Tiara Wheatley is the Vice President of Alumni Impact at the Surge Institute. “I chose Surge to continue my lifelong mission of making an impact in my community and beyond. Though the knowledge provided through Surge will be in some ways self-fulfilling, it will also serve as an example to students. I want my experience…
Ashli Watts is a Director of Teacher Support at OneGoal. “I chose Surge because when just thinking about it, the words to Stevie Wonder’s ‘For Once in My Life’ came to mind. Like Surge, the melody and lyrics served me like a mantra ushering in the energy and reassurance I need to continue moving forward.…
Ulric Shannon is the Director of Partner Engagement at AUSL (Academy for Urban School Leadership). “The Surge Fellowship is a movement to ensure educational equity, with the belief that it can only be achieved if it is diverse in every aspect. By leveraging the perspective and credibility that individuals who share the same racial and…
Alison Regalado is the Associate Director, Undergraduate Enrollment and Partnerships at National Louis University. “I have felt like I don’t have or deserve a place at the table – keeping quiet or going along with an idea because I didn’t think I was in a position to say anything or I didn’t have the presence…
Sasha Peña is the Director of Career and Leadership Development at Chicago Scholars. “Whenever I meet Surge alumni, they always seem so confident in who they are–qualities they attribute to being a part of Surge. I am excited to be a part of this movement because the Surge Fellowship embodies transformative leadership. It’s inspiring to…
Tanesha Peeples is the Deputy Director of Outreach at Education Post. “To me, Surge is the movement for education liberation, led by the village. Education is the foundation for success and as leaders of color, we are rebuilding that foundation to strengthen our communities and most importantly, prepare our youth to take the reins of…
Destiny Ortega is an Associate Principal at Civic Consulting Alliance. “The Surge movement enables effective, mission-oriented leaders to embed themselves in influential roles inside and outside our education system, agitating and advocating from all sides, to collectively advance educational equity. In my role at Civic Consulting Alliance, I am deliberately seeking to understand and dismantle…
Alberto Morales is the Associate Director of School Growth and Student Recruitment at Cristo Rey Network. “I joined Surge to elevate the conversations around equity with a diverse and experienced group of leaders. Surge is the ideal organization to incubate innovation in service of our students of color. We, in many cases, where the Chicago…
Danny Mason is the Director of Teacher Support, Year 2 at OneGoal. “I am extremely humbled and enthusiastic for the opportunity to be part of the Surge Fellowship.”
Celia Gonzalez Lozano is the Chief Program Officer at Communities In Schools of Chicago. “The Surge Fellowship is an opportunity to learn, to grow, to stretch and to shine. There is always an element of urgency in relation to addressing the needs we see in our schools, with our youth, and across our city. And…