Selected Bios of Recent M.A. Graduates

Daisy D. Alfaro

Doctoral Student
Educational Leadership & Policy Studies
College of Education
University of Washington, Seattle

Currently, I am working on a number of projects that look at 1) issues surrounding the Pre K-20 pipeline; 2) the experiences of low income and first generation Latina/o students in college and graduate/professional school; and 3) cultural sensitivity and competency when exploring the experiences of Latina/o students within
quantitative analysis of large-scale data-sets.

Linsey N. Edwards

Senior Research Assistant
Community College Research Center
Teachers College, Columbia University

As a Senior Research Assistant at the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, I conduct qualitative research on dual enrollment for underrepresented and academically struggling students in California, as well as student progression through remedial math sequences in the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). I have also worked in an alternative high school in Brooklyn and a substance abuse outpatient center for youth on the Upper West Side, promoting enrollment in higher education through programming and advising. My research interests include minority student transitions into post-secondary education, student achievement identities, and urban education and social policy.

Eric Lam

Human Relations Specialist
Orange County Human Relations Commission

Since I finished my studies, I have moved back to Orange County, California and work with the School Intergroup Relations Program as a community and youth organizer for the Orange County Human Relations Commission. I educate, empower and organize middle and high school students in 6 schools around issues of educational justice through the lens of social inequality. Through youth development and education, I work to develop and implement locally-based education campaigns. I help lead an Asian and Pacific Islander Youth Organizing Collaborative in Southern California exlporing identity politics and community. I am also part of a larger state network on the Campaign for Quality Education in collaboration with agencies throughout California.

Theresa Esparrago Lieu

Research Associate
ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career

As a Research Associate at ConnectEd, I wear a number of different hats within the organization. Some of my responsibilities include creating and distributing mixed method evaluation tools for the evaluation of internally developed curriculum materials; collecting and analyzing data from various curriculum evaluations to produce reports for grant writers and curriculum developers; assisting in writing grant reports; providing support to schools implementing ConnectEd's curriculum; and researching existing curriculum resources to inform the development on new pathway-specific four-year programs of study. I also recruit and reach out to professionals to participate in career videos exposing high school students to numerous in-demand careers and recruit industry professionals to work with high school students and teachers.

Prior to working at ConnectEd, I worked in other areas of education reform. Upon moving back to California, I worked for the California Charter Schools Association, helping to develop messages to inform the public about the benefits of charter schools and the charter school movement. Prior to that, I worked for The Princeton Review in New York, where I led the internal operations for the Supplement Education Services department.

Dana Grayson

Grants Coordinator
Virginia Beach City Public Schools

Since finishing my MA in the Sociology of Education at NYU, I have worked in education policy through a congressional office and as the Dean of Students at a high performing urban charter middle school. I am currently a contractor to be the Grants Coordinator for a public school system in Virginia, where I do project management for grant applications, including research, writing, and revision of federal and private applications for education funding.

Shera Kenney

Senior Program Coordinator
Kaplan Educational Foundation

In my role as Senior Program Coordinator I work directly with the students in submitting paperwork and meeting Foundation deadlines, editing college essays and submitting applications during transfer time, filling out financial aid applications, and accompanying them on college visits. I will be leading recruitment this fall for our next cohort, and assisting the Academic Advisor in building and documenting the Program's curriculum, as well as providing all administrative support to the Foundation, among other things.

 The Foundation works closely with NYC area community college students with academic and leadership potential who are looking to transfer straight into bachelor's degree programs. The Scholars receive generous scholarships, tutoring, both academic and transfer advisement, and are supported from the second year of their Associate's degrees, throughout their transfer process, and until they receive their bachelor's degrees.

Anthony Tellish

Development Writer
The Doe Fund, Inc.

I conduct research on foundations and prospective funding for the services that The Doe Fund provides in the areas of health care, educational services, veteran's services, and many of our other programs. I have also been involved in research for replication of our programs, which currently are only in existence in New York City and Philadelphia, but many other cities are interested in implementing programs that model ours. My third and last job responsibility is grant proposal writing, letters of intent, and the like for foundation and corporate funding.

The Doe Fund's mission is to develop and implement cost-effective, holistic programs that meet the needs of a diverse population working to break the cycles of homelessness, addiction, and criminal recidivism. All of The Doe Fund's programs and innovative business ventures ultimately strive to help homeless and formerly incarcerated individuals achieve permanent self-sufficiency.