Erie 1 BOCES Monthly Spotlight: February 2023

Contributor: I.D.E.A Committee

Greetings, 

We hope that you enjoy reading this month's E1B Staff Spotlight. The purpose of this activity is to get to know our colleagues better, create meaningful connections, build relationships, create a strong sense of community and celebrate our differences! Please consider participating by clicking and completing this short E1B Spotlight (submission form). Your spotlight will not get posted until you preview it and give final approval. Please note that the information that you choose to provide will be posted internally, featured in the Monthly Inside Story Newsletter; and externally on our public webpage. Please use your discretion & only share information that you feel comfortable having shared publicly. Any questions please contact Nicole Kerner, nkerner@e1b.org

Warm Regards,

The I.D.E.A Culture & Climate Subcommittee

Hello my name is Melissa Duquette. I have worked for BOCES for 7 years. I am a coordinator with the Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network (RBERN) West. My favorite part of my job is working with educators and the community; to strengthen family engagement & academic success for multilingual learners. Prior to my work with RBERN, I had taught Adult ESL part time through E1B's Workforce Development.

I was born and raised in Buffalo. I spent a few years post undergrad teaching English as a foreign language in Japan, Vietnam, and Poland.

I have 2 fun, curious, and creative kids: Mai (8) and Taka (4). Their names are reflective of their Japanese heritage; Mai means dance and Taka means hawk. Outside of the world of education, I am steeped in the world of tea as co-owner of Cup of Communitea. You can catch me presenting at the World Tea Expo, “Welcoming the Next Generation of Tea Drinkers” in Las Vegas in 2023!

Hello! My name is Anastasiya Titarenko. I am a Coordinator/Resource Specialist for the Regional Bilingual Education Resource Network (RBERN) team at Erie 1 BOCES. Before joining the team, I was an English as a New Language Teacher and Coordinator in Buffalo, and regularly attended RBERN workshops. I heard about the opportunity to join the team from one of my current colleagues, Melissa Duquette, over the summer. I feel lucky to be part of an organization that I have learned so much from over the years. 

The best part of my job is working and learning alongside my dedicated colleagues, and building relationships with teachers as they grow. I love working with educators to develop reflective and equitable practice so multilingual learners can thrive. As a first-generation American and former English Language Learner myself, this work is deeply personal to me. I feel honored for the opportunity to serve the multilingual students and families in our region.

I come from a tight-knit Ukrainian family and was born and raised in Rochester. After spending time living and studying across the southeastern US in Georgia and Alabama, I returned to Western New York to begin my graduate studies and teaching career. Throughout my life, I have also spent summers living in Ukraine, where many of my relatives still reside. Earlier this year, my Goddaughter and her brother resettled in Rochester after the war began in Ukraine. They are one of the great joys of my life, and I spend as much time with them as I can. 

I have been an avid boxer for three years, and I love to cook and read. I was a student at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!) – arguably the largest football school in the US – so when I met my partner here in Buffalo, she was shocked to learn I did not understand how football worked (I know, a bold confession to make in Bills country). It didn't take long for her to make a football fan out of me. We never miss a game! Go Bills!