Alumni Engagement Council

Muaz Abrar

2016 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, 2019 Graduate Scholar, Southern Methodist University

Muaz is a software engineer working within a financial institution, specializing in backend engineering within the realm of event-driven architecture to enhance customer communication. Beyond his role as a software engineer, Muaz also finds joy in educating as an adjunct computer science professor. Away from the world of technology, he is an enthusiastic traveler, continuously exploring new destinations, and a fitness enthusiast.

Kevin Bernal-Rivera

2018 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, UCLA

Kevin is a mixed methods market researcher, where he is involved in all aspects of the research process, including survey design, analysis, and report development. Throughout undergrad he was involved in interdisciplinary research labs, where he blended the use of mathematics and computer science within the psychological and biological sciences. He has conducted research at the community college and undergraduate level, as well as professionally at the National Institutes of Health. In his free time, he enjoys reading, playing basketball, and training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Sonia Bustos Barocio

2018 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, UCLA; 2022 Graduate Scholar, Stanford University

Sonia is a graduate student at Stanford University. Her current research is focused on investigating cellular mechanisms associated with gene therapy and tissue regeneration. Sonia has been an active member of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), where she continues to advocate for the inclusion of people from disadvantaged backgrounds in higher education. During her time at UCLA, Sonia was a STEM mentor for the Academic Advancement Program where she helped community college transfer students find research internships and fellowships. Outside of the laboratory, Sonia enjoys surfing, hiking, and cycling.

Chris Chen

2015 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Georgetown University

Chris is a research professional, focusing on investments and tech. While in undergrad, he was chosen along with a select few students to manage a portion of the university’s endowment fund. Professionally, he has worked in several investment funds. He is passionate about investing, renewable energy, and helping people with personal finance. In his free time, Chris enjoys playing sports and musical instruments, flying helicopters and planes, as well as water-related activities like parasailing. He is also the Regional Coordinator for the JKCF Texas Chapter.

Yanelle Cruz Bonilla

2017 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Tufts University; 2020 Graduate Scholar, Oxford University

Originally from Honduras, Yanelle recently graduated from the University of Oxford earning an MSc in Migration Studies and an MPhil in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation. Her dissertation examined how the built environments migrants live in can affect their physical and mental well-being, migrant sense of belonging, and identity formation. She also has extensive social and urban policy research experience and she's had a wide range of work experiences having held roles at The Prince's Foundation, Atlantic Media, Google, the Urban Institute, and the Latino Victory Project. Yanelle loves reading and co-leads La Platica Centroamericana, an online book club community geared towards Central Americans. Outside of that, she loves attempting foreign recipes, listening to podcasts, going to the theater, and enjoying DC's lovely parks.

jonathan finnerty

2015 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Rutgers University; 2017 Graduate Scholar, University of Tennessee

Jonathan currently works in higher education as the undergraduate program coordinator at his alma mater Rutgers University. Prior, he taught at a community college and advised students for a TRiO program. His teaching experience includes courses on philosophy, ethics, and history. Jonathan has been an advocate for making higher education more accessible to marginalized communities and works with colleges and universities to develop and maintain diversity and inclusion initiatives. Through mentoring and advising, Jonathan also directly serves the student populations that he advocates for.

Brittany fischer

2015 College Scholar, University of Florida; 2019 Graduate Scholar, Smith College

Brittany is a social worker, aspiring physician, and a recent graduate of the Master of Social Work program at Smith College School for Social Work. They hope to deepen the theoretical and experiential knowledge they have developed in social work regarding mental health, the social determinants of health, and social inequities, to the medical arena. Brittany is passionate about the biopsychosocial model of health and hopes to treat patients and their complex issues in an intersectional and holistic manner. She approaches this next phase of her professional journey with humility and interests in family medicine, psychiatry, and LGTBQ+ health issues. In her free time, she loves exploring nature and having meaningful conversations with friends.

Hayley Allison Furman

2019 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Stetson University

Hayley works in Business Development at Cortex Sustainability Intelligence, and manages a number of entrepreneurial endeavors. She is currently involved in re-launching The Centre for Ocean Research and Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to marine conservation and grass roots community education programs. She also serves on the board of Feed Hunger Now, an organization focused on food security and hydroponic gardening in Seminole County, FL, as well as managing her own burgeoning real estate portfolio. Hayley has also empowered others in establishing their own solo-preneuships and advocated for business success using this platform. Hayley Furman's multi-faceted and interdisciplinary approach to sustainability, paired with her diverse experiences and background positions her as a visionary leader at the intersection of environmental consciousness and business innovation.

maile Harris

2018 College Scholar, Yale University

An avid maker, science communicator, and astronomy enthusiast, Maile was inspired to pursue a career in physics because of her love of Star Trek. Throughout her undergrad, she prototyped novel telescope calibration systems in a radio astronomy instrumentation lab at Yale, and worked to increase accessibility of STEM education for young learners by developing planetarium show content and at-home science demonstrations for the Smithsonian. Currently, she is a researcher at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, contributing solutions to critical security challenges facing the nation. Outside of the lab, Maile can be found ballroom dancing, or in a tree.

Jason Jung

2004 Young Scholar; 2009 College Scholar, Princeton University

Jason is a private equity investor at Onex Partners, where he is involved in identifying, evaluating and conducting due diligence on new investment opportunities in the healthcare sector. Prior to joining Onex, Jason worked at Goldman Sachs for nine years, most recently as a vice president focused on private equity investments. He is actively engaged with the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation in supporting the next generation of diverse talent seeking to enter and succeed in professions in financial services.

Ousmane Kabre

2013 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Ousmane Kabré graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Madison with his bachelor’s degree in Accounting and his Master’s degree in accounting. After graduation, Ousmane joined Ernst & Young (EY) LLP and served 3 years in the Assurance Services. At EY, Ousmane was primarily specialized in manufacturing, retail and software companies. Ousmane received his certified public accountancy (CPA) license while working at EY. Ousmane is the Founder & CEO of Leading Change Africa, an organization that is transforming young Africans into leaders and leaders into agents of change. Ousmane is not only CPA, he also has a background in computer science and is currently the Founder & CEO of Intro Group, an IT Software company.

christopher leflore

2007 Young Scholar; 2012 College Scholar, Williams College; 2018 Graduate Scholar, University of Michigan

Chris LeFlore is special assistant to the president at The Kresge Foundation. Previously, Chris worked as a policy analyst for the City of Detroit in the office of Council Member Ayers. Chris was also chosen as a fellow for the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in summer 2017, and most recently worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in their Community Development and Policy Studies division. Chris is the cofounder of two nonprofits, BankBlackUSA and M-Years. BankBlackUSA is a nationwide grassroots organization that works to promote financial inclusion and wealth building through research and advocacy. M-YEARS is an education enrichment program that teaches STEM, social studies and urban planning to middle school students in northeast Detroit.

Josue Luna

2018 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, University of California at San Diego; 2024 Graduate Scholar

Josue is an engineer with experiences in optics research, materials science research, and industrial product development. Josue's recent professional experience was working and studying abroad in Germany through a fully-funded fellowship. His research experience while in Germany, was in the field of 3D Nanometrology, an area that focuses on precise measurements at the nanoscale level. Josue has succeeded in government-funded educational programs including the McNair Scholars Program and the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange (CBYX) for Young Professionals. As a strong believer of paying it forward, Josue has done many mentorship roles throughout many educational programs in community college and undergraduate studies. He intends to continue this passion throughout his professional career. During his free time, Josue enjoys photography, reading comics, online gaming, and marathon training.

Xavier Medina

2015 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Columbia University

Xavier currently works in the field of international and immigration law. Xavier will start law school in the fall of 2024. Prior to his current position, Xavier worked as a paralegal with a criminal law firm where he worked with individuals, attempting to navigate the criminal justice system during COVID, while trying to move on with their lives. Xavier is also interested in immigration and in advocating for undocumented students to have more opportunities for higher education. He also advises and mentors community college students so that they too can realize their educational potential. Xavier is a single dad to his 5 year old daughter and enjoys going on adventures with her into NYC. During his free time he loves to read and spend time with his dog Junior.

Carrie moore

2001 Young Scholar; 2006 College Scholar, Cedar Crest College; 2011 Graduate Scholar, Grand Canyon University

Carrie is the Executive Recruiter for Dartmouth Health, a large health system in Pennsylvania. She is also a full-time doctoral student in Healthcare Management. The focus of Carrie's doctoral research will be the use of global health programs as a recruitment and retention tool. When she is not studying or recruiting physicians, Carrie can be found mentoring medical students and residents on their career paths as well as participating in surgical missions. Carrie is passionate about reducing health disparities by creating sustainable efforts which empower providers to explore the ways a focus on altruism can lead to a fulfilling career.

Sarah Schwab 

2018 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, 2023 Graduate Scholar, University of California San Diego School of Medicine

Sarah is a first-year medical student at UC San Diego School of Medicine. Hoping to help people in her community and beyond, Sarah is deeply involved with organizations like the UCSD Student Run Free Clinic and believes that through service she can make a positive impact on at least one person per day. With the support of the foundation, Sarah has been able to thrive in college, attaining a bachelor's in Chemistry and Biochemistry from UC San Diego in 2021. Outside of school, Sarah is a waterwoman; her favorite activities include surfing, swimming, and sailing. She also enjoys playing music with her family and relaxing with her dog, Anacletus.

Patrick Soltis

2009 Young Scholar; 2014 College Scholar, Georgetown University; 2020 Graduate Scholar, UC Berkeley

Patrick is an engineer and coalition builder trying to accelerate the transition to a renewable, reliable, and equitable energy system. Currently, he helps coordinate research on energy storage, grid integration, and hydropower for the U.S. Department of Energy. He has worked as a data scientist and business development analyst for a small software company. In his free time, Patrick enjoys creating and performing pop rock music, as well as running around DC-area parks and paths, and watching more TV than he cares to admit.

Bérénice Sylverain

2018 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, Columbia University; 2021 Graduate Scholar, University of Southern California

Originally from Haiti and born in the capital, Port-au-Prince, Bérénice is a librarian and does much of her scholarly research on Haitian literature and the arts. She has worked as a Research Associate and Archival Assistant at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Columbia University helping to create their African-American and African Diaspora Studies libguide. Currently, she works as an administrative professional at the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary, which houses the greatest collection of Judaica in the Western Hemisphere. Bérénice loves to go for walks in Central Park, mother her orchids, and collect perfumes.

Hollie Joy Wagner

2013 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, 2018 Graduate Scholar, University of Washington

Hollie is a public philosopher and educator serving communities of all ages across the world. She has taught in independent schools, colleges, public schools, edtech companies, and nonprofits. Currently, she is helping build two education start-ups, Launchpad23 and Edventure Alliance, as a philosophy facilitator and alternative education advocate. She also interned with Young Invincibles as a Policy Fellow advocating for college access for low-income and marginalized students. In addition, Hollie loves working with theater organizations that promote social change. Outside of these passions, you can find her, Outside -- kayaking, hiking, and camping.

Aman Waheed

2017 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, University of Virginia

Aman is a senior business analyst focused on cloud computing, DevOps, and scrum. He is a first-generation Afghan-American, raised in Northeast Philadelphia. He founded The Caring Consultants to help build bridges for low-income, first-generation, and nontraditional students to pursue the future career they desire. In his free time, Aman loves to run, train, and create delicious protein snacks.

Stephani Calderón Zúñiga

2013 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, 2019 Graduate Scholar, University of Virginia

Stephani was born in Mexico City and grew up in Texas. After receiving the Transfer Scholarship, she attended McCombs School of Business (UT Austin) and founded the International Business Student Association. She became the first student from her school to travel, work, and intern abroad as a DACA recipient. Stephani founded Beyond Borders, a social enterprise with a mission to help first-generation and low-income immigrant/ DACA background students advance their careers and education. A recent MBA graduate from the Darden School of Business (UVA), Stephani has a passion in growth and transformation strategy to scale teams and companies into larger and more effective organizations, but also enjoys working in real estate, immigration, and education projects on the side. Stephani is trilingual and loves to dance, run, and eat churros and tacos on a weekly basis. If any of this resonates with you, please connect with her because she loves meeting other JKC scholars!