Saundra Coaxum-Akoh is the youngest of the Coaxum siblings. She has been an Educator for 25 years, and currently resides in Brockton, MA. Though she is many miles from home, she is a proud product of John's Island, South Carolina. Saundra recieved her Bachelor of Arts in English from Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina. She matriculated to Harvard Graduate School of Education where she earned her M.Ed in Secondary English.

Saundra has taught on the elementary, middle and high school levels. She taught high school in both the Sequoia Union High School district in Northern California and in the Atlanta Public School System. She has been teaching in Boston Public Schools since 2000. While teaching in BPS, she has served as a mentor for the Boston Teacher Residency Program. Additionally, she has mentored students from Boston College, Boston University and Harvard Graduate School of Education. She also served as a New Teacher Developer.

Saundra has always been an active member of the Instructional Leadership Team and Governance Council. She was an Induction Coach at Boston Plan For Excellence Organization. She is currently a teacher leader at Dudley Street Elementary School. Although Saundra has been teaching for 25 years, her curriculum and pedagogy are continuously evolving.

Saundra enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. During her down time she can be found working in her garden, practicing yoga and meditation, or hanging out in the Sweet Carolinas.

Dr. Sonya Coaxum was a scientist in the Department of Otolaryngology at the Medical University of South Carolina, and she was a Research Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology from 2008-2014. She earned her B.S. degree in Chemistry from Benedict College and her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from Meharry Medical College. She completed postdoctoral training in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Michigan and the Department of Physiology at Loyola University Medical Center. She has also received additional training by completing internships as a Charles Ross Fellow at the University of Michigan in the Department of Pharmacology and as a participant in the Biomedical Research Training Program at Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology.

Dr. Coaxum’s previous research focused on the structural and functional aspects of the calmodulin binding domain of the G protein-coupled 5-HT_1A receptor. Her previous research also focused on signaling pathways in podocyte biology and polycystic kidney disease. In addition, Dr. Coaxum’s most recent research project focused on head and neck carcinoma. She has previously received several research grants to support her research. Dr. Coaxum’s research data has been published in scientific journals and presented at national scientific meetings.

Dr. Coaxum has previously served on the Careers in Physiology Committee and the Porter Physiology Development Committee as a member of the American Physiological Society. Dr. Coaxum feels that all students deserve access to a high quality science education, which has led her to pursue one of her career goals of teaching science in a secondary education setting. Currently, Dr. Coaxum is a science teacher.

Carla is the oldest daughter of two educators and a minister. She grew up on Johns Island, South Carolina. Carla is a graduate of St. Augustine’s University, an HBCU in Raleigh, NC. where she obtained a B.S. degree in Biology and became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Carla remained in Raleigh after graduating from St. Augustine's University. She worked as a soil analyst for several years at Industrial Environmental Analysis, Cary, NC. The next phase of Carla’s journey led her to the travel industry, first for American Airlines, Cary, NC, in the meetings and groups department. Then as a corporate travel consultant with World Travel Partners, Durham, NC. She spent 20 years working in the travel industry.

Since 2012, Carla has spent her most important work as a paralegal with a non-profit organization in NC that provides legal representation in civil matters for the economically disadvanteged population. Her work is with foreclosure prevention and economic justice. The bulk of her work is as a bankruptcy paralegal, in foreclosure prevention.

Carla is an avid reader and is actively planning for her travels around the world with her husband.