Faculty Directory

tpalmese@yorkprep.org

gkravitz@yorkprep.org

Grace Kravitz was born and raised in Queens, New York. Originally an architect major, Ms. Kravitz soon discovered she had an undeniable passion for education. She has a Bachelors in Elementary Education and a Master’s degree in Literacy B-6. Ms. Kravitz also has an advanced certificate in TESOL B-12. Ms. Kravitz has worked in the field for fifteen years. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with her husband, reading, shopping, yoga, and having brunch with her friends. Her goal is to attend at least one Olympic Game!

cboucher@yorkprep.org

parnao@yorkprep.org

University of St. Joseph – B.A.
Cambridge College – M.A.

cthompsonbrett@yorkprep.org

Connie Thompson-Brett, a Jump Start and English teacher, earned a Bachelor’s degree at the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut, before earning a Master’s degree in Special Education from Cambridge College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For twelve years, she taught as a middle and high school special educator in Lexington, Massachusetts. Following a move with her husband to New York City, Ms. Thompson-Brett spent the last six years at The Ideal School of Manhattan as an upper school English teacher and Director of the Learning Center. Ms. Thompson-Brett is a passionate teacher, skilled at fostering academic growth and mentoring students to reach their full potential. During her free time, Ms. Thompson-Brett enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, knitting, or playing frisbee on the beach with her two Shiba Inus.

Skidmore College – B.A.
Iona College – M.A

jserri@yorkprep.org

A veteran teacher of York Prep, Jon Serri enjoys working with the diverse student body and seasoned faculty of our school. A graduate of Skidmore College, Mr. Serri takes many of the lessons he learned from his college professors and applies them to his English classroom. Having also earned an M.A. from Iona College and Teaching Certificate from Lehman College, Mr. Serri believes education is a lifelong process and tries to instill this love of learning in his students. As baseball coach in 2016, Mr. Serri led the the players to win the first ISAL baseball tournament championship in York Prep’s history.

In his spare time, Mr. Serri enjoys traveling, writing, and spending time with his wife and two daughters.

University of San Diego – B.A.
NYU – M.A.
University of Minnesota – Ph.D.

amarzoni@yorkprep.org

Dr. Marzoni teaches 10^th, 11^th, and 12^th grade English, Scholars courses in Journalism and Rock & Roll History, and advises The Paw, York Prep’s award-winning student newspaper. He holds a B.A. in English from the University of San Diego, a M.A. in English & American Literature from New York University, and a Ph.D. in English from the University of Minnesota; prior to joining the York Prep faculty, he taught courses in composition and American literature at the University of Minnesota and the Georgia Institute of Technology, and worked as an editor for Oxford University Press. As a freelance journalist, Dr. Marzoni has published essays and criticism in The Washington Post, The New Republic, The Nation, The Baffler, The Drift, The Believer, Aeon, ARTnews, Art in America, The New York Observer, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and other publications. A California native, Dr. Marzoni lives in Brooklyn with his wife and son, where he composes, records, and occasionally performs music (sometimes on bass, with the York Prep Jazz Band).

Wesleyan University – B.A.

Hunter College – M.A.

dleventhal@yorkprep.org

Mr. Leventhal came to York in 2015 and is the 11^th grade Dean and a teacher in the English Department.  Prior to York, he served as the Director of Academic Services for The DOME Project, an organization assisting adolescents navigating the juvenile justice system.  He graduated with a BA in English from Wesleyan University and received his MA in Adolescent Education from Hunter College. In addition to his passion for literature, Mr. Leventhal loves biking and the Boston Red Sox.

The New School – B.A.
Teachers College at Columbia University – M.A.

mfulton@yorkprep.org

Madeline Fulton grew up in Connecticut and earned a B.A. from The New School, where she pursued a degree in Psychology with a focus on childhood development. After graduating, she worked as a paraprofessional for the public school system she grew up in and found a love for teaching. She then went to pursue a Master’s degree in Inclusive Education from Teachers College at Columbia University and taught third and fourth grade while attending school. She is very passionate about abolitionist curriculum and pedagogy and teaching the whole child.

Binghamton University – B.A.

Sarah Lawrence College – M.F.A.

Hunter College – M.A.

lumansky@yorkprep.org

Ever since English teacher,  Leah Umansky read the first tattered pages of her favorite novel, Wuthering Heights, in 10th grade, she knew she was a true anglophile and that she would become an English teacher someday.

It was her 10th grade teacher who inspired her to write her first poems and submit them to the school literary and art magazine. Ms. Umansky is the author of five books of poetry, most recently OF TYRANT, forthcoming in 2024 with Word Works Books. Her work has been featured in such places as The New York Times, Poetry Magazine and American Poetry Review among others.

She teaches middle and high school English, is the faculty advisor for Genesis, York Prep’s award-winning literary and art magazine, the Chair of the English Department and is the Director of Scholars.  When she’s not teaching or writing, she can be found obsessing over TV shows like Game of Thrones, Westworld, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.