infoCarlos Borrero began his journey as an educator teaching history in the Bronx, where he fostered his personal vision of a rigorous education to all students. He believes that when instruction is academically rigorous, students actively explore, research, and solve complex problems to develop a deep understanding of core academic concepts that reflect college readiness standards. He believes that rigor allows the opportunity for students to develop and apply habits of mind as they navigate sophisticated and reflective learning experiences. Mr. Borrero has been making his vision a reality in the New York City public schools for the last 12 years as a teacher and now as the founding principal of HSCL. Mr. Borrero has facilitated a positive learning environment at HSCL, providing support to his staff and student population. By combining academic rigor, instilling community values, and emphasizing the importance of leadership, Mr. Borrero creates a community of learners, ready to have a positive affect on the world. Mr. Borrero’s parents worked for Department of Defense and he spent his early years moving often and learning about different cultures. He earned his BA at Syracuse University, his MS at CUNY Lehman, and his Professional Certification in School Administration at CUNY Baruch. Outside of HSCL, Mr. Borrero spends time with his wife and two sons, and enjoys cooking and traveling the world.
infoMr. Alkaifi has taught Living Environment since 2013 at HSCL. He received his degree from St. John's University and grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens. Mr. Alkaifi’s classes are interactive and he enjoys creating interactive labs during his Living Environment and forensic science classes. Students are able to use experiments that are actually used by law enforcement to solve crimes.
infoMrs. Amaro began teaching at High School For Community Leadership in the fall of 2012 as a part of the New York Teaching Fellows. She received her B.A. in English Education at Adelphi University in 2009 and is currently pursuing her M.A in English at Brooklyn College. In the years prior to joining HSCL’s faculty, Mrs. Amaro was a corps member and senior corps member for City Year, a non-profit, national service organization where young adults serve as mentors in high-needs New York public schools. Mrs. Amaro grew up in Hawaii and loves learning about diverse cultures and people. She teaches Global Literature and Journalism classes, incorporating theory and analysis to help students gain new insight on the world.
infoMs. Dudhnath has been teaching since 2009, first at the High School for Environmental Studies and then teaching United States and Global History at the High School for Community Leadership. Ms. Dudhnath grew up in the Bronx and Westchester, NY. She received her bachelors from SUNY Stonybrook and her masters from Lehman college. She brings history to life by examining the nature of humanity and the impact of an individual on the world.
infoMr. Assip joined the High School for Community Leadership in the Spring of 2012, providing support for students to ensure their personal and academic success. Mr. Assip teaches integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) classrooms where he adapts and modifies instruction for students and ensures the entire class has access to the general education curriculum. He grew up in Long Island and received his BS in Communications at Farmingdale State College and a MS in Secondary ED, Special ED, and Educating Children on the Autism Spectrum at Dowling College. Mr. Assip is also an accomplished screenwriter and actor, who bring his passion for theatricality to help make any subject engaging.
infoMrs. Carrozzo joined the HSCL’s faculty in the fall of 2012. She received her MA in French Linguistics from the Kyiv University in Ukraine. After studying at the Université de Picardie Jules Verne and living in France, Mrs. Carrozzo received her Ph.D degree in French Linguistics. In 2014, she completed a MA in Teaching degree at Empire State College. Mrs. Carrozzo has taught all levels of French at the Kyiv University, the Institut Français d’Ukraine, The Language Learning Institute in Albany, NY, as well as SUNY New Paltz. Mrs. Carrozzo is teaching French language and culture classes and bringing her passion for French and Francophone culture to the everyday teaching.
infoMr. Chouaib worked for four years at Flushing High School and joined High School For Community Leadership in 2012. Mr. Chouaib worked for more than 15 years in pharmaceutical industry for Laboratory Roche engineering. He was born in Morocco and received his Master degree in chemistry education at Queens College, and his Bachelor and Master degree in chemistry at the University of Liege Belgium. Mr. Chouaib is married and his hobbies include swimming, reading, and works on research in inorganic chemistry at Queens College.
infoMs. Erhard-Joyce has been a Guidance Counselor since 2009 and was born and raised in Queens, New York. She enjoys being able to give back to her community and getting to know the students on a different level. Ms. Erhard-Joyce received her Bachelor's Degree in School of Professional Studies and Master's Degree at the School of Education at St. John's University. Ms. Erhard-Joyce is a family oriented person who enjoys traveling the country. Ms. Erhard-Joyce believes that students can achieve anything they set their minds to and that sometimes a small gesture of support or a kind word can go a long way.
infoMs. Filardo has been teaching since 2013. She taught in Freeport, Long Island for a year prior to coming to the High School for Community Leadership and teaching U.S. History and Economics and Government. Ms. Filardo gre up in Franklin Square, Long Island N.Y. and received her B.A. in Political Science and History from CUNY Queens college and a M.A. in Adolescent Education social studies 7-12. Ms. Filardo is married with 2 sons and a dog named Max! She loves spending time with the family, cooking, going to the beach and traveling.
infoMr. Jones started teaching in 2001 at the AIT High School in Stamford Connecticut. He then moved on to teach at Evander High School in the Bronx as a Physical Education Teacher, Dean and Coach. In 2010 he came to The High School for Community Leadership to teach and coach the Boys Varsity Basketball Team and Boys Varsity Volleyball Team. Mr. Jones grew up in Stamford, Ct. and attended The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, receiving his Bachelor Degree in Physical Education. Jones continued his education at the University of Bridgeport to receive his Master's Degree in Elementary Education. He enjoys working out and playing a variety of sports such as basketball, softball and football in his spare time.
Mr. JonesPhysical Education/Athletic Director djones@nychscl.org718-558-9801 x3231
infoMrs. Lauritsch has been with HSCL since our establishment in 2010. She is our School Secretary but wears many hats with a bright smile. Mrs. Lauritsch welcomes students, parents and staff to our school community with open arms and always willing to lend a hand. We know her as the Staff “Mom”. She enjoys relaxing at home and traveling with her family.
infoThis is Ms. Lutsky's fifth year teaching at HSCL. She emigrated from Russia when at eight years old and lived in New York for most of my life. She went to Barnard College/Columbia University for her Bachelors degree in Comparative Literature. Later, she completed a Masters in Linguistics with a concentration in Teaching English as a Second Language at Stony Brook University and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Ms. Lutsky's poetry has been published in various literary magazines and the Coloring Book: An Eclectic Anthology of Fiction and Poetry by Multicultural Writers. She loves to travel and learn about different cultures and lifestyles of people around the world. One of the reasons Ms. Lutsky became an ESL teacher is because she knows what it feels like to come to a new country and not know the language that is spoken there first hand and she really enjoys teaching students of different backgrounds.
infoMr. Nankishore's journey as an educator at HSCL began in September 2010 when he became a student teacher at the school. Upon completion of student teaching, he completed his course work at St. John's University and earned himself a BS in Education with a concentration in Mathematics. His first official year as a full time Geometry teacher at HSCL was in 2013. Since then, Mr. Nankishore has completed an MS in Special Education at St. John's University. Mr. Nankishore's interests are surrounding making positive changes in the community, as well as participating in charity/non-profit events. His teaching philosophy is based on his personal experiences as a student; that he wishes to spark student's interests by making connections to ways in which scholastic coursework is related to the "real world".
infoMs. Panebianco has been teaching Chemistry at HSCL since 2013. She was born and raised in Levittown, NY and graduated from Queens College. At Queens College she received a BA in Chemistry Education, and minored in Secondary Education. She also participated in the “Science is Fun Club,” where she performed in several demonstration shows, highlighting the beauty of Chemistry. She genuinely loves teaching Chemistry because it is a fun and engaging subject with many interactive demonstrations and concepts that are relevant to everyday life. Outside of school Ms. Panebianco enjoys scrapbooking and crafting DIY projects.
infoBorn and raised in Queens and a graduate of the NYC public school system, Ms. Penedo began teaching at the High School for Community Leadership in the Fall of 2011. She currently teaches US History and Government. Ms. Penedo received her B.A. in Political Science and is currently pursuing her M.A. in Social Studies Education at Queens College. Prior to her career in Education, Ms. Penedo worked as a public servant and community liaison for the New York City Council. She is passionate about learning different cultures and countries, and one of her life-long goals is to visit every continent twice. Reading and cooking are some of her favorite pastimes.
infoMrs. Rodriguez has been teaching since 2010. First, middle school history at Queens Collegiate and then teaching Global History at the High School for Community Leadership. Mrs. Rodriguez grew up in Corona Queens, NY. She received her bachelors from CUNY Hunter College in Psychology and Political Science. She received her Masters in Education from Fordham University. She brings History to life by examining the nature of modern governments and their impact on individuals and the world.
infoMr. Rosen has been teaching Algebra and Special Education for the past 4 years. This is his first year at HSCL. Mr. Rosen graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and a Masters Degree in Special Education from the City College of New York. Mr. Rosen grew up in Rockland County, NY and has a twin brother who is completely different from him. Mr. Rosen believes in building not just good students but great citizens.
infoMs. Sicard joined our school family in 2014 as Parent Coordinator. She was born in Queens, NY starting her primary education with the NYCDOE. She and her family moved to Long Island, where she continued her education through the beginning of High School. Ms. Sicard then moved to Cape Coral, FL graduating from Cape Coral High School. After spending two years at Florida A&M University, Ms. Sicard moved back to Queens, graduating from CUNY York College with a BA in Psychology. She is continued her education, receiving a Master’s Degree in Social Work at Fordham University. Ms. Sicard has been working in the Education field since 2009 and became our School Social Worker in 2019. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, working out, shopping, being an active member in her sorority, going on adventures and spending quality time with family and friends.
infoMs. Silverstein has been teaching at HSCL since 2012 as our Health and Physical Education Teacher, as well as the Head Coach for the Boys Varsity Soccer Team. Silverstein was born and raised on Long Island and received a Soccer Scholarship to the University of Rhode Island. She received her Bachelor Degree in Public Health at Stony Brook University, than continued her education at Hofstra University to receive her Master Degree in Health Education. Ms. Silverstein loves a challenge, and is determined to teach her students that anything is possible with the right attitude and motivation.
infoMrs. Villegas is originally from Pennsylvania and moved to New York to begin teaching in 2003. She has been teaching English at the High School for Community Leadership since the fall of 2012. She received her B.A. in English Literature and Religious Studies from The University of Pittsburgh and her M.S. in Secondary Education from Queens College. Mrs. Villegas spends her free time enjoying the outdoors and traveling with her two young children. Mrs. Villegas currently teaches American Literature and enjoys helping students recognize the relationships between literature and history.
infoMs. Zegel began teaching at the High School for Community Leadership in the Fall of 2013 after completing her student teaching at HSCL during the Fall 2012 semester. She received her B.S. in Secondary Education with a concentration in Biology from St. John's University in May of 2013, where she also worked as a biology tutor. Growing up on Eastern Long Island, Ms. Zegel loves the ocean and enjoys swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, bike riding, and hiking. At HSCL, Ms. Zegel brings her love of nature into the classroom by teaching a variety of science classes, including Anatomy & Physiology, AP Biology, and Living Environment.
infoCarlos Borrero began his journey as an educator teaching history in the Bronx, where he fostered his personal vision of a rigorous education to all students. He believes that when instruction is academically rigorous, students actively explore, research, and solve complex problems to develop a deep understanding of core academic concepts that reflect college readiness standards. He believes that rigor allows the opportunity for students to develop and apply habits of mind as they navigate sophisticated and reflective learning experiences. Mr. Borrero has been making his vision a reality in the New York City public schools for the last 12 years as a teacher and now as the founding principal of HSCL. Mr. Borrero has facilitated a positive learning environment at HSCL, providing support to his staff and student population. By combining academic rigor, instilling community values, and emphasizing the importance of leadership, Mr. Borrero creates a community of learners, ready to have a positive affect on the world. Mr. Borrero’s parents worked for Department of Defense and he spent his early years moving often and learning about different cultures. He earned his BA at Syracuse University, his MS at CUNY Lehman, and his Professional Certification in School Administration at CUNY Baruch. Outside of HSCL, Mr. Borrero spends time with his wife and two sons, and enjoys cooking and traveling the world. 
infoMr. Alkaifi has taught Living Environment since 2013 at HSCL. He received his degree from St. John's University and grew up in Far Rockaway, Queens. Mr. Alkaifi’s classes are interactive and he enjoys creating interactive labs during his Living Environment and forensic science classes. Students are able to use experiments that are actually used by law enforcement to solve crimes.
infoMrs. Amaro began teaching at High School For Community Leadership in the fall of 2012 as a part of the New York Teaching Fellows. She received her B.A. in English Education at Adelphi University in 2009 and is currently pursuing her M.A in English at Brooklyn College. In the years prior to joining HSCL’s faculty, Mrs. Amaro was a corps member and senior corps member for City Year, a non-profit, national service organization where young adults serve as mentors in high-needs New York public schools. Mrs. Amaro grew up in Hawaii and loves learning about diverse cultures and people. She teaches Global Literature and Journalism classes, incorporating theory and analysis to help students gain new insight on the world.
infoMs. Dudhnath has been teaching since 2009, first at the High School for Environmental Studies and then teaching United States and Global History at the High School for Community Leadership. Ms. Dudhnath grew up in the Bronx and Westchester, NY. She received her bachelors from SUNY Stonybrook and her masters from Lehman college. She brings history to life by examining the nature of humanity and the impact of an individual on the world. 
infoMr. Assip joined the High School for Community Leadership in the Spring of 2012, providing support for students to ensure their personal and academic success. Mr. Assip teaches integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) classrooms where he adapts and modifies instruction for students and ensures the entire class has access to the general education curriculum. He grew up in Long Island and received his BS in Communications at Farmingdale State College and a MS in Secondary ED, Special ED, and Educating Children on the Autism Spectrum at Dowling College. Mr. Assip is also an accomplished screenwriter and actor, who bring his passion for theatricality to help make any subject engaging. 
infoMrs. Carrozzo joined the HSCL’s faculty in the fall of 2012. She received her MA in French Linguistics from the Kyiv University in Ukraine. After studying at the Université de Picardie Jules Verne and living in France, Mrs. Carrozzo received her Ph.D degree in French Linguistics. In 2014, she completed a MA in Teaching degree at Empire State College. Mrs. Carrozzo has taught all levels of French at the Kyiv University, the Institut Français d’Ukraine, The Language Learning Institute in Albany, NY, as well as SUNY New Paltz. Mrs. Carrozzo is teaching French language and culture classes and bringing her passion for French and Francophone culture to the everyday teaching.
infoMr. Chouaib worked for four years at Flushing High School and joined High School For Community Leadership in 2012. Mr. Chouaib worked for more than 15 years in pharmaceutical industry for Laboratory Roche engineering. He was born in Morocco and received his Master degree in chemistry education at Queens College, and his Bachelor and Master degree in chemistry at the University of Liege Belgium. Mr. Chouaib is married and his hobbies include swimming, reading, and works on research in inorganic chemistry at Queens College. 
infoMs. Erhard-Joyce has been a Guidance Counselor since 2009 and was born and raised in Queens, New York. She enjoys being able to give back to her community and getting to know the students on a different level. Ms. Erhard-Joyce received her Bachelor's Degree in School of Professional Studies and Master's Degree at the School of Education at St. John's University. Ms. Erhard-Joyce is a family oriented person who enjoys traveling the country. Ms. Erhard-Joyce believes that students can achieve anything they set their minds to and that sometimes a small gesture of support or a kind word can go a long way. 
infoMs. Filardo has been teaching since 2013. She taught in Freeport, Long Island for a year prior to coming to the High School for Community Leadership and teaching U.S. History and Economics and Government. Ms. Filardo gre up in Franklin Square, Long Island N.Y. and received her B.A. in Political Science and History from CUNY Queens college and a M.A. in Adolescent Education social studies 7-12. Ms. Filardo is married with 2 sons and a dog named Max! She loves spending time with the family, cooking, going to the beach and traveling. 
infoMr. Jones started teaching in 2001 at the AIT High School in Stamford Connecticut. He then moved on to teach at Evander High School in the Bronx as a Physical Education Teacher, Dean and Coach. In 2010 he came to The High School for Community Leadership to teach and coach the Boys Varsity Basketball Team and Boys Varsity Volleyball Team. Mr. Jones grew up in Stamford, Ct. and attended The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, receiving his Bachelor Degree in Physical Education. Jones continued his education at the University of Bridgeport to receive his Master's Degree in Elementary Education. He enjoys working out and playing a variety of sports such as basketball, softball and football in his spare time.
infoMrs. Lauritsch has been with HSCL since our establishment in 2010. She is our School Secretary but wears many hats with a bright smile. Mrs. Lauritsch welcomes students, parents and staff to our school community with open arms and always willing to lend a hand. We know her as the Staff “Mom”. She enjoys relaxing at home and traveling with her family. 
infoThis is Ms. Lutsky's fifth year teaching at HSCL. She emigrated from Russia when at eight years old and lived in New York for most of my life. She went to Barnard College/Columbia University for her Bachelors degree in Comparative Literature. Later, she completed a Masters in Linguistics with a concentration in Teaching English as a Second Language at Stony Brook University and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. Ms. Lutsky's poetry has been published in various literary magazines and the Coloring Book: An Eclectic Anthology of Fiction and Poetry by Multicultural Writers. She loves to travel and learn about different cultures and lifestyles of people around the world. One of the reasons Ms. Lutsky became an ESL teacher is because she knows what it feels like to come to a new country and not know the language that is spoken there first hand and she really enjoys teaching students of different backgrounds.
infoMr. Nankishore's journey as an educator at HSCL began in September 2010 when he became a student teacher at the school. Upon completion of student teaching, he completed his course work at St. John's University and earned himself a BS in Education with a concentration in Mathematics. His first official year as a full time Geometry teacher at HSCL was in 2013. Since then, Mr. Nankishore has completed an MS in Special Education at St. John's University. Mr. Nankishore's interests are surrounding making positive changes in the community, as well as participating in charity/non-profit events. His teaching philosophy is based on his personal experiences as a student; that he wishes to spark student's interests by making connections to ways in which scholastic coursework is related to the "real world".
infoMs. Panebianco has been teaching Chemistry at HSCL since 2013. She was born and raised in Levittown, NY and graduated from Queens College. At Queens College she received a BA in Chemistry Education, and minored in Secondary Education. She also participated in the “Science is Fun Club,” where she performed in several demonstration shows, highlighting the beauty of Chemistry. She genuinely loves teaching Chemistry because it is a fun and engaging subject with many interactive demonstrations and concepts that are relevant to everyday life. Outside of school Ms. Panebianco enjoys scrapbooking and crafting DIY projects.
info
infoBorn and raised in Queens and a graduate of the NYC public school system, Ms. Penedo began teaching at the High School for Community Leadership in the Fall of 2011. She currently teaches US History and Government. Ms. Penedo received her B.A. in Political Science and is currently pursuing her M.A. in Social Studies Education at Queens College. Prior to her career in Education, Ms. Penedo worked as a public servant and community liaison for the New York City Council. She is passionate about learning different cultures and countries, and one of her life-long goals is to visit every continent twice. Reading and cooking are some of her favorite pastimes. 
infoMrs. Rodriguez has been teaching since 2010. First, middle school history at Queens Collegiate and then teaching Global History at the High School for Community Leadership. Mrs. Rodriguez grew up in Corona Queens, NY. She received her bachelors from CUNY Hunter College in Psychology and Political Science. She received her Masters in Education from Fordham University. She brings History to life by examining the nature of modern governments and their impact on individuals and the world.
infoMr. Rosen has been teaching Algebra and Special Education for the past 4 years. This is his first year at HSCL. Mr. Rosen graduated from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and a Masters Degree in Special Education from the City College of New York. Mr. Rosen grew up in Rockland County, NY and has a twin brother who is completely different from him. Mr. Rosen believes in building not just good students but great citizens. 
infoMs. Sicard joined our school family in 2014 as Parent Coordinator. She was born in Queens, NY starting her primary education with the NYCDOE. She and her family moved to Long Island, where she continued her education through the beginning of High School. Ms. Sicard then moved to Cape Coral, FL graduating from Cape Coral High School. After spending two years at Florida A&M University, Ms. Sicard moved back to Queens, graduating from CUNY York College with a BA in Psychology. She is continued her education, receiving a Master’s Degree in Social Work at Fordham University. Ms. Sicard has been working in the Education field since 2009 and became our School Social Worker in 2019. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, working out, shopping, being an active member in her sorority, going on adventures and spending quality time with family and friends. 
infoMs. Silverstein has been teaching at HSCL since 2012 as our Health and Physical Education Teacher, as well as the Head Coach for the Boys Varsity Soccer Team. Silverstein was born and raised on Long Island and received a Soccer Scholarship to the University of Rhode Island. She received her Bachelor Degree in Public Health at Stony Brook University, than continued her education at Hofstra University to receive her Master Degree in Health Education. Ms. Silverstein loves a challenge, and is determined to teach her students that anything is possible with the right attitude and motivation. 
info
infoMrs. Villegas is originally from Pennsylvania and moved to New York to begin teaching in 2003. She has been teaching English at the High School for Community Leadership since the fall of 2012. She received her B.A. in English Literature and Religious Studies from The University of Pittsburgh and her M.S. in Secondary Education from Queens College. Mrs. Villegas spends her free time enjoying the outdoors and traveling with her two young children. Mrs. Villegas currently teaches American Literature and enjoys helping students recognize the relationships between literature and history. 
infoMs. Zegel began teaching at the High School for Community Leadership in the Fall of 2013 after completing her student teaching at HSCL during the Fall 2012 semester. She received her B.S. in Secondary Education with a concentration in Biology from St. John's University in May of 2013, where she also worked as a biology tutor. Growing up on Eastern Long Island, Ms. Zegel loves the ocean and enjoys swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, bike riding, and hiking. At HSCL, Ms. Zegel brings her love of nature into the classroom by teaching a variety of science classes, including Anatomy & Physiology, AP Biology, and Living Environment.