What is your role at Oliver Scholars? What did you do before joining the staff?

I am the Vice President of Programs and Operations. I lead the program, finance, and human resources teams. Prior to Oliver, I spent just shy of a year as the Executive Director of the GO Project and, prior to that, I spent 10 years as the National Director of Programs at A Better Chance. I started my career working in higher education – I spent several years at the Research Foundation of CUNY as a Special Project Coordinator and as the Assistant Director of Recruitment and Admissions Counseling at The City College of New York.

What is the best trip you have taken? What was something unexpected that you learned from it?

About three years ago, I went to the Dominican Republic on a girls’ trip – my girls being my mom and my daughter. We were staying at a resort in Punta Cana. Very quickly, I realized it was a sanitized experience. Everyone seemed fake, with no interaction feeling genuine. I like to meet new people and experience their lives, to eat what they eat, etc. I decided to rent a car to give us the freedom to explore the island on our own, instead of following the recommendations of the resort staff, who preferred we go on the official resort excursions. None of us spoke Spanish, but we had our trusty smartphones and Google Translate. That was an adventure – we got lost, men stopped us with automatic weapons, we ate amazing food, met the most wonderful people, and saw true beauty and true poverty. I learned how resilient I am; how much I treasure making human connections; how important it is for me to keep doing this type of work; and how good people really are – even though, when we listen to the news, it certainly does not feel like that!

What experience (short- or long-term) has shaped you most in your life?

Being a parent. The book The Joys of Motherhood by Buchi Emecheta is one of the best I have read in terms of the fun, the stress, and the joy parenting brings. Parenting, more than anything else, has shaped who I am.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Not sure! The world is my oyster. In five years, my daughter will be a senior in college and maybe that is a time for me to start exploring some of my other interests. I have a passion for beautiful things. I am especially interested in interior design and floral arrangements. In my next life, or in the next chapter of this one, I want to pursue these areas as more than a hobby. So, in five years, I hope to take a few classes or spend some more time on figuring out how to make this a reality.

You have been working in the field of educational access for a while. Why do this work?

I was born into a family of educators and strongly believe that every individual has the right to discover his or her own greatness. I am also very passionate about the history of communities of color and this work is the best way for me to marry these two interests. I love working with students who have never dreamed beyond what they could see and helping them, with the right adult champion and a program like Oliver, to expand that vision as they are exposed to more.  Before you know it, those children have blossomed in ways that change their trajectory – and oftentimes that of their entire family in just one generation! It is exciting and inspiring to know that I play just a small part in making these opportunities possible.

What is one piece of (career) advice that you would give to a new Scholar (or new Alum, i.e., college grad) about taking that next step?

Know what centers you. Is it prayer, meditation, yoga, music? Identify that thing because the bumps in the road will come, and you need to know how to find that inner peace so you can have a clear head for making decisions.

Three adjectives to describe your life right now.

Exhausting, happy, and blessed.