Faculty and Staff Directory
Orinda Academy's experienced faculty and staff are dedicated to helping OA students thrive inside and outside of the classroom. With a 7:1 student-teacher ratio, OA teachers are able to form deep connections with all of their students. Core class sizes range from 5–13 students, allowing teachers to take a personal approach to each student’s learning.
Teachers at OA stand by you. They don't just throw you out there, they actually give you the help you need."
Olivia Tompkins
Sarah Aguilar
Math
Sarah has a BA in mathematics from UC Berkeley, a minor in education, and a special education teaching credential. She has been teaching and tutoring since 2011 in both traditional classroom and 1:1 settings. Sarah is passionate about finding creative solutions to help students with learning differences.
Gina Corsiglia
Director of Admissions
gina@orindaacademy.org
Gina started her career in education as an aide at her mother's preschool just before becoming a mom herself. In 2014, she returned to education as an instructional aide. Several years later, she moved to the registrar position at Stanley Middle School and then to the registrar position at Campolindo High School. Gina enjoys spending time with her family and friends.
Lisa Foote
Art
lisaf@orindaacademy.org
Lisa brings over 17 years of experience as a photographer, artist, multimedia marketer, and educator. She holds an MFA in Studio Art from the San Francisco Art Institute and is passionate about helping students in realizing their potential and achieving their academic, personal, and professional goals. She's excited to develop the art and yearbook offerings at OA, as well as enhance OA's visibility through her expertise in web media design.
Peter Hicks
English, Music
Peter’s career in independent schools includes serving as Director of Studies for King’s College in Florida and House Manager for the Meritas Family of Schools in Florida and Manhattan. After college, Peter spent his time teaching literature as well as performing music with his band, Inside Switch.
Janine Jackson
Director of Student Success
janine@orindaacademy.org
Janine holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice with a focus in Human Services, a Master’s in Forensic Psychology in 2017, and a PhD in Forensic Psychology. Aside from her responsibilities at Orinda Academy, she also enjoys coaching women’s basketball in which she currently coaches a travel team based in the Bay Area. Janine has a passion for working with youth and young adults, in both education and sports. She believes it her responsibility to help each young person she encounters obtain the tools that are needed to be successful in life.
Allegra Miller-Hu
Counselor
Allegra is a Mexican-American mom of two from Santa Cruz, CA. She earned her bachelor’s in sociology from UCLA and her MSW from Columbia University. She has worked with youth for over 15 years including as a preschool teacher, Head Start family advocate, and most recently, a therapist with foster-involved families. She thinks young people are some of the best people and she lives to build others up in their true, strong selves. She also can’t live without the ocean, dancing, creative competition shows, and “real talk”.
Jean Karavidas
Registrar, College & Career Advisor
jean@orindaacademy.org
Jean received her BS from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She later went to pursue a Master's Certificate in College Advising and Career Counseling from UC Berkeley Extension. Jean maintains her own independent College Advising Practice, and works at a small school in Oakland as a College Advisor, Registrar, and Scheduler. Jean has toured more than 400 Colleges and Universities in the United States and Canada.
Erin O’Donnell
American Sign Language
Erin is from Santa Cruz, California, and graduated from CSU Northridge with a bachelor’s degree in child development, but didn’t find her professional passion until she started teaching and tutoring American Sign Language. Erin has been teaching all levels of American Sign Language for over 12 years.
James Piscitelli
Math, 8th Grade Humanities
James started in education as a college writing tutor while studying for his first master’s degree at the San Francisco Art Institute. He later earned his second master’s degree studying abroad in Hangzhou, China. Since then he has been teaching English as a second language, as well as college essay writing and math. He is a lifelong learner and jazz theory nerd. In his free time he enjoys listening to jazz and watching basketball.
Angela Prieto Mueller
Spanish
Angela grew up in Bogotá, Colombia, and after attending the Universidad Jorge Tadeo Lozano she began teaching Mathematics and Spanish as a volunteer at a public high school in Bogotá. She then immigrated to the United States, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from San Francisco State University. Angela is currently completing a Master’s in Spanish from SFSU with a special focus on Spanish literature. She has taught Spanish at public and private schools throughout the Bay Area. As an educator, she motivates her students, sees beyond challenges, and seeks to reach their hearts to help them learn so they can achieve their best in the classroom and beyond.
Jeff Quittman
Social Studies
Jeff holds a bachelor’s degree in history and liberal studies, and a master’s degree in history from SF State University. Jeff’s classes are marked by a broadly humanistic approach to the ideas, events, peoples, and extraordinary individuals that have shaped the world in which we live.
Nancy Rowland
Head of School
Nancy joins OA in 2022 as our third head of school. Nancy spent twenty-eight years at the Lab School in Washington, D.C. where she advanced through various leadership roles. He strong support for DEI initiatives, admissions and celebrating a strong community are matching values that we are excited to experience.
Megan Tvedt
Physics, Chemistry, Statistics
Megan has BS degrees in chemistry and math from University of Oregon, and an MS in physical chemistry from UC Berkeley. She likes connecting math concepts with real-world experiences and loves being able to use OA’s small class size to respond to the needs of each student.