August 2020 Aurora Flores Garcia
Aurora Flores Garcia (CHI’18) has been promoted to Director of Undergraduate Success at National Louis University. In her new role, she will oversee the work of the Student Success Coaching…
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The Surge Institute Welcomes New Chief of Staff
(Chicago, IL) – The Surge Institute would like to warmly welcome Aeriell Robinson to the team as the inaugural Chief of Staff. In her role, Aeriell will collaborate with the…
November 2020 Joanna Vazquez Zelaya
2018 Surge Oakland Alum, Joanna Vazquez Zelaya, has accepted a new role as Public Policy Manager at Alliance for a Better Community. The mission of ABC is to promote economic…
November 2020 Kyra Mungia
2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Kyra Mungia, was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 2021 in education. She is the youngest director or deputy director working in the mayor’s office in…
November 2020 Taica Hsu
2019 Surge Oakland Alum, Taica Hsu, was recently selected as part of The Roddenberry Foundation 2021 Fellowship. Launched in 2016, the Roddenberry Fellowship is a $1mil investment in the innovators,…
November 2020 Derrick M. Fleming, Jr.
Initiated by 2020 Surge Chicago Alum Derrick M. Fleming, Jr., The #JUSTBE campaign. is meant to help dismantle current and historic systemic forms of oppression or indifference, foster anti-racism, eliminate…
November 2020 Melissa Connelly
OneGoal who were selected as a winner of The New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof’s 2020 Holiday Impact Prize. Special shoutout to 2015 Surge Chicago Alum and CEO of OneGoal,…
November 2020 Melissa Connelly
November 2020 2015 Surge Chicago Alum, Candace Moore, was recently featured in Bloomberg Cities’ highlight of 10 innovators who are raising the bar in the fight against COVID-19. November 2020…
November 2020 Garrett Webster
2020 Surge Alum, Garrett Webster Sr., will serve as the Executive Director of Kansas City as Youth Guidance announces the launch of their #BAM and #WOW programs in Missouri in…
November 2020 Dominique McKoy
“As college success advocates in this moment, we must consider whether asking our students to persevere more is truly a credible or responsible strategy.” The team at The University of…
November 2020 Jacqueline Rodriguez
“(Multilingual students) finish high school with such an advantage. Here we have children already with that advantage that we’re telling them that they don’t have.” Jacqueline Rodriguez, Director of ESOL…
November 2020 Ashley Leonard
“Radically reimagining what’s possible in education through relationships will not only prepare middle schoolers to navigate school in the age of coronavirus but all of the challenges this moment in…
October 2020 Keeanna Warren
2021 Surge Academy Fellow, Keeanna Warren, was recently awarded the Outstanding Educator in STEM award during the 2020 Women & Hi Tech Leading Light Awards and Scholarship Gala. The Leading…
October 2020 Edgar Palacios
The Latinx Education Collaborative hosted its third annual professional and leadership development conference, Evolución, for Latinx education professionals (and friends) virtually on Saturday, October 24, 2020 streaming live from 9 am…
October 2020 Savitha Moorthy, Aija Simmons and Sara Rizik-Baer
EmbraceRace recently spoke with Savitha Moorthy and Surge Oakland Alums Aija Simmons and Sara Rizik-Baer to describe Mirrors, Windows, and Sliding Glass Doors, a community-focused effort from Tandem, Partners in…
October 2020 Tyfahra Singleton
2020 Surge Oakland Alum, Tyfahra Singleton, has been appointed to the Oakland Police Commission. The purpose of the Police Commission is to oversee the Oakland Police Department’s policies, practices, and…
October 2020 William Collins
2017 Surge Chicago Alum and VP of Development & External Affairs, Will Collins, served as moderator for The Chicago Urban League’s October 13 Fireside Chat with Michael Strautmanis, Chief Engagement…
October 2020 Ajia Morris
“For me, it’s an opportunity to put your money where your mouth is and say, ‘Hey, I truly care about my friends on the east side and this is how…
October 2020 Lilly Cruz
“I grew up thinking that I was inferior, that we were less and here are these intrepid, brilliant revolutionaries who thought differently and did incredible things. There’s a fire that…
September 2020 ASU+GSV Summit
For the first time, the ASU+GSV Summit featured an all Surge Institute Alumni panel: Katie Boody (KC19); Melissa Connelly (CHI15); Candace Moore (CHI15); Randal Seriguchi, Jr. (OAK18). The panel was…