Year Up Boston opened its doors in January of 2001 to a class of 22 students. Now serving more than 200 students each year at sites in downtown Boston, Year Up Boston continues to demonstrate the successful impact the program has on the lives of our urban young adults. With more then 40 corporate internship partners, 100 community partners and 300 volunteers, the commitment of the communities in which we serve has been inspiring and motivating. We look forward to continuing to work together and to expanding our Boston site in 2008.

Year Up Boston holds Open Houses every Wednesday from
2:30-4:00pm at 93 Summer Street.  To speak with an admissions representative about coming to an open house please call
(617)542-1533.

WHAT'S NEW
to view Boston's news archive, click here

Year Up Boston Celebrates its 1,000th Graduate!

We were thrilled to have so many people there to celebrate, and we were honored to have Governor Deval Patrick as our keynote speaker. We were also honored to present Mayor Thomas Menino with the Urban Empowerment award, recognizing the Mayor's commitment to the young people in our city.

Year Up's graduation would not be possible without the continuous support of our sponsors. We would like to thank the following organizations for their generous sponsorship:

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Governor Deval Patrick Hosts Cabinet Meeting at Year Up and Signs Social Innovation Compact

On Friday, April 16th Year Up hosted the Governor and the most senior members of our state government for a conversation about Social Innovation in the Commonwealth. This is a testament to all of our hard work together and the tremendous success of our young people, as well as our efforts to highlight the potential of social innovation to address our society's most pressing challenges. Just as importantly - we're not doing it alone. Dozens of social innovators around the state gathered at Year Up to express their support for the signing of the Social Innovation Compact (click here to learn more) This is an exciting next step in deepening and broadening the relationship between local government and the social innovation community, which will allow us to better utilize the resources in our state to help close the Opportunity Divide. Thank you for believing in our young people and for being part of this journey.

View photos of the even by clicking here.

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Now accepting applications for our SEPTEMBER class
We are now accepting applications for our for our September class. Come to one of our Open Houses every Wednesday from 2:30-4:00pm. To speak with an admissions representative about coming to an open house please call (617) 542-1533.

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WHO WE SERVE
Year Up serves high school graduates and GED recipients ages 18 to 24 years old from the Greater Boston area including Dorchester, East Boston, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Cambridge, Revere, Chelsea, Everett, Quincy, and Brockton.

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EVENTS
OPEN HOUSE
Year Up Boston holds Open Houses every Wednesday from 2:30-4:00pm at 93 Summer Street.  To speak with an admissions representative about coming to an open house please call (617) 542-1533.

2nd Annual “Team Up with Year Up”
Saturday, September 25, 2010
On Saturday, September 25, 2010 Year Up Boston will host our 2nd Annual 3 on 3 basketball tournament More Information or Donate Now

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CONTACT US
Address:
Year Up Boston
93 Summer St, 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02110

Phone and Fax Information:
Phone: 617-542-1533
Fax: 617-542-1539

For driving directions:

For general questions, contact:
Tamika Mason
tmason@yearup.org

For questions about becoming a Year Up student, contact:
Linda Swardlick Smith
admissions@yearup.org

To hire a Year Up intern, contact:
Koby Rotstein
krotstein@yearup.org

To volunteer at Year Up, contact:
Stuart Childress
schildress@yearup.org

To invest in or donate to Year Up, contact:
Michelle Demars
mdemars@yearup.org

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OUR TEAm, boston

Casey Recupero
Executive Director
Casey Recupero is Executive Director of Year Up Boston and a member of Year Up’s national leadership team. Under Casey’s leadership, Year Up Boston has expanded by 30% and deepened its impact on the Opportunity Divide facing young people in Boston. Year Up Boston currently serves 280 young adults annually, introducing each one to an internship at one of Year Up Boston’s 50 corporate partners such as State Street, Bank of America, Partners HealthCare, Children’s Hospital, Microsoft, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. As of January 2010, there are nearly 900 Year Up Alumni in the Boston area.

Casey joined Year Up in 2004 with a wide range of experience strengthening nonprofit organizations in the U.S. and in Africa. Casey spent more than 4 years as a Program Officer at World Education, Inc., where he designed and supported capacity building programs for grassroots organizations overseas. With a portfolio that included programs focusing on HIV/AIDS peer education for Ghanaian youth, small business development in South Africa, and education reform in Malawi, Casey has a unique perspective on the myriad challenges facing disadvantaged populations. Prior to his career in international development, Casey directed a mentoring program for first-year students at Harvard, served on the College's Board of Freshman Advisors, and collaborated on research at the Kennedy School's Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations.

Casey has a B.A. in Anthropology and African Studies from Harvard University and is a 2007 graduate of the LeadBoston program. Casey serves on the Selection Advisory Council for the GreenLight Fund, the Boston Rising Advisory Committee, and Mayor Menino’s Success Boston Task Force.

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Tyra Anderson
Learning Director
Tyra comes to Year Up from Oklahoma City, OK. She has previously worked with the Children’s Community Arts Program for the Atlantic Center for the Arts in New Smyrna Beach, FL. With a background in working with non-profit organizations, Tyra is excited to be apart of the Year Up Team. She has received her B.A. degree in Arts Management w/a minor in Marketing and African American Studies from the University of Tulsa. She is currently in graduate school pursuing her M.A. in Education at Lesley University.

Kevin Barry
Internship Account Director
Kevin joined the staff of Year Up after a thirty year career in sales and marketing, principally in the publishing industry. Kevin started his career at The New Yorker Magazine and then went on to found his own venture-backed publishing company, Madison Publishing which served the managed healthcare market. Madison Publishing was eventually sold to the Times-Mirror Corporation. Kevin's responsibilities at Year Up include developing new business to support the internship program and managing relationships with a number of Year Up's strategic accounts.

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Michael Boyle
Business Communications Instructor
Michael comes to Year Up with over fifteen years of experience working as a professional writer. Prior to Year Up, he published both business and general interest articles in a variety of magazines and designed and taught corporate training seminars in forty-four states. He has tutored students in writing at both the middle, high school, and college level, including a two-year stint as the Writing Coach at an inner-city high school in Detroit, Michigan. Michael earned his B.A. in English Literature from the University of Michigan. Until July, 2006, he was working toward an M.F.A. in Creative Nonfiction from Bennington College in Vermont; he has since transferred to the Masters in Publishing and Writing program at Emerson College in Boston.

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Bill Davidge
Business Communications Instructor
An experienced instructor, he has taught sales and marketing, internet marketing, investment operations, personal finance, advertising management, and information systems at Year Up, Northeastern University, Cambridge College and Bunker Hill Community College. 

Bill has over twenty years in senior-level sales and marketing management positions in the office automation, electronic media and e-commerce industries.  He has developed customized trainings for companies and organizations and specializes in sales and marketing consulting to small and medium sized companies primarily in the area of business development.

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Smajl Cengic
Director of Career and Alumni Services
Smajl was born and raised in Banovici, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He holds a degree in Economics and has years of sales and marketing experience. Smajl immigrated to the U.S. in September 1996 as a refugee after having lived through four years of war in his homeland. During his first year in the U.S., Smajl held a variety of jobs, including carpentry, construction, assembly, and stockroom before he started working as an Employment Specialist/Counselor. It was at the International Institute of Boston that he began to help refugees and immigrants secure employment. Smajl has extensive experience working with diverse, low income populations such as refugees, asylees, unemployed and underemployed individuals. Smajl now holds an Associate's Degree in Business from Bunker Hill Community College, a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from the University of Massachusetts and a Master of Management degree from Cambridge College.

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Stuart Childress
Title
Coming Soon!

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Karen Crane
Academic Director
Karen comes to Year Up with a wide range of instructional experience with adult learners. Most recently, Karen worked as a Technical Instructor at The Chubb Institute, an adult technical career school. Not only did she, instruct the technical program, but she also taught courses in Web Design and Web Development. Prior to The Chubb Institute Karen was a computer software instructor for military and civilian personnel at Fort Monmouth. Karen graduated from York College of Pennsylvania, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Secondary Education, Business.

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Bill Davidge
Investment Operations Instructor / Internship Account Director
An experienced instructor, he has taught sales and marketing, internet marketing, investment operations, personal finance, advertising management, and information systems at Year Up, Northeastern University, Cambridge College and Bunker Hill Community College.

Bill has over twenty years in senior-level sales and marketing management positions in the office automation, electronic media and e-commerce industries. He has developed customized trainings for companies and organizations and specializes in sales and marketing consulting to small and medium sized companies primarily in the area of business development.

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Michelle Demars
Director of Development
Michelle joined the Year Up team in September 2006, starting initially as the Development Coordinator before being promoted in 2007 to the Development and Volunteer Manager, and then in 2009 to the Director of Development. Prior to coming to Year Up, Michelle gained valuable experience, working for two and a half years in the development department at Casa Myrna Vasquez a domestic violence organization in Boston’s South end. During that time, Michelle continued her education, obtaining a Graduate Certificate for Women in Politics and Public Policy and completing an internship at the State House, working for Representative Debra Blummer. Michelle graduated from UMass Boston in 2002 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Philosophy and Economics. While at UMass, Michelle did an internship with Women’s Statewide Legislative Network working on crafting legislation for paid family leave. Born and raised in Hubbardston, MA, Michelle is an avid Patriots fan.

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Lovie Elam
Business Communications Instructor
Lovie brings with her to Year Up an extensive array of pedagogical and corporate skills and experience. She is a licensed educator with years of teaching experience both as a secondary school English teacher and as a corporate training facilitator in the Financial Services arena. Lovie delights in the fact that teaching at Year Up allows her to combine her teaching interests and experience and employ the entire toolbox of teaching skills that she has honed over the years. Prior to her career in education, Lovie was a recruiting Coordinator at Bain & Company. She also founded and continues to operate her own small business as a marketing and graphic design consultant. Lovie holds a B.A. in Classical Studies from Yale University and a Master’s Degree in Education.

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Kelly Exley-Smith
Student Services Manager
Kelly was born and raised in upstate New York. She came to Boston in 1999 in search of her undergraduate degree and never left. Since coming to Boston, Kelly has received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Boston University, a Master of Urban Affairs from Boston University, and most recently, her Master of Social Work from Simmons College. Kelly came to Year Up in 2006 as a Student Services Intern. Upon graduating, Kelly joined the Year Up team fulltime as the Student Services manager. Outside of Year Up, Kelly is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), the Greater Boston Business Council (GBBC), and an Alumni Brother of Theta Beta Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi. In her free time, she enjoys reading, geocaching, running, and feels that you can never go wrong with karaoke. Kelly currently lives in Jamaica Plain with her wife and two cats.

Greg Gardner
Boston Site Leader
Greg joined the Year Up team after relocating to Boston from San Francisco, CA. Greg worked as a Project Manager for 7 years in the private sector before moving to the non-profit sector. During his career in Social Services, Greg has worked as a case manager, job developer, and vocational program coordinator. Greg holds a BA in Philosophy from Pitzer College in Claremont, CA, as well as an MSW from the University of Chicago.

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Pat Gaudette
Investment Operations Instructor
Pat Gaudette comes to Year Up after a career spanning 20 + years as an Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Pine Manor College.  She taught classes in marketing and investments to first-generation urban college students.   Recently, she was involved in instituting an outcomes-based portfolio process for graduating students and creating an interdisciplinary major in Sports Management.

Prior to becoming an academic, Pat worked at Interactive Data/Chase Econometrics as an econometric consultant.  She was responsible for providing financial and marketing consulting services to Fortune 50 corporations.

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Michael Goldstein
Senior Director of Development
Michael is an entrepreneur with a passion for urban education. He began his career as Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director of Providence Summerbridge, where high school and college students run a summer school for urban middle school students. A few years later, Michael founded and grew Youth Tech Entrepreneurs, a program where high school students run their schools’ websites and help desks, to an organization serving 35 Massachusetts school districts. He also served as Executive Director of City Year Rhode Island and Development Director of MetroWest Jewish Day School, where he increased revenue an average of over 15% a year each year for six years. Michael has a BA from Brown University and an MPP from Harvard University. Michael was recognized in 2002 by the Boston Business Journal and in 2007 by the Providence Business News in their respective “40 Under 40” awards for promising young business leaders.

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Brendan Halpin
Business Communications Instructor
Brendan, a lifelong city-dweller, spent ten years as a high school English Teacher with a passion for urban education.   In addition to regular high school English classes, he created Writing Workshop classes and co-created an intensive English curriculum for at-risk ninth graders at an urban high school. Brendan worked as an advisor to fifteen urban high school students for three years and considered that position the most challenging and rewarding of his high school teaching career. Brendan is also a published writer with two memoirs, three novels for adults and two novels for young adults to his name. His short pieces have appeared in The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and other publications.  He holds a B.A. in English (Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Tufts University.  He lives in Boston with his wife, their three children, and their dog.

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Brian harvey
Commonwealth Corps Member/Teaching Fellow
Brian's resume reads, "After 10 years of positively impacting youth, plus the passion and qualifications to excel as a Teaching Fellow, I will empower the [YU] students to achieve academic and professional potential." Brian is a graduate of UMASS Boston and holds a B.A. in Community Planning. He was an Education Award recipient for AmeriCorps' "Students in Service". For nine years he worked at Roche Brothers Supermarket in customer service positions. He also worked at Little House in Dorchester, leading urban teens through intensive outdoor team building exercises. Most recently, he completed a rigorous summer program as a teacher in the Higher Achievement Program in Washington, DC, where he taught math and social studies to middle schoolers. Brian likes to sing karaoke in his spare time and coach basketball. In fact, he is YU's newest basketball coach along with Coach Carlos, providing Year Up with two basketball teams this term!

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Stacy Hightower
Boston IT instructor
Stacy is excited to be embarking on her desired career path with Year Up Boston. With much experience in IT, she decided to begin pursuing her dream of becoming a teacher through combining her knowledge of IT with her passion for educating young people. She has been in law enforcement for over 22 years, including working for the US Air Force, the Veterans Administration, and the Boston Police Department. During this time, she was honing her IT skills, also doing IT work for the Boston Police Department and opening and operating her own business in the technology field. She holds an A.S. in Criminal Justice, a B.S. in Communications for Computer Science and Technical Writing, and a Graduate Certificate in Network Security Management--all from Northeastern University. With her sights on a full career change to teaching, she obtained her Massachusetts Educators License in Instructional Technology, with certification to teach all levels.

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Sara Holt
Director, Corporate Partnerships
Sara has served Year Up's mission for close to four years in a variety of leadership roles. She recently joined the Year Up Internship team after serving as Boston's Director of Enrollment where she implemented processes related to college partnerships and participated in critical strategic initiatives to help Boston grow its service model.

Sara joined Year Up after ten years of experience working in both for-profit and nonprofit agencies. Her unique experience includes strategic consulting, software QA and training, and knowledge management. Sara's dedication to social change led her to earn a master's degree in urban social work practice and human service management. Before returning to graduate school Sara spent three years at the Bridgespan Group developing their knowledge management practice, and five years at Bain & Company as a learning & development specialist in IT.

Sara has an extensive volunteer record working with Boston's urban youth at Steppingstone, MyTown, MSPCC and BP Schools. She also enjoys volunteering with Boston's homeless. Sara holds a BA in English Teaching from the University of New Hampshire and an MSW from Boston University.

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Mawuli Hormeku
Commonwealth Corps Member/Teaching Fellow
Mawuli started his post-college career in the music industry, with a focus on promotions and marketing. He has worked for Kanye West's record label at Sony BMG and also started his own consulting business in this field. After several years in the music industry, he obtained his NY provisional teacher's license and worked as a permanent substitute for special needs students. It was here where he found his life's passion in urban education. He later worked for B.E.L.L. in NYC as a tutor/mentor before deciding to pursue his graduate degree in Education at Boston College. Mawuli holds a B.A. in Psychology and is on track to graduate with his Master's in Curriculum & Instruction this December.

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Saskia James
Alumni & Career Services Coordinator

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BETTY JEREMIE
Boston IT instructor
Betty re-located from the Southeast to join Year Up Boston. While she needs to go buy some winter clothes, she brings with her a worthy background in the IT and teaching fields. Over the past 10 years, she has worked as a training specialist and project manager in the IT industry. Additionally, Betty has taught at Seminole High School in Florida where she taught emerging technology-- including at that time C++ and QBasic-- business computer applications, and employability skills. She also spent some time as a Corporate Trainer for Scholastic Book Fairs and the University of Central Florida, both developing instructional materials and methods, teaching corporate classes, and developing and training new systems for external business customers. A native of Haiti, Betty is actually returning to Boston, as she is a graduate of UMASS holding a B.S. in Management Information Systems. She also has a M.S. in Management Information Science from the University of Phoenix. She is fluent in French, English, and Spanish.

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Shayla jordan
Commonwealth Corps Member/Teaching Fellow
A Boston native and a graduate of Stonehill College with a B.A. in American Studies and Elementary Education, she participated in diversity and cultural initiatives on campus and worked as a tutor and counselor for the Upward Bound program. Later, she acted as the program's Bridge Coordinator. She mentored low-income HS students who desired to be college bound, and taught resume writing, interviewing skills, and time and stress management. She also has three years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry, working for Texas Roadhouse Restaurants, most recently as a Training Coordinator/Corporate Trainer and Hourly Manager. There, she coordinated and facilitated training to trainers and managers, hosted new employee orientation, and taught sales techniques to employees with a focus on customer service.

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John P. Killeen
Investment Operations Instructor
John comes to Year Up after a number of years in Finance with publishing firms and as an Adjunct Professor at Newbury College where he teaches Finance and Business courses. John graduated from Hartwick College in Oneonta N.Y. where he earned a B.A. in Economics. He also received a certificate in Financial Planning from the New England Banking Institute (now The New England College of Finance) and in 1999 received a M.S. in Finance from Northeastern University. Most recently, John received a graduate certificate in Publishing from Pace University.

John enjoys coaching youth soccer and spending time with his family

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Christopher Knight
Manager of Outreach & Admissions
Chris is a native of Malden, Massachusetts.  In his senior year at Malden High School he earned a full-tuition leadership scholarship through the Posse Foundation to attend Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine.  There he double majored in Sociology and Gender & Women’s Studies.  During his junior year Chris spent three months at the University of the West Indies, Jamaica studying Gender & Development through the School for International Training (SIT).  Chris comes to Year Up eager to serve the community in which he grew up.   Looking back on the “year up” he had in his life, Chris is excited to help provide an opportunity for other urban young adults.

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Harry Lindor
Learning Director
Harry was born and raised in Haiti. He graduated from the State University of Haiti with a Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering and an Associate degree in Soil Mechanics. For 10 years, he conducted many infrastructural projects such as the drainage project for Haiti's Capital (Port-au-Prince) in collaboration with French and Canadian Consultants. He shared his experiences and knowledge teaching at a private university, and he also opened a Computer School to train working professionals. Immigrating to the US in 1990, he worked for the Florida Department of Transportation, and graduated in Computer Information Systems with a minor in Computer Science. He worked as an Assistant Network Administrator at the Florida Atlantic University, also tutoring students in Programming Languages and Software Applications. He continued his career working as a Help Desk specialist for Compaq, prior to extending his experiences with Equitrac, the world leader and most trusted print tracking and cost recovery solutions Company. His passion for children and youth led him to relocate from Miami, giving up his comfortable life to join the Year Up vision of empowering young adults to reach their potential.

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Caitlin MacDonald
Events and Communications Manager
Caitlin came to Year Up in June 2007 with a passion for education. After graduating from Bowdoin College in 2001 with a degree in English and Education, Caitlin taught high school English in Westbrook, Maine. She then returned to her alma mater as the Coordinator of Community Service Programs, helping to engage Bowdoin students in volunteer, service learning, and community leadership opportunities. Prior to joining the Year Up team, Caitlin earned her MBA in Public and Nonprofit Management at Boston University. While completing her degree, she was a Graduate Assistant at BU's Community Service Center where she served as advisor to the student leaders of the campus volunteer programs. She also worked with the GreenLight Fund and EdVestors to plan their annual fundraising events. Caitlin is excited to combine her experience in student development and her love of event planning and marketing in her position at Year Up.

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Chanelle Mack
Internship Coordinator
Chanelle joined Year Up after graduating from Class 3, the first class to receive college credits. Chanelle focused on Networking Support I and II and gained an internship with Children's Hospital Boston where she worked in both help desk and desktop support. Chanelle currently resides in Dorchester, MA and is attending Cambridge College pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology with a minor in Business Management.

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Teresa Martinez
Admissions Coordinator
Teresa Martinez was born and raised in El Salvador and moved to United States at the age of 15. She graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin School in 2003, where she learned English as a second language. After completing high school, Teresa joined Year Up as a student, where she developed her professional, technical and communication skills. Upon graduation from Year Up, she became part of the Year Up team, working as Admissions Coordinator. Teresa is continuing her education at Cambridge College, where she is working towards her Bachelors Degree in Human Services.

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Jenni McBrayer
Admissions Specialist
Jenni joined the Year Up team after relocating to Boston from NC. She brings with her a mix of administrative and social work experience. Most recently she graduated from a one-year appointment with the AmeriCorps*NCCC program where she completed 1,700 hours of national service, including leading volunteers in Hurricane Katrina disaster relief. Prior to Americorps, she worked as a Customer Service and Billing Specialist at Vantel Communications and as a Case Manager for female offenders at the Summit House of the Piedmont. Other community service includes a 1 year internship at the Big Buddy Program, volunteering as a big buddy for a 12-year old girl, tutoring male offenders for the GED exam, and service learning with elementary school children and families. Jenni holds a B.S. of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.

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Matt McCann
Boston Site Leader
Matt brings a 20-year career in technology to Year Up. As a Client Partner at Razorfish and i-Cube, he managed large consulting teams and was responsible for the success of major clients. As Partner and General Manager for Conduit Communications in Boston, he set the strategic direction and provided day-to-day oversight of operations. Matt has held senior positions in software development, marketing, sales, product management, direct marketing and purchasing at Sun Microsystems, PC Connection, Data General and Wang Laboratories. He has a B.A. in Philosophy from Dartmouth College and has done graduate work in Multinational Commerce at Boston University.

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Robin Nadeau
Senior Director of Programs
With over 15 years of experience in the fields of youth development, education reform, workforce development and community collaboration, Robin brings to Year Up her perspective and practice of helping educators and front-line youth workers develop individual skill sets, as well as assisting managers and leaders to partner across agencies, organizations and communities to effectively build systems to support youth.

Most recently, Robin worked for eight years as a staff national consultant, facilitator and trainer for School & Main Institute (SMI). At SMI, she facilitated strategic planning processes and collaboration efforts of local, state, and national teams to positively affect policy and service delivery efforts to enable our young people to achieve and succeed. She has also worked locally on student proficiency initiatives in Springfield and Boston, MA.

Robin has a B.A. in Communications from Rhode Island College, a post-graduate certificate in Refugee Studies from York University, Toronto, and has taken graduate courses in Education at RI College, Lesley College, and Cambridge College. She is a volunteer with Team in Training, the endurance sports training/fund raising program for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.

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Dolores ORTIZ
Investment Operations instructor
While Dolores started full time with Year Up this summer, many of you are not new to knowing Dolores, as she has been a volunteer with us teaching workshops on personal finance and being a mentor to past students. She comes to Year Up with over 20 years working in both the non-profit and private sectors. Most recently, she worked for Organization for a New Equality (O.N.E.) as the Director of Financial Education where she managed statewide and national financial education programs and developed curricula for youth and adults. She also worked for 10 years at Cendant Corporation (formerly CUC International untill 1997) as a Research Anaylst and Fulfillment Coordinator, working in accounting/billing, quality control and assurance, and customer service. Dolores has been an active volunteer in the community, having also invested her services to support and guide young people at the Timilty Middle School and the Mission Safe youth development organization.

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Kelly Parrish
Learning Director
Kelly comes to Year Up with a wide range of skills including teaching technology classes in the corporate world and in the non-profit sector. Before joining the Year Up team, Kelly completed her Masters degree in Educational Media and Technology at Boston University. Prior to completing her degree, Kelly worked as an Educational Consultant at 170 Systems, a consulting company which focused on electronic workflow solutions. Some of her responsibilities included training end users, the creation of training materials, managing client relationships and traveling to the client sites. During her free time, she was a teacher at the Prep Computer Center in Dorchester, MA where she taught a Microsoft Word Certification class. Kelly graduated from Indiana University of PA, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. She has a great passion for teaching and reaching students.

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KOBY A. ROTSTEIN
Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships & Internships
Koby Rotstein joins Year Up with an extensive background in telecom, voice over IP, hardware and software engineering. Mr. Rotstein has held a wide range of positions in the technology industry over the past 25 years with senior management positions in program design, business development, software development, account management, marketing and sales. He has particular expertise and experience in the areas of International programs, including adaptation and localization of products and services, speech Recognition and Voice Over IP. Mr. Rotstein has been invited to speak at numerous conferences on these and other areas of the industry. Prior to joining Year Up, Koby was in the development office of Cambridge College and a mentor to a number of Year Up students.

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Damien Rudzinski
Learning Director
With five years of professional experience at startups and corporations, Damien joins the Year Up team as a Learning Director to share his knowledge and experience from the industry. Originally entering college as a Music Education major, Damien eventually decided to pursue a degree in Computer Science, although he still enjoys playing music. In 2000, he earned a Bachelors of Science degree in Computer Science, with a minor in Business Management, from Keene State College in NH.

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Kayvan Sabery
Learning Director
Kayvan Sabery comes to Year Up from Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology where has been the director of computing services at for the past 5 years and an instructor for the past fifteen years. He has also taught at the veteran’s Upper Bound program at UMass Boston. Kayvan has also worked as an independent network field engineer for Integrated IT Solutions, and Navic Computers. He holds a BS in Engineering from Boston University and is a Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.

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Linda Swardlick Smith
Director of Admissions, Volunteers, and Social Work
Linda comes to Year Up with over 20 years of experience in the workforce-training arena. Most recently, Linda was V.P. of Business Development at WorkSource Staffing Partnership, an innovative workforce development company focusing on job retention and career development. Prior to WorkSource she was the Executive Director for Training, Inc., a Boston-based, not-for-profit job training organization in seven U.S. cities. Linda is also one of the founding members of the Job Training Alliance, a not-for-profit organization focused on workforce development and community partnerships. Linda earned a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan and a B.A. from the University of Vermont.

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margaret walkup
Commonwealth Corps Member/Teaching Fellow
Margaret graduated from Wellesley College with a B.A. in Spanish and Education Studies and is a member of Delta Sigma Pi, the National Spanish Honor Society. She has experience as the general manager of the on-campus student center and pub, Punch's Alley, where she handled day-to-day operations, managed a staff team, and increased foot traffic and revenue by implementing a solid plan with a focus on customer service. After graduating, she spent a year teaching kindergarten and first grade at schools in Boston and Watertown through grant-funded positions. A native of Washington, D.C., and a product of the Nashville public schools, Margaret holds a true passion for teaching and learning and wanted to teach older students. She comes to Year Up excited to teach our students and expand her own professional development. She enjoys improv and was once a member of the "Dead Serious Improvisational Troupe".

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Priscilla Weinstein
Admissions Specialist
Born and raised in Boston, Priscilla began working with Year Up as an intern during her senior year at Fenway High School. Once her internship was completed she decided to stay a little longer before she headed of to UMASS Dartmouth. She continued to work at year Up during her summer and winter college breaks. Priscilla received her B.A degree in Human Resource Management. She has joined the Year Up team full time working with admissions and enrollment.

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