Fellow Bios
Kelsey Carey: Kelsey is originally from Western New York, and completed her undergraduate degree in English & Secondary Education there at SUNY Geneseo, where she graduated summa cum laude. Upon graduating, she joined Teach for America’s South Carolina corps, where she taught 6th and 8th grade English Language Arts at Lee Central Middle School. In her first year teaching, Kelsey’s students achieved the highest reading scores in the school on their state standardized assessments, and achieved a 92% pass rate on their end of course exam. At her school, Kelsey worked to institute school-wide data walls, helped write the school’s literacy intervention curriculum, and served as a member of her school’s reaccreditation team. After two years in the classroom, Kelsey returned to school to get her Master’s in Educational Leadership & Policy at the University of Michigan. In her time at Michigan, Kelsey has served as a student advocate, representing students and their families at discipline and expulsion hearings. She also worked with her advisor to write a social-justice oriented Secondary ELA curriculum that utilizes poetry to address contemporary issues of racial violence in the US.
Maryia Krivoruchko: Prior to the Urban Leaders Fellowship, Maryia graduated with her M.P.P. in Education Policy (K-12) from Vanderbilt University, Peabody College. She entered the two-year program after four years in the classroom in California, teaching Full Inclusion Special Education and 1st, 2nd and 3rd grades. Teaching and service as department chair as a lead teacher in low-income and immigrant communities inspired her to look at education policy systems holistically, to make them more equitable and efficient for students. During her time at Vanderbilt, she worked on several research projects including reading intervention, principal effectiveness and police presence in schools. Maryia is currently a lead coach for Zeal Learning, an online K-12 math tutoring program implemented in public schools around the country. Her role is operational and support-based – she hires math coaches and provides individualized professional development and support. As she begins her career outside of the classroom and after Vanderbilt, she is most interested in the politics of education. Maryia is open to different roles and positions, with the ultimate goal of contributing to equitable and efficient systems for all students.
Ethan Plant: For the past two years, Ethan has been working as a third grade teacher at DC Scholars Public Charter school where he strengthened instructional delivery in reading and writing through lesson development and planning resulting in 70% of scholars meeting or exceeding their yearlong growth goal. Prior to teaching, Ethan was a Corp Member with City Year in Washington, DC where he pioneered a school-wide literacy initiative to develop vocabulary and critical-thinking skills. Ethan has experience as an administrative policy intern with the Congressional Committee on Education and the Workforce. In this role, Ethan completed 15 research projects pertaining to elementary and secondary education, as well as workers' rights and healthcare. Ethan is most interested in educational policy, community development, social justice and innovation in education. He is fascinated by developments in educational technology and the changing landscape of K-12 education in the United States. Ethan is a graduate of University of Maryland College Park with a B.A. in Psychology.
Kerry Savage: Kerry has been a teacher for the past three years as a Teach For America Corps Member and Alumni. During her time as a teacher, she has seen the beauty in education along with our current system's many flaws. Kerry currently serves on the board for Habitat Young Professionals in Charlotte, and in her school role Kerry has worked on teams to improve school culture, vertical planning, and culture around reading and literacy. As Kerry's leadership and involvement in the school and community continues to grow, she seeks to find effective solutions for fighting the root causes of poverty and eliminate barriers so that all kids receive an equitable, quality education and a chance to chase their dreams. Kerry is looking forward to learning more about how policy and communities work together to find solutions that support all members of our society in a collective effort.
Alisha Woodson: Alisha is a Masters in Public Policy candidate with the Peabody School of Education at Vanderbilt University. Alisha completed her Masters in Education at Lipscomb University in less than a year. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University with a B.A. in English. Alisha's current interests are in juvenile justice and housing policy. She has been studying the theory around these two issues and their effects on students’ experiences in the classroom. Alisha wants to be actionable in decoupling the link between these policies and education policy. In her previous work experience, Alisha developed her oral and written communication skills by learning the art of facilitation. In addition to to professional growth, Alisha developed her racial identity development, which helps her understand myself more deeply so she is able to work more effectively. Alisha learned the value of being authentic and passionate when working with people, which, she believes, policy work is all about.
Bryan Kariuki: Bryan Kariuki is the Numeracy Instructional Leader at Intrepid College Preparatory School in Nashville, TN. He recently served as a 7th grade mathematics teacher at both Intrepid and Liberty Collegiate Academy. During his time in the classroom he received his Master’s of Education in Instructional Practice from Lipscomb University. Prior to his professional work in education, he graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in Medicine, Health & Society. Additionally, he is a Teacher for America Alumni from the Greater Nashville Region, in which he served in various roles that supported the strategic teacher development for both current and future corps members in the region. Bryan firmly drives his work with the mission that every student deserves the opportunity to receive an excellent education regardless of their zip code, skin color or socioeconomic status.
Andrew Hunt: Andrew is a Tennessee native currently working towards his M.A. in Human Rights at the University of Vienna in Vienna, Austria. He is a graduate of Lipscomb University, where he received his B.B.A. in Corporate Management. Andrew recently completed an internship with the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Laxenburg, Austria. Prior to that, he spent four months in Quito, Ecuador interning with FIAN, an NGO which works to guarantee the right to adequate food for indigenous peoples and rural Ecuadorians. Andrew is currently writing his master’s thesis on educational policy in Tennessee, and once finished, he hopes to return to the US to pursue a career in law or public policy. His areas of interest include community and school desegregation policy, immigration law, and human rights education.
Richard Johanson: Richard is an associate consultant with Social Ventures Australia (SVA), where he helps clients across sectors in Australia to improve their social impact through strategy and outcomes measurement. Prior to joining SVA, Richard served as a Program Manager, Project Manager, and Business Analyst with IBM ANZ. Richard is a volunteer with the Sydney School for Social Entrepreneurs and former volunteer with StartingBloc. Richard is a graduate of The University of North Carolina, where he received a B.A. in Political Science.
Audrey Noonan: Audrey Noonan is a special education preschool teacher in Chicago. She has taught in an instructional preschool program and co-taught in a blended preschool program for the past four years. Audrey is passionate about ensuring that students in low income and immigrant communities receive the services that they need. She is also passionate about helping parents with their special needs children. Audrey has a special interest in finance and policy as it relates to helping immigrant, minority, and differently abled communities. Audrey enjoys line dancing, knitting, and reading.
Kania Twyman: Kania is a Masters in Public Policy candidate at Vanderbilt University: Peabody College. She graduated cum laude from Kent State University (KSU) with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in music performance (violin). Kania is also an alumni of KSU's McNair Scholars Program and the Washington Program in National Issues. Recently, Kania has served as a job coach with Next Steps at Vanderbilt University where she mentored and provided on-the-job training/problem solving support to two students with intellectual and physical disabilities. Prior to Vanderbilt, Kania served as a data entry/office automation clerk with the Hawaii State Legislature in the Senate Clerk's Office and the U.S. Navy: COMPACFLT HQ in their human resources department. Kania is passionate about Pre-K, music education, and college access education issues as they relate to making a positive impact on the lives of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Tanis Klingler: Tanis is a graduate of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she received a B.S. in Molecular and Cellular Biology. Tanis also completed coursework towards an Education Certification from Johns Hopkins School of Education. Currently, Tanis is a Teach for America Corps Member in Bridgeport, Connecticut. She was a state finalist for the Sue Lehmann Teaching and Learning Fellowship, recognizing excellence in transformational change, leadership, respect, and humility out of 4,100 corps members nationwide.
Zalondria Graham: Zalondria Graham recently finished her term as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Guanajuato, Mexico. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Zalondria graduated from Georgetown with a degree in English. As a student, she served as a volunteer in many roles through Georgetown's Center for Social Justice and Alpha Phi Omega. Her service entailed being a mentor and tutor with After School Kids Program and DC Reads.
She also co-founded the Minority Pre-Law Association on campus to enhance minority recruitment into law institutions and provide opportunities for students who are underrepresented in the legal field. After graduation Zalondria worked for REACH Memphis, a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for Memphis students to explore new environments. While there she co- established the REACH Up Now program, a curriculum that assists students in preparing for the college admission process. She is excited to serve as an Urban Leadership Fellow in Nashville to expand her knowledge on assisting under-resourced communities in her home state.
Staff and Elected Official Bios
Mary Pierce, MNPS School Board Member
Mary has a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Mississippi. Prior to raising children full-time, she held various roles in higher education fundraising and most recently served as the Director of Development for the Vanderbilt University Blair School of Music. She and her husband, Mark, have been married for 21 years and have four children, ages 8 to 14 who attend Julia Green Elementary, Valor Collegiate Academy, and Christ Presbyterian Academy. When not involved in kids' activities, Mary enjoys time with her family and pets at home, tutors students weekly at her neighborhood schools, serves on the Boards of the Julia Green PTO and the Nashville Aquatic Club, and attends Fellowship Bible Church.
Nile Marshall, Regional Director
Nile Marshall is a graduate of Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Nile currently teaches fourth grade math at DC Prep Benning Middle Campus. Prior to joining DC Prep, Nile taught middle math at KIPP DC: AIM Academy, a public charter school in Washington DC serving middle school students from Anacostia in Ward 8. During the 2014 Academic Year, Nile was selected to be a member of the inaugural class of the KIPP DC Special Education Fellowship Program. In Fall 2012, she was hired as a KIPP DC Capital Teaching Resident, where she had the opportunity to transition into the role of lead teacher, prior to completion of the program, by Spring 2013. Before teaching in Anacostia, Nile served as a Change Management Analyst with Accenture.
Katie Hoffmeier, ULF Regional Associate
Katie Hoffmeier has worked as a special education inclusion teacher in Nashville for four years. She earned her undergraduate degree in public health from Tulane University and her Masters of Education from Lipscomb University while she was a Teach for America Corps Member.
Katie has worked in Nashville education policy as an associate for Education Reform Now. She has supported several political campaigns, including Mary Pierce’s 2014 campaign for school board. Katie is currently a SCORE Educator Policy Fellow at the State Collaborative on Reforming Education, where she has participated in advocating for educational equity and social emotional practices at the state level. Katie is currently a 1st grade teacher at KIPP: Kirkpatrick Elementary School.