People
Meet the BASEC @ Burbank Team

Sarah Houtmeyers

Ellen McEllin

Andrew Mountford

Viviana Sanchez

Annie Gladfelter

Alex DeMaris

Felisia Sainz

Sam Taber

Vicky O’Regan

Karen Shea

Elaine Arvantis

Isabella Brody Magid

Ciara McCarthy

Kim To

Lan Huynh

Vivian Chiang

Mark Anderson

Rachel Clancy

Chenda Kaplan

Director of Student Programming, BASEC @ Burbank
Ellen McEllin
Ellen has been with BASEC and BBASP (its predecessor) since 1999. She is also a classroom aid in 3rd and 4th grade at the Burbank. Ellen is the main point of contact for BASEC @ Burbank Workshops and tutoring and begins her role as Director of Student Programming in 2019!

Operations Director
Viviana Sanchez
Viviana joined the BASEC team in 2019 after working 4 years at a Therapeutic Foster Care Agency. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and human development with a focus in psychology. Her passion for nonprofit work began after working for Jumpstart and AmeriCorps NCCC where she saw first hand how nonprofit organizations positively impact the lives of children and families involved. Viviana is excited for this new chapter at BASEC!

Director of Impact
Annie Gladfelter
Annie G. is in her fifth year at BASEC. Before coming to BASEC, she taught for 5 years in the Cambridge Public Schools and worked in after school programming for over 10 years. Annie G. also has her M.Ed in Out-of-School Time Program Development and Improvement. Her work passions include science with kids and professional development.

Sports Specialist
Alex DeMaris
Alex joined the BASEC team in 2020 after completing the Boston Teacher Residency program and obtaining a Masters in Education from UMass Boston. He received a Bachelors in Human Development & Family Science from Oregon State and has always wanted to make a positive impact in children’s lives. Alex is thrilled to be a part of BASEC and the Belmont community.

Visual Arts Specialist
Felisia Sainz
Felisia has been with BASEC since 2017. She got her BFA in Illustration at Massachusetts College of Arts and Design. Since college she has been working on her own artwork and comics, curating for gallery spaces, and doing freelance illustration.

Educator
Sam Taber
Since 2015, Sam has played the dual role as piano teacher and educator with BASEC. He is proud to be part of the arts team and contribute musically to the program throughout the school year, during vacation camp, and for special productions. Sam is a local freelance musician who plays regularly around New England. He has a B.A. in History from Boston University.

Educator
Vicky O’Regan
Vicky has been with BASEC since 2003. During the school day, she is the Reading Specialist at the Burbank School. Vicky is also one of our before school teachers.

Educator
Karen Shea
Karen has been with BASEC since 2011. She works at before school and after school. Karen also is a professional aide at Burbank which she began in September 2007.

Educator
Elaine Arvantis
Elaine has been with BASEC since 2014. During the school day, she is a classroom aide at the Winn Brook School. Elaine is also one of our before school teachers.

Assistant Educator
Isabella Brody Magid
Bella is one of BASEC’s assistant educators. She is graduating from BHS in 2024.

Family Engagement Specialist
Ciara McCarthy
Ciara is proud to have joined the BASEC team in 2023 as the Family Engagement Specialist. She holds degrees in Kinesiology and Spanish from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her passion for education began in college through volunteering at a school for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and she has since taught english at an elementary school in Madrid, Spain. Ciara is thrilled to be a part of the BASEC team!

Educator
Kim To
Kim joined the BASEC team in 2021 as a graduate of University of Massachusetts Amherst, with a degree in Psychology and Education. Since then, she gained classroom experience as a Professional Aide and helped to pilot and lead the structured recess program at Burbank.

Educator
Lan Huynh
Lan joined the BASEC team in 2023. She completed her undergraduate degree from UMass Boston in 2017 and majored in Early Childhood Education. She has been working with children for over 9 years. Lan is an avid reader, enjoys playing video games and likes to explore new restaurants and try new foods.

Educator
Vivian Chiang
Vivian joined the BASEC team in 2023 after completing a master’s degree in music from Boston University. As a musician, she has several years of experience in teaching and performing within the music industry and guiding students to succeed in music competitions. Her professional interests include early education and music performance.

Educator
Mark Anderson
Mark joined BASEC in the fall of 2022. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth with a degree in Graphic Design & Visual Arts. He received his TESOL and spent the next 10 years overseas in eastern Asia teaching children english. He looks to find new ways to engage with the students from games to crafts and storytelling.

Educator
Rachel Clancy
Rachel, a Watertown, MA native, joined BASEC in 2023 as a Kindergarten Specialist. She has over 12 years of experience working in Early Childhood Education. She is EEC accredited and has a B.S. in Early Childhood Education from Lesley University.

Educator
Chenda Kaplan
Chenda, a Belmont Native, joined BASEC in 2023. She graduated from Curry College with a B.A. in Sociology.
Interested in joining our team? Check the Careers page for current openings.