RCSA Alumni Newsletter

Alumni Name: Mikaila Mangubat

Graduation Year: 2019

Current Position: Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) Clinical Fellow

Mikaila Mangubat, a proud 2019 graduate of River City Science Academy, has built an engaging career in the field of communication science and disorders. After graduating from RCSA, she attended the University of North Florida, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in public health science but experienced a change in passion towards helping people find their voice through the clinical work of language and swallowing. Mikaila began her professional journey at The Jacksonville Speech & Hearing Center (JSHC) where she climbed the ladder starting as an intern, then being hired as an executive assistant, to becoming a speech language assistant gaining hands on experience from ages 3 to 5 giving treatment on repairing their language, play skills, and phonetics to enhance their speech.

Eager to deepen her expertise, Mikaila went on to earn her master’s degree in SLP at Jacksonville University. Today, Mikaila works at Brooks Rehabilitation Inpatient Hospital completing her residency, where she applies her knowledge on the "Stroke and Spinal Cord Injury" floor collaborating with doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and occupational therapists. Together, she works to enhance people's quality of life by teaching adults how to strengthen their swallow, motor speech, cognition, and breath support. She aims to always provide the greatest quality of care. Outside of work, Mikaila enjoys visiting bakery cafes, spending time with her family, traveling, and creating art.

Mikaila would like to thank RCSA for the foundation of her academic beginnings. She is grateful for RCSA on shaping her sense of initiative and belief on the importance of hard work. Mikaila holds true to the quote of "If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude" written by Maya Angelou. RCSA instilled in her the "growth mindset" where no matter where you are in life, education is the key to success and you must accept that you are continuously growing. She encourages students to live fully and with purpose!

We are excited to celebrate some special milestones and share joyful news from our alumni community. Since our last newsletter, we have had the pleasure of recognizing several alumni who have begun a new chapter in their lives through marriage.

Congratulations to Brittany (Class of 2015), Gaby (Class of 2015), Jessica (Class of 2018), and Zynnuel (Class of 2020).

We wish each of them a lifetime filled with love, happiness, and countless blessings. It is always a joy to see our alumni grow, build families, and continue writing their stories beyond RCSA.

If you are an alum who has recently celebrated a marriage, we would love to recognize you in a future newsletter—please feel free to send us your wedding photos so we can share and celebrate your special moment.

Winter break gave us a great opportunity to reconnect with our alumni. While some alumni attending college far from Jacksonville were home for the break, we met with some members of the Class of 2025 over coffee. It was great catching up with them. We also spent time meeting alumni from our early graduating classes over lunch and coffee, sharing updates and ideas for future alumni projects.

We gathered for a special Alumni Thanksgiving Dinner hosted by Dr. T, Mrs. Derya, and their son Mehmet, and celebrated Vaughnesaar (Class of 2013) for sharing her journey with younger alumni and Luke (Class of 2021) on landing a job at Boeing. Dr. T and Mr. Sel also met with alumni in Tallahassee during a conference trip. In addition, we mailed out the first batch of RCSA Alumni baby bodysuits—check your mailbox and send us a photo! More alumni gatherings are coming soon in Gainesville, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville.

Date: Saturday, February 7, 2026

Time: 10 AM - 2 PM

Location: RCSA Innovation, 8160 Baymeadows Way W.

Admission: FREE!

Exciting STEM experiments

Autonomous vehicle rides

Bounce houses in the Fun Zone

Food trucks

Health & science exhibits

This is a fun-filled family event you won’t want to miss. Invite your friends and neighbors to join in on the excitement, and let’s celebrate STEM and health together!

BIG NEWS!

Two of our outstanding students are officially Ivy Bound!

Princeton University

Dartmouth College

From big dreams to bright futures—read their inspiring journeys in the link below!

Seila’a Interview:

https://rcsarocketlink.com/.../%F0%9F%8E%93-princeton.../

Luke’s Interview:

https://rcsarocketlink.com/.../dartmouth-bound.../

We’re excited to share that our Executive Director, Dr. Dogan “Dr. T.” Tozoglu, was featured in K12 Digest!

In the interview, he talks about his journey from engineering to education, how RCSA grew into a six-campus STEM network, and why belonging and human connection matter in innovation.

Read the full interview:
https://www.k12digest.com/celebrating-stem-through.../

We’re thankful for his inspiring leadership!

After the recent storm in Jamaica, our Rocket community stepped up to support RCSA staff members whose families were affected.

Thanks to donations from students, families, and staff, we raised funds to help their loved ones back home.

Your kindness and unity show what RCSA is all about. Thank you for showing that we are stronger together — and that kindness knows no borders.

We’re so grateful for the kindness and generosity of our amazing families. Thank you for stepping up to help those in need!

Special thanks to Mr. Krist and the Interact Club for leading the Youth Crisis Center drive with heart and purpose.

And a big shoutout to our River City Science Mandarin families for collecting donations and spreading the word.

Because of all of you, our light shines even brighter.
Thank you for making a real difference!

RCSA continues its strong partnership with LifeSouth by hosting on-campus blood drives multiple times each year. With LifeSouth’s mobile bus visiting our campus, both students and staff regularly step up to donate and support this life-saving effort. Our most recent blood drive took place on January 13, 2026, once again showing the power of our school community. Heroes don’t always wear capes—sometimes they simply roll up their sleeves.

River City Science Academy Middle and High School is currently hiring for the 2025–2026 school year. Open positions include a Middle School Physical Education Teacher (health certification required) and a Middle–High School Music Teacher (Florida teaching certification required). Interested candidates are encouraged to apply and email their resumes to jhough@rivercityscience.org We look forward to welcoming dedicated educators to join our school community.

Are you seeking new career opportunities or know someone looking to make a meaningful impact? River City Science Academy, with its diverse campuses and educational programs, offers a variety of employment possibilities. We continuously have openings for dedicated individuals in various roles, including teachers, after-school care personnel, substitute teachers, teacher assistants, and paraprofessionals. To apply, send your resume to employment@rivercityscience.org. We welcome you to consider becoming a valuable member of the RCSA team.