Ms. Liani: A Guiding Light
“Ms. Liani is more than a teacher; she’s a mentor and a mother figure, someone I call mama bear. No matter how tough things get—whether in school or life—she’s always there to support you. She will always have a smile on her face. She shares wisdom that you don’t hear every day and pushes students to grow both academically and personally.”
STEM subjects–science, technology, engineering, and math–are known for pushing students to their limits, with complex theories, challenging problem-solving, and high expectations. For many students, keeping up with the workload can be overwhelming. But at Comp Sci High, Ms.Liani, a 10th-grade physics teacher and STEM leader, transforms these challenges into opportunities. She’s known for her high standards and fierce dedication, pushing students to think critically and persevere even when the material gets tough. In her classroom, students don’t just learn physics equations and theories–they learn to embrace the challenge, knowing they have her support every step of the way. Beyond the classroom, Ms.Liani’s dedication extends to mentoring students, always looking for ways to help them thrive both academically and personally. This is Ms.Liani’s story.
Part 1: The Story
Ms. Liani was born in California and raised in Phoenix. An only child, she was raised by her mother, father, and Aunt Marcia. Her father, an immigrant from Italy, was born during WWII. At 18, he moved across many European countries to avoid being drafted, as Italy was recovering from the war. At 30, he came to the United States to start a new life. Her mother, originally from Sonora, Mexico, grew up in Phoenix with a strong connection to her heritage in the Mexican and Yaqui Indian communities. Her mother and father did not attend college.
In elementary school, Ms. Liani enjoyed math and science but struggled with reading and writing due to dyslexia. Despite this, her passion for STEM grew, largely inspired by her father and grandfather. Her father made much of the furniture in their home. Ms. Liani loved helping her father and grandfather weld, fix cars, and do maintenance work—things that weren’t usually seen as “women's work.” Thanks to this inspiration from these important men in her life, she didn’t feel limited by traditional gender roles and enjoyed learning how to use tools and fix things around their home.
During high school, Ms. Liani worked at the family-owned restaurant named Alberto Ristorante her parents ran together. She spent her evenings and weekends helping to support the business, taking on roles as a waitress and dishwasher, anything else that was needed.
Through the unconditional support she received from her family and learning the value of hard work Ms. Liani began to grow academically, closing the learning gaps she had in elementary and middle school. This resulted in Ms. Liani excelling academically in high school, earning great grades and playing sports. It was also during this time that she met her high school sweetheart, who she later married. After high school, she was an undergraduate and majored in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics at Southern Methodist University on a full scholarship, then went on to earn her master’s degree at Boston University. However, college presented new challenges. She felt overwhelmed when she stepped into a classroom and saw students who seemed better prepared. One of her first exams resulted in a 32%, one of her lowest grades ever. This left her questioning whether engineering was truly a good fit for her. Once the top student in high school, she feared she might struggle again. But instead of giving up, Ms. Liani pushed forward. She attended office hours, joined study groups with her classmates, and made sure to seek the support she needed, even if she was the weakest in the group. Through perseverance and hard work, she never failed an exam again, moved to top of her class, and went on to become one of the few women to graduate with a Mechanical Engineering degree.
Ms. Liani joined the “Teach for America” program, where she taught for three years in Boston. After teaching for three years she enjoyed it and decided to pursue a master’s degree in education instead of her PhD in Aerospace Engineering that she had deferred in order to try teaching. She then moved to New York with her future husband, and began working at a charter school, where she met many staff members now at CSH, including Ms. Fried, Ms. Ytuarte, Ms. Parcells, Mr. Kelly, Ms. Helmer, Ms. Haught, Ms. Mao and more. However, after teaching there for a while, she began to lose her passion for education, because although the school had an important mission, it felt like there was an important element missing. While they cared for their students, Ms. Liani felt the education systems she had seen lacked a clear understanding of how to create meaningful opportunities for growth beyond academics.
Many schools focus on providing opportunities for students, but it’s not just about giving opportunities—it’s about what those opportunities could result in. Are they internships? Apprenticeships? Pathways to full scholarships to top colleges? For Ms. Liani, it’s about seeing students grow by tackling both school and real-world challenges. She wants students to have access to internships and scholarships when thinking about their next steps. As a student, Ms. Liani wondered how she would afford to attend college. She saw her parents stressed and overwhelmed financially, often making sacrifices, and she resolved to ensure no students feel limited in their options due to socioeconomic status – just like her parents worked hard to provide opportunities for her.
School is more than just classwork, homework, and grades. While she was working at the aforementioned charter school, one of Ms. Liani’s co-workers encouraged her to meet Mr. Noah from Comp Sci High. After an interview at a Harlem restaurant, she visited the school and gave a demo lesson in Ms. Agrawal’s advisory. She was hired as a Physics Teacher and now also holds the role of Chief Academic Officer as well.
Ms. Liani loves teaching at CSH because of the strong bond she shares with students, families, and colleagues. Above all, she aims to inspire her students to grow both personally and academically. While she is strict and tough in physics class, there’s a reason for it. She wants students to believe and know they are better thinkers for being in her class and at CSH. No matter how tough a problem may seem, they can figure it out, despite any doubts others may have. By giving students tough problems, she helps them grow and prepare for the challenges they’ll face in college and beyond.
I asked Ms. Liani about who inspires her now, and she shared that her mother is her biggest influence. Ms. Liani explained that her mother set a high standard for excellence in everything she did while always offering unconditional love. Ms. Liani applies this same approach with her students at Comp Sci High, balancing high expectations with care.
The second question I asked Ms. Liani focused on leadership qualities. She emphasized three key traits she believes are essential for effective leadership: balance, selflessness, and vision. She explained that balance involves being level-headed and not letting emotions of people, even your own, derail your day. Selflessness is about genuinely caring for others and their growth. Vision is about knowing where you're headed and why, guiding both yourself and others with purpose.
Part 2: Student and Staff Thoughts
I asked students and staff to share their thoughts about Ms. Liani—specifically, how she teaches, supports, and inspires them to grow.
Angie, a 10th grader, shared, “Ms. Liani has helped me in many ways, both inside and outside of class. In class, she’s always there if you have a question, and I know I can just go to her after school if I need help with something. I know she’ll give me the extra push I need. Outside of class, she’s a great listener and she never judges you. She might give you some advice, but only if she thinks it’s necessary. She’s a clear example of an inspiring, smart, badass teacher with great outfits who can do anything she sets her mind to.”
Rakeem, a 12th grader, added, “I think as a teacher, Ms. Liani holds high standards, and while that looks different for most teachers, she will challenge you in ways that you might find difficult, or hard to understand. And you’d only realize that until afterward, and it automatically gives you a sense of appreciation. As a student, I personally always struggled with asking for help. It just wasn’t something I’d do. But I had a family advisor conference with her where I was upset with a teacher for not supporting me the way I needed. It wasn’t my personal frustration that made me realize how important asking for help was, but it was her initiative to confront it that made me understand the importance of asking a teacher for assistance. On the personal end, I can tell that she tried to be the person that made your day just a bit easier. And I appreciated it; there was never an instance that I felt I was unable to ask for anything from her. She cares, and it shows in every aspect.”
Osiris, another 12th grader, reflected, “When Ms. Liani first came to my advisory in 10th grade, at first it was kinda awkward because I didn’t think I was going to come back to school with a different advisor. But as time went on, I got comfortable and open. Ever since, I’ve really enjoyed having Ms. Liani around. She’s really supportive and always pushes me to do my best; even when she notices I need some down time, she’s also very understanding. I absolutely love having Ms.Liani as my advisor and I wouldn’t want to trade that for anything.”
Ms.Agrawal says, “Ms. Liani always holds her students to the highest expectations and shows them that there is always reward in trying and putting in the work. She is an inspiration to students and her fellow colleagues alike, always leading by doing, demonstrating deep care and concern for the people around her, and pushing us all to be great. I feel very lucky to work with her.”
Ms.Helmer says, “I would say Liani encourages students to grow with the intention of preparing them WELL beyond the classroom. Her goal is to make sure that all students feel prepared to enter collegiate spaces and beyond AND that they are prepared to do so. Ms. Liani doesn't care about entry into a program or an institution, but rather how prepared students are to STAY in the program or institution. She wants her students to be able to compete against anyone they may have to compete against who wants similar opportunities. This is evident in Ms Liani's classroom and her conversations with advisees. She is constantly asking her students to reflect on their intent vs their impact, on the bar they set for themselves, AND if they are pleased with their own performance- and if not, she does not let them live in the what ifs or the excuses- the challenges the now what? Or how will we respond next time? Ms. Liani instills these same beliefs and mindsets onto her own science team. Every meeting is about how we can maximize our 50 minutes for students and how we are preparing them for their next steps. What I love MOST about working with Ms Liani, is her eagerness to solve problems. She has a no excuse mindset and she works around the clock to gather as much research as possible to make sure we are thinking about school based problems from every perspective. She is the epitome of optimism and pride. I tell her all the time- where she goes I go. I aspire to be an educator like Ms Liani and being on her team is an absolute honor.”
And then I interviewed Mr. C, who told me that before he became a teacher at Comp Sci, he taught at a summer engineering program. He was always quick to offer support when students needed help, especially at Comp Sci, where he teaches physics. However, Ms. Liani emphasized the importance of productive struggle. She explained that when students work through challenges and solve problems themselves, it boosts their confidence and sense of accomplishment. She encouraged Mr. C to adopt this approach, letting students struggle a bit more rather than giving them immediate answers. This shift helped Mr. C recognize the value of fostering independence and deeper learning in his students.
Ms. Liani also encourages students to think critically and go beyond surface-level answers. By asking thoughtful questions, she challenges their initial responses, helping them evaluate their reasoning and build confidence in their answers. Her influence is felt across the entire school, especially in academics. She helped create mastery policies and continues to improve student academics, making teaching more effective and student-focused.
Part 3: Conclusion
Before ending this article, Ms. Liani shared some words for students uncertain about their future, especially in STEM. She said, “For those feeling uncertain in STEM, don’t get caught up in the procedure. STEM is more than facts and math formulas, it's a way of thinking. Push yourself to think about how things connect to tell a story that explains a phenomenon and the world around you. But mainly don’t give up—if you don’t try and try again, you’ll never know if you can.” She also left a valuable lesson from her class: “If I want it badly enough, I can do it. If I really want it badly enough, I can get better. I’m a work in progress with infinite capacity to grow.”
Ms. Liani is more than a teacher; she’s a mentor and a mother figure, someone I call mama bear. No matter how tough things get—whether in school or life—she’s always there to support you. She will always have a smile on her face. She shares wisdom that you don’t hear every day and pushes students to grow both academically and personally. Even if I were to lose her number or lose contact, I know I would never forget the valuable life lessons she’s taught me. If you're looking for someone who will inspire and challenge you, Ms. Liani is the one.