Alumni Engagement Team
GABBY NICHOLAS
2014 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, University of Florida; 2019 Graduate Scholar, Northwestern University
Program Manager, Alumni Engagement
Gabby Nicholas joined the Foundation in 2022, and works to provide engagement opportunities for Cooke Scholar Alums.
Before joining the Foundation as a Staff member, Gabby worked at the University of Wisconsin – Madison as the Assistant Director of Diversity Equity & Inclusion Signature Programs, and the Assistant Director of the Center for Cultural Liberation at Dominican University in River Forest, IL. She’s also worked for the Pat Tillman Foundation as the Digital Engagement Coordinator supporting military veterans, military spouses, and active-duty service members. Gabby also worked for Bottom Line in Chicago as a Success Advisor for first-generation college students. Lastly, she completed a fellowship with 12PLUS, a non-profit organization in Philadelphia focused on empowering high school students to succeed in education beyond high school.
Gabby holds an A.A. in General Education from Seminole State College in Florida and a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Florida. She also holds a Master’s of Science in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University.
Jennifer krasilovsky
Dean of Career Services
Jennifer Krasilovsky is Dean of Career Services at the Foundation, providing support to the Cooke College Scholars and Cooke Transfer Scholars. Ms. Krasilovsky joined the Foundation in 2015 as the program coordinator for the Grants and Selection departments where she helped with the administration of grants and the scholarship application review process. She also formerly served as an educational adviser.
Prior to working at the Foundation, she worked as an editor and writing consultant for undergraduate students as well as doctoral students working on their dissertations and as an executive editor at Phillips Investment Resources where she managed several monthly financial newsletter franchises. She has provided mental health counseling and cognitive testing at the Northern Virginia Training Center and conducted personality testing with juveniles in the D.C. Superior Court system.
Ms. Krasilovsky earned her M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University and her B.A. in English and Spanish from Dickinson College.
kim dickerson
Director, Career Advancement
As Director of Career Advancement, Kim Dickerson provides strategic leadership and oversight of Alumni engagement and career services, empowering Cooke Scholars to build community and find fulfilling professional careers across diverse fields. Reporting to the Vice President of Scholarship Programs, she and her team cultivate enduring partnerships with employers, Alumni, and industry leaders to deliver professional development opportunities and strengthen talent pipelines.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Mrs. Dickerson built a distinguished record in strategic planning, program management, and organizational development. She has coached hundreds of professionals through career transitions equipping both emerging and seasoned leaders. Most recently, she served as a Program Coach with Management Leaders of Tomorrow, guiding high-achieving college students in securing competitive internships and full-time roles that launched their careers.
Her commitment to student empowerment and workforce equity extends beyond her professional role. She serves on the Board of The 13th Man, a youth leadership initiative, and on the Advisory Board of NVOLVE, which prepares women for success in STEM fields.
Mrs. Dickerson holds a B.A. in Economics from Spelman College, an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and an Executive Certificate in Strategic Planning from the University of Michigan.
natalie rodriguez jansorn
Vice President, Scholarship Programs
As Vice President, Scholarship Programs, Natalie oversees the conception, development and implementation of the Foundation’s Scholar and Alumni programming and communications.
Natalie began working with the Foundation in 2005 as co-manager of the Young Scholars Program where she led a team of Educational Advisers and program Staff in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. She went on to direct the Foundation’s grantmaking and higher education programs. She has worked with the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program to develop resources for community college leaders transforming their institutions for improved student outcomes.
Before joining the Foundation, Natalie served as Director of Program Development for the Johns Hopkins University National Network of Partnership Schools, assisting schools, districts, and state departments of education to establish school, family, and community partnership programs to support students’ success. She is a contributing author to School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action (Second and Third Editions). Natalie has greatly enjoyed teaching and managing supplemental programs for students in both urban and rural schools from kindergarten through the secondary level. She taught English to secondary school students as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Thailand.
Natalie earned her B.A. in American Studies from Yale University and her M.A. in Instructional Systems Design as a Shriver Peaceworker Fellow from University of Maryland Baltimore County.