Ms. Azikiwe (pronounced “uh-zee-kweh”) brings over a decade of experience in education to her role as Director of Student Affairs at BASIS Independent Brooklyn Lower School. Her extensive background includes school leadership, teacher development, talent acquisition, and program management, making her a dynamic addition to our team. Ms. Azikiwe previously served as an Assistant Principal and Dean of Students at Ascend Charter Schools, where she managed curriculum and instruction implementation, teacher development, and talent recruitment. She also has experience as a behavior specialist at Meridian Public Charter Schools and served as a middle school Dean of Students at Ascend Charter Schools for four years. Ms. Azikiwe began her career in education as a teacher at Success Academy, Uncommon Schools, and Lefferts Gardens charter schools. She holds degrees from Howard University and the City University of New York.

Passionate about student advocacy and holistic development, Ms. Azikiwe is committed to creating innovative programs that enhance the overall student experience. She looks forward to building authentic relationships with students, teachers, and families through meaningful interactions, classroom visits, and family events. Ms. Azikiwe resides in Brooklyn, NY, where she was born and raised. In her free time, she enjoys travel, the arts, being a foodie, and spending time with her family.

Mr. Alexis is a Facilities Coordinator at our Lower School campus. He has supported our Cubs since the new campus opened in 2021.

Mrs. Amore is a Front Office Coordinator at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Upper School Campus. Her goal is to be a welcoming presence to all students, parents, faculty, and visitors, and to be a positive representation of the BASIS Independent Brooklyn family.

Mrs. Amore was very impressed with the team she met during the interview process. “I did not know very much about BASIS Independent Brooklyn at the time, but the more I researched and learned about the school, the more I wanted to be a part of the team.”

Mrs. Amore graduated from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, NY) with a Bachelor of Science degree.

When not on campus, Mrs. Amore is a member of a local Christian rock band as a singer and guitarist. The band sings at select services throughout (the Roman Catholic churches of) Brooklyn and Queens. Mrs. Amore also enjoys traveling with her husband, especially visiting the different regions in Italy.

Ms. Anipchenko-Ulaj is an Assistant Curriculum Coordinator at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Upper School campus. Previously, she was a math and psychology Teaching Fellow at our school.

Ms. Anipchenko-Ulaj graduated with a Bachelor of Science in applied mathematics from CUNY City College of New York. She was the Treasurer of the Association of Women in Mathematics (AWM) while an undergraduate and worked on interrelated open research problems from the intersection of biology, computer science, and mathematics funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation. That led to two scientific publications published in “Bulletin of Mathematical Biology” as well as a Cornell University Journal

Ms. Bono is currently the Director of Student Affairs for the Primary Program at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. Previously, she spent several years as the Dean of Students in the Primary Program. She has been teaching for nine years in many grades ranging from kindergarten to grade 5. For four years, Ms. Bono taught first-grade Humanities at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. She was also the Subject Adviser for BASIS Independent Schools for both first and second-grade Humanities.

Ms. Bono attended the University of South Florida where she received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education with endorsements in reading and English for speakers of other languages. She continued her studies at the University of South Florida where she was a member of Kappa Delta Pi, the International Honor Society in Education. She earned her master’s degree in Exceptional Student Education involving working with a wide range of students.

“I am honored to be a part of the amazing BASIS Independent Brooklyn team and transition to a Director role within the administration,” said Ms. Bono. “During the last few years, I have proudly watched my former students develop into curious young scholars. I am excited to continue to support them in my new role as Director of Student Affairs.”

In her free time, Ms. Bono likes to play in the park with her husband and Australian Shepherd. She also loves visiting her family in Florida and keeping up with her classical singing.

Mr. Brauch brings with him not only years of experience helping students through the college application process but also first-hand experience with elite colleges and universities. He graduated from Harvard University with his master’s degree in education and received his bachelor’s degree from Skidmore College. Upon graduation from Harvard, Mr. Brauch moved to China to teach academic writing and composition at a top university. After teaching, Mr. Brauch accepted an opportunity to counsel Chinese students on their college options, working on a cross-cultural team and meeting with students from various high schools to guide them through the college application process. In the United States, he has worked as the College Counselor at the Latin School of Chicago, and later as an Academic Advisor and Assistant Director of Admissions at International Education Opportunities, an organization that helps bring and support international students as they transition to U.S. independent and Catholic high schools along the East Coast.

Prior to joining BASIS Independent Brooklyn more than eight years ago, Mr. Brauch met one-on-one with various students daily to speak about their assignments and course selection. He also provided additional college counseling support to international students and expertise to independent school counselors who were unfamiliar with international students as they relate to and are evaluated in the college process.

Mr. Brauch was attracted to BASIS Independent Brooklyn for several reasons, namely the mantra of “Education Redefined.” He explains, “BASIS Independent Schools are unique in that they provide an extremely rigorous academic environment for students to challenge themselves and excel past the barriers of a traditional American education. At the same time, our school in Brooklyn also maintains and promotes a very supportive and collaborative environment in which to grow and learn.”

Mr. Brauch brings his individualized approach to BASIS Independent Brooklyn, working with students one-on-one to learn about their collegiate and post-collegiate aspirations and helping to make the college process less arduous. “I am very excited to learn about students as they develop their interests and help guide them as they take the first steps towards researching and applying for college,” he says.

Ms. Brown is the Health Coordinator at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Upper School campus. She joined our school last year, bringing more than 15 years of experience in pediatrics, and she loves working with children. Ms. Brown is very excited to work with all our Bears. You can reach Ms. Brown through our Health Office email at healthoffice@basisindependent.com.

Ms. Burton is the Health Coordinator for BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Lower School campus. She graduated from New York University and continued her studies at NYU to obtain a master’s degree in public health.

Ms. Burton shared that her goal is to care for the health and wellness of children. She also plans to collaborate with faculty to promote student health and well-being and connect with parents to address the health needs of their children during the school day.

Ms. Butler graduated from Manhattanville University with a Bachelor of Arts in dance, theater, and business management. She received the Undergraduate Research Fair award at her school for her senior thesis. She has been in arts education for 14 years and admissions for more than four year.

Ms. Butler is the Associate Director of Admissions at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Lower School campus. She is thrilled to bring her passion for the arts, drive for admissions, and diversity to the community and incoming families at the school. Ms. Butler hopes to expand both school locations, creating long-lasting healthy partnerships for the next generation of Cubs and Bears.

Outside of BASIS Independent Brooklyn, Ms. Butler enjoys professionally dancing throughout New York City with her company members and teaching students from the ages of 3 to 18. She also spends time with her cat and loves to travel with family and friends.

Ms. Cameron is the Director of Student Affairs for the Middle School Program at BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Red Hook campus. Previously, she was the Director of our Primary Program after serving as the Dean of Students.

With roots in the classroom, Ms. Cameron first joined our school as a second-grade Learning Expert Teacher. Ms. Cameron is very excited to grow within this prestigious learning institution’s leadership. She looks forward to continuing to share her ideas and goals toward education and literacy with staff and students.

Ms. Cameron has been educating young minds for nearly two decades. She obtained her master’s degree in education in 2014. She has enjoyed working with varying age groups and helping students achieve academic success. Her strong belief in early literacy led her to begin a Saturday Enrichment Program which assisted students in reaching their academic potential and working at an accelerated pace. Ms. Cameron believes: “If you introduce a child to literacy at an early age, he or she will make great strides in all academic areas. For reading is the key to all understanding.”

Ms. Collins is the International Students Coordinator and an ESL Subject Expert Teacher at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. Previously, she was a Subject Expert Teacher in languages at our school focused on Spanish and Linguistics classes in the Middle and High School Programs. Before that, she was a Mandarin Subject Expert Teacher. She is passionate about languages and grew up in a bilingual household.

Ms. Collins is fluent in English, Mandarin, Spanish, Italian, French, and Hebrew. While in college, Ms. Collins started her focus on Mandarin because she was intrigued with the language. She loved it from day one, and she feels she has a deep understanding of the roadblocks and hurdles English-speaking children encounter when learning Mandarin since she did as well. Ms. Collins completed her studies at Columbia’s Teacher College and focused on teaching Mandarin not only to English speakers but also to speakers of multiple other languages.

Ms. Collins is currently pursuing her Ph.D. at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. Ms. Collins spent the past nine years privately tutoring students with Rennert International and earlier at Columbia University while studying at Columbia’s Teacher College. While in college, she worked as a translator with Sky News.

As an undergraduate, Ms. Collins attended Mount Holyoke College and majored in Asian Studies and International Relations. She continued on with a Summer Language graduate program with Mount Holyoke in Mandarin. She graduated in the top two percent in her class with the International Language Program/Falcon Chinese Summer Program with Cornell, and she supplemented her studies by enrolling in the International Chinese Language Program at Peking University School of International Studies.

Ms. DeCrosta is the Associate Head of Operations BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s Lower School campus. Her goal in this role is to build upon the existing safe and welcoming environment at the Lower School and enrich the experience through the school years to come for students, faculty, and staff. Ms. DeCrosta graduated magna cum laude from New York University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in urban planning and architecture along with journalism and mass communication.

Ms. DeCrosta felt the Director of Operations role was a great fit for the next step in her career, as she worked as a Real Estate developer and operator throughout the New York Metro Area from 2005 to 2020. She was formerly a member of the development executive team that constructed and operated City Point, which is now home to our Lower School Campus.

Outside of school, Ms. DeCrosta is a long-time resident of Carroll Gardens who enjoys stopping by the local farmers market alongside her two daughters and husband. She spends much of her personal time at Prospect Park, as she is an active board member of the Prospect Park Alliance.

As Auxiliary Programs Coordinator at BASIS Independent Brooklyn Lower School, Ms. Eliano hopes to leverage her background in education and Social-Emotional Learning to develop programs that will empower students to become multi-faceted individuals with the ability to navigate challenges with resilience and empathy.

Ms. Eliano graduated from Macaulay Honors College at CUNY Queens College with a bachelor’s degree in linguistics and a minor in Arabic. She spent time living and teaching English as a foreign language in Madrid, Spain. Upon returning to the U.S., she earned a dual master’s degree in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) & foreign language education from New York University. Ms. Eliano went on to teach TESOL in Queens, NY (her hometown!) and eventually moved into School Operations. Currently, Ms. E is pursuing a Master of Science in clinical mental health counseling at St. Bonaventure University.

BASIS Independent Brooklyn’s commitment to a joyful learning culture and celebration of hard work closely aligns with Ms. Eliano’s vision for education.

When she’s not at school, Ms. Eliano loves to explore the ever-growing city and spend quality time with her best friends!

Ms. Forde is the Director of the High School Program at BASIS Independent Brooklyn. She graduated from Williams College with her bachelor’s degree in history and classics, and she was honored as a Mellon Undergraduate Research Fellow during her years on campus. She received her master’s degree from the University of London and her post-baccalaureate from Bryn Mawr College. She also pursued coursework ranging from anatomy to cellular and molecular biology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore Medical School, and Georgetown.

After obtaining her degrees, Ms. Forde worked in clinical research at the University of Maryland Center for Integrative Medicine. She co-authored two research publications on anxiety while at the university. After a few years in the clinical research setting, Ms. Forde decided to switch careers to education.

Ms. Forde previously worked directly with elementary and middle school students on their reading literacy and mathematics ability in preparation for the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth Program. Later she focused on literacy coaching for 6th and 8th grade students with the ExpandEd schools system, a nonprofit dedicated to its mission of closing the learning gap by increasing access to enriched education experiences. Her work with ExpandEd involved improving reading comprehension, facilitating student discussion, and developing critical thinking skills. At this time, she also began to enjoy leading afterschool clubs, including Yearbook. Most recently, Ms. Forde coordinated, developed, and facilitated interactive workshops and activities for Global Kids while continuing her work as a literacy coach for 6th and 8th grade students.

Ms. Forde joined BASIS Independent Brooklyn because she is passionate about instilling the critical thinking and analytical skills necessary to develop young individuals into successful adults who make key contributions to the world. Since 2017, she has taught World History classes and in 2019, a senior Capstone Class on the History of Medicine. When not in class, Ms. Forde enjoys knitting, traveling, baking, and creating puzzles.

Ms. Goldfarb’s passion for communications is exceeded only by her love for a school she has come to adore as a parent. She spent more than 20 years leading communications programs for some of the largest healthcare brands in the world at top New York City public relations agencies. Ms. Goldfarb also served as Parent Association president of her daughters’ elementary school before transferring them to BASIS Independent Brooklyn. That volunteer position gave her insight into ways smart, creative communications could help strengthen a community of parents, teachers, and administrators.

Ms. Goldfarb began her career at WPP’s Ogilvy Public Relations followed by Cohn and Wolfe, where she rose from Senior Associate to the level of Senior Vice President/Group Director of the Healthcare Practice. She was offered the chance later in her career at Biosector 2 to co-lead the largest account in the healthcare public relations industry at the time. The account took her team across the country educating people on COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Ms. Goldfarb and her agency teams won PR Week’s “Healthcare Campaign of the Year” in 2011 (Biosector2 for DRIVE4COPD) for that account in addition to many other industry honors. She had also won that award in 2001 while at Cohn & Wolfe for the “Allegra-Everest Expedition.”

Prior to changing professional focus to grow BASIS Independent Schools in New York City, Ms. Goldfarb ran her own communications consultancy focused on healthcare, consumer, and non-profit clients.

“My desire to lead up communications at BASIS Independent Brooklyn comes from my experience with the school as a parent. Both my daughters come home inspired by their teachers daily. The teachers at the school and the curriculum are second to none. I want to help BASIS Independent Schools take root here in NYC, so other families can benefit from the difference in instruction offered.”

Ms. Goldfarb earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Duke University graduating cum laude.

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