Summer Program 2026

Phuong Cao 
Mathematics | Boston Latin Academy

Phuong Cao was a student at BPS and has taught at Boston Public School for over 30 years. He is driven by helping students achieve their maximum potential and is a passionate sports fan outside the classroom. 

Rob Ellis 
Mathematics | New Mission High School

Rob Ellis has been a mathematics teacher at BPS for over 20 years. He has taught AP Calculus since 2010 and has served as an AP Calculus reader for College Board since 2020. 

Tri Tran 
Mathematics | Community Academy of Science and Health

Tri Tran immigrated to the United States from Vietnam at age 12 and grew up in Dorchester. He earned his bachelor’s degree from UMass Dartmouth; his master’s degree from UMass Boston and has been teaching mathematics at Boston Public Schools for over 20 years. A father of three sons in public schools, he is driven by seeing the “aha” moment in students. Outside the classroom, he enjoys the outdoors, volunteer-coaching his sons’ soccer teams, trying different ethnic foods, and volunteering at the FIFA World Cup.

Brett Nadan-Buresh 
Mathematics | Henderson Inclusion School

Brett Nadan has taught high school math and science at Boston Public Schools since 2007. Beyond her work as an educator, she is also the proud parent of two children in BPS. She is driven by helping students see the beauty of mathematics and all the connections between different topics. Outside the classroom, she enjoys crocheting, hiking, aerial circus, running (she has helped coach her daughter’s “Girls on the Run” team), logic puzzles, and reading — sci-fi and horror are her favorites. 

Enkeleda Gjoni 
Mathematics | Boston International High School

Enkeleda Gjoni has taught at Boston International High School for 25 years and serves as an AP reader for AP Precalculus. She’s also the mother of two teenage girls who love working with her students and is driven by helping them succeed. Outside of teaching, she enjoys traveling, learning new things, and socializing. 

Alice Baldecchi 
Chemistry | Excel Academy Charter Schools

Alice Baldecchi is a science educator with more than a decade of teaching experience across California, Missouri, and Massachusetts. She currently serves as the Network MA Middle School Science Department Head at Excel Academy Charter Schools, and since 2024 has been the founding Chemistry and Biology teacher with Northeastern’s Bridge to Calculus program. Her career has spanned AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, and IB Physics, with curriculum leadership at the district level. She describes her work simply: professional educator teaching life skills in a science classroom.

Juvelyn Hartweg 
Biology | Fenway High School 

Juvelyn Hartweg is the mother of three boys and has been an educator for 25 years. Driven by the thrill that comes just before a discovery, she brings curiosity and energy into the classroom. Outside of teaching, she loves to travel and try food from different cultures, and enjoys golf, pickleball, and hosting themed parties. 

Yuyu Chen 
Physics | Murphy’s K-8

The John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Science’s program and teachers prepared Mr. Yuyu Chen for AP Calculus, opened life-changing doors for him, and equipped him with the resources to succeed as a mathematics major in college. The program also inspired him to pay it forward by becoming a teacher after graduation. Mr. Chen later returned to the Bridge to Calculus program to serve as a teacher and mentor at his former high school — an experience he described as “amazing.” Focused and steady in his approach, he enjoys robotics and computers outside the classroom.

Winston Kam 
Chemistry | New Mission High School

Winston Kam grew up in rural North Florida and graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2023 with a B.A. in Art History and Pre-Architecture and a minor in Materials Science, also studying abroad in Rome. As a Teach For America corps member, he moved to Boston, completed an M.Ed. at Boston University, and now teaches Chemistry and Physics at New Mission High School. He is driven by seeing students grow personally and academically, and outside of work enjoys running, learning languages, and mahjong. 

Douglas Wilson 
Statistics | Kennedy Academy for Health Careers

Douglas Wilson has been teaching mathematics in Boston for 26 years and has taught every high school grade and course there is. He is driven by the moment of watching his students walk at graduation. Outside of teaching, he loves spending time with his family and is a fan of food, crossword puzzles, golf, and Tottenham Hotspur. 

Heather Gold 
Introduction to AI | East Boston High School 

Heather Gold has taught math and computer science in BPS since 2022. Summer 2026 will be her third summer working with Bridge to Calculus and her second as an instructor. She is driven by sharing her passion with students and seeing them light up with curiosity and describes working with BtC students as an unparalleled joy.

Rajagopal Venkatesaramani 
Introduction to AI | Northeastern University, Khoury College of Computer

Rajagopal Venkatesaramani is an assistant teaching professor at the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University. His research focuses on privacy in genomic data and explores natural language processing, with published work in Science Advances, ACM TOPS, and Genome Research. Venkat joined Khoury in 2023, drawn to the college’s commitment to CS for everyone, and is driven by empowering students to improve lives through technology. Outside of work, he is a Carnatic vocalist of over 20 years and enjoys badminton, hiking, video games, and coffee.