AJ Foster

AJ holds a Bachelor of Arts in Black Studies from the University of Missouri Columbia, where she also double minored in Psychology and Criminal/Juvenile Justice.  AJ envisions a future where all kids thrive in schools—no matter their zip codes. She is eager to contribute to this mission during her fellowship time.

Allie Cicotte

Allie Cicotte serves as the Director of Programs for The Clark-Fox Family Foundation where she manages programs, research, and initiatives. She was previously a Kindergarten and K-8 Spanish Teacher, and is a Teach for America Alum. Allie is a native St. Louisan and lives in Manchester, MO with her husband and two young children.

Dr.  Anthony Graham

Anthony Graham brings over a decade of education experience. He held roles as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal in St. Louis, in addition to central office responsibilities across three departments. Committed to quality education for all, Dr. Graham has developed interventions in learning support centers for individuals of all age groups. With a diverse educational background, he holds degrees in Agriculture Business, Anthropology, Teaching- Elementary Education, and Educational Leadership, culminating in an Ed.D. focused on Global Education and Leadership.

Ben Huebner

Ben Huebner serves as a Senior Client Engagement Associate at Chapman & Co. Leadership Institute. Previously, Ben worked in the education field both as an educator of young minds and in a leadership role driving financial and operational work. Ben received his Masters of Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis (go bears!), a Masters of Secondary Education from University of Missouri – St. Louis (go tritons!) and a Bachelor’s of Science in Financial Analysis and Economics from Creighton University (roll jays!). Ben and his wife Elizabeth were joined by a baby boy Huebner in December 2023!

Dr. Carrie Page

Carrie started their education career in 1998 as a Special Education Teacher in Festus MO, eventually teaching in both San Diego and Italy. While teaching they saw the need for early intervention and proactive strategies and decided to become a School Counselor/School Psychologist. They met their wife  while at Seattle University. In 2009 they came back to St. Louis and began working in education, taking on more leadership responsibilities as a School Psychologist. In 2015 and 2017 their two amazing daughters were born, who amaze them daily. They finished their doctorate in 2022 and are currently working as a Special Education Coordinator in the Rockwood School District with a focus on ensuring equity and inclusion are the focus of all decisions around special education instruction.

Denitria Neil

Denitria Neil has over a decade of experience in education and operations management, and is a dedicated professional who excels in collaboration, problem-solving, and delivering exceptional services. As the Associate Director of Daily Operations at Family Forward, she streamlines processes and ensures the smooth functioning of facilities and fleet management. In her previous role as Director of Student & Community Affairs, she helped to open the first charter school in Saint Louis County. Denitria has experience in developing trauma-informed alternative education programming and has coordinated family engagement initiatives. She holds affiliations with organizations like the Missouri Alternative Education Network and serves as the Curriculum Coordinator for her church’s Youth Ministry.

Jessica Castañon

Jessica is a proud Mexican-American woman who values advocacy, equity, and vulnerability. Originally from Texas, she began her career as a special education teacher in New Orleans and continues to advocate for all children to receive a high-quality education. Currently residing in the Mehlville School District, she is deeply engaged in the community, where her son attends elementary school. Through her active involvement and commitment to inclusive practices, she strives to ensure all families have the resources and information to support their children’s academic success.

Dr. Joslyn Richardson

Dr. Richardson has over 15 years of experience as an educator, curriculum writer, project manager, facilitator, and adjunct professor in St. Louis as well as for international schools in Egypt and South Korea. Joslyn advocates for the improvement of educational experiences for marginalized students using an equity lens. She is a church leader and mentor to young girls, and enjoys dance and travel.

Dr. LaToya Crockett

LaToya has spent a little over 10 years educating students in the classroom. She is passionate about social justice issues and supporting the academic and social emotional growth of our children. Her goal is to ensure that students have equitable access to a high quality education.

Nilesh Patel

Nilesh Patel is the founding Principal of Kairos Academies High School. Prior to his work at Kairos, he started his education career in Chicago at the Noble Network of Charter Schools. In his limited free time, he loves being outside as much as possible doing anything ranging from reading in the park to (attempting) to summit a mountain peak.

Rachel Powers

Rachel Powers currently works as a Partner for Communications and Community Coalitions with The Opportunity Trust. In Chicago, she served as Communications Manager for Noble Schools. Rachel also
served as Dean of Students at Muchin College Prep, where she provided academic and social-emotional counseling and led strategic partnership development. Previously, Rachel was a Consultant at Vector Communications in St. Louis, where she galvanized communities to address public policy issues in Missouri and Illinois. She currently serves as board Vice Chair of JADASA and as board member of NewRoot Learning Institute. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in social and economic development and management, from Washington University in St. Louis.

Theresa Yoffie

An attorney by trade, Theresa enjoys solving complex problems and is constantly learning. She is a lifelong Missourian, but only came to St. Louis after college to finally experience life in a big city and attend SLU Law school. Theresa enjoys traveling, hiking, reading, learning about space, and spending time with friends and family.

Tanesia Simmons

Tanesia Simmons is a Partner at The Opportunity Trust. In this role, she leads the organization’s investments, capacity building, coordination, and partnerships related to empowering and supporting parent/student leadership and new schools. Before taking on her current role, Tanesia served as founding principal of KIPP St. Louis High School, and as a founding operations administrator Muchin College Prep in Chicago which today ranks in the top 5% of all high schools in Illinois. She holds a B.A. in Urban School Alternatives from DePaul University and an M.Ed. from the University of Houston in Educational Administration and Supervision. In her free time, you can find Tanesia experimenting with random crafts, exploring brunch restaurants, and traveling to a beach whenever she gets the chance.

Victor Thomas

Victor serves as Deputy Director of Admission at Washington University in St. Louis. He began his admission career in 2011, but took some time away to work as a high school math teacher in SLPS. During his time at WashU, Victor has overseen multicultural student programming and recruitment planning and strategy, and currently oversees the application review process for first-year and transfer students. He serves on NACAC’s Asian-American and Pacific Islander Special Interest Group Advisory Board, as well as the College Board’s Midwestern Regional Council. He is deeply committed to college access for students from low income and other under-represented backgrounds, and seeks to amplify the work of community-based organizations supporting students with limited college counseling resources. In his free time, Victor likes to spend time outside (running, hiking, backpacking), explore cities (new and old), and throw pottery.