Staff
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Jeff Escabar
Executive Director starting July 1, 2020! Jeff brings 43 years of experience as a highly respected educator in the Bay Area as a teacher, a Director of Admission and a Principal. A first-generation student himself, Jeff earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of San Francisco, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Concordia University-Portland and California teaching credentials. Jeff’s career began at Marin Country Day School where he served a variety of roles for 36 years. For the past seven years, Jeff has been the Head of School at the bilingual Spanish Infusion School in San Francisco. While English is Jeff’s native tongue, he is comfortable with speaking, reading and writing in Spanish, as he did as a Spanish teacher. If Jeff seems familiar, it’s because he’s a longtime resident and business owner in our community and a member of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Jeff’s many philanthropic credentials include leadership positions at the National Association of Independent School Admission Professionals, Saint Luke’s School in San Francisco, the Marin AIDs Project, and Spectrum, which promotes safety and acceptance for young LGBTQ youth. Education:
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Clint Wilkins
Interim Executive Director Clint has a long and distinguished career in both independent and charter schools and as a social entrepreneur. He served as a principal and assistant headmaster at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC. In 1998, he founded the Sage Hill School, the first nondenominational, independent high school in Orange County. Clint has also served as the principal of a charter school in Oakland, a Visiting Scholar at Stanford University School of Education, and an Associate with the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at Oxford. He received his secondary school teaching credentials at Princeton University. He is married to Carla Woscoboinik Wilkins, a Chilean, and has three grown children. Education:
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Carla Cheney
Director of Social Services Carla Cheney’s passion for social justice and helping vulnerable populations came from her own bi-racial and transnational identity/experiences. During her academic career she studied social justice movements, history, policy, post-colonial literature, and international relations. Carla realized that she wanted to work more directly with people so she pursued a master’s degree in social work. After graduating, she primarily worked within tribal communities. She advocated for children and families on behalf of the tribe in diverse State courts as well as support families directly. Carla is passionate about helping students of color make it to college. As a woman of color herself, an immigrant and someone that had to maneuver a learning disability, she can relate and identify with the children that NGS serves. It was the strength and support of her mother that allowed her to make it to college and it is her mother that continues to be her biggest inspiration and connection to her own culture. "Mi Mama y mi abuelita showed me true strength, resilience, and unconditional love." Education:
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Andrew Chong
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Andrew was born in San Francisco and raised in San Rafael. He went to Sun Valley Elementary School, Davidson Middle School, San Rafael High School, and College of Marin. After a short stint at American University, he earned a BA degree from UCSD in International Studies and Sociology. During his time at UCSD, he studied abroad in Santiago, Chile for 6 months. Andrew enjoys basketball, studying languages, playing music, cooking, and exploring nature and traveling. Andrew is excited to take on his role as the Admissions Associate.
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Shawn Cole-Woods
Senior Education and Programs Director A native of Jackson, MS, Shawn uses math and science as a lens to view life. He moved from Memphis, TN, in 2016 with his husband, William, and furry daughter, Reese, to teach full-time, secondary education. He earned a B.S. in Physics with a Mathematics Emphasis from Tougaloo College. He is currently earning a Ph.D. in Molecular Science and Nanotechnology from Louisiana Tech University. Shawn's been at NGS as a Physics tutor and Summer Academy teacher! Education:
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Cherie Graham
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Llesica Hernandez
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Beverly Matsuishi, Ph.D. (PSY # 16203) Clinical DirectorAs Clinical Director, Dr. Matsuishi, a psychologist, oversees the provision of social and clinical support services to scholars and their families. Dr. Matsuishi is dedicated to fostering and preserving the vibrancy of communities of color so they can nurture and sustain future generations of scholars. Her dissertation on Japanese American women and the internment won the Richard Allen Smith Award for excellence. She is a past recipient of a National Institute for Mental Health/American Psychology Association grant for specialized training in Asian American Psychology. She also received a grant from the People's Republic of China/World Health Organization to serve as a visiting scholar at the Hunan University Medical Center in Changsha, China.
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Nghiem Bui
Director of College and Career Counseling Nghiem returns to NGS and to his native San Rafael after building a decade of professional experiences across the country and personal insights throughout the world. Born in a Malaysian refugee camp, the son of Vietnamese immigrants, raised in Marin County, Nghiem attended public and private schools, all on full financial scholarships. Since he was seven, he has been his family's translator in Vietnamese. Nghiem also speaks Spanish proficiently, having studied and lived in Quito, Ecuador. He has implemented educational policies for high school students in Boston and taught kindergarteners in the southside of Chicago. Most recently, Nghiem worked in admissions at Marin Academy and was the Dean of Student Life at Live Oak School in San Francisco. He returns to the organization, a proud product and graduate of the program, committed to launching the next set of scholars into college and into their careers.
Education:
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