OUR TEAM

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As a former interior designer, the field of education and youth development is Kioka’s second career path.  She transitioned into education following her desire to make an impact by actively participating in the movement to address systemic education and societal inequities. Prior to joining Summer Search, she was a Career Advisor at Borough of Manhattan Community College where she advised students on career choices, readiness skills and job search tools such as resume and cover letters; creating LinkedIn profiles.  Prior to BMCC, she was a Program Coordinator working with NYC high school students at a non-profit organization facilitating career-readiness workshops and coordinating city-wide, paid internship opportunities. Kioka believes every student deserves access to opportunities that can propel them toward fulfilling their dreams.

During the summer months, you can find Kioka enjoying NYC’s outdoor concerts, festivals and flea markets.  She also enjoys biking, dancing and thrift store shopping. Her next venture is to break into the voiceover industry.

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Danya is a visionary and a leader. She has had the opportunity to mentor individuals of all ages in various settings such as dance studios, foster homes, and correctional facilities. Driven by innovation and a desire to see a better tomorrow, Danya has utilized rehabilitative and restorative justice practices, as well as formal and informal therapeutic techniques, to encourage positive development. After graduating high school, Danya took a gap year to volunteer with foster youth overseas. After a year of self-growth, she obtained her B.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland. An avid dancer, Danya has practiced many forms of the art including West African, Jazz, Modern, Afro-Jazz, Ballet, and her favorite and most studied, Hip-Hop. Her favorite animal is the baby elephant, and she has never eaten a waffle that she didn’t love!

Pronouns: He/Him

As an emerging change-agent, Alfonso believes every young person has limitless potential. He believes with intentional exposure and support along with healthy spaces—each young person can actualize their potential. Prior to Summer Search, Alfonso worked as a Budget and Policy Analyst with the legislative branch in Prince George’s County, Maryland while working as a Program Coordinator with a non-profit organization in Washington DC that serves black and brown boys and young men.

Originally from Silver Spring Maryland, Alfonso graduated from Howard University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in English, and Masters of Social Work from the Howard University School of Social Work. He comes with vast experience and is excited about the opportunity to contribute to the mission and vision of Summer Search.

In his free time, you can catch Alfonso sitting in front of his laptop crafting blogs for his website, looking up cheap flights to different countries for his next trip, or exploring New York City and all the food and culture it has to offer.

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Borah is passionate about empowering young people to live authentically, and a believer in the power of transformative experiences and nature. As a High School Program Manager, Borah supports mentors to hold space for their mentees’ kaleidoscopic experiences, grow in their own amazing ways, and model healthy work/life balance by celebrating, taking care, and being fully present in our own lives.

Before joining Summer Search, Borah taught literacy and global citizenship in the Bronx. Borah received the 2017 Excellence in Education award from the Committee for Teaching on the United Nations for her work as a NYC Junior Ambassador Educator.

Borah holds a BA from Boston University and an MA from the Hunter College School of Education.

A wilderness enthusiast herself, Borah has participated in an archeological expedition in Mongolia, camped in the Adirondacks, canoed the Delaware, and hiked all over upstate NY with her baby girl (safely strapped into her carrier). When she’s not in the woods, she’s probably singing, knitting, soaking up time with family and friends, or making dumplings.

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Cynthia is first generation Mexican-American born and raised in San Clemente, California. Being one of the first in her family, she graduated Loyola Marymount University in 2016 where she received her B.A. in Modern Languages. Soon after she committed to a year of service, providing counseling services to high school students in Bushwick, through Good Shepherd Volunteers.

Cynthia strongly believes that everyone deserves an opportunity to explore their highest potential. The phrase “It takes a village” highly resonates with the amount of support she believes we all need in order to help achieve all our goals. Cynthia strives to be able to help youth reach their goals, be part of that “village,” and be the support they need and want. When she is not at work, Cynthia enjoys spending time with her friends and going back to California to visit her family. Being relatively new to New York City, she enjoys exploring new areas and discovering what this city has to offer.

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Maya is passionate about working with and empowering youth to slowly take over the world and make it a better place. She also cares a lot about addressing systemic inequality and sees those two passions as intrinsically connected. Maya grew up in New York City and went to NYU for college. She graduated in 2018 having studied Anthropology with a focus on race and gender. After college Maya organized volunteers in schools through an organization called Repair the World, where she became (more) passionate about educational equity.

In her free time, Maya enjoys reading pretty much all books but especially sci-fi, and walking into comic book and book shops around the city. Maya lives in Brooklyn with many, many roommates and even more plants.

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Born and raised in the South Bronx, growing up Sheakira fully understood the challenges that came with living in poverty. Never getting discouraged Sheakira has fostered resiliency and a profound commitment to receiving a higher education. With the power of mentorship, Sheakira was able to study both Community Health Education and Psychology at Hunter College.

Passionate about ending social disparities and helping individuals reach their fullest potential by the means of empowerment, Sheakira has done an array of duties in the fields of advocacy and youth development. Before working at Summer Search she has served as a behavior interventionist in which she applied restorative justice practices. She has also done community organizing work, one of the things that she has done is organize a Peace and Justice fair in which youth were able to bring awareness to the injustices they felt they faced as black and brown teens.

When Sheakira is not working at Summer Search, she is practicing self-care. She loves to eat sushi, coach softball to youth, read novels, write poetry, volunteer in her community and spend time with her family preferably traveling around the world.

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Silvi believes that critical awareness of one’s identity can be the foundation of strength, resilience, and self-love. She wants to help youth feel empowered and independent in a world that is filled with navigating difficult situations and emotions.

Silvi is an immigrant and a staunch New Yorker whose childhood was built in Brooklyn. She received a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Education from Haverford College. After graduation, Silvi joined Teach for America and received an M.A. in Teaching from Relay Graduate School of Education.

Silvi previously taught 6th grade biology and loved to watch her students’ faces as they carried out experiments and investigations in the classroom. In her spare time, she enjoys being part of a book club, traveling to new places, and trying out new recipes.

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Dedicated to social change and a commitment to understanding history, culture and the impact that racism and other intersections have on individuals and communities, Jené is continually inspired by authentic conversations and relationship building.

Jené provides mentoring and training support to Program Associates and loves the opportunity to create spaces where people feel supported and heard.

Jené graduated from Brandeis University and holds a MSW from Hunter College School of Social Work.

In her spare time, Jené enjoys laughing, learning from, and supporting her friends and family. She enjoys music, reading fantasy books, cats, swimming in the ocean, and sleeping in. She has spent the last couple of summers travelling to Cuba, and getting involved with community organizing efforts.

She currently lives in Brooklyn, and dreams of spending the winters in the Caribbean.

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As a Summer Search Alum, Joceline is passionate about supporting and uplifting youth in her community. She believes that today’s youth with flourish greatly through having significant, therapeutic relationships with adults. From her own experience with an individual mentor, she knows that the holistic guidance provided can change a students’ life! Her goal is to give back and support the youth in her community.

Joceline grew up in Brooklyn but went to New Paltz for college. She enjoyed being close to the mountains and trees but not too far from the city and her family. Joceline graduated from SUNY New Paltz in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Deaf Studies. After college Joceline worked as a Case Planner in Foster Care for 2 years where she worked to safely reunite families in her community. After Foster Care, Joceline worked at Bottom Line for 2 years supporting over 150 low-income, first-generation college students through their undergraduate career.

In her free time, Joceline enjoys watching tv shows like Supernatural, Grey’s Anatomy and The Office! If not watching tv shows Joceline enjoys playing PS4 games like Borderlands, Beat Saber, or the SIMS. She has also started to learn how to knit and crochet and hopes to make her dog some homemade outfits!

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Julian’s path to Summer Search was motivated by his experiences post High School. Being the first in his family to go to college, he struggled to find his footing and a home in a setting so unfamiliar. Not knowing where to access resources or how to ask for help, it took Julian a bit of time to get settled. Eventually, he found his footing and found his community while studying Anthropology at Princeton. He explored affordable housing at Princeton, advocated for the rights of immigrants, challenged standardized notions of Latinidad, and learned to become a better accomplice, friend, and comrade.

Previously Julian was a college advisor where he assisted students in planning for life after high school. Being the oldest of five, working with youth and providing support for them always came easy and has always been a passion of his. He sees the immense potential and the amazing goals students of color have and wants to support that.

Julian is a first-generation American and proud of his Mexican parents who have given everything to support him. He loves the Bronx and thinks it is the best borough and is excited to be working in the community he loves so much.

In his off time, he loves playing and watching soccer. He wants to travel more once the opportunity arises and wants to make more use of his experience with Ballet Folklorico.

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Trish’s passion for learning and growth started with her first job at Chuck E. Cheeses, pushed her to study abroad in college, pulled her into college access and success work, and guides most of her life choices to this day. As a first-generation college student Trish had to overcome many challenges in her pursuit of higher education and quest for fulfilling her purpose. She is grateful to those who helped her come to this point as a Post-Secondary Manager at Summer Search!

Trish holds her bachelor’s degree from Franklin and Marshall College and her Master’s in Education Studies from Boston University, Wheelock College. She’s spent all of her career working in the education realm as a college access AmeriCorps volunteer, doing school operations and recruitment in Boston, and working with college access and success counselors here in NYC.

Originally from a small town in Bucks County Pennsylvania, Trish has lived in Brooklyn since 2014. Outside of work she enjoys reading all genres, biking around the city, spending time with her little brother, nieces, and nephew in PA, devouring her mother-in-law’s cooking, going on walks with her dog Bishop, and making her partner pick new shows for them to watch together.

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Lakiya is a New York City native, who grew up in Harlem. She is a first-generation college graduate and received her bachelor’s degree from Columbia University, where she studied Psychology with a focus on child and adolescent development in urban environments.  

Lakiya is very passionate and driven. Her personal and professional experiences gave birth to her belief that all young people, if given the right resources and proper guidance, have the power to overcome societal limits and create their own destinies. She has spent the majority of her career managing youth programs that were geared towards providing young people with educational equity, career opportunities, and exposure to life enhancing experiences. As a Post-Secondary Program Coordinator at Summer Search, she hopes to continue her mission of helping young people overcome obstacles and realize their full potentials. 

Lakiya has a love for the arts, from written word, to visual, to culinary. In her free time, she enjoys visiting the many poetry clubs, art museums, and restaurants that the city has to offer. She is also an avid thrill seeker, who enjoys roller coasters, motor sports, tandem sky diving, and bungee jumping.  

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Janique was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She identifies as Jamaican and loves to go back home to St. Mary, Jamaica as often as possible.

She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Black Studies and Education from Tufts University. In addition, she received her Master’s Degree in Childhood Education from Relay Graduate School of Education. She has a wealth of experience empowering young minds in a variety of settings. She worked for 3 years at Boston Mobilization, a youth powered, anti-oppression organization that utilized Popular Education to explore the experiences of high school students as well as facilitate workshops on identity development, youth leadership, and dismantling systems of oppression. She also has experience as an elementary and middle school teacher in schools across Brooklyn.

She has a passion for mentoring youth and empowering them to be leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers in their own right.

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Darlyne was born in Dominican Republic and moved to the United States when she was 5 where she began to learn English. Darlyne grew up in the Bronx and was the first one in her family to go to college. She attended St. Bonaventure University where she doubled majored in psychology and philosophy and then got her master’s degree in teaching from RELAY Graduate school of Education through Teach for America. Before becoming a Post-Secondary Program Coordinator with Summer Search, Darlyne was a special education teacher for four years and then a Program Associate with Summer Search. As an educator, she has worked with students by creating and fostering a trusting and supportive learning environment. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, eating good food and spending time with her family and dogs. Overall, as a summer search alum, Darlyne believes in the importance of having mentors and peers that provide a safe, supportive, and productive environment where one can build the skills and tools necessary to achieve one’s goals.

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Amanda is honored to be a part of an organization and team that champions equity, diversity and inclusion and allows young people to reach their limitless potential.

Prior to joining Summer Search NYC, Amanda served as the Senior Development Associate at Symphony Space, a nonprofit theater on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.

Amanda graduated from Muhlenberg College with a BA in Psychology and Dance. In her spare time, Amanda is an active member of the NYC professional dance community. She loves Broadway shows, concerts, traveling, and trying new restaurants across the five boroughs.

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Hilary has been in the development world within nonprofit organizations for the past eight years, propelled by her natural desire to help and connect with people whenever and however possible.

Hilary is a Washington, DC native and graduated from St. Mary’s College of Maryland with a degree in Psychology and Sociology. She was drawn to Summer Search because of the mental health benefits that come along with the work that our mentors do with our participants. She is thrilled to be a part of the Development team and integral in planning our annual Gala and Associate Board Soirée to help support the Summer Search community.

In her free time, Hilary enjoys traveling, spending time with friends, and soaking up the sun outside. Preferably, all three of those at once!

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Isabella finds joy through connecting with others and being outside. She spends most of her spend time with family and friends and her favorite thing is to travel. She loves working at Summer Search because it is basically all those things!

Isabella studied General Science and Philosophy in college (at Fordham). She gets life from working with young people and is constantly impressed and inspired by their wisdom.