Faculty and Staff
We invite you to take a moment to meet them!
The EPCDS Board of Directors is made of up prominent business leaders, community leaders, and
educators. It is with their guidance that EPCDS continues to be one of the most successful
educational institutions in El Paso.

Board of Directors
- President- Dr. Laura Alpern
- Ramie Canales
- Laura Gordon
- Dr. Louis Alpern
- Guadalupe Canales
- Sweta Anoop
- Sona Kumar
- Peter Svarzbein

Melissa Blanchette
Director
Education: Ph.D Candidate in Teaching, Learning & Culture, University of Texas at El Paso M.A. in Education in History & Social Studies, University of Texas at El Paso B.A. in History & Political Science, University of Texas at El Paso.
Born in: Wurzburg, Germany
Birthday: April 23rd
Favorite Coffee Drink: Mocha Latte
Favorite Color: Royal Blue
Favorite Quote: “A small body of determined spirits fired by an unquenchable faith in their mission can alter the course of history.” ~ Gandhi
Melissa Eckert is an administrator and teacher at El Paso Country Day School. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at El Paso where her main area of study was History and Political Science. Melissa has a Masters of Arts in Education from the University of Texas at El Paso specializing in History and Sociology. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at El Paso where she is studying Teaching, Learning, and Culture. Melissa is very involved in community development and issues pertaining to social justice. She has worked at the University of Texas at El Paso where she taught future teachers Social Studies Methods and Critical Pedagogy. Melissa has spoken at several conferences on topics from gender inequality in education to content literacy issues.
- Phone:(915) 533-4492
- Email:melissameckert@gmail.com

Josh Alvarez
Assistant Director
Education: Master of Arts in the Teaching of English-M.A.T.
University of Texas at El Paso
B.A. in English and American Literature
University of Texas at El Paso
Born in: El Paso, TX
Birthday: March 5th
Favorite Drink: Chai Tea
Favorite Color: Red
Favorite Quote: “Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens.” ~C.G. Jung
- Phone:(915) 533-4492
- Email:jalvarez1epcds@gmail.com

Laura Cuellar
Office Manager
Education: Associate of Arts in Multidisciplinary Studies . Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s in Social Work
Born in: El Paso, TX
Birthday: April 9th
Favorite Drink: Green Tea
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Quote: “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” Reinhold Niebuhr
- Phone:(915) 533-4492
- Email:lauracuellar@epcds.org

Marsha Heaton
Delta/Epsilon Homeroom
Education:
B.A.in English Literature,
University of California in Santa Barbara
Graduate Studies in Special Education,
NM State in Las Cruces
Born in: Santa Barbara, California.
Birthday: May 28th
Favorite Drink: Caramel Macchiato or Vanilla Latte
Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Quote: “Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” -Chinese proverb
- Email:marshacafe@gmail.com

Carmen Thomas
Daycare and Substitute

Al Gomez
Science, CPT, and Maths
Education:
B.A. at Texas Tech University
Born in: Gary, IN
Birthday: March 12th
Favorite Drink: Dr. Pepper 10
Favorite Color: Chroma Key
Favorite Quote: “When you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you achieve it.” ~ Paulo Coelho, the Alchemist
- Email:mr.al.learn@gmail.com

Clara Trevizo
Business Manager
Education:
Bachelor in Accounting from University of Texas at El Paso
Born in: Cd. Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico
Birthday: January 9th
Favorite Drink: Coffee
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite Quote: “Life is not a destination to be reached, but it is a journey to be enjoyed.” ~ Dabasish Mridha

Monica López
Alpha Homeroom (Pre-K)
Education: Bachelor’s in Business Management from University of Texas at El Paso
Masters of Elementary Education from University of Texas at El Paso
Birthday: February 17
Favorite Drink: Dr. Pepper
Favorite Color: Purple
Favorite Quote: “What the hand does the mind remembers.” Maria Montessori
- Email:mmlopez1709@gmail.com

Bryanna Bouche
Spanish & Art
Education: Associates of Arts in Teaching
Bachelor of Science Education from University of Texas at El Paso
Born in: El Paso, TX
Birthday: August 12th
Favorite Drink: Lemonade
Favorite Color: Pink, Yellow, Blue, Bright Colors!
Favorite Quote: “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart” -The Little Prince

Dr. Laura Alpern
Board President
Education:
Ph.D Candidate in Teaching, Learning & Culture,
University of Texas at El Paso
M.A. in Education in History & Social Studies,
University of Texas at El Paso
B.A. in History & Political Science,
University of Texas at El Paso
Born in: Wurzburg, Germany
Birthday: April 23rd
Favorite Cofee Drink: Mocha Latte
Favorite Color: Royal Blue
Favorite Quote: “A small body of determined spirits fred by an unquenchable faith in their
mission can alter the course of history.” ~ Gandhi
Melissa Eckert is an administrator and teacher at El Paso Country Day School. She has a
Bachelors of Arts from the University of Texas at El Paso where her main area of study was
History and Political Science. Melissa has a Masters of Arts in Education from the University
of Texas at El Paso specializing in History and Sociology.
Currently, she is a doctoral candidate at the University of Texas at El Paso where she is
studying Teaching, Learning, and Culture. Melissa is very involved in community
development and issues pertaining to social justice. She has worked at the University of
Texas at El Paso where she taught future teachers Social Studies Methods and Critical
Pedagogy. Melissa has spoken at several conferences on topics from gender inequality in
education to content literacy issues
- Phone:+1 (859) 254-6589
- Email:info@example.com

Fan Chen
EPCDS Math Team Coach
Education:
Doctoral student in Mechanical Engineering,
University of Texas at El Paso
M.S. in Teaching Mathematics,
University of Texas at El Paso
B.S. for Mechanical Engineering
Hefei University of Technology, China
Born in: Yang Chun, Guang Dong, China
Birthday: November 28
Favorite Drink: Tea
Favorite Quote: “A thousand mile journey starts with a single step.” ~ Lao Tzu

Annabell Sahr
Middle School German Teacher
Education: Ph.D. Student in Teaching, Learning & Culture, University of Texas at El Paso.
Alternative Teacher Certification in EC-12th SPED, University of Texas at El Paso
Master of Science in Management and Organizational Studies, University of Technology Chemnitz
B.A. in European Studies, University of Technology Chemnitz
Born in: Leisnig, Germany
Birthday: September 4th
Favorite Drink: Mocha Latte
Favorite Color: Turquoise Blue
Favorite Quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” ~ Mahatma Gandhi