Washington, District of Columbia, United States
I love to develop systems, run operations and lead teams to accomplish their goals. I have a background in the non-profit and education sectors and extensive cross-cultural experience, with a degree in International Relations. I am highly proficient in Spanish and speak some Korean and Chinese, and have worked with marginalized populations in housing, education, mentoring, anti-trafficking and poverty alleviation both in the U.S. and internationally. I have worked to utilize data analysis, systems improvement and community partnerships to make measurable, long-term impact with vulnerable and disadvantaged communities. I have seen the importance of both great systems and strong interpersonal skills in ultimate program success. On the systems side, I have experience in managing grants, writing reports for both internal and external use, developing marketing/recruitment campaigns, technical and administrative oversight, and long-term planning. On the people side, I have learned to build strong relationships and trust with people from a wide variety of backgrounds and have experienced every aspect of leading small teams from interviewing and hiring people to giving them the support and guidance they need to succeed and grow.
I train, support, and coach others on complex processes in proposal development, project implementation, risk and management and grant compliance. As part of the capacity building team, I identify training needs, evaluate current trainings’ effectiveness, and design and implement new trainings, materials and resources.
I spearheaded the expansion of an award-winning literacy and mentoring program, STARS Book Clubs, from serving 150 students to 1,200 students weekly. First as Assistant Director and later as Director, I built and managed our systems, staff & training, multiplying our scope 800% in 6 years, and helping some of the lower-performing schools in our city make unprecedented growth in academic achievement. I hired and led a team of 6 staff, 2 interns & 500+ volunteers, with a $215k annual budget and a state grant contract of $200k over 3 years. I built partnerships with local donors, 13 schools, and over 30 nonprofits and faith-based organizations focused on bridging the educational equity gaps in our city.
STARS Book Clubs is a coalition of hundreds of volunteers working towards a future where every student in our city can read on grade level and succeed in life. An award-winning program started by a veteran public school teacher, we use targeted, data-driven reading and mentoring support in a fun and easy model that supports at-risk and disadvantaged youth, mobilizing the faith-based community to support at-risk public school students. I led our growth of 800% in scope over 6 years, going from serving 150 students a week to 1,200 students a week, and seeing our flagship campus improve more than 50% in state reading assessments.
I co-managed a $785,000 federal grant, overseeing financial disbursement, reporting, case management and new systems implementation, while keeping things on time and under budget.