KIPP Alumni Leadership Accelerator

My career aspirations are centered in the political sphere. There are a lot of policies that our communities need in place in order to help them live a better life. My involvement in political campaigns has helped me realize the opportunity that exists in educating our community on policy initiatives that are beneficial to help us have a better standard of living. Our communities do not just want to survive, we want to thrive and in order to make this happen we must elect more members of our communities to positions of power that understand the resources our communities need. I am looking forward to learning more about myself as I progress through the Alumni Leadership Accelerator Program so that I may take this knowledge and apply it in any way that I can in my role as a Field Director for the Dolores for Justice of the Peace campaign.

Sarah Bond is an alumna of KIPP Ujima Village Academy in Baltimore, MD. After middle school, she attended the Bryn Mawr School for Girls. Her career decisions have been greatly influenced by her upbringing in Baltimore City. In college, she discovered the field of urban planning as a perfect blend of her interests in cities and civil service. Her undergraduate degree is in Geography, with a minor in Urban Studies from the University of Mary Washington. In 2020, she graduated from the University of Maryland’s School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation with a Masters in Community Planning. Her planning interests include transportation, equity, gender, schools, and families. She currently works as a Transportation Planner in the D.C. region. Outside of urban planning, she has a growing interest in graphic design. Sarah’s design work has been featured on posters in Union Station,  and throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia. In her free time, she enjoys caring for her plants, making music playlists, and exploring cities.

Eliza has a Bachelor’s Degree in Advertising and Spanish from Syracuse University. She entered the teaching profession due to her personal connection with Teach for America and KIPP. She taught for seven years and while teaching pursued her Master’s in Teaching from the Relay Graduate School of Education. When she decided to widen her impact and enter school leadership, she earned an additional Master’s in School Leadership from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Raised in the South Bronx, Eliza is excited to have returned home to serve and lead in the community she grew up in. She intends to become a middle school principal with the ultimate goal of becoming a network leader that oversees multiple middle schools.

I have received a M.S. in Natural Resources: Environmental Conservation & a Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Science from the University of New Hampshire (UNH), as well as a B.A. in Environmental Studies from Temple University. My research interest aims to bring awareness to environmental justice considerations for environmental policy implementation. In my future career, I see myself having significant contributions to the GIS and environmental management field. I have a big interest in mapping and GIS technology, and I have several ideas of how we can use it to address climate change. These ideas include creating tangible products, software’s, and tools that we can use to actively combat climate change and the effects that it has on marginalized communities. In order to reach these goals, I am learning to become a leader by navigating obstacles, persevering through conflict, and having a positive impact by influencing and empowering others.

As a young black woman in the environmental field, I already see that I am not represented. I am striving to be a blueprint for young emerging environmental leaders, by applying for opportunities to enhance my skill set, broaden my network, and producing tangible results. The skills, tools, networks, and peer connections that will come out of this program, will enhance my career aspirations, and really put me in a better position to achieve the dreams and goals that I see for myself and my community.

I aspire to hold high-level positions in federal organizations, non-profits, think tanks, or even international organizations. A goal of mine is to leave a legacy of helping solve our most challenging environmental issues, while also targeting public health, mental health, and financial literacy. 

Jennifer is a Houston native that graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in Public Policy. During her time at Duke, Jennifer focused on energy policy. Her undergraduate thesis examined how the liberalization of the Mexican energy market impacted and created opportunities for American oil and gas companies. Currently, Jennifer is a consultant for PA Consulting, a global consulting company that specializes in strategy, technology, and innovation. Over the past year, she planned and coordinated a partnership between her firm and the National Society of Black Engineers to increase the recruitment of Black professionals and raise funds to continue that pipeline for years to come. From the electrification of transportation to the decentralization of the electric grid, millions will experience the impact of decisions and Jennifer wants to be a leader in ensuring the needs of low-income communities are addressed. 

Lawrence Davin was born and raised in Washington, DC, and attended KIPP DC: Key Academy and College Prep. He majored in Political science while studying at Radford University. While at Radford, Lawrence was able to study abroad in Cuba, studying US-Cuban history and relations. Upon coming home, Lawrence became a teacher at KIPP DC, teaching Social Studies and Orchestra. Lawrence is also active in local politics in the D.C. area. He has been elected to two local seats and is active in ongoing campaigns. His dream job is to become the director of government affairs for a major company or become a public servant. The fact that I am willing to take on most challenges and be reflective makes me a leader.  

Siena Dean currently holds the position of Sr. Associate of Community Engagement at MLT. A nonprofit specializing in transforming leadership pipelines equipping Black, Latinx, and Native American talent to secure high-trajectory careers. Within her role, she is responsible for event planning, operational data collection, reporting, alumni multi-channel communications, and volunteer staff sourcing and management. In this role, Siena continues to work towards her desire to bridge the gap between ability and opportunities to our community of diverse professionals.

Previously, Siena held consultative and administrative coordination roles at KIPP National and CLEAResult. Within the KIPP Foundation, she supported strategic framework creation to enable successful alumni engagement and skill development programs. Her passion for diversity, inclusion and equal access to opportunities for underserved communities is underscored by her robust volunteer and internship history. Her volunteer and internship roles include Girls Inc., New York State Black and Puerto Rican Legislative Caucus, William Floyd Learning Center, Albany City Rocks, and APEX History Museum. Within these roles, Siena was responsible for a myriad of activities with a common focus on academic support and self-development. Siena continues to use her experience to better prepare her to one day lead a global talent development team for a Fortune 500 company. Siena is committed to constant self-improvement and helping to enrich the lives of others.

Siena’s next step to self-improvement is completing the KIPP Alumni Accelerator program, which will help her to strengthen her leadership development skills and expand her network of successful diverse professionals.

Paula Fernandez-Baca is a consultant for global management consulting firm Bain & Company and recently graduated with her MBA from U.C Berkeley Haas School of Business. Prior to business school, Paula is proud the career she built in education. After graduating with honors from The Johns Hopkins University, she taught students at KIPP Houston through Teach for America (TFA), moving afterwards to San Francisco to work in fundraising for the KIPP Foundation. She then worked with KIPP Bay Area, helping organize parents and community leaders to win political approval to open new KIPP schools. Afterwards, she worked at TFA-Bay Area to lead $1.8M in annual fundraising. During staff capacity shortages, she was instrumental in stepping up to lead fundraising for the entire $7M grants portfolio, as well as strategy & implementation of key organization-wide changes to drastically improve student achievement data collection.

She sees her leadership style as one that prioritizes impact and strong relationships together in balance. She believes deeply in servant leadership, holding herself and others to high expectations while also leading with empathy and in partnership with others. She aspires to eventually return to the social sector, leading organizations making an impact in education and workforce development for underserved communities. She also hopes to be active in politics and policy that promote equitable opportunities and community development. She currently holds an alumni board position with Miss Porter’s School, and since moving back to Texas has loved reconnecting with her hometown Houston and being closer to family.

I aspire to always be a person of service in the community I am in. I aspire to continuously be an agent of positive change for my family, my community and for those who look and have similar lived experiences. As a person who’s developed engagement for over a decade in my city, it’s been a pleasure to lead various initiatives and programs that have been dedicated to helping our youth best find their voice in the world. During the pandemic, I lead a group of over a dozen volunteers on a variety of programs that helped hundreds receive food security, financial support and connected to resources that were of utmost importance during the height of a global health crisis. Another accomplishment is the integration and assimilation of many other youth to the political world in a way that allows them to engage and communicate with their elected officials; when many didn’t know how to advocate and how to make change, it’s been a pleasure to be at the forefront of these connections that lead to fruitful minority-majority engagement. A third accomplishment is the constant advocacy of legislation that would allow for undocumented immigrants to earn a driver’s license so they can drive without the fear of deportation. Although this has not yet passed, I presented this idea of legislation to my boss in 2018, and over the last 3 years, it has become something that many have taken to heart through the efforts of constant hard work. I am extremely proud of being one of the first to speak on this and educate both my boss and others on why it’s vital.

Jozlyn is a proud founding Alumni of KIPP TRUTH Academy in 2003. She went on to attend Townview Health Magnet High School where her passion for Healthcare blossomed. She graduated from Texas Woman’s University in 2015 with a Bachelors of Science in Biology. After graduating, Jozlyn desired to give back to KIPP and became the founding 6th Grade Science teacher at KIPP Destiny Middle School for the 2015-2016 school year. She felt it was an immense honor to be given the opportunity to come full circle and teach the younger generations at KIPP Destiny. Jozlyn then went on to work in Orthopedic Oncology while attending Nursing School at University of Texas at Arlington where she earned her Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Jozlyn is currently a Registered Nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit where she gets to combine both compassion and critical thinking skills to render the best care to her patients and families.

Jozlyn serves as the Founding Co-Chair for KIPP DFW Alumni Association where their mission is to cultivate a safe space for KIPP DFW Alumni to network and be the greatest version of themselves. Jozlyn along with Sara Aranda, a KIPP TRUTH Academy Alumni, recently stepped into their roles as the first Alumni voices on the KIPP DFW Regional Board. Jozlyn is excited to be an advocate for the KIPP DFW Alumni, current KIPP students, teachers and other KIPP staff.

I consider myself a leader in my community due to my strong interpersonal and intrapersonal  skills, my compassion and willingness to learn ways to become a better leader for myself and for others. The KIPP Alumni Accelerator Program will aid in my journey to maximizing my effectiveness as a leader. I plan to pay it forward by opening my own resource center in the area I grew up in within the coming years and continuing to actively pour into the youth attending KIPP DFW schools.

Selah Hampton is an Atlanta native and a proud alumna of KIPP: South Fulton Academy. After graduating from Phillips Exeter Academy, Selah earned a BA from Princeton University with a concentration in chemistry and minors in African American studies and dance. She began her career as a business development associate for Walmart eCommerce, and is now the senior manager of growth at US Mobile, a telecommunications tech startup, where she leads strategic partnerships and drives hyper-growth initiatives. In the fall of 2020, Selah founded ReTell Bookstore, an online bookstore with a curated selection of titles written by Black authors, with the dual goals of increasing literacy in underserved communities and creating space for discourse about race. ReTell accomplishes these goals by donating 25% of each dollar spent to partner schools in the form of classroom sets of books. Selah is passionate about education equality and accessibility of opportunities and resources to all, and aspires to create and develop community businesses with innovative, sustainable business models. Her civic engagement includes serving as the vice-chair of the Princeton Prize in Race Relations and as the nominating and governance co-chair for the junior board of Girls Inc. NYC. Outside of work, Selah takes great pride in being a mentor for the TEAK fellowship, and is currently collaborating with choreographer Ogemdi Ude on a new work commissioned by, and premiering at, Danspace Project in May 2022.

Kevin Hidalgo, son of Ecuadorian immigrants, is a Harlem native who was part of the founding class at KIPP Infinity Middle School and KIPP NYC College Prep. After KIPP, he attended The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania where he studied economics with a concentration in management. Now a senior financial analyst at American Express, he aspires to become a manager within the next couple of years and set the foundation to pursue a role in product management. In conjunction with his career growth, he turned his attention to his leadership outside the workplace, such as being part of the KIPP New York Alumni Association and volunteering his time to do pro-bono consulting for a local non-profit through PennPAC. The exposure to all these various experiences has led him to define leadership or more importantly his leadership, as leading by example, getting your hands dirty, while having a logical and well-communicated approach. His aspiration is to be able to build off the executive coaching and remarkable network the Alumni Leadership Accelerator is building to be able to impact members of all the communities of which he is part.

Bobby Hill is alumni of KIPP Gaston College Preparatory’s graduating class of 2015 and the International Business School of São Paulo, Brazil 2017. Hill is a graduate of Parsons, The New School for Design, with a major in Communication Design as a part of the class of 2020. Hill has served as a speaker at the United Nations Global Compact’s Leaders Summit where over 25,000 leaders from business, government, and civil society convene to develop action steps to combat and track climate crisis, global pandemic, economic disparities and social inequalities. Hill has also developed his presence in the fitness industry as a wellness coach and has been featured in the New York Times as a top athlete changing the scope of fitness through recreation in community parks. Hill has earned honorable mention in several congressional art competitions, featured in The Brooklyn Museum’s “Stop the Hate” exhibition, and is a National Beta Club Art convention winner.

Eliseo Iglesias is a first-generation Salvadoran American born and raised in Houston, TX. He earned a bachelors’ degree in Engineering Science, alongside two minors, mathematics and physics, from Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. In August of 2021 he completed his doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at San Antonio. During the later years of his PhD work, Eliseo was an adjunct faculty member at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX where he advised several senior design capstone projects as well as taught introductory and second year engineering design courses. Dr. Iglesias plans on continuing his academic journey for the purpose of acquiring a tenure-track faculty position.

One of Eliseo’s overarching goals is to use the knowledge gathered from the pursuit of an advanced STEM degree to facilitate the proliferation of young students underrepresented and underserved communities in STEM fields and positions of leadership. He has served on STEM panels at UTSA, the KIPP School Summit, and at various KIPP schools in the San Antonio area. Additionally, Dr. Iglesias participated in the Pay-it-forward mentorship program, organized by KIPP-to-College, where he mentored a young KIPP alum at the University of Houston. At every step of his career hereinafter, Dr. Iglesias wishes to always have a component of outreach in his work towards the younger generation of scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and technologists. The KIPP Alumni Leadership Accelerator program will aid Dr. Iglesias in developing the skills, and qualities required of leaders in high-leverage positions of influence.

Growing up in Silicon Valley, technology has always played an important role in my life. I am constantly fascinated by the latest technological gadgets and enjoy seeing them being incorporated into my everyday life. I still vividly remember the first video I watched on Youtube – the MLK Speech in the 5th grade – one of my first experiences with the impact of technology and how it can change the landscape of learning. Not only do I want to improve our patients’ quality of life through data and technology, but make a large, lasting impact to last for generations to come.  Specifically, I am interested in health informatics, where I can use my pharmacy background in conjunction with tech.  I want to help advance digital health, whether it is by analyzing health outcome data or helping to design a user experience application. I see America migrating towards digital health in the next decade, and I want to contribute as a pioneer in this field. My career aspiration is to leverage my unique background and help develop programs with huge user platforms such as Apple, Facebook, and Amazon to deliver more convenient access to health care to various communities. My five signature strengths are futuristic, individualization, deliberative, competitive, and restorative. Together my StrengthFinder makes me the leader who I am. The KIPP Alumni Leadership Accelerator Program will further strengthen my leadership skills needed to reach my career aspiration so that I can give back to the greater community.

Born in Mexico and raised in the South Bronx, Brenda prides herself on being a first-generation DACAmented immigrant. As part of a mixed-status family, Brenda quickly learned that her identities intersected differently, making her stronger, bolder, and unapologetic. Brenda graduated from Barnard College of Columbia University with a Bachelor’s in Environmental Policy in 2019. Over the past two years, she has worked with Eli Lilly and Company as an HR Business Associate. Brenda currently sits at the HR- International Business Unit supporting Eli Lilly’s Latin American affiliates. She is passionate about using her capabilities to better serve her community. Brenda currently serves as co-lead to the community outreach pillar to the company’s Latinx employee resource group where she seeks to better engage talent with the community’s needs. She also partakes in the planning committees of two mentorship programs for local Latinx/ undocumented talent in Indiana. Brenda works and advocates to close the gap in our experiences as minorities.

Andranae Nelson is a Native Washingtonian who graduated from KIPP DC: KEY and Benjamin Banneker Academic Highschool. She received a full tuition scholarship from the Posse Foundation to attend Bucknell University, where she graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration (Markets, Innovation, and Design) and a Spanish minor. During her time at Bucknell, Andranae studied abroad in Santiago, Chile and was directly enrolled at two Spanish speaking universities. Upon graduating from Bucknell, she worked for a small consulting firm in the nation’s capital, specializing in branding and marketing in the aviation industry. Andranae currently works as a Communications Associate at JPMorgan Chase & Co., and leads marketing and communications for an internal program for the East region, United States, where she’s responsible for lifting up success stories through content creation, employee engagement, brand management, thought leadership, DEI, social media and photography. In her spare time, Andranae serves on the board of directors for ScholarCHIPS, a non-profit organization that provides college scholarships, mentoring and a peer support network for children of incarcerated parents. She also volunteers for the Keystone teen leadership program of the Greater Washington Boys and Girls Club (Richard England Clubhouse #14). Ultimately, through merging her passions of Branding/Communications, the arts and travel, Andranae aspires to create world-class design and visual storytelling to bring brands to life on an international scale. One day, she hopes to create her own creative agency that will create jobs and opportunities for the next generation.

Asile (uh-sigh-yul) is a community advocate, facilitator, and Black studies scholar from Atlanta, Georgia. Asile comes as one but stands as ten thousand (shout out to Ms. Angelou) — her work centers Black liberation, healing justice, and highlights the importance of Sankofa in building today’s Black liberation movements across the Diaspora. Internationally, Asile has researched the intersections between Black business movements, social mobility, and colorblind systems while studying in Paris, France through Syracuse University’s Paris Noir program. On the state level, Asile was a 2020 Georgia Women’s Policy Institute Fellow, advocating for gender pay equity legislation.  She was also an inaugural Highlander Center ‘Seeds of Fire’ grant recipient, designing and facilitating a series of intimate focus groups within Black communities to discuss the political landscape in Georgia. Most recently, Asile developed and piloted a multi-layered methodology to reimagine civic engagement through the first study and review of Atlanta’s historic Neighborhood Planning Unit system in over 40 years.

Asile is a graduate of Phillips Exeter Academy and holds a dual Bachelor of Arts Degree in African American Studies & Civic Engagement from Syracuse University. Outside of her professional work, Asile is an emerging yogi, a plant mom, a wine enthusiast, and a proud member of the #Beyhive.

Asile is excited by the opportunity to sharpen her strategic thinking skills, be in community with like-minded thinkers through the KIPP Alumni Accelerator, and ultimately, learn how to create liberating professional cultures that sustain movements and political change in the long term.

A successful leader knows when to delegate, when to lead, and when to act. If my actions are aligned with this motto then I believe I am exhibiting the characteristics of a great leader. I see myself in a Cheif Executive Officer position within my own organization, I have contributed to the Philadelphia community by helping build a pipeline for inner city high school students to get to prestigious universities. I believe the Accelerator Program will allow me to continue to give back to similar communities on a larger scale, most inner city high students are not financially literal, I plan to change that school by school, city by city.

I aspire to be a positive, inclusive, and creative leader that will bring a constructive force to our communities and cultures through a people first business approach. I am a leader because I am compassionate and vocal. I cannot feel someone else pain, and stay quiet. KIPP’s Accelerator program will allow me to strengthen my resolve, and abilities to execute on our vision and establish something that will aide our community at its core issues: education, poverty, and a lack of opportunities.

Ayanna Smith, an Atlanta, GA native, attended both KIPP WAYS Academy and KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School. After KIPP, she studied Public Health Sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana. During her undergraduate career, she was propelled into the field of Maternal and Child Health, with a specific focus on breastfeeding. During this time, Ayanna conducted research addressing breastfeeding disparities in the United States. She developed and implemented the BreastFedEd Program, which served as the breastfeeding education curriculum in Xavier University Nutrition and Health courses. This program won the ‘And Still I Rise’ Award at the 2018 M.I.T. ‘Make the Breast Pump Not Suck’ Hackathon.

Currently, Ayanna is pursuing a Master of Public Health degree at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. In addition, she is training to become a lactation consultant through the Mary Rose Tully Training Initiative at UNC. She also serves as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Carolina Global Breastfeeding Institute.

Her career goals are to increase African American representation within the Maternal and Child health field, prioritize BIPOC communities’ wellness in the broader discussion of breastfeeding, and contribute to the elimination of health disparities faced by historically underserved communities. She plans to practice as a Lactation Consultant who is intentional about incorporating her public health and research knowledge into her clinical practice.

Ayanna takes a collaborative approach to leadership. She works with others to help them realize the greatness within themselves. In addition, she prides herself on her adaptability and solution-oriented nature.

Kei-Sygh believes leadership is about authenticity. She honors her quirks and creativity and encourages others to do the same. Kei-Sygh daydreams of working in tech as a software developer and amplifying community impact through corporate social programs. She is joining cohort five of the Accelerator to gain the clarity, roadmap, and accountability to become her personal and professional best. She hopes to mentor others and is most proud of when she:

Coordinated a college and career summit for middle school and high school students

Participated in a citywide campaign for more students to complete FAFSA for college

Spoke on panels advocating for better college and career readiness in K-12 schools.

Tatiana, an alum of KIPP Gaston College Preparatory, got her undergraduate degree from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. After graduation, she began her career as a middle school teacher in Henderson, NC. After teaching for 2 years, she worked in the middle school’s operations department for 1 year before becoming the Director of Human Resources and a part of the leadership team for the 3 schools that are a part of the Henderson Collegiate charter school network. During this time, she has created and transformed policies related to employee relations, organizational culture, and much more. In December of 2021, Tatiana earned her MBA from The North Carolina A&T State University. Ultimately, her goal is to impact the world through educational leadership. To achieve this, she will continue to support and advocate for educators so they are ultimately able to be their best selves and perform better for kids. She has positioned herself as a strategic thought partner and wants to expand her influence in supporting leaders with their mission to provide a quality education and access to college to communities in need. She is also the parent of Autumn, an energetic and inquisitive baby girl.