Since a young age, Ms. Cook has possessed a love for education. She long aspired to play a vital role in the successful operation of an educational institution and now leads operations at CAPS Paterson.

Ms. Cook earned her Bachelor’s Degree from William Paterson College and her Master’s Degree from Montclair State University. She began her career in education in 2001 as a Substance Awareness Coordinator for elementary students within Newark Public Schools (NPS). After 16 years of service with NPS, Ms. Cook joined the College Achieve Paterson staff as one of the founding members of the administrative team.

Ms. Cook prides herself in her work. She says the most rewarding part of her job is knowing that her day-to-day work contributes to quality education for today’s youth. In her free time, Ms. Cook enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren and being outdoors.

Dr. Zatiti Moody currently serves as Principal of College Achieve Public Schools High School in Paterson, N.J. Dr. Moody hails from Paterson, NJ. where he previously served as the Principal of the “Alonzo (Tambua) Moody Academy” formerly known as “Great Falls Academy/Silk City Academy” where he successfully managed the major merger of two of the district’s most difficult schools in the City of Paterson. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Moody served as the Principal of Operations at the famed Eastside High School — where he was instrumental in completely renovating and restoring a culture of excellence to his alma mater. For 9 arduous years Dr. Moody worked tirelessly alongside his colleagues as they instituted a highly-efficient, effective, and rigorously-disciplined behavior modification program which garnered many acknowledgements as well as accolades from the Superintendent of Schools as well as many state officials. The results of Dr. Moody’s work at the historic Eastside High School has been incomparable and has been undeniable as it promulgated into the district’s attempts to duplicate the model in other schools throughout the district.

Dr. Moody’s passion for assisting in the restoration of young lives and inspiring meaningful change was fostered early in life by his parents Mr. and Mrs. Alonzo and Sarah Moody. Both are long standing community activists and humanitarians whose contributions to the Paterson community are immeasurable. They have led a tireless struggle to uplift their community as a whole and as such were enlisted by the President of the Executive Board of Children’s Haven to run a group home for abused, abandoned, and neglected boys. For thirteen years, Zatiti and his brothers Malik and Kwesi were reared among the over 200 plus foster children placed in the care of their parents. The plethora of trials and tribulations faced with this upbringing helped Zatiti to forge his own identity.

Zatiti is an exemplary role model and a product of the school system he served for over 25 years. He graduated from Eastside High School where as a senior in high school he demonstrated a strong aptitude for success academically and as a student athlete. He graduated in the top 5% of his class, ranking 7th in a class of over 350 students. Not only did Moody excel academically, but was a force to be reckoned with as a three-sport athlete — having gained national recognition as one of the top student-athletes in the country. This was no easy feat considering the obvious obstacles of living with wayward youth. As a result of his dual prowess, Moody was highly-recruited by several colleges and universities; however, he chose the University of Pittsburgh to further his academic and football interests. Zatiti was an exceptional football player who started as a defensive end 3 years in a row in the competitive Big East Conference. Zatiti gained national recognition in the Nation’s Capital as one of the top student-athletes in the college ranks. He was one of 30 student-athletes to receive this prestigious National Award for Academic and Athletic Achievement from the National Association of Academic Advisors for Athletes (N4A). Dr. Moody’s academic abilities rivaled his athletic accomplishments. He was named to the Big East Academic All-American team when he graduated with a 3.8 GPA in the field of Social Work. Impressed with Mr. Moody’s passion, accomplishments, and perspective, the University of Pittsburgh offered to absorb the costs associated with securing his master’s degree in Social Work, in exchange for his accepting a position as an Academic Advisor to the athletic student body. Dr. Moody completed his master’s degree and certification as a Certified School Social Worker. He was highly-recruited by the Pittsburgh Public Schools. However, Zatiti made the conscious decision to return to the city he loves to continue onto the path of community service like that of his phenomenal parents. At the age of 23, Mr. Zatiti Moody accepted a School Social Worker position at the Great Falls Academy, where he excelled as a counselor and mentor to some of the city’s most disaffected students. Dr. Moody quickly garnered the respect and attention of his Principal as well as the Superintendent of schools for his impact on the students and their families that he served. Impressed with the powerful influence demonstrated in his brief tenure, the Superintendent appointed Dr. Moody to the position of Supervisor, where he functioned as the sole Administrator of Great Falls Academy for nine years. He is credited with the successful implementation of the Positive Peer Culture Behavior Modification model and is responsible for its replication throughout other school districts and agencies throughout the country. After successfully serving as an architect for meaningful behavioral changes at Great Falls Academy, Dr. Moody was appointed as the Co-principal of Eastside High School in 2009. In his first year returning to his alma mater he instituted some of the tenets of the Positive Peer Culture Behavior Modification model and had an overwhelming positive impact on the culture of the school. The following year Dr. Moody was named as the Principal of Operations and continues to instill the core values of Positive Peer Culture to influence the newly established school culture that creates the environment for student success.

In addition to his meaningful work and contributions to the Paterson Public School system, Dr. Moody finds the time and energy to dedicate to various progressive community based organizations such as; Vice President of the B.R.O.T.H.E.R.S. of Paterson (Brothers Reaching Out To Help Everyone Rebuild Self), member of the BAND (Ban Against Neighborhood Destruction), former mentor of the Youth Advocate Program (YAP), former member of the Paterson Mayor’s Task Force, former Consultant for the School Based Youth Services Program, member of Black Men Talking (BMT), and Board Member for both the Mural Arts Program (Halls That Inspire) as well as the City of Paterson’s Youth Services Bureau program (Total Lifestyle and Support Program).

Dr. Moody has been featured on several media outlets including Eyewitness News, FOX 5, MY 9 News, CBS News, and News 12 for the work that he has done in the community of Paterson as a High School administrator along with his efforts with the BROTHERS in their implementation of alternative educational strategies and techniques used to educate the Public about the importance of voting and ending gun violence. Dr. Moody was also featured on Univision for the work that he has done with the schools during Hispanic Heritage Month. Although Dr. Moody continues to be committed to his mission of creating an environment better than the one he inherited, he is most proud of the work that he does in his home where he is a proud Husband and Father. Zatiti Moody resides in the City of Paterson with his lovely wife Dawn Moody and three children; Kiana Briggs 30, Khadija Moody 22, and Akil Moody 20. Dr.Moody is also extremely proud of the fact that he leads by example as he recently achieved the honor of completing his Doctorate degree from the University of Southern California in May 2024.

Ms. Verta-Cespedes currently serves as the principal for the K-5 Market Street campus. She started her career in Paterson in 2012 as an inclusion 5th grade teacher. In 2014, she was offered a unique opportunity to turnaround a low performing school in Newark, NJ that was being shutdown by the state. Within the first year of the turnaround, mathematics scores increased from 28% proficient to 70% proficient and English Language Arts scores increased from 20% proficient to 50% proficient. Eventually, by 2017 both math and ELA scores were 80% proficient or above, making the school one of New Jersey’s most successful turnarounds.

While this experience was fulfilling, she always had aspirations of returning back and serving the Paterson community. In 2021, she joined the Market Street team as the Special Education Coordinator and later became the academic supervisor for third, fourth, and fifth grade math and ELA. Alongside the administrative team, Ms. Verta-Cespedes was able to bring her expertise and knowledge to support academic growth both in ELA and math.

As principal, her goal is to continue to support teachers and students to reach their fullest potential through continuous academic and social-emotional learning opportunities. She wholeheartedly believes in the mission of College Achieve and is grateful to be able to do a job she loves each and every day.

Dr. Phillips earned a B.A. degree in both Communication and African Studies from Rutgers University before completing a master’s degree in Education Administration program at Grand Canyon University. Dr. Phillips acquired her doctoral degree of Education in Organizational Leadership from Grand Canyon University in December 2020. In 2003, Dr. Phillips began her career in education serving Paterson students as a first-grade teacher. During these years, she worked to instill the importance of education and make long-lasting connections with students while using an individualized, differentiated approach to develop student growth.

Between 2015 and 2018, she took on the challenge of many leadership roles, including Assistant Director of Academics, Curriculum Supervisor, Master Mentor Teacher, and Professional Development Coordinator.  It was during this time that she realized that student performance was hindered by teachers leaving the school either to pursue roles in traditional public schools or leave the field of education altogether. This pattern of turnover left a negative impact on the students and school, resulting in inequitable outcomes. With an eagerness to work towards teacher retention, Dr. Phillips studied the role of influencers on this pattern and developed a plan to decrease the turnover rate in her school. The resulting yearly 97% teacher retention rate throughout her tenure as school leader improved instruction and led to consistent student gains.

Currently, Dr. Phillips leads the K-5 program at CAPS Paterson as the Director of  Elementary Education. Her leadership style is marked by poised, effective communication and the promotion of staff collaboration toward shared goals. She frequently mentors teachers, drawing on her own experience in the classroom, modeling for them, and challenging them to implement rigorous, data-driven instruction.

Dr. Phillips also serves as a Content Expert with Grand Canyon University and as a committee member on the Rutgers Graduate School of Education’s Advisory Council. She is the founder of J.S. Phillips Educational Consulting.

Kimberly Wright-White knows that success in urban advocacy and education takes determination, focus, perseverance and the ability to bring dignity to the lives of those she serves. With over 25 years in the field, her wealth of experience has allowed her to grow, learn and teach others across various facets of urban advocacy and education. Wright-White completed her B.A. at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and her M.A. at Saint Peter’s University.

Early in her career, Wright-White’s work on behalf of the Newark Mayor’s Office and young adults in the city proved to be a richly rewarding experience. She specialized in the development of youth programs, government relations, and contract compliance. Soon after, she transitioned to leadership roles in the public-school sector. Wright-White’s experiences led to an interest in promoting and researching crisis leadership and further marginalized populations. Her ultimate goal is to disrupt intergenerational poverty for community members at risk of becoming further marginalized after crises.

Wright-White has committed herself to bringing awareness to the lack of diversity within all areas of the urban advocacy and education fields. A seasoned urban education leader, after successfully leading a 1,200 student K-8 school, she was tapped to create and lead two new schools. One school was single-gender and supported girls’ academic, social and emotional growth. The second school supported the academic, career and technical education (CTE) of marginalized high school students. In these roles, Wright-White helped secure major grants and donations from NJDOE, NJPAC, and Newark Trust for Education to further expand much needed social, emotional, and academic supports for marginalized populations.

Dedicated to educating new leaders, Wright-White served as an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Summer Principals Academy in New York City. Additionally, she is the Founder and CEO of Educational Design Group which is a consulting group meeting all system creation and design needs for the growth of public and private entities. In addition to her passion for mentoring, Wright-White has consistently collaborated with CBOs and NFPs at all levels, to meet the needs of marginalized community members and staff. Collaboration is one of the key components of the transformational leadership that Wright-White embodies.

As a supporter of BIPOC communities, Wright-White advocates for their mental health, academic, financial, and technical access needs. She participates in numerous professional development activities to keep her abreast of new and evolving innovation ideas and programs. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Management with an emphasis in Higher Education at Hampton University. She resides in New Jersey with her husband Michael and three daughters Alexa, Ashley, and Ariel.

Driven by an unwavering commitment to the success of all students, Ms. Deyka L. Torres serves with pride as the Principal of the Colt St. campus of College Achieve. Her leadership extends beyond administrative duties, actively supporting teachers through professional development and various leadership roles. With a Master’s degree in Education focusing on Educational Leadership and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, she possesses a solid educational foundation. Fluent in Spanish, her ability to connect with individuals from diverse backgrounds enriches her leadership role.

As Principal, Ms. Torres orchestrates the daily operations of the high school, overseeing both instructional and non-instructional staff. She actively engages in program development, setting school-wide goals for student achievement and behavior. Her leadership style emphasizes fairness and sensitivity in managing student behavioral issues. Prior to her current position, Ms. Torres excelled as Assistant Principal at Irvington High School, contributing significantly to the Math Department’s leadership. Her journey in education began as a Mathematics teacher, where she honed her skills in classroom management and instructional technology.

Ms. Torres’s exceptional contributions to education have been recognized through various accolades, including Teacher of the Year and induction into the Kappa Delta Pi National Honor Society. Beyond her professional achievements, she finds joy in family time with her three children, exploring her passion for travel, and savoring diverse culinary experiences. Ms. Torres epitomizes dedication, leadership, and a zest for life in both her personal and professional endeavors.