Announcement: The addition of seven youth leaders to its Board of Directors and Board of Trustees!

 

America's Promise Youth Board Announcement - October 19, 2020       America’s Promise is excited to announce the addition of seven youth leaders to our Board of Directors and Board of Trustees! We are guided by the principle that all young people should have a voice and a role in decisions impacting their education and future, and we very much look forward to the insight, energy, and solutions these new youth leaders will bring.   Through participating in annual convenings (in Washington and/or virtually), serving as spokespeople and ambassadors for America’s Promise, and participating in important conversations on how to improve on our mission, members of both groups will have a prominent role in steering America’s Promise Alliance on a stronger path towards working with young people, not just for them.   The following new members were selected from a competitive pool of applicants from across the country to serve three-year terms:    Brittany Amano (Trustee), 23, is a business analyst at McKinsey & Company’s San Francisco office. Prior to entering management consulting, Ms. Amano interned at J.P. Morgan, the Partnership for Public Service, the White House Council of Economic Advisers, and Amazon Web Services. She graduated from Duke University as a David M. Rubenstein Scholar with a bachelor’s degree in public policy and international comparative studies and a certificate in markets and management studies. Sophia Hala Chin (Board), 20, is a freshman at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C., studying international affairs and economics. Originally from South Windsor, Conn., Ms. Chin served on the Connecticut State Board of Education from 2019-2020. An accomplished tennis player, Sophia was the captain of her high school’s tennis team and provided more than 400 hours of tennis instruction to children as a volunteer at a local summer tennis program.  Cristian Gaines (Trustee), 18, is a senior at Newton North High School in Newton, Mass., and a student at the Paul Robeson Institute for Positive Self-Development. Mr. Gaines aspires to bring social and educational equity to his community and beyond by leading Black Lives Matter protests, establishing antiracism initiatives such as Newton Overdue, and striving to be a role model for his Black and brown peers and youth.  Maria Salmeron-Melendez (Trustee), 21, is a student and Posse Foundation Scholar at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., where she is studying economics and government and law. Ms. Salmeron-Melendez has interned at the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) and served as an Accelerate Fellow with Teach for America. She received a 2017 National Gold Hispanic Heritage Foundation award in education for her leadership as a student in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS).   Jahari Shelton (Board), 19, is a sophomore at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., and an independent consultant to Transcend Education. Mr. Shelton has worked with several education organizations and served as a youth commissioner on the Aspen Institute’s National Commission for Social, Emotional, and Academic Development. His passion for education began in 2016, when he joined the founding team of Statesman College Preparatory Academy for Boys, a middle school serving Black and brown boys in Washington. Calvin Tran (Trustee), 23, is a board-certified music therapist and recent graduate of Loyola University New Orleans. Following graduation, Mr. Tran spent a year tutoring and mentoring students in Tulsa, Okla. with City Year. He is passionate about exploring the intersection between education and healthcare to empower, inspire, and uplift young people and their communities. Trinity Woodson (Board), 20, is a junior at Hampton University in Hampton, Va., where she studies political science. Among her many leadership experiences, Ms. Woodson is the founder of “Trinity’s TumbleReads,” an initiative to provide story time for children at a laundromat in her hometown of Suffolk, Va. Her extensive background in political engagement and advocacy includes internships with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation and U.S. Rep. Donald McEachin.    For a full list of America’s Promise board and trustee members, please visit www.AmericasPromise.org.

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