Maria Aranibar Landeo was born in Peru, but raised in Cincinnati, OH. By their freshman year of high school, Maria moved to Somerville, MA and has stayed in the Boston area ever since. They graduated from Brandeis University with a double major in Sociology and International Global Studies, with a minor in Womens', Gender and Sexuality studies. During their time at Brandeis, Maria began working with other organizations that focused on educational equity with marginalized communities. This led them to wanting a career working with youth and they found their way to Steppingstone's Middle School Success team! In their spare time they enjoy taking care of their plants, going on nature walks, and cooking.

Robert joined the Steppingstone team in 2022. He received his B.A. in Sociology and Italian Studies from College of The Holy Cross in 2022. Robert grew up in East Boston, MA and currently resides in Revere. He served as a student mentor and tutor at several community organizations in Worcester and also became a member of several student organizations on campus during his time in college. He appreciates the opportunity to be working with a group of hardworking Scholars who are committed and willing to grow. During his free time he enjoys biking, hiking, reading, exploring different foods.

Louisa received her B.S.W. from Salem State University in 2020. Prior to joining Steppingstone, Louisa worked as Child Services Coordinator for Victory Programs Inc., a sober-living residential program for families, in Boston, and later worked as a Teaching Assistant at Wellesley High School. She has always had a passion for working with young people and helping them reach their educational goals, which led her to join the College Success Team! In her free time, you can find her exploring new things in Boston, listening to music, or spending time with her cat, Ghost.

Claudette was born in the Dominican Republic but raised in Boston. She received her B.S. in Psychology in May 2021 at Lesley University in Cambridge. She joined Steppingstone in 2020, when she interned during the organization's first virtual summer. She continued interning through the academic year and now she is so excited to be an Advisor! She looks forward to making connections with Scholars and families, and partnering with them on their way to success!

Daniella Castillo Vasquez is an Advisor with the College Success team at Steppingstone. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, she moved to the Boston area in 2018 to pursue a B.A. in Psychology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Brandeis University. She has been with Steppingstone since her graduation in 2022 and loves being able to pursue her passion of working in a higher education setting. Outside of work, what Dani enjoys the most is traveling, writing and making herself little crocheted hats.

Leocadia graduated from Regis College in 2020 with a B.S. in Biology. She's lived in Boston her entire life, specifically Dorchester. Leocadia is a former Steppingstone Scholar! Outside of work, Leocadia enjoys art, music, and spending time with her family and friends.

Ashley was born and raised in Windsor, Connecticut. Ashley joined Steppingstone in September 2022. She graduated from the University of Connecticut, where she received her B.A. in Allied Health Sciences. She has recently moved to Boston to start her M.Ed. in School Counseling and School Adjustment Counseling at UMass Boston. Ashley is dedicated to tackling systemic racism within education and providing opportunities for students to overcome any barriers they may encounter. Ashley loves spending time with loved ones, traveling, trying new foods, and listening to music outside of work.

Phil received his B.A. in Spanish and French along with a minor in Communication. From Plymouth, MA, he joined Steppingstone in 2019. Beforehand, Phil was a Youth Development Counselor at the Boys and Girls Club of Plymouth dedicated to helping young people realize their full potential. Outside of work, you can find him running through the streets training for his next marathon.

Ja’Nell is a long-time nonprofit and youth development specialist with nearly 30 years experience. Coming from a family of public servants, Ja’Nell has served in various communities including Newport and Bristol Counties (RI), Southcoast Massachusetts, and most recently Providence, RI. Ja’Nell’s goal is to be of service to those in the community who are most vulnerable and in need. Living by the motto “If I can help somebody,” she has worked with a number of populations including youth, college students, adults with disabilities, and children on the Autism Spectrum. She enjoys spending her free time with her four grandchildren.

Romina joined the social-emotional learning team in January 2022. Over the years, she has worked with various community organizations that serve children and families from predominantly Latine backgrounds. She graduated from Ursinus College with a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish in 2018 and later obtained her M.S. degree with a certificate in Children, Youth and Families from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Social Work in 2021. Romina has a passion for language exchange, community organizing and sustainability. In her free time she also enjoys hiking, cooking, or working on her next arts and crafts project.

Sage graduated from Marlboro College in 2019 with a B.A. in "Sociology: Education and Social Justice" after completing two undergraduate internships at Steppingstone in both Admissions and Advising. Coming into this position with experience in education, youth mentorship, and social work-related roles, Sage approaches youth work through a lens of supporting children in being critical- and independent-thinkers who feel confident in both their self-concept and ability to navigate the world around them. In xyr free time, you can find Sage reading, hiking, or enjoying a podcast.

Thai has been with Steppingstone since 2019. He graduated from the University of Hawaii with his B.A. and M.A. in English. He enjoys working with College Scholars and getting to learn more about their goals and aspirations. When he is not working, Thai is a huge anime fan and loves his Lakers! Currently, Thai is working fully remote from California!

Sean graduated from UMass Boston in 2021 with a B.A. in Exercise and Health Science. Before that, Sean graduated from Boston Latin School in 2016. During undergrad, Sean started working at a nonprofit in Dorchester called Viet-AID where he developed his passion for helping young people prepare academically for their future. Outside of work, Sean loves finding new restaurants to try with his friends, watching Boston sports, and reading any and all genres of books.

Originally from Fairfield, Connecticut, Dan joined Steppingstone in October 2022 after teaching in the Greater Boston Area for several years. Dan graduated from Providence College, where he received his B.A. in English Secondary Education. His overall objective as an Advisor is to create a culturally responsive academic environment that celebrates intersectionality to ultimately foster a new heightened passion for learning, literature, and civic engagement. During his free time, he enjoys playing the saxophone, writing short stories, and playing soccer!

Kat joined Steppingstone in 2013 as an Advisor. She later served as the Director of Admission and the Senior Director of Middle School Success. Prior to joining Steppingstone, Kat interned at Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center's youth program, and at the Museum of Science conducting K-12 engineering education research. She first served Boston Public School students through Project Destiny ministries at the Boston Chinese Evangelical Church. Kat received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Cornell University. Outside of work, she participates in ballet classes, mentors college students at her church, and listens to BTS.

Darren was born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts. He attended UMass Boston and earned a B.S. in Exercise Health and Science in 2021. Darren joined Steppingstone in 2022. Prior to Steppingstone, Darren worked for UMass Boston as an Admissions Counselor on the first year team. He was also an AmeriCorps member with Tenacity. Darren has a passion to create a relationship with Scholars and give them the support and resources needed for them to have the bright future they deserve. Outside of work, Darren loves to play all types of video games, listen to music and watch anime. A fun fact about Darren is that on a good day Darren can finish an entire rotisserie chicken.

Chris is an experienced educator with a demonstrated history of leading start-up initiatives in the field of education. Skilled in program development, Chris' expertise lies in the development and management of innovation within ​the social sector. Prior to joining Steppingstone, Chris served as Academic Dean for the Trinity Boston Connects’ TEEP program, as well as band and orchestra director at the Boston Arts Academy. Chris received his B.M. in Music Education from the Berklee College of Music and M.S. Ed. in Education Entrepreneurship from the University of Pennsylvania.​ Chris serves as a trustee on various school and nonprofit boards including The Meadowbrook School and Hartford Youth Scholars.

Bianca graduated from Boston College in 2019 where she earned her B.A. in Elementary Education and Applied Psychology & Human Development. She then went on to get an M.Ed in Special Education at Boston College where she was a Donovan Urban Teaching Scholar. Before coming to Steppingstone in 2022, Bianca was a fourth grade teacher in Boston Public Schools. Bianca loves getting to work with and support the amazing Scholars and their families. She also loves seeing the Scholars grow both academically and socially. In her free time Bianca loves to read, cook, bake, paint, and hang out with friends.

Luisa received her B.S. in Psychological Science and her M.S. in Learning Sciences and Technologies from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. She is also an Alumna Scholar from the Class of 2009 and is happy to be part of the Steppingstone family again in a new way, bringing a voice to current Scholars and families through data collection. Outside of work, she usually spends her time finding new restaurants to try or listening to true crime.

Mary Lou joined Steppingstone in 2020. She graduated with a B.A. in Economics from Boston College and received her M.P.P. from Brandeis University with an emphasis on monitoring and evaluation. In between her degrees, she spent a volunteer year in Kansas City working at a small college managing the tutoring and career services centers. She has also worked as a research assistant at Oxfam America and Universidad de San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. In her spare time, Mary Lou loves to tutor, hike, bake, and travel.

Will brings varied experience and expertise from over a decade in education to his role as Director of High School Success at Steppingstone. He has worked as a classroom teacher, math department lead, and house chair at schools in both Los Angeles and Boston, as well as Director of Partnerships for an early college STEM pathways organization. He brings a student-first mindset to his work and has a grounding belief that all students can be successful when they can meaningfully explore a variety of career paths and receive individualized support and mentorship along the way. Will received a BBA from George Washington University and an M.Ed. degree in Educational Leadership, Organizations, and Entrepreneurship from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In his free time, he enjoys chasing his dog, trying new recipes, and finishing 80% of crossword puzzles.

Mary received her B.A. in Sociology and Spanish Literature from Colgate University and her M.A. in Elementary Education from Sacred Heart University. Mary worked at Steppingstone for three years as a Reading and Writing teacher prior to joining the team full time in 2012. Throughout her time here, she has served as an Advisor, a member of the Teaching & Learning team, and Director of Preparation & Placement. Now focused on placement across the organization, Mary is thrilled to help Scholars and families access new educational opportunities.

Yamiles or “Yami” is an Academy Advisor for Steppingstone Scholars and families. She is Dominican, but New York born, and Boston raised. Yami graduated from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 2018 with a B.A. in Sociology and Child and Family Studies. She loves traveling, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends very much! She is a very passionate Latina dedicated to giving back to her community by cultivating the opportunity for growth, learning, and success for youth of color.

Jane joined Steppingstone as an Advisor in 2006. She later served as Senior Director of Teaching and Learning and then became Vice President of Academic Programs in 2019. Prior to joining Steppingstone, Jane taught seventh grade Language Arts as a Teach for America corps member in Philadelphia. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Boston College, an M.S. in Education from Saint Joseph's University, and is a graduate of Tufts University’s Institute for Nonprofit Practice. Jane grew up in Florida and currently lives in Malden with her family. She loves playing with her daughter, reading, going on family hikes, and traveling.

Born in a storm in the Way-Back-When, Ivy Wagner spent her youth in the city, her twenties trying any and everything, and more than a few years teaching. When not helping Scholars advance on a path towards college, she can be found exploring a slew of interests, from gardening and carpentry to illustrating and writing. She loves the art of Beatrix Potter, the fables of ancient peoples, and making the time to cherish the people around her.

Annie joined Steppingstone in 2015 as an Advisor to middle and high school Scholars before transitioning to work with college Scholars. Prior to joining Steppingstone, she coordinated academic and enrichment programs for youth at a different organization, and supported undergraduate students in navigating the college experience at her alma mater. Annie received her B.S. in Elementary Education from Boston University. Outside of work, she enjoys playing with her dog (Milo) and baking (while very roughly following recipes).

Joined in 2021, Joanna is a Boston native with a B.A. in International Relations and East Asian Studies from Connecticut College. After graduation, she explored her interests in teaching in China where she taught English at various grade levels. The experience led her to pursue a Master’s in Teaching at the Beijing Normal University where she further developed her skills in teaching and working with young learners. Joanna enjoys seeing Scholars’ faces light up when they understand a difficult problem. Outside of work, she enjoys cooking and traveling.