Meet the Network Staff

Thomas Azzarella is the Executive Director of the Alaska Afterschool Network. He has over 15 years of managerial experience in afterschool and summer programs. Thomas is a 2018 Top 40 Under 40 recipient, 2016 White-Riley-Peterson Policy Fellow, and a 2010 Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America Ambassador. He has extensive experience working with community collaborations to increase youth protective factors throughout Alaska. After being a little sibling his whole life he recently became a big brother through Big Brothers, Big Sisters. During his free time, he enjoys exploring Alaska by hiking, camping, gardening, skiing, and growing his beard. He is still slowly renovating his house and spends a lot of time hanging out with his pet chicken named Joan Rivers.

I am Mareé, and I want to show up for people. That would be the short and sweet of me. The other little details of my personality are: if it’s outdoors, 99% of the time I will say yes with a smile; if it’s scary but rewarding, I will raise my hand to go first. My personal goal is to become a cook who makes my kids' friends eagerly ask, "Is your mom cooking dinner tonight?" I love, love my family and see my kids as my greatest teachers, which brings me to one of my favorite perspective-changing quotes: "No man is my friend, no man is my enemy, every man is my teacher" (exact origin unknown). I am a lifelong learner and teacher.

My name is Xaviera, pronounced suh-vair-uh. I have lived in Alaska for pretty much most of my life. Supporting and advocating for youth became a passion of mine after taking an “Intro to Early Childhood Education” course when trying to determine what my college career path would look like. I found myself with a strong desire to support children’s growth and learning, and soon immersed myself into the education world to learn as much as I could, spending a few years teaching at a day care and working as a kindergarten teacher’s aide. After I received my B.A. in Elementary Education from the University of Alaska Southeast, I taught in the Anchorage School District for three years at the primary grade levels and then went on to Girl Scouts of Alaska. I believe that all youth should be equipped with the tools to lead a happy and successful life, and I hope to continue playing a role in that. It is incredibly rewarding work for me, to be able to make a positive impact on our youth.

In my free time, I enjoy making memories with my many family members, reading fictional novels, traveling, and exploring the outdoors.

Hollis Long is originally from the beautiful Washington State, where she developed her love for nature and community. She recently graduated from Yale University with her bachelor’s degree in English, and she has made a commitment to empowering youth in adverse environments. Hollis worked with CLICC (Connecting Through Literacy: Incarcerated Parents, Their Children, and Caregivers) where she mentored children of incarcerated parents in Connecticut. She also spent three summers on Mayhew Island in New Hampshire where she supported “at-risk” youth. She then fell in love with working inside classrooms when she began mentoring a journalism program at public New Haven elementary schools. In her free time, Hollis enjoys reading, painting mediocre landscapes, and hiking.

Originating from Western Massachusetts, Anna received her B.A. in Political Science and Chinese from the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. Post-grad, she found herself falling in love working in education spent the next several years working with youth in a variety of capacities ranging from a teacher, afterschool provider, camp counselor and a coach. in 2014, the military relocated her family to Alaska where she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA. As with many Alaskan transplants, the one-year plan quickly turned into a 7+ year as she fell in love with Alaska and nonprofit work.

In her free time, she likes to try and tame her three- and one-year old boys, be outdoors, staying active, reading and binging true crime podcasts. Anna is excited to be working with the dedicated and passionate youth workers of Alaska and is excited to be a part of the Alaska Afterschool Network team!

Erin came to the Alaska Afterschool Network from Anchorage School District, where she served as a Site Coordinator for 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Erin grew up in a small town in Wisconsin and health was a prominent value in her family, which inspired her to get her bachelor’s degree in Community Health Education. Erin served as a Nutrition Educator with AmeriCorps for a year before coming to Alaska to complete her master’s degree in Outdoor and Environmental Education, and then becoming an afterschool program coordinator. Erin is thrilled to continue serving afterschool programs as a Program Specialist with the Alaska Afterschool Network.

Through her life experiences, Erin found her passion to help people thrive and prepare children for a healthy life. People and children come from all backgrounds with all different experiences, skills, and needs. Erin is a strong believer that when we learn to meet people where they are and identify the best ways to support them, we can improve outcomes and help children and communities thrive. In her free time Erin enjoys knitting, gardening, and recreating in Alaska's great outdoors.

Lily is our Afterschool STEM Expansion VISTA. She works to increase the number of STEM opportunities in our network. Lily first developed an interest in STEM education while teaching at Family Science and Engineering Nights with the Chemical Engineer’s student club at Oregon State, where she saw firsthand the impact afterschool experiences can have. She applied to VISTA for the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, and is very excited to join the Afterschool Network team and help expand STEM education.