Bre Sardoni |
Bre Sardoni is currently English faculty at Dallas College and an adjunct for first year writing at UNT. A New Jersey native, Bre was a high school English teacher for ten years and community college adjunct for eight years, before becoming a full time college professor in Dallas. With degrees in writing, rhetoric, and composition, she is now pursuing her Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration at Southern Methodist University. Her interests include faculty training and development, dual enrollment best practices, decolonization of curriculum, and student engagement. Ms. Sardoni embraces technology and engages in how to employ everyday technology in the classroom to encourage student success.
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Alexis Becraft |
Alexis Becraft is a public health and social justice advocate. Becraft, originally from Indianapolis, IN, moved to Dallas after graduating from Purdue University in the spring of 2020. From the university, Becraft received a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with a double minor in Spanish and African American Studies. Currently, she serves as a Student Success Coach through City Year Dallas, an organization that works to make an impact on schools within DISD and better the lives of children through Social-Emotional Learning, Academia, and Tier 2 support. Eventually, Becraft would like to complete a doctoral program, as well as open a nonprofit to improve the rates of health, wealth, and education within communities like the ones in DISD.
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Iván Medina |
Iván Medina is a dual language teacher currently serving students and families in north-west Dallas. This is Iván’s fifth year as a classroom educator, all with Dallas ISD. Prior to teaching, he served as a Program Coordinator and College Preparation Advisor with the Texas GEAR UP State Grant and the Advise TX College Advising Corps in Edgewood ISD (San Antonio, TX). He also served as a Program Specialist with the Office of Social Services of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and as a Legislative Fellow with the Texas Senate, conducting policy research and analysis for both entities.
Iván received his Associate in Science from Richland Community College. He is also a two-time alum of The University of Texas at Austin, where he received his Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing from the Red McCombs School of Business and his Master of Public Affairs in Education Policy from the LBJ School of Public Affairs. |
Kelvin Bradford |
Kelvin Bradford is currently serving as an assistant principal at Skyview Elementary in Richardson ISD. Kelvin has previously taught in the resource classroom for grades kindergarten through fifth grade, served as the ESL Lead Teacher for his campus and served as the district Section 504 Facilitator. Kelvin has attained a BA in Business Administration and an MBA from the University of Phoenix, Dallas Campus, an MS in Educational Leadership from Lamar University in Beaumont, TX, and an MS in Special Education from Walden University in Minneapolis, MN.
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Calago Hipps |
Calago Hipps is an instructional coach for the nonprofit Urban Teachers. Hipps grew up in a small town in Florida named Avon Park before moving to Wisconsin to attend Beloit College. He had the privilege of graduating with a double major in media studies and performance. Hipps began his journey in the field of education first with the education nonprofit City Year. His time as an Americorp member inspired him to continue down the path of education. He is also an alumnus of Urban Teachers and has been teaching in Dallas, Texas, since 2016. Through Urban Teachers, he became a certified high school English teacher and graduated with a Masters's degree from Johns Hopkins University. Hipps spent three years at Uplift Mighty, where I was blessed to teach all the secondary English courses as well as acted as leader for the senior team and English departments. His last year as a classroom teacher was spent working at Cristo Rey Fort Worth high school where I was able to gain experience with a
private school model aimed at serving historically excluded communities. Calago received his B.A. in Media Studies and Performance from Beloit College and his M.S. Ed from Johns Hopkins University |
Stephanie Hernandez |
My name is Stephanie Hernandez and I am currently a junior at Texas Woman's University majoring in political science. I am also a Research Analyst at a non-profit organization named Lone Star Parity Project. I am very interested in having school board members who will always put the safety and interest of the children first! It is incredibly vital to ensure this because it can have an effect on a student's academic success. I am very excited to be able to partake in this program to achieve this!
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Gerry Regep |
Gerry served as a 2018 corps member for Teach For America where he taught sixth grade reading in Fort Worth, Texas. Gerry served as a Campus Voices Fellow for Leadership ISD in Tarrant County. He worked with his cohort to present policy recommendations to the Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD). He also interned with the Lone Star Policy Institute in Dallas, Texas where he researched areas of public policy, such as bureaucratic transparency, affordable housing, and social entrepreneurism. After his time in the classroom, Gerry moved to Washington D.C. to work as a Legislative Fellow on Senator Tim Scott’s (R-S.C.) policy staff. He worked on issues related to school choice, federal reentry programs, supporting HBCUs, student loan disclosures, workforce development, public-private partnerships, and K-12 education policies.
Gerry graduated from Bradley University with a bachelor’s degree in political science and philosophy. Gerry also earned his alternative teaching certification through Texas Wesleyan University. |
Clare Adams |
Clare Adams is a City Year Americorps Member serving at E.B. Comstock Middle School in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood of Dallas. Adams, originally from Minnesota, moved to Dallas after serving a first year with City Year at a middle school in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Prior to her work with City Year, Adams attended the University of San Diego, where she received a B.A. in International Relations and Spanish and was a member of the school’s Women’s Rowing team. While at university, Adams also had the opportunity to work with the District Office of Congressman Juan Vargas (CA-51), the Public Affairs department of the U.S. Consulate in Dubai, and the development team of the education non-profit World Savvy.
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Luke Tinker |
Luke Tinker is a May 2021 graduate from The University of North Texas. Mr Tinker graduated with a B.A. in Political Science and a double minor in Philosophy and Sociology. Mr Tinker was a grassroots canvasser on Paula Blackmon's Campaign for reelection to the Dallas City Council from February 2021 to May 2021. Mr. Tinker is a DFW native who is currently a server at the Dream Cafe in Lakewood.
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Jules Johnson |
Julienne Johnson is a senior at The Hockaday School. Dedicated to her community, she is an active member of student council as an Athletic Board representative, Affinity/Alliance Council Member, and President of Black Student Union. In addition to student government, she furthers her passions in community service. She is the President of Replay Athletic Gear and participates in Reading Partners. Before the CAMP fellowship, she got involved with DISD through a Social Impact Project. After working with the district to focus on physical activity and building soccer goals at local elementary’s, she pursued the CAMP fellowship as an opportunity to understand the behind-the-scenes of educational politics in Dallas. She enjoys playing field hockey, soccer, and lacrosse. With a passion for STEM, she hopes to continue her education past university to medical school and ultimately provide medical assistance to underrepresented populations.
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Bora Laci |
Bora Laci is an experienced professional who is passionate about social impact, policy, and education. She can launch programs launched and manage them efficiently. She was Legislative Voice Fellow for Leadership ISD, which is a program that advances educational excellence and equity. Not to mention, was part of the Communities Foundation of Texas Emerging Leader program 2020-2021, which is a hands-on initiative covering strategic giving, philanthropy, and impact measurement. She currently serves on the board of Dallas After School Young Professional, Think Ahead Group Center for Brain Health, Crayon Club at Scottish Rite Hospital, and United Way Emerging Leaders Steering Committee.
Currently, as the Associate Director of Advancement & Expansion at the Policy Circle, she manages program development and strategic growth initiatives. Bora was born in Albania and immigrated with her family to the United States in 1996. She graduated with a B.A. in corporate communications from SMU in 2013. She also earned an M.B.A. in Finance from SMU's Cox School of Business in 2019. |
Rachel Gallardo |
Rachel has more than 10 years of experience in teaching, teacher development, and school systems-level consulting. She currently works as the Director of District Programs at The Holdsworth Center. In this role, she leads a team that designs programming for 23 school districts from across the state of Texas.
Prior to joining Holdsworth, Rachel served as managing director of program innovation at By the Hand, an education non-profit in Chicago, Illinois. In this role, she led the creation of a new program model for the organization and restructured the talent development system. As a result of her innovation and work across the city, new locations were opened and program leaders helped children flourish academically. Rachel began her career in education as a science teacher in Charlotte, North Carolina and soon began working in leadership positions for Teach for America in Dallas, Fort Worth, and Chicago. Throughout her tenure, she successfully worked alongside teachers and district leaders to impact student achievement gains, designed and executed high-impact professional development sessions for adult learners, and coached elementary, middle, and high school teachers to help them deliver rigorous instruction. Rachel holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas A&M University. She is a graduate of New Boston ISD outside of Texarkana and enjoys running, gardening, wood working and spending time with her husband and two daughters. |
Jazmyn Ferguson |
Jazmyn Ferguson, LMSW is the Founder and CEO of The Ubuntu School (scheduled to open in 2023), an immersive and groundbreaking educational experience that equips Black and brown youth from under-resourced communities to tap into the greatness that is within them. She cares deeply about ensuring that the youth are involved in the decisions that affect them through empowering and uplifting their voices. She serves the community as a Board Member for TLT: Tomorrow's Leaders Today, an organization aimed at equipping 8th grade-2nd year college students with essential life and leadership skills, and MaaPaa, an organization that supports single mothers raising boys. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Educational Leadership and Policy at Texas Tech University and holds a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree from Emory University.
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Sara Medina |
Sara Medina is an Education & Workforce Coordinator for the Dallas Regional Chamber, focusing on education and workforce initiatives. Medina returned to the DRC after successfully completing an internship with the Economic Development and International departments. Sara comes with a strong business background, but strongly believes education is the pathway to quality of life, and every person deserves an opportunity. In addition to striving to make Dallas a more equitable city, Sara enjoys serving in local city campaigns and meeting new people. Sara holds a BA in International Business from The University of Texas at Arlington.
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Celeste Graham |
Celeste Graham is an educator with six years of experience working in both K-12 and collegiate classrooms. Prior to entering the classroom, she worked for an educational non-profit for three years centering around college retention for underserved populations. As a voting rights activist, Graham has worked extensively with various North Texas organizations, including the NAACP and the Texas Organizing Project, to promote voting rights and voter education.
Celeste received her B.A. in History and M.A. in Women's and Gender Studies both from the University of North Texas. She is currently a Ph.D. candidate in the department of sociology at Texas Woman's University. |
David Miralrio |
David Miralrio is a rising education policy leader who is driven towards giving all students access to a quality and equitable education. David, a Dallas native, returned home after joining the 2019 Teach for America Alabama Corps. While working in the classroom, David advocated for student access to quality education through personal classroom practices, grassroots coalition campaigns, and data-based policy recommendations to local and state education policy makers. David served as a founding and leadership member within the 2020 Birmingham Coalition for Student Mental Health and as a 2020 Policy and Advocacy Summer Fellow.
David received his B.A. in Spanish from Texas A&M University. |
Naz Soysal |
Naz Soysal is currently a senior at The Hockaday School in Dallas, TX. She dedicates her time advocating for change with March for Our Lives as the Dallas Co-Chapter Lead and volunteering on various political campaigns. She has represented the United States as a member of the USA Debate Development Team and serves as the President of her school’s Middle Eastern Student Association. She has written curriculums surrounding civic education for middle school teachers through volunteering with Youthivism and has continued her interest in educational policy by moderating sessions with Karla Garcia, current DISD trustee, for her school. Naz will be attending college next year and hopes to pursue degrees in Political Science and Economics.
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Amanda Hope |
Amanda Hope is an educator with over 9 years of experience in the traditional classroom setting. She currently serves as a K-5th grade gifted/talented program teacher in Dallas ISD. Amanda spent her early teaching career as a special education teacher in Chicago Public Schools before relocating to Dallas. Over the course of Amanda’s time in the classroom, she has been the recipient of numerous awards, grants, and fellowships. Most recently, she received the Fund for Teachers fellowship grant to undertake a self-directed study focusing on the civil disobedience tactics utilized in the Civil Rights Movement to push policymakers to enact legislative change. Additionally, Amanda served as a policy fellow and senior policy fellow, respectively, for the Teach Plus Teacher Policy fellowship during the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years.
Amanda received her BA in Political Science from Whittier College and her MAT from National Louis University. |
Zoya Haq |
Zoya Haq is a junior at The Hockaday School. In the summer of 2020, she co-founded HiStory Retold, a project aiming to diversify US History curriculum by developing classroom enrichment tools, mobilizing students to take action on the policy level, and sharing the stories of historically underrepresented communities through testimony. During the summer of 2021, she served as a campaign finance intern for Texas Rep. Julie Johnson's campaign. For her work, Haq has been recognized by organizations like the Princeton Prize and Ashoka.
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Mehemiah "Mia" Brooks |
Mia is a visionary black leader, community educator, intellectual racial Justice researcher, and activist in education and non-profit sector in policy change. Her experiences include the following: 2021/2022 Teaching Black Lives Education Project Study Coordinator with Zinn Project - 2021/2022 Americorps Vista Professional Development Leader, Vista Member since 2017 currently serving (MOST Network) Baltimore, Maryland - 2021 One's Luv Education/Non-Profit Facilitor, Texas Region- 2020 Young Leaders Counsel Dallas, Texas - 2021 Helen's Project, Dallas Region (Human Trafficking Education Facilitor) - Certified First Mental Health Aide with NAMI - Texas Organizing Project (TOP's) member since 2017 - (CSSJ) Crime Survivor for Safety and Justice Leadership Team since 2017 - PTA Skyline High School Vice President of Communications/Fundraising 2016 - 2018 - Social Entrepreneur in Youth Program Development - Creative Business Content Editor - and I (She/Her/Hers) AM A HUMAN being!!!
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Bryant Diaz |
Bryant Diaz participated as a Canvasser in Karla Garcia’s run for District 4 School Board Campaign. This is where his experience with campaigns and politics starts. Bryant has previously worked with El Pueblo Inc. and Fortaleza NC as a Data and Tools Manager. Currently, Bryant is working with Texas Organizing Project as an Office and Data Manager for Dallas county.
Diaz received his B.A. in Economics from Saint John’s University |
Laurel Bush |
Laurel Bush is a nonprofit consultant and community engagement expert. Her previous experience includes the North Texas Food Bank, Muscular Dystrophy Association, United Way, and Head for the Cure. She has worked in a variety of fundraising roles as an event planner and a major gift officer. She is passionate about the arts and has served on the Young Professional Boards of The Dallas Museum of Art and the Dallas Institute of Humanities and Culture. Active in her local community, she has been a member of the Junior League of Collin County for over ten years.
Laurel is a graduate of Texas Tech University and a proud Red Raider. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies with minors in History and Spanish. |
Adrian Sanchez |
Adrian Sanchez is a proud Dallas ISD student and Oak Cliff resident committed to a better, brighter future for Dallas students and the education system as a whole. A proud community champion, Sanchez plans to graduate from the Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy and attend college to study Environmental Studies and policy. He is passionate about improving his entire community and helping students like him find and use their voices to make a positive difference in the lives of everyone in Dallas.
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Chris Cyriaque |
Chris Cyriaque is a proud Professor at Dallas College. Cyriaque, as a professor, understands the strong link between education and achievement in urban communities. A proud public school parent, Chris is personally committed to the improvement and success of our public school districts. He plans to pursue his doctorate to expand his knowledge for the benefit of our students and the community as a whole.
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Esther Arriaga |
Esther Arriaga is a senior in college and has served with non-profit organizations and at the Texas State Legislature. A passionate community servant, Arriaga has leveraged her skills, experiences, and knowledge to elevate the voices of her community and benefit the city. Her deep commitment to the prosperity of her community and our students has led her to continually put her efforts into learning and using that knowledge to support leaders and initiatives that have a tangible, positive impact on student achievement.
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