Tenille Wright

Tenille Wright

Meet Tenille Wright, who calls herself the unpaired electron that the school needs for a perfect reaction. Tenille is a science teacher who has been teaching for 4 years. She has her masters degree in Secondary Education with a Focus on Stem. She has 15 years of hands-on scientific experience in a laboratory. Tenille needed a change from the lab scenery.  She went and taught in Mfantsiman, Ghana and this is where her passion for teaching evolved. She substituted at a school in Lincoln Park and has been teaching science since then. She loves teaching in her community and bringing the real world to chemistry, while helping the students realize that they have been scientists their entire life. She is an active member of the American Chemical Society, where she recently attended the Atlantic Basin International Conference. She is a member of the American Association of Chemistry teachers where she is always networking to try to find new ideas on how to differentiate student learning. She is thrilled to be a part of the Leo Family.

Ernest Bryant

Ernest Bryant

Mr. Bryant is a proud Leo class of 1997 graduate. Mr. Bryant holds a degree in Political Science from the University of St. Francis. Mr. Bryant worked in retail management for 10 years before transitioning to education. He spent four years as a classroom aide in special education at various CPS schools before joining the faculty at Leo. Since 2018, he has been working at Leo as the Title One program coordinator. He now teaches Freshman Seminar and English. He is also an assistant football coach.

Titus Redmond

Titus Redmond

Mr. Redmond brings 25 years of experience and commitment to Catholic education to Leo’s English department. A former basketball standout at Gordon Tech High School (now DePaul Prep), Mr. Redmond holds a BS in computer science and is pursuing a Master’s degree in the art of teaching. A father of four, Mr. Redmond has been an athletic director, an admissions director and a dean of students in addition to classroom teaching. He lists reading, politics, public speaking and “research for new knowledge” among his interests. His students have gone on to attend some of the nation’s top universities, including Dartmouth, Northwestern, Marquette and Michigan State.

Molly Zajac-Clark

Molly Zajac-Clark

Ms. Zajac-Clark is excited to join the Leo Team, and teach the Freshmen Seminar and English at Leo. She is a Class of 2015 Golden Apple Scholar and studied the Teaching of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She is a member of various academic honor societies including Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Eta Sigma, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Ms. Zajac-Clark is always hungry to learn and share new knowledge and skills and asks her students to do the same. She is honored to join the team of distinguished educators at Leo and looks forward to seeing her students reach great heights.

Iyabo Williams

Iyabo Pommells

Mrs. Iyabo Pommells is a mother and Chicago native. She has a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Spelman College, graduating Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa. She also has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Michigan, graduating Cum Laude. Mrs. Pommells has been a classroom math teacher for elementary through high school students for since 2010. As a teacher her focus is always on critical thinking and encouraging students to analyze situations. She has experience preparing students for the ACT and ACT-aligned tests. In addition to math education, she has written a STEM curriculum and facilitated STEM education programs in school-day and after-school environments.

Lydia Tabernacki

Lydia Tabernacki

Mrs. Tabernacki is a native of South Chicago and attended St. Michael Grade School in South Shore. She completed her undergraduate studies at Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO, majoring in Juvenile Corrections and minor classes in Social Science, Theology, and Philosophy. Ms. Tabernacki obtained her Masters Degree from Chicago State University in Education, concentration in School Guidance. She worked within the Catholic School system for several years as a high school counselor, teacher, and coach, and is happy to now be a part of the Leo High School Family as our theology teacher and campus minister.

Isaiah Moore

Isaiah Moore

As a man of self progression and action, Mr. Moore prides himself in being his best authentic self whenever possible. He believes that education is the gateway to self sufficiency and overall grit maintenance. Mr. Moore is a two- time published author and currently serves on the board of directors for Chicago Scholars as well as the chair for the Alumni Leadership Association for the Chicago Scholars. He shares that it is a tremendous blessing to be at Leo, to give back to the community that gave so much to him and to be part of the team educating the next leaders in our society. “These are black kings that will go on to do amazing things and that fills my heart with so much joy,” said Mr. Moore.

Laurence Pommells

Laurence Pommells

Laurence Pommells is elated to be Leo’s Art Teacher and the Leo IT Director. Mr. Pommells is a warrior priest who has been practicing martial arts for the past 26 years. In that time, he studied Traditional Tae Kwon Do, Chuan Fa Kung Fu/C.U.M.A, Shorin Ryu, and Afrikan Martial Arts. He is also a jeweler who uses, metal, fossils, gemstones, and leather to make jewelry. His interest in crafting with his hands started in high school and blossomed into a successful career. As a visual and performing artist, he seeks to help Leo students discover their voice through exploring different mediums. Academically, he graduated from Pomona College with a Bachelor of Arts as POSSE, Gates Millennium, and Ronald E. McNair Scholar.

Aurora Latifi

Aurora Latifi

One of the most popular and enthusiastic figures at Leo, Ms. Latifi has taught math at Leo since 2001 and rarely misses a Leo event. She also chairs the Math Department and is moderator for the National Honor Society. In that role, she oversaw the process by which Eder Cruz Alvarado became Leo’s first Gates Millennium Scholar in 2011. Ms. Latifi is a native of Albania and graduated with a degree in Mathematics from the University of Tirana. She holds a Master’s in Leadership and Curriculum Development from Concordia University. She has also been included into the Leo High School Hall of Fame. Ms. Latifi loves the pride and loyalty of the Leo Community.

LaDonna Hill

LaDonna Hill

During her 19 years as Leo’s Music Director, Mrs. Hill has built the Leo Choir into a popular attraction that is in demand throughout the city, bringing invaluable recognition to Leo High School. In addition to its annual Christmas and Spring concerts, the Choir regularly performs at Big Shoulders events, civic functions and church gatherings. In December 2017, the Choir sang Christmas carols at Millennium Park for a crowd estimated at 1,200. Mrs. Hill’s music history includes work with local and nationally recognized artists. She also has international experience touring Switzerland and South Africa, and multiple tours through Spain. Mrs. Hill holds a Master’s Degree in Applied Biblical Studies from Moody Bible Institute and a Bachelor of Arts Degree from Chicago State University. She believes all students can and should learn, and continues using music to motivate students to strive for excellence and success.