Project Description
Jermaine Cameron, Fellow
The Eagle Academy for Young Men of Staten Island
Staten Island, NY
Jermaine S. Cameron currently serves as the Founding Principal of The Eagle Academy for Young Men of Staten Island, a small Secondary school founded in 2014. He has twenty years of experience in education as a Teacher, Staff Developer, and Education Administrator within the New York City Department of Education. It has been his vision to develop a strong culture of communication, learning and academic growth as his urban, New York City school has taken an influential role in implementing Social Emotional Learning and restorative practices. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in English from Hunter College and two Master’s Degrees from Pace University. Throughout the course of his tenure as Founding Principal, Mr. Cameron was successful in developing a community with strong parent involvement and strategic partnerships with local community based organizations that provide direct and indirect services to the school and its scholars. As stated in the vision statement of the school he proudly leads, Jermaine believes continuous collaboration and strong partnerships will “Create a Culture of Success” within the school and the surrounding community. He was recently appointed to NCAA Education Forum Moderator.
Vanessa Fera, Ally
Teacher Leader/Programmer
The Eagle Academy for Young Men of Staten Island
Staten Island, NY
Vanessa Fera is an alumnus of Brooklyn College and received her School Building Leader certificate through the CITE program at St. Rose College. She is a Model Teacher and has worked as an English Teacher at The Eagle Academy for Young Men of Staten Island since 2017. As a product of the New York City public school system, Vanessa remembers the teachers that went above and beyond to ensure that she was successful in school. It was her hope to do the same, which was her inspiration for pursuing a career in education. Vanessa prides herself on building relationships with students and families and going the extra mile to motivate them in accomplishing goals and being academically successful. As a model teacher, Vanessa has built professional relationships among her peers and engages in professional learning to support the development of interdisciplinary curriculum and best teaching practices.