Admissions Update

Kimberly earned her Bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies from CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice and her Masters in Education in School Counseling from Long Island University, Hudson Campus. When life took an unexpected turn and Kimberly began to take care of an ill family member, she began to work as a part time employee in Higher Education with her first assignment at Columbia University. This temporary assignment changed the trajectory of Kimberly’s career and she ultimately decided to pursue a career in Higher Education, Admissions and Enrollment Management. Over the course of her career, Kimberly has worked at NYU Leonard N. Stern School of Business, SUNY Purchase College, Pace University and prior to TEAK, she served as the inaugural Assistant Director of Admissions at Metropolitan College of New York - Bronx Campus. A native of the Bronx, NY, Kimberly and her family recently purchased their first home and moved to Rockland County, NY. In her free time, Kimberly loves to play pool, spend quality time with her family and sing with her gospel choir, Pastor Terrance L. Kennedy and the Reach Music Ministry, who have recorded two albums and are currently working on their third album. Kimberly is looking forward to bringing her unique enrollment management skills to help enroll an amazing group of TEAK Fellows for this year and beyond!

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Erin realized her passion for the nonprofit field, specifically youth-related programs, through intense volunteering positions. She began her pursuit of a career in nonprofit by attending and graduating from Seton Hall University with her bachelor’s degree in sociology in 2019. A 5-year dual degree program allowed her to receive her master's degree in public administration, with a concentration in nonprofit management, the following year. Throughout undergraduate and graduate schools, she was heavily involved in volunteer projects such as tutoring inmates at the state prison, attending medical brigades, and teaching art courses to students. Since, she has worked for several youth service organizations and in the advancement office at St. Benedict’s Prep, a high school in Newark. Before working for TEAK, she served as the Program Director for Student/Partner Alliance, which provides tuition assistance and mentor support for low-income high school students.

Born and raised in the Bronx, JanCarlos has utilized his passion for social justice to motivate and invigorate students despite their struggles. JanCarlos’ life changed after joining TEAK’s thirteenth class, where he saw the importance of equal education no matter one’s differences. JanCarlos recently graduated from Wesleyan University where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Comparative Politics. While there, he became a Mellon Mays Fellow and was able to conduct research on 1970s Bronx hip hop culture, and question how hip hop served as an artistic response to living in a necropolitical environment. He spent every summer of college conducting archival research through internships in New York City, Capetown, South Africa, and Amsterdam, Netherlands. In his free time, JanCarlos has a passion for dance. Throughout his college years he was the president of two dance teams and now actively takes dance classes. Joining the TEAK family has been a full circle for JanCarlos and he cannot wait to learn and grow alongside his colleagues.

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As a Bronx native and graduate of TEAK’s Class 15, Naya was instilled with a passion for music, theater, and intersectional social justice. Through TEAK, Naya attended St. George’s School, a private boarding school in Rhode Island, where she discovered her love of performance through acting, the orchestra, and a cappella performances. It was also during this time that Naya began to engage with education and social justice through various summer internships, including a summer as a Teaching Assistant for TEAK. Shortly after, Naya attended Occidental College and received a Bachelor of Arts in Music, concentrating in Music Production. At Occidental, Naya engaged with social justice and equity through on-campus events, while also working on her cumulative album for her senior thesis. In her free time, Naya enjoys crocheting, spending time with her friends, and trying new food.