Meet the Faculty
2022-2023
Committed to a humanistic approach, our high school teachers encourage their students to be creative, self-disciplined, and independent intellectuals capable of high academic achievement and personal growth. Faculty share and model lifetime learning by developing new classes and working with students on a range of activities outside of class.
Immaculata Ajuogu
Immaculata teaches humanities in the high school. Immaculata was born and raised in Nigeria and has been living in the U.S. for over 16 years. She received her Bachelor’s in public health from the University of Washington and her Master’s in anthropology, with a focus on global health and studies, from Case Western University. In her spare time, she enjoys poetry, traveling, dancing, reading, and engaging in research. As a scholar of anthropology and its impact on public health, and with the highest of confidence, she is convinced that Nigerian Jollof rice (not any other jollof) will change everyone’s life for the better!
Lydia Boateng
Lydia is Waverly’s school counselor. Lydia holds a B.A. in Africana Studies from Binghamton University as well as an M.S. in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University. Lydia is a native of New York City and a recent transplant to the area, moving from northeast Ohio where she served in multiple roles, including school liaison, school based therapist, and associate teacher counselor. In her roles, she has counseled children and adolescents with mild to severe behavioral, mood, and trauma-stressor related disorders. She has provided individual and group sessions to K‑12 students, supported families with community resources, mental health techniques, and collaborated with teachers and parents on developing behavioral interventions and emotional support for students. She is excited to join the Waverly community where she will be working collaboratively to bring advisory programming to the high school. Lydia loves to serve in her church community, travel the world, and play sports in her free time. (Email)
Greg Harrison
Greg teaches science at the high school. He has a B.S. in aeronautical and astronautical engineering from M.I.T. and an M.S. in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California. Greg served in the Air Force and then worked at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a spacecraft engineer. Greg transitioned to becoming an educator when he asked himself, “What can I do to make the world a better place?” His answer: “I am intensely curious about our natural world, and I love learning new things and exploring deeper. I was drawn to education because I enjoy sharing my love of finding things out.” Greg’s sons are part of the Waverly community – Kazuo ’21 and Eiji in 12th grade. (Email)
Michael Jaffe
Michael is a high school English teacher and also serves as the registrar and high school curriculum coordinator. He holds an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from The University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in English from The University of California, Berkeley. In 2021, he was honored to be a recipient of a Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Fellowship through the Anti-Defamation League, becoming a member of the second-ever cohort of Holocaust educators in the Southern California region. Michael has over 15 years of experience in the English classroom and has taught at the community college and high school levels. For the past 10 years, he taught at The Buckley School in Sherman Oaks. He is a beloved educator, who prides himself on helping students move past binary ways of thinking and inquiry, therefore strengthening their abilities to question and push back against systems of power. A native Angeleno, he now lives in Pasadena with his wife, also an English teacher, and their two children. (Email)
Jennifer Johnson
Jennifer is the learning specialist for kindergarten through 12th grade. Jennifer has a California Teaching Credential, a Master’s in teaching, and certification as an educational therapist. Led to a career in education by a lifelong fascination with the many different ways people think and learn, Jennifer is happiest when around children and teens and believes that most kids are naturally curious and seek challenges to stretch themselves. To support them, she explains,“Often, you just need to give them the time and space to follow their curiosity. For children who may find themselves facing tasks which are too challenging, what is often needed is support in building the skills to feel capable of meeting a challenge.” (Email)
Jack Knight
Jack teaches high school math. He has a B.S. in mathematics and physics from the University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka, a Diploma in Mathematics (part 1) from the University of Auckland (New Zealand), and a Diploma of Teaching in Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry from Teacher’s College in New Zealand. Jack enjoys teaching at Waverly because “the students are friendly and honest in sharing their thoughts.” (Email)
Kate Morris
Kate teaches science and math in the high school. Kate earned her B.A. in cultural anthropology from the University of California, Santa Cruz and obtained her M.A. in multicultural education from Sacramento State University. Kate aims to make education interesting, engaging and accessible for everyone. She has been working in education for almost 20 years, and has taught courses on the collegiate level and most recently at Tree Academy, a progressive school in West Hollywood. When not teaching or researching about education, Kate can be found traveling, walking for hours through cities, the countryside, or the forest taking photos and making art.
Kathy Repique
Kathy teaches middle and high school math. Kathy has a B.S. in Mathematics with a Minor in Music from Loma Linda University, an M.A. in Applied Mathematics from University of California, Santa Barbara, and an Ed.D. in Leadership for Educational Justice from University of Redlands. Additionally, Kathy holds a California single-subject teaching credential in Mathematics and certification in cross-cultural language and academic development. A self-described math nerd, Kathy lives in Los Angeles with her partner Jon and her dog Barney. (Email)
Andrés Roblero Villalobos
Andrés teaches Spanish and AP Spanish language and culture at the high school. He is a native of Costa Rica and graduated from the University of La Salle with a degree in business and international marketing. Andrés loves to inspire students to deepen their understanding of critical aspects of Hispanic culture and language. In turn, Andrés says, “Waverly students inspire me because of their humility, consistency, work ethic, and determination in everything they do.” (Email)
Ryan Schwarzrock
Ryan teaches U.S. history/APUSH and 9th grade English. Ryan received his Bachelor’s in English from the University of California, Berkeley. He continued his passion for history and English, completing both his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Exeter, in England, focusing his research and studies on literary study and translation with his thesis titled: “Chronicle and Conflict in Twelfth-Century León‑Castile.” Prior to coming to Waverly, Ryan taught history as an adjunct professor at Long Beach City College. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys surfing, reading, and spending time with his family.
Amy Sedivy
Amy teaches English and creative writing at the high school. She received a B.A. and M.A in English, with an emphasis in writing from California State University, Northridge and taught for over six years at the college level. Her fiction has been published in both print and online literary journals. Her son, Rylan, graduated from Waverly in 2010. Amy shares her love for stories with her students and encourages them to see the world from many different perspectives. (Email)
Briana Young
Briana teaches psychology, art history, and human nature (philosophy) at the high school. She also serves as the coordinator of the wellness program and teaches weekly yoga classes for students. Briana holds a B.A. in art history, an A.A. in developmental psychology, and has graduate-level experience in social work. She encourages her students to adopt a broad lens on human behavior and history, utilizing the spectrums of a micro/macro lens. She encourages students to unpack the intricacies of what it means to be human with curiosity, self-reflection, and compassion.