When our organization was founded over 26 years ago, the high school graduation rate in D.C. was between 40% and 50%. It revealed the need for a program that would provide supportive adults outside of a student’s immediate family, to help them gain the relevant skills and experiences needed to graduate high school and get into college.

Over the years, we have realized that getting to college is only the first step in a more comprehensive emphasis on completing that journey. If low-income and first-generation students aren’t receiving guidance throughout their college experience, they may not make it to the finish line or be prepared to enter the workforce after college. We started off with just four students in our program. As of today, we’ve supported more than 830.
Our mission is to mentor low-income high school and college students in the academic middle from the Washington, D.C. – area to provide the skills and experiences they need to complete college successfully and to excel in the workforce.
Our values of excellence, integrity, and service are rooted in the work we do. We strive to execute them every day and with everyone we encounter.



Our Team

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Khari Brown
Chief ExecutiveOfficer

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Brandon White
Vice President
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Justine Quintana
Director of Programs
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Danielle Tyler
Communications andMarketing Director

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Chrissey Nguyen
Development Director
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Lydia Bailey
Director of Talent andCulture

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Rachel Sier
Director of Evaluation
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Paige Lawal
Associate Director ofCommunity Partnerships

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Casey Gergen
Associate Director of Programs
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Malisha Cooper-Suggs
Program Manager
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Imane Zirari
Program Manager
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Diamond Bell
Recruitment Manager
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Eric J. Rubio
Finance Manager
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Muhammed Abbas Abdulkarimu
Program Specialist
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Adriona Isom
Program Specialist
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Jaydeb Mukherjee
DatabaseAdministrator

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Leib Celnik
Program Analyst
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Elizabeth Wilson
Program Analyst
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Nicole Howard
CommunicationsAssociate

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LaToia Lyle
Program Coordinator
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Jennifer Ventura
Program Coordinator
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Jose Lima Rosas
Program Coordinator
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Ranya Ayoub
Program Coordinator
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Leon Dixon
Program Coordinator
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Zachary Itteilag
Program Coordinator
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Sarah Carlson
Volunteer Recruitment Coordinator
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Ruth Assefa
Program Coordinator
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Lorrell Walker
Program CoordinatorIntern
Perks and Benefits of Joining Our Organization
- PTO
- 403B Plan
- Healthcare with Vision and Dental
- Pre-taxed Transit
- Work-life Balance
