Jesse (he/him) joined College Possible Texas (formerly College Forward) in November of 2021 after serving as the Director of College Persistence at KIPP Texas Public Schools. In Jesse’s role at KIPP, he led the implementation of the post-secondary success strategic plan at one of the largest KIPP public school charter management organizations in the nation serving 28 schools and 14,500 students.

Jesse comes with extensive experience in college access and college success at both secondary and post-secondary institutions. Prior to working at KIPP, Jesse was the Assistant Director of Multicultural Affairs and Leadership Rice at Rice University. Prior to his tenure at Rice, Jesse was the Director of Enrichment Services at Columbia University in the City of New York. In both roles Jesse designed and implemented strategies around college retention, academic progress and success, and professional development for undergraduate students. In his downtime, Jesse enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the culinary scene in every city he visits.

Hannah oversees College Possible programming at Austin Community College. She obtained a bachelor's degree in psychology from The University of Texas at Austin (Hook 'em!) and went on to get an M.F.A. in writing and publishing from Emerson College. As a first-generation college student herself, Hannah is passionate about the College Possible mission. She started her career in higher education as an admissions counselor at Angelo State University before making the move to the College Possible Texas team. 

When Hannah isn't at work, she can be found with her nose in a book or daydreaming about writing novels in a cottage in the northeast.

Colleen possesses 20 years of experience leading nonprofits and businesses focused on education, music, entertainment, and sports. She was previously a Director of Operations for School of Rock’s international after school music franchise, a roller derby founder and the President of the nonprofit Women’s Flat Track Derby Association, and most recently a business consultant for nonprofits and small businesses. Colleen received a BA with Distinction from UW-Madison, and completed post-graduate work with Harvard Business School. Originally from Madison, Wisconsin, Colleen has lived in Austin since 2008 and enjoys long walks with her dog, live music, and exploring the backroads of Texas.

Czar is the AmeriCorps Recruitment and Operations Manager. As a first-generation college student, Czar is passionate about College Possible’s mission. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at St. Edward’s University. Czar previously served two AmeriCorps terms as a College Access Coach and enjoys creative and collaborative projects. In her free time, Czar is an avid reader and competitive pickleball player. Her goals are to return to school for a master’s degree in Social Work and to continue meaningful work in striving for education equity.

With more than 25 years working in education and non-profits, Rana Emerson joined the College Possible Texas team in October, 2022 after working at the George Gervin Academy Charter School in San Antonio as the Compliance Officer. At Gervin she ensured that the school followed state and federal education rules, and also presided over the launch of a P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) dual-credit academy.

Before returning to San Antonio in the summer of 2019 she spent 14 years as a resident of Brooklyn, New York where she was the Director of Education and College Pathways overseeing an after school literacy program for young women of color at the Lower Eastside Girls Club. Before that she was a College Now dual-credit program coordinator at the City University of New York.

In her spare time Rana writes and talks about race and representation, media, culture and society, especially television, film and music. Her writing has appeared in journals including Gender & Society, the American Journal of Sociology, the websites xoJane.com, Popmatters.com and in The Book of Jezebel. She also enjoys spending time with her family and being engaged with San Antonio community organizations including Lilith Fund, Magik Theatre and the San Antonio African American Community Archive.

Sarah has been an Advising Specialist on the Virtual Access Team since October. She graduated from Missouri State with a BS in Dance and BA in Global Studies. She spent 4 years in Austin, TX, and is now based in Cincinnati, OH. Her time with AmeriCorps at College Forward showed her how much she loves working with students on their post-secondary journeys. She loves that College Possible provides the support, encouragement, and resources that she wishes she had as a first gen, low-income student.

Zack has been an Advising Specialist on the Virtual Access Team since October. He is from Austin, Texas and currently resides in the area. He graduated from Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and Psychology. As a first generation student, Zack received assistance from College Forward that guided him through his post-secondary education journey from start to end. It was a full circle moment when he was able to work with and serve students who were just like him at College Forward as a Lead College Access Coach. Now with College Possible, he looks forward to continuing to help students realize their potential.

Iram Leon comes to College Possible Texas after realizing that much of his life’s forward progress comes from being the first person in his family to graduate from college. Immigrating from Mexico to a small town in west Texas, it was his high school librarian and her husband who pointed him towards going to college at their alma mater, Pacific Union College. There he earned a B.S. in psychology and a B.A. in religion, Summa Cum Laude. He has used that education from California all the way to London, helping various nonprofits network and grow their mission.

Immediately following college, he volunteered in the Marshall Islands teaching high school. He also worked with youth in group homes and as a juvenile probation officer. Most recently he was the outreach coordinator for Goodwill Central Texas and the President of the Austin Runners Club. Due to being highlighted in the media for some personal achievements, he has also been a keynote speaker at various events.

Iram loves athletic adventures. You can find him at local races from 5k’s to ultra marathons, and taking in the sites while completing the New York and Boston Marathons.

Melody has been an Advising Specialist on the Virtual Access Team since October. She is originally from Virginia and relocated to Lubbock, Texas in July. She hopes to be a permanent College Advisor. After undergrad, Melody served as an AmeriCorps College Advisor with the University of Virginia and loved it. She also has experience as a tutor and an undergraduate admissions reader. She likes being a part of a team that works to make higher education more equitable.

Kara is a Program Manager with the Virtual Access Team. She has worked at College Possible since 2019 when she spent two years as an AmeriCorps coach. Kara has a Master’s in Social Work and is passionate about the way education can change first-gen and low-income students’ futures. She loves supporting Advising Specialists and the way it allows her to help more students than she could serve on her own.

Erika Mince, originally from Round Rock, Texas, is a former student of College Forward and currently serves as a College Access Program Manager. She received a Bachelor's degree in Child and Family Services and a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy from Abilene Christian University. Erika has worked in higher education for the past four years. In her free time, she enjoys sitting in coffee shops, live music, reading and writing creative short fiction.

Angel Pittman is the Development Director at College Possible Texas, bringing over 25 years of experience as a senior nonprofit and fundraising professional. A graduate of Baylor University, she is deeply committed to continuous learning and professional development.

Angel began her career in classroom teaching before transitioning to nonprofit program and curriculum development. She served for fifteen years as Vice President at Touching Miami with Love, where her leadership in supporting youth and spearheading fundraising efforts was instrumental in driving growth at the organization. Angel is also recognized for her ability to create successful collaborations with various stakeholders.

In her personal time, Angel enjoys reading, stand-up comedy, crafting, and spending time with her family.

Dafne Rojas is an Senior Program Manager for Success. She was a first generation student in the program throughout high school and college, and served as an AmeriCorps Success coach. She studied Public Relations with a minor in Leadership of Communities and Nonprofits at the University of North Texas. Her professional background centers around educational equity, community care, and social work. She spent a year serving as an AmeriCorps City Year Coach on a middle school campus in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Before joining College Possible, Dafne worked at the SAFE Alliance as a Behavior and Education Specialist in a residential school for youths and families in emergency shelters in Austin, TX. She is passionate about trauma informed care and access to education.

Outside of work, Dafne is an avid book reader and gamer. She takes a lot of pride for her culture, identity, and family. Adventuring with her dog is one of her favorite pass times.

Mandy Thaner is the Program Manager that oversees the Texas State programming.  She obtained her Bachelors in Social Work with a minor in Psychology from the University of North Texas. Prior to graduating, she accepted her first full time position with a North Texas nonprofit running a dropout prevention program in Title I Schools. Her four years of service involved working directly with students implementing and coordinating services that assisted them in meeting their academic, social, and basic needs.  Over the last five years, Mandy ventured into other various avenues of assistance including healthcare consulting and business management. Full circle back in the nonprofit industry, Mandy is ecstatic to be back in the realm of work she is most passionate about.

Outside of work, you can find Mandy enjoying live music, venturing around a market, nose deep in a book, or snuggling her best pup Winnie watching a favorite show. Born and raised in Dallas, TX, she's never been happier to officially call herself an Austin resident.

Benjie serves as the College Access Program Manager for our AISD partnerships. He is originally from Abilene, Texas, and graduated from Lubbock Christian University majoring in Religious Studies before completing his Master's of Science in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University. Professionally, he has experience in non-profits, kayak eco-tourism, and as a Middle School English Teacher and Basketball Coach.  Beyond his professional pursuits, Benjie enjoys hanging out with his family, exploring Austin's green spaces, and reading.

With nearly a decade of professional education experience, Michelle has a passion for empowering students to reach their best educational outcomes. Michelle has been a middle school English language arts and reading teacher, served two terms in AmeriCorps as a K-2 literacy tutor with Literacy First, and spent a year providing reading and writing instructional support to high school students. She is currently enrolled at the University of North Texas, pursuing a master’s degree in information science, and earned a B.A. in English from UT Austin. 

Raised in Kyle, Texas by way of Barnesville, Georgia, Michelle enjoys reading, early morning cuddles with her cats, and Pilates.

Richard Tagle is the Chief Executive Officer at the Andy Roddick Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, he served as Senior Program Officer for the United States Conference of Mayors, Chief of Staff at Public Education Network, Chief Executive Officer at Higher Achievement, and Founder and Managing Principal at High Think. Richard is eternally curious about how organizations behave, grow, and can change social structures and relationships, and has been at the forefront of health and education work that benefits children. He believes that, in the most powerful country in the world, the institutions that shape and hone the ideas and potential of the next generation of great Americans should be the best institutions we can build. He received his B.A. in Sociology and M.A. in Applied Sociology and Social Policy from American University in Washington, D.C.

Carol McDonald served as president and principal lobbyist for Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas, Inc. (ICUT) from the 68th through 83rd Texas Legislative Sessions. Prior to this, she was a policy analyst and legislative aide for Texas Lieutenant Governor Bill Hobby and also worked at the National Institute for Public Administration in Kuala Lumpur and the U.S. Office of Education in Washington, D.C. She received Bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and American Studies from Austin College, a Master’s degree in American Civilization from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master’s of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School at the University of Texas at Austin.

Todd Penner is Portfolio Director for the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation’s College Preparation & Completion portfolio, which empowers more high-need students to graduate from high school college-ready, enroll in college, and obtain a bachelor’s degree. Prior to joining the Foundation in May 2008, Todd spent 13 years at Dell Inc. in various marketing and support positions, his last being Director of Worldwide e-Support. Before Dell, he worked with Exxon Chemical Company and Deloitte Haskins & Sells. Todd has a B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.B.A. in finance from the University of Michigan.

Daniel Riegel is a Partner at Richards, Rodriguez & Skeith, an Austin-based law firm dedicated to serving residents, businesses, and nonprofits across Central Texas. Prior to joining RRS, Daniel served as a law clerk to the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly at the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia. Daniel holds a J.D. with Highest Honors from the George Washington University School of Law and a B.A. in Mathematics with High Honors from UT-Austin. Prior to becoming an attorney, Daniel served as an AmeriCorps volunteer at College Forward and as a program manager with the organization.

Nirav Shah is the Chief of Staff at Commissioner Ann Howard. Previously, Nirav was the Director on the Social Investment team at Social Finance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing capital to drive social progress. Nirav develops collaborative partnerships with key, multi-sector stakeholders to deliver financial solutions that funnel investment capital into preventative programs that measurably improve the lives of people in need by driving government resources toward better, more effective programs. Prior to joining Social Finance, Nirav worked in the Office of Management and Budget within the Executive Office of the President. Nirav holds a Masters of Public Affairs from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Boston University.

Stephanie is currently the Market President at First United Bank. Prior, Stephanie served as the Vice President and Senior Commercial Banker at Bank SNB, a financial institution focused on the growth, expansion, and acquisitions of local businesses in and around Austin, Texas. She graduated from The University of Texas in San Antonio with an emphasis in Law and The Courts. For the last fifteen years she has structured and distributed capital to Healthcare and C&I industries within the Texas and California marketplace. Stephanie is a catalyst for her client’s successes, to-date, she has funded over one hundred million dollars to small and mid-size companies in the Central Texas marketplace. In addition to her work, she is involved with several nonprofit organizations that encourage advocacy, networking and work-force development.

Doreen James Wise, a co-founder of College Forward (now College Possible Texas), also founded Medical Research Consultants, a legal services firm in Houston that she owned until selling the company to her employees in 2011. She has since participated as investor and advisor for several start-up companies, including ChartSwap, Slow Dough Bread Co., and Mowdy Boats. In addition to College Forward, Doreen founded another successful nonprofit, the Texas Center for the Missing, in 2001. She holds a B.S.N. from Vanderbilt University, an M.S.N. from California State University, and an Ed.D. from the University of Houston.