Have you ever wondered if real-life superheroes walk among us, quietly making the world a better place one day at a time? If you’ve spent any time at Y.A.L.E. School, you might already know two of them: Jason and Gabi Eckert.
This real-life “Dynamic Duo” makes a powerhouse team, inspiring students, and modeling collaboration, showing that a creative partnership can lead to life-changing results.
Gabi, Y.A.L.E. School’s Media Arts and Coding teacher as well as Media Coordinator, began her journey with
Y.A.L.E. School in 2017. Teaching students from first through twelfth grade at the Cherry Hill campus, she explores the worlds of art, animation, advertising, and production, all while helping students build real-world media skills. On top of that, she serves on the Dance, Graduation, and Events Committees, runs the Creative Arts Club and YTV Studio, manages updates to the school’s website and social media – and yet somehow finds the time to capture the photos that make the Y.A.L.E. yearbook so memorable.
Jason joined Y.A.L.E. in 2014 and became the Visual Arts teacher in 2018. He helps students bring their creativity to life through graphic design projects like posters, stickers, and t-shirts. With a degree in Graphics and Animation, Jason not only teaches but also supports the school’s print operations and emergency alert system. He’s the quiet hero behind the scenes, making sure everything runs smoothly.
Their superhero origin story? Fittingly, it starts with comic books. When Gabi toured Y.A.L.E. in 2017 as a
prospective hire, she stepped into Jason’s classroom and immediately noticed the action figures and the Comic Book Creations class he was teaching. She felt an instant connection. “As a huge comic book and superhero fan, I was very impressed,” Gabi says. “I knew we’d be good friends.”
She was right. During orientation, Gabi didn’t yet have her key or know her way around the building, but she remembered her room was across from Jason’s. She stuck close – asking questions, seeking help, and slowly building a friendship.
They started dating a year later, and as Jason puts it, “Students would see us collaborating and think, ‘Oh, that makes sense.’” One student even used his 11:11 wish hoping the two would get married – and was “over the moon” when they announced their engagement. Gabi and Jason officially tied the knot in August 2024.
Together, they model empathy, teamwork, and mutual support. It’s something their students feel and benefit from every day. “The rewarding part for me is seeing what projects my students come up with,” Jason says. “When a student designs a t-shirt based on their favorite video game and then sees the final product, it’s priceless.”
Working side by side might sound overwhelming for some couples, but for the Eckerts, it’s their secret weapon. “I absolutely love it,” Gabi says. “Jason is always there with a helping hand right across the hall. We teach similar subjects, so we bounce ideas off each other, solve tech issues together, and grow our skills constantly. As much as I can do on my own, I feel like I can do anything with him.”
Even their colleagues saw the magic from the beginning. “Before we were even dating, Y.A.L.E. School Director Peggy Chapman once called us ‘The Dream Team’ as we set up for an event,” Gabi recalled. “And it just stuck.”
Jason and Gabi credit Y.A.L.E. School not just for their professional growth, but for creating the kind of environment where real partnerships – both personal and professional – can thrive.
“We just want to do our part to make the world a better place,” Gabi says. “Even if that means just making one student’s day a little bit better. It takes a special kind of person to have the patience, perseverance, and personality to work with special needs students, and those are the people I gravitate toward.” Thanks to Y.A.L.E., she’s found many of her best friends… and the love of her life.
Jason and Gabi may not wear capes, but their commitment, creativity, and compassion make them real-life superheroes in the eyes of their students and colleagues. After all, every superhero has a mission. Theirs? To lift each other up, lead by example, and make the world a little brighter, one student at a time.