Christopher Jennings, Executive Director

Christopher Jennings, Executive Director, began as a volunteer, setting up technology for the original classroom and has been a part of the organization since the beginning. His 15+ years of experience in nonprofit program growth and development are assets he brings to ATWU. In addition to program management, Christopher also works with the staff and board on development, volunteer recruitment and training, visioning and strategic planning, and marketing and publicity. Christopher holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a master’s degree from Yale University.

Stacy Bevill, Lead Instructor

Stacy works with leadership and teachers to improve instructional outcomes for All The Way Up students and processes for teachers. Stacy’s experience in school- and community-based educational settings contributes to our mission and vision to be a leading adult education provider to residents of Newark and Greater Essex County. Stacy has a part of All The Way Up since February 2020, originally helping us to start our evening classes in Maplewood. She was a key player in helping us pivot to teaching online during the pandemic.

Mariel Barocas, Community Outreach Manager

Mariel is excited to serve as  Community Outreach Manager to continue building partnerships and meaningful connections in Newark and the surrounding areas. Mariel recently graduated from Yale University with a B.A. in Political Science and a Certificate in Spanish. At Yale she cultivated her passion for social justice through coursework and by volunteering in the New Haven community through the Volunteer Income Tax Association and New Haven Legal Aid Association. In the future, Mariel hopes to continue empowering others by pursuing law school to enter into public impact litigation or criminal justice reform.

Joanne Dawkins, ABE/GED Instructor

Joanne is our reading/writing teacher for our virtual classes on Wednesday nights. She brings a wealth of knowledge to All The Way Up as a former teacher in the NYC Public Schools and now as an elementary special education teacher in Norwalk, CT.

John Jeffries, ABE/GED Instructor

John is a retired professor from Columbia University and Columbia High School in Maplewood. His diverse experiences and expertise in Social Studies, Civics, and American studies allows him to connect with students on a variety of levels and share his passion with these subjects in new and innovative ways.

Margaret Morales, ABE/GED Instructor

Margaret is excited to join our team as an in-person instructor on Thursday mornings, having previously been involved with other adult education programs and served as assistant superintendent in the Plainfield Public Schools