Prior to her present role, Amber served as the behavior support specialist and multi-tier systems of support coordinator at Education for Change Public Schools where she managed a team of behavioral and academic paraprofessionals providing 1:1 services to high needs students. Before joining EFC, Amber was a mental health counselor with Seneca Family of Agencies where she provided direct behavioral and social emotional support in counseling enriched and non-public school settings. Amber is passionate about behavioral health and helping teams to understand their role and how they can use their passions to drive results while also building their profile as a professional. In 2016, Amber published an article as a part of her capstone project titled “Tuning “The System”: An Evaluation of Restorative Practices in San Lorenzo School District” where she focused on improving the educators ability to implement and sustain restorative practices within their classroom in hopes to decrease suspension rates amongst high school students, disrupting the school to prison pipeline. Amber completed a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts from Utah State in 2011 and went on to complete a master’s degree in behavioral health from the University of San Francisco in 2016.

Amina Sarr is a first-generation college student born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She graduated from Georgia Southern University with a BS in health science and psychology and is currently pursuing a master's degree in public health. As a first-year coach, Amina is eager to be able to deliver resources and form bonds with students. Before beginning her role at Beyond 12, Amina served as a peer mentor and advisor for the Minority Advisement Program. Amina is passionate about student success and ensuring that all students have equal opportunities. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, trying new restaurants, and traveling.

Andrew Jensen is an associate software engineer with Beyond 12. Previously, he worked as a high school math teacher and in a variety of functions in investment management. He earned a teaching credential at San Francisco State University, a BS in Mathematics at the University of California at Davis, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst Charterholder. Andrew is grateful for the choices and security that education has afforded him and therefore deeply values the opportunity to work to increase educational equity.

‍

Batul is a hardworking Berkeley City College transfer student who studied ethnic studies at UC Berkeley. She graduated the summer of 2022, officially making her a first-generation Muslim Yemeni-American college graduate. Batul has also obtained education in political science and psychology. Batul aims to commit time and dedication to work centered around peer mentorship for underserved scholars and is very passionate about building community and advocating on the injustices taking place around the world, including her home country Yemen. Post-graduation, Batul dedicated her time in statistical archival research on Yemeni Migration and the communities they have built in the US, in her very first publication, التراث اليمني العالمي: Examining the Rich Cultural Heritage of Yemen and its Diaspora, with the Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative. With this, she put her words into action by shedding light on underrepresented communities facing injustices, which she wants to continue supporting as a new college coach.

Brenda is a Bay Area native, born and raised in Richmond, CA. After a tough journey through college, Brenda graduated from Sacramento State and received her BS in criminal justice in December 2020. Prior to joining Beyond 12, she had the opportunity to work with the Richmond Promise where she served as the AmeriCorps VISTA college success coordinator. With the Richmond Promise, she helped redevelop the mentorship program and supported students from Richmond through their college journeys, many who are first-gen and low-income like herself. She also worked with Bay Area Community Resources (BACR) as an after-school program leader where she focused on teaching 2nd-5th graders how to build positive relationships, and participate in meaningful academic and enrichment activities. Brenda hopes to continue providing support to students like herself and increase equity and college access for all.

‍

Prior to joining Beyond 12, Bryan helped develop mission-driven initiatives for first-generation college students at the University of Dallas. During his time at the University of Dallas, he supported students navigating their first-year college experience by organizing academic workshops and informational sessions about campus resources and developing a peering mentorship program led by first-generation college students. Bryan has also worked to increase commuter-student outreach and recently helped create a summer bridge program for DFW-area high school students and incoming college students. Throughout his career, Bryan has developed a passion for serving students and working to provide them with the tools and resources they need to be successful. Bryan is excited to join Beyond 12 and continue his work with students by enriching their college experience through meaningful connections and guidance!

As Director of Content, Catherine drives the content strategy for Beyond12's student-facing mobile apps. She brings over a decade of experience in education, from classroom teaching to ed-tech product management. She is driven by the belief that technology can help scale impactful solutions and lead to a more just world. Before joining Beyond12, she was senior editor and then senior product manager at ThinkCERCA, an ed-tech platform focusing on critical thinking and argumentative writing. Catherine holds a master's degree in education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Prior to joining Beyond 12, Cesar helped scale other mission driven companies like uConnect, SV Academy, and Handshake. During his time at SV Academy, he made access to the tech industry more equitable by training underrepresented people on how to break into the tech industry via careers in sales. Cesar is passionate about social impact and equity. He has been able to impact others throughout his career by working at mission driven organizations. As a first-generation college student, Cesar was placed on subject to dismissal after his first quarter in college because he didn’t know how to navigate the higher education system. As a result of this and other life experiences, Cesar is extremely excited about making an impact at Beyond 12!

Born and raised in Oakland, CA, Chinasa graduated from Sonoma State University in 2019 with a BA in criminology and criminal justice. Prior to her role at Beyond 12, Chinasa served as a case manager with Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) serving justice systems involved young adults. During this role, Chinasa connected youth to services in the community, facilitated legal education workshops, court advocacy, and supported youth with college applications and financial aid. Chinasa’s true passions are prison reform, restorative justice practices, and guiding Black and Brown youth to reach their true potential. In her free time, Chinasa loves working out, eating great food and reading science fiction novels.

Chloe Low (she/they) earned her bachelor's in English with a minor in literary journalism and emphasis in teaching from theUniversity of California, Irvine. She cultivated a passion for higher education counseling through her roles as a peer mentor, seminar leader, and resident advisor for Summer Bridge, a student retention program for first-generation and low income freshmen. Chloe also supported students' personal, academic, and social aspirations as a life coach in the UCI Counseling Center. She is committed to empowering students to navigate challenges with confidence and resilience.

DJ, a Houston native, graduated from Texas A&M University in 2016 majoring in sport management & business administration. Prior to joining our team, he served as a program manager at EMERGE Fellowship in Houston. During his time at EMERGE Fellowship, he supported and assisted over 100 students at five high school campuses within Aldine ISD through applying to top tier colleges across the country. DJ was also a CAC adviser with the Texas A&M University Chapter from 2016-2018. His passion for this work has been evident from the very beginning as a youth, DJ volunteered at the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club. When heis not working hard at work, he enjoys traveling, spending time with friends and family and playing with his French bulldog, Miami.

Damneet was raised in San Diego, CA by way of Punjab. She is the daughter of Sikh immigrants and the first in her family to graduate from college. Damneet holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and Race and Resistance Studies. As the operations associate for Beyond 12, she is experienced in program planning, coaching, and human resources. Damneet is committed to ensuring that education at all levels is accessible to folks of color, lower socioeconomic backgrounds, immigrants and incarcerated individuals. Self and community care are vital in all of the work she does.

Dan has worked as a software engineer for over 10 years. Before his commitment to reducing inequality led him to Beyond 12, he created mobile games at Big Fish Games and community websites for nonprofits at Trellon. Dan is a San Francisco native with a BA in cognitive science from UC Berkeley and a MA in information studies from the University of Toronto.

Dana has over 12 years of experience in full-cycle fundraising and strategy and philanthropic partnership management. Immediately before joining Beyond 12, Dana was the managing director of development at education nonprofit City Year Los Angeles, where she served as the head of the 15-person development department and worked with the executive director, board of directors, and her team to raise $8.3 MIL, reaching the highest annual private revenue goal in City Year’s 29-site national network. Throughout her career, she has led fundraising initiatives for noteworthy education causes, securing major donations from corporate, individual, and institutional funders. Dana’s previous experience includes serving as corporate development director at City Year LA, director of development, annual fund and donor engagement at Alliance College-Ready Public Schools, donor relations and special events manager at Allies for Every Child, and account executive at the United Way of Greater Los Angeles. Dana received her BA in human development from the University of California, San Diego.

Danica is a recent first-generation college graduate from UCLA with degrees in psychology and sociology in addition to a minor in education studies. Driven by her upbringing in South Stockton, California, she continuously seeks opportunities to empower and uplift underserved and underrepresented communities of students to further reimagine what access and persistence looks like to their educational journeys. At UCLA, Danica found herself investing in these community-led and student-run organizations as she was heavily involved as a peer tutor and peer counselor for SPACE and SPEAR–projects that were made for students and by students to increase the number of students of color within and through higher education. Her other involvements included Kappa Psi Epsilon, a Pinay-interest sorority, and the Academic Affairs Commission through UCLA’s student government. Outside of being a college coach, Danica loves spending time with her family, friends, and dog, going on walks, working out, and reading!

Deja Jahi currently serves as a first-year college coach for Beyond 12. She graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia, with a BS in psychology. Prior to becoming a college coach for Beyond 12, Deja was an assistant director/mentor for Star Struck Sports. There, she created and orchestrated fundraiser events to help support students from underrepresented areas and provided guidance, and recommended coping mechanisms for youth dealing with difficult issues and situations. As a first-generation college student, Deja knows firsthand the challengesone may face while being in a new environment, and how important it is to have a strong support system to help navigate through their college career. This is what led to her interest in Beyond 12. She genuinely loves helping others and in her role as a college coach, she aspires to continue to support students throughout their college journey. During her free time, she loves hot yoga, trying out new foods, and traveling with her family.

Donna Arriaga Edmonds brings almost 10 years of experience within the education sector as a director of customer success. Since joining in 2015, her work exemplifies her core values and commitment to enhance the opportunities of underrepresented groups within our education system. Donna began her time with Beyond 12 as a college coach working with HSF GO Scholars and currently manages the Atlanta office and partners while leading efforts to scale the program department. Before joining Beyond 12, Donna managed the African American Male Initiative grant and supported the Goizueta Scholarship at the University of North Georgia. She obtained BAs in political science and writing and linguistics from Georgia Southern and a MA in public administration from the University of Georgia, concentrating on higher education and nonprofit management. As a first generation college graduate, Donna strives to improve college success support services to increase persistence and graduation rates for underrepresented students.

Tianna Sims-Miller has over ten years of experience with data analysis, data visualization, and research. Tianna has worked in a variety of educational settings including academia, state government, and local schools where she used data to generate deep actionable insights. She loves talking about all things data to both technical and nontechnical audiences and telling compelling data stories. Tianna believes data can be used to reduce educational inequities and to improve education systems and outcomes for all. Tianna received a Bachelors of Science from the University of Central Florida and a PhD in research, measurement, and statistics from Georgia State University.

Elioth found a strong affinity for Beyond 12's mission and has had many roles within the content team. He first joined in the spring of 2017, before his last semester of college, as an intern and ultimately graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in molecular biology. As a first-generation undocumented college student he understood the importance of striving for educational equity and now hopes to help increase equity and representation within the sciences. As the content operations manager, Elioth works on content creation, deployment and everything in between to ensure a high quality experience on the MyCoach app.

Raised in Waterbury, CT, Emily Gardin (she/they) attended Emory University in Atlanta, GA, earning her bachelor's degree in African American Studies with a minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies in May 2021. She is a 2021-2022 Afro-Latinx Líderes Avanzando Fellow with UnidosUS. Emily and other fellows built out a policy brief, Supporting Mental Health for Black and Latinx K-12 Students, and presented it to members of U.S. Congress. Through this fellowship, she has cultivated skills in community advocacy, coalition building, and crafting policymemorandums seeking equitable reform.

Since 2015, Francis has led coaching skills training for Beyond 12’s coaches and he now leads the overarching training and professional development strategy for the broader program team. To his role, he brings over a decade of experience in project management, training, and facilitation, with a particular focus on coaching and leadership development. His experience ranges from building the leadership, evaluation, and strategic planning capacity of social sector organizations through his private practice, to working at a leadership development and culture change firm serving large private and public organizations. Francis is a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach through the Co-Active Training Institute and a Professional Certified Coach through the International Coach Federation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in social studies from Harvard College, where his academic engagement focused on education, community organizing, psychology, and social change. Outside of Beyond 12, Francis is a volunteer executive coach with the Humanitarian Coaching Network, and a member of the board of directors for YES Nature to Neighborhoods, a leadership and wellness organization serving the community where he grew up.

Gretchen Karl brings over 15 years of managerial office administration to the team. With a background as a classroom educator, Gretchen's talents are a unique blend of creativity, problem solving, adaptability, and patience. A gifted multi-tasker, juggling curve balls and busy days at a lightning pace are where she thrives. Before joining Beyond12, Gretchen worked as an executive assistant to leaders in the fields of education and racial equality. Working with change makers, her time in the classroom, and educating her own children drives her core belief that every person deserves a unique and quality education. Gretchen lives in Maryland with her husband and their five children. She holds a BS in elementary education from Towson University.

A native of Atlanta, GA, Iman graduated from Vanderbilt University in 2020 with her BA in African American and diaspora studies and earned a MA in human relations from the University of Oklahoma in 2023. Iman’s aspirations, personally and professionally, are focused on creating programs and resources for students from underserved communities. Before joining Beyond 12, she gained experience as a special education teacher and case manager; a college access and financial aid specialist; and was Program Director of a mentoring program. Outside of work, Iman enjoys traveling, trying new cuisines, watching and playing sports, and spending time with her friends and family!

While born and raised in Glendora, CA, Jasper now resides in Portland, OR. Before joining as a college coach, they worked as a college access coach at CollegePossible. In this position, they supported a caseload of high-achieving, mid to low-income students through the college application process. Jasper graduated from Willamette University in 2020 as an English major with an emphasis in creative writing. Outside of their classes, Jasper was dedicated to running mthe student newspaper and worked at the on-campus coffee shop. Jasper is passionate aboutempowering students to take advantage of resources and discover what works best for them as an individual. They feel it is a profound honor to create a safe and fun environment for students to share their feelings, goals, and struggles. In their free time, Jasper loves to play Dungeons and Dragons, write poetry, listen to podcasts, and hang out with their orange tabby cat.

Before joining Beyond 12, Javier worked in his hometown of Delano, California as an agriculture prep counseling fellow with the Wonderful Company, where he supported high school students and their families during the college application and decision-making process. While an undergraduate student at the University of Redlands, Javier secured a position working for Campus Diversity and Inclusion, the entity responsible for coordinating diversity programs. In this role, he primarily supported first-generation student programs but also helped plan and execute programming to create an atmosphere that welcomes, values, and fosters diversity and inclusion on campus. Javier is passionate about empowering and supporting low-income, first-generation, and historically underrepresented college students. He understands the transformative power of his college experience and the vital role that his different support systems played in ensuring his success. Javier graduated from the University of Redlands with a BA in race and ethnic studies in the spring of 2020. He recently completed a master’s in higher education and student affairs at the University of Redlands.

Jazmin has a wide range of experience in direct service, curriculum development, program planning, and evaluation. She has served students from kindergarten to college for over 10 years and is committed to education reform that increases equity, cultural competency, and life-long learning. In her current role she draws from her previous college coaching and account management experiences to optimize Beyond 12's HR, communication, and project management processes. Her previous work includes teaching second grade Spanish and math at Roses In Concrete Community School, a dual language immersion charter in East Oakland, and consulting with Resource Development Associates where she collaborated with district leaders, teachers, parents, and students to evaluate the effectiveness of K-12 after-school programs and services in the Mt. Diablo and Antioch unified school districts. Jazmin is a first-generation college graduate, with a multiple subject teaching credential, master's degree in education, and bachelor's degrees in peace and conflict studies and art history from UC Berkeley.

Since 2017, Jeanette has led the end-to-end cycle for consumer/B2C and enterprise/B2B products. She proactively sought a role in software consulting after working at the Hispanic Heritage Foundation to promote STEM for underrepresented high school youth in over 15 cities nationwide. Jeanette was the first in her family to graduate from high school and pursue a college degree. During undergrad, she was a peer counselor for the Educational Opportunity Program, helping first-generation college students navigate the unknowns of attending University of California, Berkeley where she earned her bachelors in social welfare. On her free time, you'll find Jeanette developing recipes for Café 15, her family's creative kitchen in Oakland or spending time in nature with her husband, 2 kids, and parents.

Jennifer was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, and is currently located in Manhattan, NYC, and Little Ferry, NJ. She graduated from the State University of New York at Oswego with her bachelor's degree in psychology with a double minor in forensic science and business administration in May 2021. She is thrilled to bring professional experiences and resources that once upon a time she was receiving. Before joining her role at Beyond 12, Jennifer served as a behavioral assistant with Mental Wellness Center LLC providing behavioral intervention to children and adolescents in-home, zoom, or telephone setting. She also worked with the Educational Opportunity Program at Oswego as a peer leader, where she focused on developing and coordinating academic enrichment activities to help students increase interaction. Jennifer is passionate about mental health, counseling, therapy, justice practices, prison treatments, and empowering under-resourced communities and students. Jennifer hopes to continue her education by obtaining her master's in forensic mental health counseling at John Jay and supporting opportunities for students to acquire higher education. During her free time, Jennifer loves traveling, hiking, adventures, exploring nature, trying new restaurants, meditating, spending quality time with her loved ones, shopping, doing yoga, and listening to music among others.

‍

John Lithio is a data scientist at Beyond 12. Previously, he worked to improve K-12 student outcomes as a data scientist with the New York City Department of Education, where he developed a passion for improving equity in society through education. John also has experience in the finance industry and received a master's degree in analytics from Georgia Tech and a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Hope College. He is dedicated to applying his technical skills as a data scientist to improving educational outcomes for first-generation and low-income students at scale.

Karina was born and raised in a small central valley town called Porterville. She attended Porterville College, and then transferred to UC Berkeley where she obtained her bachelor's degree in ethnic studies with a minor in public policy. She served on the board of the Black Student Union and IGNITE for women in politics while at UC Berkeley, and was a Destination College Advising Corps College Advisor Fellow from 2021-2023. As a Beyond 12 college coach she is here to inspire, motivate, and support students on their journeys in higher education. Being a Black and Mexican first-generation woman, the world had always told Karina that college was an unattainable dream, so after she successfully graduated, she vowed to help make college accessible to students in marginalized communities. In her free time Karina loves to watch horror films, go to Disneyland, and try new food spots in the Bay Area!

Karina Pichardo is a software engineer with Beyond 12. Through the support of non-profits similar to Beyond12, Karina was able to dream big and earned a bachelor’s degree in cognitive science from the University of California, Berkeley. After working in the corporate field for 2 years, she decided to seek an opportunity in which her career as a software engineer and passion for educational equity could intersect.

Kevin Brown returns to Beyond 12 after originally serving as a college coach from 2011-2013. Prior to re-joining the Beyond 12 team, Kevin spent the last 6 years at KIPP Through College both as an alumni advisor working with under-represented students in college and as a team manager helping to both train and support other advisors. During his time at KIPP, Kevin was heavily focused on programming and strategic planning related to community college persistence. In addition to working in education, Kevin also comes from a background in mental health stemming from serving as a residential advisor at Seneca Center, a group home for youth who’ve experienced severe physical or emotional trauma in their childhood. Kevin is a Bay Area native who grew up in Oakland and graduated from the University of California, Davis with a bachelor’s degree in sociology and an emphasis in law. While at UCD, Kevin was an academic advisor through Upward Bound where he provided counseling and mentorship to low-income, first-generation high school students in the Vallejo and Sacramento areas.

Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Khadijah graduated from the University of San Francisco (USF) where she earned her B.A. in Critical Diversity with a minor in African American Studies. As a first-generation college student, she sees educational access and support for underrepresented youth as her calling. Khadijah served as a peer mentor for the Muscats Scholars Program, where she mentored 50 first-generation college freshmen during their transition from high school to college. Khadijah’s passion for educational equity built her commitment to ensure all students possess the tools to succeed in higher education.

Lara brings both personal and professional experience to her role as senior director of program. Since joining in 2013, her work strengthens her passion for serving youth and commitment to developing systemic interventions that generate more equitable outcomes for individuals from underserved communities. She has served as a college coach, coordinated professional development, and managed a partnership with NASFAA and The Department of Education. Before joining Beyond 12, Lara mentored Upward Bound students, facilitated Kids’ Turn workshops for families experiencing separation, supported survivors of domestic violence with the Riley Center, and promoted health and wellness at the YMCA and St. Vincent De Paul’s Ozanam Wellness Center. Lara earned a BA in psychology, graduating magna cum laude from the University of San Francisco and a MSW with a concentration in children and families with a PPSC from UC Berkeley.

Mariah was born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a program manager in Beyond 12’s Atlanta office. She is a recent graduate from Spelman College and received a bachelor’s of arts in International Studies with a minor in Spanish. Previously, she served as a peer ambassador for Achieve Atlanta mentoring students academically and socio-emotionally in the program. During her time in college, she established a teen girl health and empowerment course in Cienfuegos, Dominican Republic to ensure girls of color were receiving equitable education regarding their health and empowering them to become global change makers. Mariah loves engaging in international relations topics and has interned with three international organizations: CARE International, International Rescue Committee, and Girls Going Global. She believes the world will never be equal until education equity is achieved domestically and internationally. Mariah has a passion for community outreach which drives her continuous efforts to give back to her community and mentor students throughout Atlanta. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, trying out new restaurants, and making organic beauty products.

Maxine graduated from UCLA in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in education & social transformation. Maxine found her love for culturally-conscious counseling and student affairs in her work with UCLA’s student-initiated, student-run college access and retention programs, where she worked as a SPEAR peer counselor and SPACE peer advisor. Learning from her time as a counselor, student leader and organizer in cultural/political student organizations such as Samahang Pilipino and the Mother Organizations Coalition, Maxine hopes to continue to support students from historically excluded communities navigate higher education. Looking to stay involved in her community, she is currently an active member of Kappa Psi Epsilon Sorority, Inc. Maxine was born and raised in the Bay Area, where she attended WCCUSD schools and was a UC Berkeley EAOP/DCAC student and a Beyond 12 Student!

After graduating with a degree in Statistics and Data Science from UC Santa Barbara, Meng is now working as an associate data analyst for Beyond 12. Prior to this, his work life has revolved around education, starting work off as a volunteer tutor for young children to becoming the lead teaching assistant for college students. Meng specializes in utilizing python for automation and deconstructing data to showcase a story on what the data can say. Now, he plans to use what he has learned to draw insights from data for the goal of helping more people gain access to higher education.

Born and raised in Oakland, California, Miles has had the opportunity to see all walks of life. While attending school at Oakland Unified School District (OUSD), he was able to be a part of numerous mentorships along with college readiness programs that helped him see the light at the end of the tunnel within education. After graduating from California State University, Northridge (CSUN) during the peak of the pandemic, he developed a passion for helping students like himself achieve higher levels of success. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in communication studies in hopes of continuing to spread the knowledge he’s gained while inspired to learn and understand others. He often emphasizes the importance of success not having a set look to it. Judging a book by its cover is NOT in his repertoire. As a first-generation college graduate, Miles hopes to become a resource and benefit to those within his community.

Payal has over 15 years of experience in finance, operations and human resources management in both the private and not-for-profit sectors. Before joining Beyond 12, Payal was the Director of Finance & Operations for the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights where she helped manage a $21M capital campaign and helped launch Restore Oakland. Payal is passionate about helping others, especially mentoring students, and has dedicated much of her life to volunteering with youth organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs and Girls Inc. She has also been an advocate for education equity and other human rights through her previous roles. She is active in her community, previously serving as a Commissioner for the City of Richmond, CA. Payal is a Bay Area native and earned her BA in psychology from San Francisco State University.

Born and raised in San Jose, California, Pedro attended San Jose State University earning his bachelor's degree in political science with a minor in economics in May 2023. Pedro is an  EOP student, a Peninsula College Fund Scholar, and a first-generation college student. In addition, Pedro is currently pursuing a master's in Finance at San Jose State University. Through his three years of work experience in the banking industry, college classes, and experience Pedro hopes to inspire first-generation college students to take control of their education and finances. He looks forward to working with any students and always looks forward to changing students' lives.

Born and raised in San Francisco, CA, Roxette Mae attended Sonoma State University and graduated in 2020 with a BA in American multicultural studies. Being the first in her family to obtain higher education, she understands firsthand the importance of creating a level playing field for underserved youth. Before joining Beyond 12, Roxette served as a two-year college adviser with UC Berkeley’s Destination College Advising Corps at James Logan High School. Roxette was responsible for executing school-wide college-related workshops and supporting a cohort of 150 students that identified as first-generation, low-income, or from a marginalized community. Roxette spent her summer working as a program coordinator and leadership instructor for the Pre-College Academy Program at UC Berkeley to prepare students for the following school year. Roxette was the first in the program to create and execute a low ropes course event for students and staff to build stronger connections. Roxette is committed to continuing their work in ensuring education is accessible to all.

Sandra was raised in the metro Atlanta area and is originally from Guanajuato, Mexico. She arrived in the US at the age of six with her single mother who always encouraged her to pursue higher education. After attending college part-time and working full-time, she became the first in her family to receive a college degree. She earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, graduating summa cum laude from Kennesaw State University. This choice of degree was driven by her profound dedication for social justice and social change. She is a former DACA-Recipient who has actively advocated for equal access to education for other undocumented and DACA-mented students in the state of Georgia. Sandra worked as an enrollment counselor at KSU and has over nine years of diverse work and college experience. Sandra is devoted to making a difference in her community and supporting first-generation and underrepresented students in their pursuit of a college degree.

Saredo Ali grew up in Boston, Massachusetts by way of Somalia. During high school, Saredo was involved in a couple of college-access programs that inspired them to become a mentor. The support and guidance they received from their mentors inspired Saredo to be passionate about educational access for first-generation and/or socioeconomically disadvantaged students. Saredo graduated in 2022 from Vassar College with a bachelor’s degree in Africana studies and a minor in English. Saredo nourished their passion for mentorship by working with Exploring College at Vassar College and Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America as a counselor and mentor. Upon graduating college Saredo worked as a professional mentor for Friends of the Children. Saredo is deeply moved to fight against injustice in our world and is committed to finding liberation and hope in mundane and extraordinary moments. They do this primarily through their love for language and words. Saredo is a poet and creative writer, who is currently working on their first poetry collection. Saredo hopes to empower people through the words and worlds that they create both on the page and off it.

Shallah has a wide range of experience in customer success, operations, compliance, and hospitality. Prior to Beyond 12, she worked at Wish, helping to align policies and improve communication with global outsource partners. Her passion for reducing inequality led her to the role at Beyond 12 and she is focused on working with partners to help close the college graduation gap between first-generation students and their peers. Shallah is a Bay Area native and received a BS in criminal justice from California State University, East Bay.

Shola was born and raised in Oakland, California. After attending OUSD K-12 schools, he studied for two years at Merritt College before obtaining his AA degree in communications and transferring to UC Irvine. He then completed his two years at UCI, achieving a BA in urban studies. While attending university, he began working for EAOP at Jordan High School in north Long Beach, where his experience became a driving factor in his motivation to work with disenfranchised youth of color in the educational setting. After graduating, Shola journeyed to Morocco to serve in the Peace Corps as a youth development volunteer for a 27-month service, but unfortunately due to the global COVID-19 pandemic he was brought back early. Knowing the many obstacles that young people face when coming from underrepresented communities and identities, he feels passionate about providing his own knowledge and support to contribute to a community of empowerment. In his free time, he enjoys watching and playing sports such as soccer and basketball, listening to music, and spending time with loved ones.

Born and raised in Long Beach, California, Stephanie graduated from Pepperdine University in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in social work. During her time at Pepperdine, Stephanie served as first wave ambassador providing invaluable mentorship to her  fellow first-generation students as they navigated their college experience. Prior to joining Beyond 12, Stephanie served in Jumpstart AmeriCorps as a corps member, team leader, and program intern. In this capacity, she actively worked towards bridging the early literacy and education gap for preschool children in under-resourced communities. Stephanie’s dedication to service and her commitment to social justice have fueled her passion for supporting students throughout their college journey, and she aspires to continue this mission as a college coach.

Tyra, a Houston native, works as a content strategy analyst in Oakland, CA. She graduated from Texas A&M University in 2015 with a BS in Child Professional Services. Prior to becoming a college coach, Tyra worked as a senior college advisor for College Advising Corps, where she assisted over 1,200 students to successfully apply and enroll in college and financial aid. After being a mentee of the CAC program, she developed a passion to empower students to create their own pathway to success which led her to Beyond 12. She is also a performing artist who loves to create music, dance, and write during her free time.

Yaniv made the leap to software after teaching himself to code; previously, he worked as a chemical engineer on projects ranging from predictive analytics to alternative fuels. He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. As the child of immigrants, Yaniv saw first-hand the difficulty of navigating unfamiliar systems, which led him to volunteer with youth education groups including Junior Achievement and PAIR Houston (Partnership for the Advancement & Immersion of Refugees). He strongly believes in increasing education equity and helping underrepresented students own their journey through the education system.