Team Page Hero

Kristina Mazzarelli

Project Manager

What I like most about my role within the Center…

The team and their support, how we’re given the space to grow, and being a small part in helping kids improve their literacy.

What I believe in

Representation. Being open-minded, willing to learn, and willing to admit when you’re wrong. And working with a team who support one another on every level and boost each other up both professionally and personally.

Previous work highlights

I worked in TV production for over seven years on some of my favorite shows. Highlights for me were working with some of the best people around, having a (mostly) complete IMDB page, seeing my name in the credits, and the handful of times the art department used my name on props and set decorations… sadly most of them never made it on screen, but I did get to keep some of them!

Favorite book

Books that have stuck with me years after reading them – A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra and The Bright Hour: A Memoir of Living and Dying by Nina Riggs. I’m also a sucker for Historical Fiction and anything involving time travel or multiple/alternate universes. Always open to book recs!

Fun fact

A friend and I watch While You Were Sleeping every year either on or around Christmas. The tradition started when we were roommates in LA one year when neither of us went home for the holidays and we’ve kept it up across almost ten years, multiple moves, and now living across the country from each other. But c’mon, you can’t go wrong with Sandy B, Bill Pullman, the lean, and the most realistic portrayal of a family in any Rom-Com ever made.

Education

BFA – Visual Communications Design – University of Hartford

MA – TV, Radio, Film – Syracuse University

illustration with clip art

Featured Blog Posts

April 24, 2024 Cindy Downend, Associate Director of Literacy Programs

Evidence-Based? Research-Based? What does it all Mean?

Are you puzzled by the terms, evidence-based and research-based? Read on for some clarity and a bit of friendly advice.

April 11, 2024 Vivian Vasquez, Author & Professor

Centering What Matters to Children: How to Connect Your Teaching to Your Students’ Passions and Inquiry Questions

How do you decide what to focus on in your teaching? Our Kids, Books & Anti-Racism series speaker Vivian Vasquez starts by observing what her students care about.

February 23, 2024 Gen Arcovio, Literacy Trainer

Teaching for Fluency All Day, Every Day

Here are a few tips to integrate intentional teaching for fluency, without adding anything new to your day.