Founding Faculty and Staff
____________________________________________________
Mr. Jared Aumen
Faculty, History
Jared is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, PA where he earned a BA in International Relations, cum laude, and had both Faith-Justice Studies and Latin American Studies minors. Jared then taught for four years at the San Miguel School of Washington, D.C. There, he taught English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Physical Education, served as the school’s disciplinary dean, and coached the soccer team to an Archdiocesan CYO Championship. In 2007 Jared was awarded the Distinguished LaSallian Educator Award for his teaching. Jared is also proficient in Spanish, an Ultimate Frisbee player and Eagle Scout and has had various abroad experiences including time in Mexico, El Salvador, and the Dominican Republic. He is currently pursuing a Masters in Education (Secondary Ed. – Social Studies) from the Catholic University of America.
____________________________________________________
Ms. Arie Baker
Program Coordinator of the Corporate Work Study Program
Arie is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, PA where she earned a BA in English with a concentration in African American Literature. She also holds an M.A. in Communications and an MBA in Organizational Development, both earned at Trinity (Washington) University. After graduating with her B.A., Arie worked a s Conference Planner particularly in the Education industry. Arie then taught for three years at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Washington, D.C. There, she taught English/Language Arts, Social Studies, and Religion. She then worked in the private sector with a 527 organization during the 2004 elections and at an international economic consulting firm. She then joined Academia Bilingue de la Comunidad as an administrator responsible for Student Affairs and Operations where she worked for the past three years. In addition, Arie is a part-time faculty at The Art Institute of Washington where she teaches Communications. Arie is fluent in Spanish, serves as president of the PTA at her daughter’s school, and has a passion for learning.
____________________________________________________
Mrs. Amy Bender
Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions
Amy hails from El Paso, TX. She has been involved in a variety of outreach programs and grassroots advocacy initiatives, most recently in the Diocese of Brooklyn, NY. She has also served as a crisis counselor at the La Habra Life Center in Los Angeles. Amy has been heavily involved in Life Core and Ministry Core Teams as well as Youth Ministry. She is fluent in Spanish and holds a degree in Political Science and Theology from the Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.
____________________________________________________
Mr. Elias Blanco
Executive Assistant to the Principal and School Support
Elias was born and raised in El Salvador. He completed his BA in Psychology from the University of MD, Baltimore County. For close to ten years, Elias has volunteered at his parish assisting in the Religious Education Program, youth group and other worship ministries. Elias has also organized and hosted various youth events for the Archdiocese of Washington. In the summer of 2005, he volunteered at the Baltimore City Juvenile Justice Center, working in the Education Department with at-risk-youth. Most recently, he worked at the Lay Leadership Institute of the Archdiocese of Washington, organizing and implementing faith formation and skills training courses for the Hispanic community. He is currently working on his Master’s in Counseling Education at McDaniel College.
____________________________________________________
Ms. Alicia Bondanella
Executive Director of the Corporate Work Study Program
Most recently, Alicia served as a Promotion Specialist at the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), the largest private funder of anti-poverty organizations that are directed by low-income people. Alicia developed and coordinated CCHD’s first youth and young adult initiative, including a national paid intern leadership program. She has served in diverse capacities in other educational and non-profit organizations committed to poverty reduction and youth development. Alicia holds a Masters degree in Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Religion from the University of San Francisco.
____________________________________________________
Mr. Brian Brower
Faculty, History
Brian graduated from the University of Richmond with a History major and a Law & the Liberal Arts minor. During his time at Richmond, Brian was actively involved in mock trial and various honor societies and he worked as a writing fellow and tutor at the Academic Skills Center. Brian has worked in various Brothers of the Christian Schools in New York and New Jersey, teaching reading and math and organizing extra-curricular activities and summer camp programs. Brian is currently pursuing a Masters in Education from the University of Notre Dame through the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE).
____________________________________________________
Mr. Damon Brown
Technology Services Coordinator
Damon comes to DBCR from TekRequest Technologies Inc. and Milbank, Tweed Hadley & McCoy law firm where he had worked since 2000. In his most recently role as a Sr. Help Desk Engineer, he utilized his extensive experience in help desk support and network support technology throughout the Washington D.C. area – gifts which he brings with him to support the needs of DBCR faculty, staff, and students. Damon will be continuing his education this fall at Westwood College with a concentration in Cisco Network Management. He lives in Washington D.C. with his wife and has two daughters.
______________________________________________________
Ms. Ana Chapa
Dean of Students
Ana earned her B.A. in Justice and Peace Studies, Spanish and Theology from St. Thomas University. She earned her MSW from The Catholic University of America through a combined Clinical and Social Justice/Social Change Program. Ana taught Religion and was the Director of the Christian Service Program at St. John’s College High School. She also taught Religion and was the Director of Campus Ministry at Incarnate Word in San Antonio, TX. She has been a program coordinator for the Spanish Catholic Center and the Capuchin Franciscan Volunteer Corps and has had various interning and volunteering experiences in organizations such as the U.S. House of Representatives and La Clinica Puebla.
__________________________________________________
Fr. Abraham Feliciano, SDB
Director of Faith Formation and Youth Ministry
Fr. Abraham earned his BA in Philosophy cum laude from NYU. While there, he also minored in Psychology. He later earned his Baccalaureate in Theology from the Instituto Teológico Salesiano in México. Fr. Abraham’s most recent assignment was at Salesian High School in New Rochelle, NY, where he served as a religion teacher, liturgical music coordinator, and the moderator of AM Salesian, a student news group. Fr. Abraham also brings extensive experience as a youth minister at various parishes throughout the US and México and is fluent in Spanish.
__________________________________________________
Mr. Sean Felix
Faculty, Theology
Sean received his B.A. in English from Georgetown and his Masters in Biblical Studies from the Graduate Theological Union. He is competent in French and Biblical Hebrew. Sean has served as a volunteer for various service organizations, and he is currently volunteering with the Washington D.C. Jewish Community Center as the Catholic voice on an interreligious dialogue project between Jews, Muslims, Catholics and Secular Humanists. While at Graduate Theological Union and Georgetown, Sean also worked in IT. Most recently, Sean has taught at The Edmund Burke School.
____________________________________________________
Mr. Mark Howell
Faculty, Mathematics/Science
Mark earned his Bachelor of Science & Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Villanova University. While at Villanova, Mark also minored in Mathematics and was a leader for various design projects. Mark has been an Engineering Graduate Teachers’ Assistant and a leader for multiple mission and service trips throughout Central America and the Caribbean. Mark is currently a member of Response-Ability, a ministry of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus which trains and coaches innovative volunteers.
____________________________________________________
Ms. Tamara Hull
Administrative Assistant to the Development Director
Tamara is a graduate of the University of Delaware in Newark, DE where she earned a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering degree. After spending her formative years in the private business sector holding positions of increasing responsibility in engineering, sales and sales management, Tamara brings her flair for data-driven sales to a recently discovered area of passion: making a difference in the lives of young people. Marshalling her talents and interests in corporate sales, data-driven problem solving, communications and ministry, Tamara brings a unique perspective to the Development Department. A Maryland native, Tamara’s formative spiritual training was received through the United Methodist Church. In her spare time, Tamara is currently an Executive Board Member of her local United Methodist Women’s chapter; Usher Board Chair for the Montgomery County group of Bible Study Fellowship, International; the Design and Production Lead for an upcoming corporate launch; a leader of seminars designed to produce breakthrough results in personal and professional development, and is the proud aunt of two teenage nieces.
____________________________________________________
Mr. Douglas Johnson
Admissions Associate
Doug is a recent graduate of Miami University of Ohio, with a Bachelor's degree in Marketing. He spent a year post-graduation as a TOEFL certified English Instructor to corporate executives in Prague, Czech Republic. Doug Has recently moved to the D.C. area and was raised in Raleigh, NC, Tampa, FL and Findlay, OH. He enjoys living in new places and meeting people with many different backgrounds. Over the years, Doug has been very active in all types of sports including soccer, golf and ultimate frisbee. He also loves scuba diving and waterskiing. He was on the varsity tennis team throughout high school and has experience as a tennis instructor. He is looking forward to using this experience to help out with the tennis team for Don Bosco.
____________________________________________________
Ms. Courtney Kane
Faculty, Science
Courtney graduated from the University of Virginia with a BS in Biology and a minor in Spanish. While at UVA, Courtney worked as an undergraduate teaching assistant in the Biology department and volunteered at the UVA Medical Center and with the Big Sibling Program in Charlottesville. Her coursework included organic chemistry, biochemistry and advanced calculus and she studied abroad in Valencia, Spain. She was an Academic All American for lacrosse in high school and recently worked at Camp Sweeney in Texas for children with juvenile diabetes.
____________________________________________________
Mrs. Ann Kerrigan
Sales/Business Development Associate, Corporate Work Study Program
Ann, who is a Washington DC area native, earned her B.A. in Communications and a minor in Journalism from Lynchburg College, in Lynchburg, Va. Ann's business career includes 14 years at The Discovery Channel, where she held a position as Business Manager within the Discovery International Business Affairs Group, responsible for negotiating Discovery on-air programming and International Network launch contracts. Most recently, Ann was the Business Development Manager for Sparks Personnel, specializing in targeting Communications, Accounting, and Consulting companies. She also serves on the School Board at the St. Peters Parochial School, where her two children currently attend elementary school.
____________________________________________________
Mr. Daniel Knapp
Faculty, Foreign Language
Dan earned a BA in Classical Languages from Georgetown University and has completed graduate courses in Religious Studies at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. He spent eight years teaching various Religion and Latin courses at Notre Dame Catholic High School in Fairfield, CT and also served as the track and cross country coach and service trip coordinator. Dan has most recently been teaching various disciplines in Hanover County (VA) Public Schools and mathematics at Atlee High School in VA.
____________________________________________________
Mr. Patrick Martin
Business Manager
Patrick served the American University since 1984, most recently as the Assistant Dean for Administration in the School of Communication. He has extensive experience as a program analyst and manager of programs throughout the Washington, D.C. area. He has been recognized for his outstanding performance on the American University staff twice and received a special achievement award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He lives in Silver Spring, MD with his wife, Beth, and their two sons.
__________________________________________________
Mr. Cody Miles
Faculty, Science
Cody is a graduate of Marquette University where he earned a BS in Biomedical Sciences and had a minor in Theology. He has worked as a catechist in Wisconsin, a tutor in science, mathematics, and writing in the city of Milwaukee, and for the Athletic and Science departments at Marquette. While at Marquette, Cody was a cross country and track and field scholarship athlete and a Big East Conference Academic All-Star. Cody is currently pursuing a Masters in Education from the University of Notre Dame through the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program.
__________________________________________________________________
Ms. Raquel Ortiz
Faculty, Foreign Language
Raquel has spent the past two years as a teacher and the after-school director at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Washington, D.C. Previously she worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Sister to Sister/Hermana a Hermana program and the Latin American Youth Center. Raquel has spent years doing community organizing and charity work in D.C. and Panama and is an avid artist. She has a BA in History from the University of Maryland with a concentration in Latin American History and a minor in Secondary Education. She also served as a volunteer art teacher at DBCR during the 2007-2008 school year.
____________________________________________________
Ms. Anne Schleicher
Faculty, English
For the past six years Anne has worked as an editor at the NewsHour with Jim Leher where she has developed a wealth of authentic journalism experience to share with students. Prior to working with the NewsHour, Anne served as a TEFL Teacher with the Peace Corps in Mongolia instructing elementary and secondary students in English as a foreign language and implementing language teacher pedagogy training and development for English and Russian language teachers. Anne also spent three years at Villa Maria Academy in Erie, PA, teaching high school literature, journalism, SAT preparation and public speaking. Anne holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Pittsburg and a BA in English Education from Mercyhurst College.
____________________________________________________
Fr. John Serio, SDB
Principal
Fr. John J. Serio, a Salesian of Don Bosco, became the second Principal of Don Bosco Cristo Rey High School on July 1, 2009. A native of New York and a Salesian for more than 35 years, Fr. John has spent most of his Salesian life as an educator and administrator in Salesian schools in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Florida. Father Serio also serves as director of education for the Salesians in the eastern United States. In addition, Fr. John has served on the boards of directors of several schools and other non-profit institutions and the National Catholic Educational Association. He holds degrees from Don Bosco College NJ (BA), the Pontifical College Josephinum OH (MA) and Boston College MA (M.Ed.). “I am very happy to be here at DBCR,” Fr. John stated, “and I am pleased to be working with an excellent group of educators who are here to help our young people to be ‘honest citizens and good Christians’ in the tradition of St. John Bosco.”
____________________________________________________
Fr. Steve Shafran, SDB
President
Father Steve entered the Salesians of Don Bosco in 1976. He earned a BA in Philosophy in 1979 at Don Bosco College in Newton, NJ; a Baccalaureate in Theology at the Salesian Pontifical University in Rome, Italy in 1983; an MA in Theology from the Pontifical College Josephinum in Columbus, OH in 1985; and a Doctorate in Educational Administration from the University of San Francisco in 1994. He has extensive experience in education and administration in Salesian schools. He arrived in Washington, D.C. in January 2006 to collaborate with the Archdiocese in establishing this school.
____________________________________________________
Mr. Frank Simpson
Athletic Director
Frank is a graduate of Marshall University where he earned a BA in Sports Management and Marketing and was a varsity letterman in men’s basketball. He served as an Assistant Athletic Director at St. Joseph Catholic School in West Virginia, directing 21 scholastic sports programs, coordinating scheduling and overseeing operations. Frank serves as the commissioner of the Battle for the Beltway Anti-Violence Basketball Tournament and has coached basketball at Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Olney, MD. He has also served as a tutor for DC youth in various community programs. Most recently, Frank was a Client Coordinator for Altria Corporate Services, managing government affairs assets.
____________________________________________________
Mr. Robert Smith
Faculty, Mathematics
Upon graduation from the University of Notre Dame with a BS in Civil and Environmental Engineering, Rob worked as an associate engineer for MWH Americas Inc. in Pennsylvania, handling oversight of site contractors and environmental compliance. Rob then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a Masters of Education through Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) program. He taught for four years at Cantwell Sacred Heart of Mary High School in Montebello, CA. There he taught a variety of courses from Algebra I to AP® Calculus BC and served as the Mathematics department chair, retreat leader, volleyball and basketball coach, and club moderator.
____________________________________________________
Mr. Kevin Somok
Faculty, Mathematics
Kevin earned his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame while majoring in philosophy and political science and completing the Arts & Letters and Science Honors Program. He then earned his M.Ed. through Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education Program (ACE). During his time in ACE and after, Kevin taught social studies, science, religion, and math and directed various extra-curricular programs at St. Ignatius, Martyr Catholic School in Austin, TX. Kevin is currently enrolled in the Ph.L. program in the School of Philosophy at the Catholic University of America and most recently taught science at St. John the Evangelist School in Silver Spring.
____________________________________________________
Br. Tom Sweeney, SDB
Faculty, Religious Studies
Brother Tom joins us having just completed three years as the Executive Director of the Salesian Boys and Girls Club in Columbus, OH. Previously, Brother Tom served as a religion teacher at Salesian High School in New Rochelle, NY and Archbishop Shaw High School in Marrero, LA. Br. Tom also spent a number of years at Don Bosco Technical High School in Boston, MA as a Graphics Arts teacher, department chair, coordinator of youth groups, student council mentor, and alumni organizer. Br. Tom holds a BA in Industrial Arts from Montclair State College, an MA in Industrial Education from Fitchburg State College in Massachusetts, and an MS in Religious Education from Fordham University.
____________________________________________________
Mrs. Lauren Traskey
Executive Assistant to the President and Development Associate
A native of New Jersey, Lauren attended the University of Virginia, where she graduated with a BA in Psychology. After college, Lauren worked as a Head Start pre-school teacher and then spent two years serving in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in Santa Ana, California, as a chaplain in Juvenile Hall. While there, she further discerned her call to work in full-time ministry and returned to Virginia to serve as a Campus Minister at Marymount University in Arlington for seven years. While at Marymount, Lauren also earned her Masters degree in Pastoral and Spiritual Care from Marymount’s School of Education and Human Services. Lauren joined the team at Don Bosco Cristo Rey at the school’s opening in September 2007.
____________________________________________________
Mrs. Yesenia Turcios
Bookkeeper
Yesenia was born and raised in El Salvador. She attended the University of MD and studied Criminal Justice. She completed the Private Investigator Course at the Central Training Academy of Chantilly, VA. Before coming to Don Bosco, Yesenia worked at Enercorp Federal Services as an Executive Administrative Assistant/Bookkeeper. She is the loving mother of a beautiful son and daughter.
____________________________________________________
Ms. Maritza Velasquez
College Counselor
Maritza received her BA in Communications and Public Relations from East Carolina University, graduating magna cum laude. Since then Maritza has worked in undergraduate admission at both East Carolina and North Carolina State University (also the Wolfpack), where she specialized in recruiting first generation college students and guiding them through the application and enrollment process. Fluent in spoken and written Spanish, Maritza has most recently pursued graduate studies at the University of Maryland in College Student Personnel while working for UMD’s ESOL Conversation Program.
____________________________________________________
Ms. Corinne Viglietta
Faculty, English
Corinne graduated from the University of Notre Dame magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in English and French. Corinne then earned a Master of Arts in English from the University of Maryland, with highest distinction for her capstone essay. While pursuing her master degree, Corinne taught in Maryland’s Freshman Writing Program, tutored students in English and SAT preparation, and served on the faculty for Maryland’s Upward Bound/LIFT pre-college program. Most recently, Corinne was an English instructor for high school and junior college students in Cannes, France.
____________________________________________________
Mrs. Claire Wyrsch
Development Director
Claire grew up in New Jersey, attended Seton Hall University and graduated from the College of St. Elizabeth. Early in her career, Claire worked for Houston Lighting and Power in customer relations. She then worked as Personnel Director for First National Bank of MD, until starting a family. While raising her daughter and son, Claire stayed very involved in community affairs and volunteer fundraising. She also owned and operated a design and event planning business for 12 years. After serving as a substitute teacher in Montgomery County independent schools, Claire moved into fundraising and public relations at The Woods Academy in Bethesda. Most recently, she worked for the University of Maryland as Director of Annual Giving and, later, Director of Reunion Programs with the Alumni Association.