Binal Patel is currently a high school science and special education teacher at Piscataway High School. She began her journey in education as a paraprofessional in an MD classroom at the middle school level. Thanks to this experience, Binal pursued her Master’s Degree in Special Education to learn more about special education, its laws, mandates, and policies. Since working as a teacher in Piscataway, she took on several leadership roles such as being a Class Advisor, leading PD, and chairing the district’s largest PLC centered around Teacher Wellness and Social-Emotional Learning. 

Binal has a passion for giving everything she has intellectually, pedagogically, ethically, and spiritually to working in a spirit of harmony with everyone within her school community. She is currently earning her Doctorate Degree in Education and hopes to continue being part of meaningful changes in education. Binal currently holds a BA in Biology, MA in Special Education, and EdS Degree in Education Leadership Management and Policy. 

Follow her on Twitter @thesciencebean!

Neel Desai is currently an Elementary School Principal in the Piscataway Township School District in New Jersey. He proudly leads and manages a diverse K-3 school with over 550 students. Before this, Mr. Desai served as the Director of Community Education, a Principal, Vice Principal, and an elementary classroom teacher in the South Brunswick, NJ school district. A former Exercise Science and Psychology major, Mr. Desai was drawn to education through volunteer work with children. Mr. Desai is always a “teacher first” and received his Master's degree through the Rutgers Graduate School of Education and Principal/Supervisor certifications through the FEA/NJEXCEL program.

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Follow Mr. Desai on Twitter at @NeelDesaiBA

Sweety Patel is the Director of School Counseling Services for Carteret Public Schools. Prior to this role, Sweety was a School Counselor for the Jersey City Public Schools for thirteen years. Sweety was born and raised in Jersey City, and has completed her Bachelor's at Case Western Reserve University, in Cleveland, Ohio, and her Master's at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Sweety loves to stand up for social justice through her school counseling advocacy efforts.

You can follow Sweety on Twitter at @SweetyP21

Nisha Zoeller is the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction at the Morris Hills Regional District.  Nisha began her career at the Union County Magnet High School, serving as an English teacher and school counselor for six years before joining Morris Hills HIgh School in 2006 as the Supervisor of School Counseling.  Nisha earned her bachelor’s degree in English Education and her master’s degree in Applied Psychology from New York University.  She also has a master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of Scranton and earned her doctorate from Drew University. She is the recipient of Drew University’s Robert Campbell Prize for excellence in literature. 

Nisha is passionate about working with adolescents.  Outside of school, she is the Northern NJ Mensa Scholarship Chair, which awards funds to students pursuing higher education.  She is also the Scoutmaster of Troop 19, the first Boy Scout Troop for girls in the Rockaway area. She is a recipient of the BSA’s Asian American Spirit of Scouting Award for her work in recruiting Asian youth to the Scouting program. 

Follow Nisha on Twitter @NishaZoeller

Hetal Amin is a K-5 Interventionist in the Edison Township Public School District and is currently working at James Monroe Elementary School. In her role as an Interventionist, she supports students, teachers, and families in the teaching and learning of literacy and mathematics. She is committed to providing students with strategies and foundational skills that promote a lifetime of learning at school and at home.  Since working in Edison, Hetal has taken on many leadership roles some of which include writing and revising curricula, serving in numerous committees, and planning and implementing many schoolwide family events. She has designed and led professional development aligned to school improvement plans, supported teachers and modeled best instructional practices, and led the analysis of formative and summative assessments to design and deliver data-driven instruction. Hetal graduated from Rutgers University with a French major and went on to earn her masters in Elementary Education from Rutgers Graduate School of Education. She obtained her Principal/Supervisor certifications through the FEA/NJEXCEL program.  Outside of work, Hetal enjoys reading, traveling, and hiking with friends and family. 

Follow Hetal on Twitter @hetal_amin1

Purvi Shah recently relocated to North Carolina from New Jersey with her family. After taking time to help her children settle into their new world far away from family and friends, she has started her search for an administrative position in her new location. 

Purvi’s educational career began as a kindergarten teacher in Franklin Park Elementary School.  She taught various grade levels at Franklin Park School for almost ten years. While teaching, Purvi earned a Masters in Elementary Education from Monmouth University and a Supervisors Certificate from Rutgers University. Through encouragement from family, friends and colleagues, she furthered her educational studies at the University of Scranton and earned a Master’s in Educational Administration. Purvi’s experiences completing the practicums in this program solidified her interest and enthusiasm for educational administration.  She has served as Vice Principal at Whiton Elementary School, Franklin High School and Franklin Park School. In her most recent position prior to moving to NC, Purvi was the proud Principal of Franklin Park Elementary School, the same school where she started her journey.

Purvi is passionate about caring and compassion in schools and strongly believes in the powerful impact of building and maintaining positive relationships.  Purvi is grateful to have had amazing mentors along the way and appreciates their guidance and inspiration.  She hopes that she can continue to provide the same encouragement and support to other current and prospective educators. 

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​Follow her on Twitter @purvimshah.

A member of the School & District Team, Vivek Kalola is currently working for Quizizz as a Customer Success Manager. In his role, Vivek handles all communication, conducts professional development training, and provides overall support to ensure schools and districts who have purchased a sitewide plan are utilizing the full potential of the online platform.

Vivek finds himself making the transition into educational technology after 13 years at the Township of Union Public Schools! He taught at a multitude of levels - substitute & paraprofessional at the high school, 1st & 2nd grade in class support, 3rd grade all subjects, 5th grade math & science, and most recently 8th grade Pre-Algebra & Algebra I. Vivek got his start as an educator through the New Pathways to Teaching in New Jersey alternative route program at New Jersey City University, where he is currently finishing up his masters in educational technology.

Vivek was born in India and came to the United States at a young age where he was able to complete his entire K-12 education prior to attending Rutgers University in Piscataway. Vivek earned dual degrees, a B.S. in Exercise Science & Sports Studies, along with a B.A. in Psychology in 2005. Vivek's passion for learning, led him to complete his 3rd B.A. in 2019 (Mathematics).

Follow Vivek on Twitter @VivekKalola

Brenda Gupta is the Supervisor of School Counseling & Student Wellness for the Fair Lawn Board of Education. Prior to joining Fair Lawn Schools, Mrs. Gupta worked as a school counselor in Middlesex County and was employed at South Plainfield High School, Edison High School, and as Supervisor of Guidance and School Counseling, as well as the Student Information Systems Administrator for the district for the Metuchen Board of Education. Mrs. Gupta is passionate about the field of school counseling and believes that every counselor’s skill set is unique and is designed to help students develop positive self-concepts, effective decision-making skills, and accountability for their actions. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Sociology and a Master of Education in School Counseling, both from Rutgers University. Mrs. Gupta is currently a doctoral candidate in Counseling from Montclair State University. Her dissertation topic focuses on the current experiences of Indian parents who have autistic children and how those experiences influence the acquisition of services. She also holds certifications as a Director of School Counseling Services, Supervisor, and is trained in administering the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS-2) assessment. Mrs. Gupta is married and resides in Middlesex County, N.J. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, baking, and traveling.