Administrative Staff
Gail Ewell is the Executive Director of Hope Technology School (HTS), founding the school in 2001, with a mission of providing high-quality education to students from preschool to 12th grade (K-12). She graduated from Northeastern University in 1984 with a degree in Education and an emphasis in Human Services. In 1998, she played a pivotal role in starting both E-soccer (https://e-sports.org/) and E-life programs, a non-profit project that empowers families through specialized classes and inclusion services for children with special needs. (https://e-life.org/) Gail has also played a pivotal role in starting and managing parent support groups, community conferences, and inclusive sports programs. Gail brings both personal and professional experience to her work at HTS. Her passion for education and her commitment to empowering families have been instrumental in establishing HTS as a leading institution for both typical and neurodiverse students.
Tracey Howell has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Princeton University. After graduation, she taught math, biology, chemistry and general science to secondary school students. She was given a fellowship to Columbia University for their Master’s Program in Curriculum. She worked for Teach for America, a non-profit group that matched Ivy-League graduates with inner-city schools for a two-year commitment to teach.
Jennifer received her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies from Cal State Monterey Bay. She completed her teaching credential and Master’s Degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Mild to Moderate Disabilities at San Francisco State University. She has worked in education since 2002 and has worked at Hope Technology School since 2006 as both a paraeducator and teacher.
Sharon has her BA in Psychology from Radford University. She began working at HTS when it began in 2001. She has worked in various roles at HTS in administration and in the classroom. The last several years she has served as a preschool teacher. She is a mother of 3 children, all of whom have attended the HTS program.
Michelle has a Masters Degree in Counseling with a specialization in School Counseling and a Pupil Personnel Services Credential from Saint Mary’s College of California. She has experience in running groups for children with ADD/ADHD to help support students with executive functioning skills and motivation. She also facilitated groups for behavior management to help students social and academic performances.
Mary Wilson graduated from the University of the Pacific, Stockton in 1983 with a B.S. in Business Administration and a concentration in Accounting. She has been a Certified Public Accountant in the state of California since 1985. She specialized in Auditing for-profit, governmental, and non-profit organizations. In addition she consulted with small businesses to develop computer accounting systems. Of note, Mary worked with the ownership group of the Sacramento Kings during the construction of ARCO Arena. She is involved in several business and community service organizations including Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce, Junior Achievement, Active 20/30 and Soroptimist International. Mary is a member of American Institute of CPA’s and California Society of CPA’s.
Nina is the Special Events and Development Coordinator. She is part of the administrative team and has been at Hope Technology School since 2014. She also has had a child graduate from HTS and was one of the first families to attend in 2002.
Preschool Teachers
Laura graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelors of arts in Child Development with an emphasis in the young child and family. She has worked with children for 25 years and has been with HTS for 18 of those years. Laura has worked as lead teacher in our preschool program for many years and has worked as our preschool program administrator and director for the last several years. Both of Laura’s children have attended our preschool and elementary school. They are now part of our middle school and Learning curve programs.
Nicole Modica is a recent graduate of San Jose State University. She has earned her Bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development, complemented by a minor in Psychology. Nicole is now dedicated to advancing her academic journey at Santa Clara University, where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology. Beyond her studies, she likes to spend her free time doing puzzles and shopping with friends and family.
K-8 Teachers
Alyssa received her BA Degree in Psychology from Cal State East Bay. She also has a Master’s Degree and credential in special education with a focus on mild to moderate disabilities from San Francisco State University. She has over 7 years of experience working with children with special needs in inclusive environments. She is very passionate and eager to learn and apply various tools in order to help students to thrive both academically and socially.
Adelaide joined the staff at Hope Technology School in 2009. Adelaide graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with bachelor degrees in molecular and cellular biology and rhetoric. She has a master’s degree and teaching credential in special education from San Francisco State University.
Kevin received his Bachelor’s Degree in Kinesiology from San Jose State University with Academic Honors. He has also received his Masters in Education from National University with a teaching credential. He has over 8 years of work experience with children with special needs in inclusive environments, volunteer programs, and in-home settings. He loves football and basketball bay area teams.
Chris has worked at HTS since 2016. He has obtained a Business degree at San Jose State University as well as a master’s in Mild/Moderate Special Education with a credential in Mild/Moderate Special Education and a credential in General Education from National University. Chris has worked with children in a school and home setting for over 12 years.
Howard has taught at HTS since its inception in 2001. Since then, he has been nominated to the “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” for three consecutive years. He has a Master’s Degree in Mild-to-Moderate Special Education and a teaching credential in Mild-to-Moderate Special Education from San Francisco State University. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development, with a minor in Music, from California State University, Sacramento. During his 13 years of working in Early Childhood Education, he has worked as a Head Teacher, Site Supervisor, and as a case manager for various county agencies.
Matthew graduated with a Bachelors in Applied Mathematics with a teaching option at CSUEB. He has worked with children over the last 6 years, which has included working with kids with special and typical needs. He currently coaches kids in soccer, which he has been part of for 6 years and has tutored children in mathematics for 3 years.
Jesse holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from San Diego. Beyond the classroom, Jesse is an outdoor enthusiast who has a passion for snowboarding. On Saturdays, you’ll find him volunteering with inclusive sports programs, exemplifying his commitment to fostering inclusivity. He also has a deep appreciation for music and electric cars. Jesse brings his diverse interests and experiences to our language arts and social studies classes, making learning a dynamic and engaging experience for students.
High School and Life Skills
Joli Tuibeo graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California with a BA Degree in Justice, Community & Leadership and a minor in Dance. She also participated in Saint Mary’s Single Subject Teaching Credential Program. This is her 5th year teaching at HTS and her 4th year teaching High School Math. Joli aims to create a fun, creative and inclusive learning environment for all students.
Nicole graduated from the University of San Francisco with a BA in Psychology, a Master’s in Education and participated in a Single Subject teaching credential in Life Sciences. This is her second year at HTS, and over the past 5 years, Nicole has mentored teenagers throughout the Bay Area and volunteered at HTS as a teacher’s assistant during summer sessions. She’s excited to continue fostering a school environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and learning from their mistakes.
Melissa graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a B.S. in Molecular Environmental Biology and Teaching Credential from Saint Mary’s College of California. This will be her third year teaching at HTS.
Darrion Theodore Carlyle graduated with a B.A. in English and a minor in Philosophy from the University of California, Riverside. As a substitute teacher in Los Angeles, he went on to write a novel called Down by The Creek before moving to the Bay Area to complete a Masters of Fine Arts in Fiction Creative Writing at Saint Mary’s College of California. After an English professorship at Saint Mary’s College and a two and a half year stretch teaching high school English for the Acalanes Union High School District in Lafayette, Mr. Carlyle joins the HTS team teaching English, bringing his love for asada tacos, pullover hoodies, and Lakers Basketball with him.
Kelly received a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design from SJSU. She been working with kids and adults with special needs in the community, professionally, and in-home care for 10 years. She enjoys doing art and sharing her passion for creativity with other people.
Therapists
Sandra Burke has been working with children and adults with communication difficulties for 15 years. She has worked in several settings, such as home health care, assisted living facilities, special day classes, public and private schools, and university clinics. She received her Master of Science Degree in Communicative Disorders with an emphasis in Speech and Language Pathology from San Francisco State University in 2005. She finished her clinical fellowship year in September 2006 at Hope Technology School. Sandra is a licensed speech-language pathologist, has her national certification through the America Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA), and obtained a California Credential in Clinical Rehabilitative Services. Prior to graduate school, Sandra studied Special Education and Linguistics at San Francisco State University. She has been trained in ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis), Integrated Play Group Therapy, Links to Language, Tomatis Auditory Re-Education Therapy, Feeding Therapy, and Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC).
Kokeb has her B.S. in Occupational Therapy from San Jose State University and Masters of Science in Health Care Administration Management and Change in Health Care Option at Cal State East Bay. She strongly believes in the value of providing family education and training to help achieve optimal results. Kokeb is very enthusiastic about learning new treatment approaches, and expanding her current therapy box of tools. Kokeb has additional training and certification in Masgutova Neurosensorimotor Reflex Integration (MNRI), Integrated Listening System (iLs), Advanced Therapeutic Listening, Interactive Metronome (IM), and Handwriting Without Tears.
Jeff earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology with a concentration in Physical Education from San Francisco State University. He is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Kinesiology and teaching credential to become an equipped Adapted Physical Education instructor. Jeff has experience working with collegiate athletes, but his passion remains embedded in creating dynamic inclusive physical activity programs for his students.
Sheree received her B.A. in Communicative Disorders from San Jose State University. She has 9+ years of working in inclusive volunteer & home settings with adults & children with special needs. She also has worked for 2 Years as Life Skills Pathways Teacher at HTS.
Paraeducators
Christian obtained his degree in Kinesiology Health & Human Performance from Saint Mary’s College. During his time there, he initiated the E-Hoops program, which promotes inclusivity by offering basketball activities for both typical children and those with special needs. Currently, Christian is in his seventh year at Hope Technology, where he serves as a paraeducator. He has also taken on the role of Athletic Director in his first year in this position. Furthermore, Christian is the dedicated coach of the school’s basketball team, which is gearing up for its fifth season of competition in the upcoming school year.
Paul is an esteemed alumnus of San Francisco State University, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in History alongside a minor in Special Education. Currently, as a dedicated member of the HTS team. Paul is on a journey to further his education and is diligently pursuing a teaching credential and a master’s degree in Mild to Moderate Special Education at San Francisco State University. His passion for inclusive education and unwavering commitment to student support were fostered during his time at HTS. His deep connection to HTS is a testament to his genuine dedication to promoting inclusion and enhancing the learning experience for all students.
Tatum is currently pursuing her academic journey at San Jose State University, where she focuses on Music as her major and Psychology as her minor. Her compassionate spirit shines through her weekend volunteer work, where she dedicates her Saturdays to sports programs that cater to inclusion. Outside of her studies and volunteering, Tatum finds joy in her creative outlets, particularly singing, painting, and swimming.
Analise received her Bachelors in Kinesiology from Cal State East Bay and is in the process of obtaining her Project Management certification. She has been working at HTS since summer 2022 in our 2nd and 3rd-4th grade classes as well as using her love for sports for elementary and middle school PE. Her interests also include painting and a strong love for Hawaii.
Maddie is an alumna of HTS, having successfully completed both the preschool and high school programs. Presently, she is at Foothill Community College, working towards her degree in Early Childhood Development. Outside of her academic pursuits, Maddie thrives on spending quality time with friends and channeling her creativity through various artistic mediums, including painting, drawing, crocheting, and playing the guitar.
Rhys is pursuing his teaching credential at Foothill Community College, driven by a passion for education. On top of his commitment to teaching, he also shares his expertise as a middle school basketball coach, nurturing the talents of our young students. Rhys’s love for sports extends beyond coaching, with a particular fondness for basketball and volleyball. Additionally, he loves music, showcasing his talents through singing.
Jadyn, an alumna of HTS, successfully completed our preschool and high school programs. Presently, she holds a full qualification as a preschool teacher and is pursuing further education at Foothill Community College. In her leisure hours, Jadyn loves expressing her artistic talents through makeup and various forms of art.
Jackson graduated from San Jose State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis on Inclusive Physical Activity in Communities (I.P.A.C). He joined the HTS community in 2021. Beyond his academic pursuits, Jackson’s interests include indulging in ultimate frisbee, playing the guitar and has a profound love of music. Jackson also serves as one of our Cross Country Coaches and Afterschool Leads.
Ricky is a dedicated Computer Science student at Cañada College. When he’s not studying, you’ll find him indulging in his favorite hobbies. He is a passionate basketball fan, a skilled piano player, and loves spending time with friends. But Ricky’s commitment goes beyond his personal interests; he gives back to the community by volunteering on weekends, actively participating in various sporting activities.