!
William Orfei, Middle School Science Teacher
University of New Hampshire, B.S. Geology
California State University East Bay, Teaching Credential
An east coast native, William, moved to the bay area in 2020. Before entering the education field, he worked as a geophysicist. He is passionate about science education, in particular earth science. Will has personal experience with the challenges that learning disabilities can bring to education and seeks to support all students to believe in themselves and achieve their academic goals. When not in the classroom Will can often be found in the outdoors across the bay area.
Allison Pham, Humanities Teacher
University of California, Santa Cruz BA in Literature & Education
San Jose State University, MA in Education, Single-Subject English Credential
Pham is beyond grateful to teach 6th grade at Life Academy after teaching at summer camps and Science museums in the South Bay. Growing up in San Jose as a first generation child of immigrants, Pham understands how challenging and rewarding education can be for young people. Their love of learning began when they learned to read in Kindergarten because books allowed them to see new worlds, perspectives, and possibilities. By holding students to high expectations, both in academics and the Habits of LIFE, Pham aspires to share the joy of learning with their students. In their abdundant free time, Pham's favorite things to do are read, cook, rollerskate, and explore with their dog, Davi.
Amed Segarra, Middle School ISS
Amed joined Life Academy in 2015 and was very happy ever after. He attended Escuela de Artes Plásticas y Diseño de Puerto Rico, where he earned a BA in Art Education. He is a dedicated Instructional Support Specialist who has spent the past decade at OUSD in various educational settings and has developed a unique set of skills that make him an invaluable resource for teachers and students alike.
Amed’s work involves helping teachers incorporate artistic techniques into their lesson plans, and providing individualized instruction to students who need additional support in this area. He has a talent for identifying and addressing the unique learning needs of each individual student, and he takes great pride in helping them achieve their full potential. Amed enjoys riding A I, creating puzzles, jewelry making and spending time with his partner and son.
Estephany Garibaldi, Paraeducator
Coming soon!
Danielle Gerena, Reading Specialist
Northeastern University, BA in English and Secondary Education
Danielle joins Life Academy after five years of teaching elementary school in OUSD. She is committed to supporting students in their literacy journey through phonics, comprehension work, and vocabulary development. Danielle believes that becoming that building a love of reading is central to creating a more free, just and beautiful world for young people. When not teaching, Danielle spends her time with her husband and three children, hiking, reading and exploring the Bay Area.
Gabriel Kahn, Humanities Teacher
Mr. Gabe comes to LIFE Academy from ARISE High School, just down the street. He has been teaching in Fruitvale for 4 years, and considers it a deep honor to serve this community. When he's not in the classroom, Mr. Gabe is a social justice organizer. His volunteer work in Oakland has included tenant's rights, building tiny homes for houseless Oakland residents, protest security, and fighting for Palestinian liberation. To recharge, Mr. Fabe like to ride his bike, eat pastries while reading books, and build things out of wood. Mr. Gabe graduated from UC Berkeley, but the most important education he received, was from his mom, a school librarian, who taught him to find his answers in books. He tries to pass this "love of reading" onto every student who walks into his class.
Sam Shaw, Science Teacher
University of Pennsylvania, BS in Earth Science
University of Oregon, MS in Earth Science
UC Berkeley, MA in Education
Sam is very excited to join Life Academy as a science teacher having grown up in Oakland, and after a previous career as an environmental scientist. Sam is passionate about growing curiosity and enthusiasm for science in young people, and helping them build the tools they need to pursue their interests and support their community. Outside of school, he's usually either going fast on a bike, or going slow on a walk turning over rocks and looking at plants.
Samantha Solomon, Teacher Librarian
Northeastern University, BA in Rhetoric
University of San Francisco, MA in Education
San Jose State University, MLIS
Sam joined OUSD as a English Teacher in 2011, and came to Life Academy as a 6th grade Humanities teacher in 2015. In 2017 she had the pleasure of reopening the Calvin Simmons Library which serves students in grades 6-12 at both Life Academy and United for Success Academy. After being closed for 9 years, library now sees about 80 drop in students a day and partners with teachers and classes for lessons around research and media literacy. When not at school you might find Ms. Solomon on rollerskates, camping, or (surprise) reading while cuddling her cats, Albert & Gretchen.