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

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Featured Blog Posts

February 5, 2025 Gen Arcovio, Literacy Trainer

Planting the Seeds of Literacy: Cultivating Learning in PreK Centers

Teaching children how to use books and other literacy resources in play centers helps children naturally integrate the use of print, writing, and new vocabulary into their natural flow of play.

January 23, 2025 Cindy Downend, Associate Director of Literacy Programs

Literacy Coaching Toward Teacher Empowerment and Resilience 

Observations and four key ideas that emerged from a group of experienced literacy coaches who brainstormed ways to work toward fostering teacher empowerment in the new year.

January 6, 2025 Nawal Qarooni, Guest Speaker

Reaching All Learners by Partnering Thoughtfully With Families 

The next speaker in our Reaching All Learners Series, Nawal Qarooni, offers three tips on how to collaborate in meaningful ways with the families of our students.