MEET THE TEAM – ATLANTA

Meet Talandra.

Talandra comes to Effective Students with a history of impacting her community working with youth.  She holds a bachelor’s degree from Clark Atlanta University in Marketing.  With experience in the business world in retail and non-profit leadership, she understands what is expected of students in the long term.  Her experience as an innovator coupled with relatability to students enables her to lead them in solving the challenges they face academically helping them develop confidence to self advocate and direct their own learning.

Talandra specializes in working with student athletes in middle and high school as with as students with ASD transitioning to adulthood.  She is the designer and coordinator of many of the competitions within Effective Students.  She excels at hosting the Grit and Growth Mindset Winter Session.

Talandra enjoys cheering for her daughter (Tennessee Lady Vols Basketball Player / Class of 2020) and traveling internationally to watch her daughter play.  She also enjoys dining out, relaxing, traveling and laughing with her close friends and family.

Meet Jennifer.

Jennifer is a native of Iowa who moved to Georgia in 2018.  She comes to Effective Students with 25 years of experience in education. First in early childhood education as director of a pre-K educational center, which inspired her passion for students and children with learning differences.  She moved into special education serving students in preschool through elementary in both with inclusive and integrated elementary K through 6th grade for a total of 16 years. After moving to Georgia she began serving her community by volunteering at Chastain Horse Park in the Hippotherapy program and working with teens in High School ministry at Mount Paran Church. 

Jennifer is known for her consistency and persistence with students who struggle with motivation.  She has worked with two students featured in the Student Spotlight.

Her experience of raising three children with different learning profiles and working in education has made her passionate about supporting our youth to be independent, successful, and confident young people. 

Meet Beth.

Beth is a retired professional ballerina who has a passion for coaching, learning, and positive development. She is a native of Atlanta and attended Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School. While in high school, she began her professional ballet track while balancing the pressures of a highly competitive academic environment. At the age of 17, Beth started her professional ballet career. During her 13-year career, she danced with companies in Florida, Missouri, and California.

Beth has ten years of teaching experience and was the Principal Instructor at Central West Ballet Academy for seven years. Her students have earned coveted spots at prestigious programs such as Harvard, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, and the School of Philadelphia Ballet. Over the years, she has worked with students ages 10 to 18 from diverse backgrounds. Her passion as an instructor is to utilize evidence-based training pedagogy while implementing a positive mindset and coping strategies.

Currently, Beth is completing her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Georgia State University. Since beginning her college career, she has maintained a 4.0 GPA while balancing her professional ballet and teaching careers. Beth has also earned her place on the President’s list every semester she has attended, won the Biology Student of the Semester award for 2022, and recently earned the GSU Achievement Scholarship for her academic achievements. She plans to continue her education to attain her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology.

Meet Mallory. 

Mallory comes to Effective Students with experience teaching in both elementary and middle school. During her teaching career, she worked in a variety of school settings- public, private and charter schools. She has a passion for teaching life skills and social emotional learning tools to help students become better people in this world. 

Mallory is an Atlanta native and attended Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School on full academic scholarship. She went on to receive her Bachelor of Arts in Human Services from Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina on full academic scholarship. She then earned a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education from University of Nevada, Las Vegas. 

During her time earning her Masters, Mallory enrolled in Teach for America where she spent 3 years working in Title I schools in Las Vegas, Nevada. After her time in the classroom, she worked across various school settings in school administration. No matter what position, Mallory has a flair for working with students of all ages to gain tools that help us grow as healthy, high functioning human-beings.  

Meet Brianne.

Brianne joins Effective Students with over fifteen years of experience in teaching and coaching across the Charlotte and Atlanta areas. As a dedicated special educator at both the middle and high school levels, she has developed and implemented educational plans tailored to meet the learning needs of her students. Each plan reflects Brianne’s commitment to ensuring that every learner receives the appropriate strategies and accommodations to thrive academically. Brianne has spent time coaching students through the graduation process and supporting them in staying on track toward earning their diplomas. Her guidance has helped students navigate academic requirements with clarity and confidence.

Bri’s passion for education extends beyond the classroom. While raising her three children, Brianne has continued to coach and advocate for students who learn differently, helping them recognize and embrace their unique learning styles. She believes deeply in empowering every learner to understand and value their own way of learning.

A native of the Atlanta area, Brianne has firsthand experience in public and private school systems and a deep understanding of the local educational landscape. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Corporate Communications from Elon University, a Special Education certification from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership from Georgia Southern University.

Brianne remains actively involved in the academic journeys of her own children, each of whom has a distinct learning style. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys spending time with her family at the ballpark, traveling with her husband, and relaxing with her dogs.

Meet Maureen.

A creative and compassionate educator with 20 years of coaching expertise, Maureen Carlomagno provides educational experiences with an empathy-led approach to individual growth.

With a belief that everyone deserves to be supported and connected, Maureen enjoys collaborating with students to implement strategies that are rooted in best practices. She also integrates both academic and self-care principles in her work with students.

Maureen is a Master-level Certified Intrinsic Coach, Certified Health Education Specialist, and National Board Certified Health Coach. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Spanish from Salem College, a Masters in Public Health from Boston University, and a Certificate in Program Management from Boston University.

While she is delivering coaching with Effective Students techniques, her approach can be summarized by the following Stephen Spielberg quote,

“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.”

When she is not coaching, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, trying new recipes or working in her garden, and volunteering in her community.

Maureen works with college students virtually around the country and in person in Charlotte.