College Summit is assisting thousands of students in preparing for college. These high school graduates will join the ranks of tens of thousands of alumni who have gone through the College Summit program since the organization’s inception. These students, with the right support, will persist, graduate, and go on to lead fulfilling careers. In order to harness the collective power of this robust alumni network, College Summit launched the National Alumni Council this summer. Led by Alumni Board Member Emmanuel Fortune, the council is comprised of representatives from each of College Summit’s regions. The Council is responsible for providing alumni perspective in the development of a nationwide network of College Summit alumni, engaging alumni in national and regional initiatives, leading an annual alumni giving campaign, a service campaign, and more.
Meet our 2014-2016 National Alumni Council Members
Council Chair – Emmanuel Fortune
Emmanuel Fortune is a Consultant in Deloitte’s Human Capital practice. At Deloitte, he works with private and public sector clients to provide solutions focused on organizational transformation.
Before joining Deloitte, Emmanuel completed graduate work focused on education policy, strategic philanthropy and non-profit management. He has also served as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs where he worked across multiple sectors including government, business, non-profit, and philanthropy to provide integrated solutions to complex problems.
Emmanuel’s deep commitment to education stems from his experience as a middle school teacher in Jacksonville, FL where he was a Teach For America corps member. He’s also a proud alumnus of College Summit (UF ’02).
Emmanuel has his B.A. from the University of Florida and earned his M.A. in Policy, Organizational Behavior, and Leadership Studies from Stanford University.
Along with his wife Rachael, they are the proud parents of their son Nicholas and reside in the metro D.C. area.
Connecticut Region’s Representative – Evelyn Folson
Evelyn Folson is a full time college student at Western Connecticut State University when she majors in Communications with a focus in Relations. She plans to pick up a second major this fall in Social Work as well as finishing up her few requirements to complete her minor in Psychology. Evelyn’s career plans are to open up a home for youth who struggle with finding themselves because of their home environments. Along with this, Evelyn would like to find a place in Corporate Communications; hopes of a P.R. Position.
Academically Evelyn struggled during her first semester, but she has pulled through and has recently been inducted into The National Society of Leadership and Success; Sigma Alpha Pi chapter at Western CT State.
Evelyn is an outgoing girl who loves to give back to her community. She stays involved on campus being a member of Sigma Delta Tau Sorority, and enjoys helping others any chance she gets.
Florida Region’s Representative – Carlos Amaya
Carlos Amaya is a young man that not only has big dreams and the will to make them a reality but is also a kind-hearted person that wants to help others accomplish their goals.
From being a devoted Peer Leader to a motivational Alumni Ambassador to an extraordinary Alumni Leader, he has always believed and strived to spread the message of College Summit. Prior to the College Summit program, he had a strong desire to help others as he worked as an administrative assistant for Regis House, which held The Children’s Trust Fund Summer Camp, to help underprivileged youth obtain tutoring during the summer as well as planned field trips to motivate them to continue their studies. Throughout his involvement in College Summit, he served as a panelist at the “Are You Ready” Summit held in FIU and at National College Fair for three years. Carlos continued his professional developmental as a member of the honor society, Sigma Alpha Lambda and Phi Alpha Delta, where he holds a position in the Social Committee and attended the National Conference in DC, for the first time, last year.
Before attending the College Summit Workshop, he strongly believed that he was destined to be another statistic of minority groups that would not attend college; now he is just one year away from obtaining two Bachelor degrees in Political Science and Criminal Justice and two minors in Psychology and Hospitality Studies from Florida International University, as well as being on the Dean’s List for three consecutive semesters. He now holds the position of Recruitment Assistant for the Graduate School of Business at Florida International University, to further encourage students to continue their academic career.
Carlos’ passion for the program comes from his personal experience that he holds dear to his heart; for he acknowledges the disparities among the college acceptance and the degree attainment statistics that plague this nation and strongly believes that the statistics should be broken. He aims to be an exceptional role model for the Peer leaders he has served, childhood friend Ari and to his younger sister Maripaz.
Indiana Region’s Representative – Mia Berry
Accountability and drive are two words that carry great weight to Mia Berry. Growing up in an environment where worries of the present took away from the potential of the future, Mia made a decision to set a goal that nothing could keep her from reaching, to obtain her bachelor’s degree. She knew that in order to reach this goal, she had to be accountable for her actions and driven to succeed. So throughout her high school career, the school years were busy with studies and extracurricular activities.
The summer of 2008 at Franklin College, she was blessed with the opportunity of taking part in the College Summit experience. Little did she know it would change her life forever. Continuing the peer leadership into her senior year, she was accepted into every college she applied to and made Indiana University-Bloomington her final pick.
As familial problem and life continued to hinder her success, she still continued to pursue her goal. Realizing that she was not the typical college student, she chose to continue on as a non-traditional student. Transferring from the Bloomington campus to the Indianapolis campus, Mia became more involved on campus. Working at the Multicultural Success Center and the Dean’s Office, Mia helped student organizations at both the cultural and academic level.
After the passing of her father, Mia recognized that she still was not in the environment she needed to be to reach her full potential. After being presented with a chance of a lifetime and missing the comforts of her hometown, she has since decided to relocate and is continuing her studies in Chicago.
National Capital Region’s Representative – Brandon Lampton
Brandon Lampton is a Senior Consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton in the Central Maryland corridor. In this capacity, Mr. Lampton is responsible for developing strategic appraoches that help his clients protect and secure their information and network resources, anticipate and mitigate strategic risks, and counter threats that may impact mission-critical infrastructures.
Prior to joining Booz Allen, Mr. Lampton served as an intern for the Department of Defense (DoD). During his tenure, he produced formal and informal reports, briefing, and direct input to customers regarding security and functionality requirements. As an intern in the security office he was also responsible for conducting risk assessments throughout the life-cycle as well as continuously monitoring security relevant changes of the IT system.
In 2006, Brandon became a College Summit Peer Leader at Morgan State University during the summer workshop and is now currently sitting as a member of the College Summit National Capital Region Advisory Board.
Brandon holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, from Norfolk State University.
New York/New Jersey Region’s Representative – Aadon Penny
Aadon Penny is a Paralegal at Weitz & Luxenberg, P.C.’s Drug and Medical Litigation department. At Weitz and Luxenberg, he provided legal services to clients injured by negligent drug manufacturers.
Before joining Weitz & Luxenberg, Aadon completed his bachelor’s degree at Brown University in 2011, where he concentrated in Economics with a focus on public policy.
While at Brown, Aadon served as a part time AmeriCorps Member, working closely with the National College Advising Corps. After an extensive interview process, Corps members are placed at an array of educational agencies across the Providence, RI where they are immersed in the world of educational policy and increasing state college acceptance rate. At the same time, he held leadership position on Brown’s Mock Trial team; the Rhode Island Urban Debate League and the local chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Incorporated.
Aadon is also a proud alumnus of College Summit (Fairfield University ‘06). Since 2008 he has served within multiple roles at College Summit Summer Workshops. He is also one of the founding board members of the College Summit New York Alumni Council. Aadon continues to combat the insouciant attitude surrounding higher educational achievement for marginalized individuals through his volunteer work with Big Brothers Big Sisters of New York and several local organizations in New York City.
Aadon pursuing his Juris Doctorate and Masters of Business Administration at Boston College, specializing in Global Management.
Northern California’s Representative – Nhi Truong
Nhi Truong is an English teacher and advisor at ARISE High School, a small charter school in Oakland, California. She is very passionate about working with students towards liberating their minds and making positive changes in the community. She is dedicated to fighting for social change and challenging all oppressive systems to create a just world.
As a College Summit alumna, she was the first person in family to go to college. As a Rap Director, Nhi always finds herself working with youth to teach, motivate and support them towards the higher education pathway. Her passion in the educational field has brought her to Citizen Schools, where she worked as a Teaching in Residence with middle school students in Oakland for two years.
Nhi earned her B.A’s in Sociology & American Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz and her Teaching Credential from REACH Institute. She is currently working on her Master’s in Education.
In her free time, she loves to read, cook, eat, play board games and laugh with her family and friends.
Southern California Region’s Representative – Daniel Perez
Daniel Perez is a Commercial Retail Property Manager at Kimco Realty. At Kimco, Daniel is responsible for the overall management of approximately 2.5 million square feet in Las Vegas, NV and Seattle, WA. He has emphasized in retail commercial management for five years and has previously managed property in the Northwest Region of the country.
Daniel is currently enrolled at DeVry University where he is pursuing his master degree in Business Management with a concentration in Cultural Business. He has been involved as a committee member with many nonprofit organizations such as Hispanic Association of Colleges, American Red Cross, American Cancer Society, and heavily involved with College Summit and has served as an Alumni Leader, Writing Coach, and a Certified RAP Director.
West Virginia Region’s Representative – Brian Summers
Born and raised in West Virginia, Brian Summers is living proof that College Summit works. Since 2007, Brian has served with College Summit in many roles from Peer Leader (West Virginia State University ’07) to a member of the Rap Director Team, LEGACY.
Raised in a single parent and low-income home, Brian understands and values the importance of education and opportunities. As a first generation college student he has endured the obstacles that come with continuing your education and finding your calling.
Brian is a firm believer that you should take advantage of any opportunity that comes to you. Personal and professional development is at the core of Brian’s current and future success.
As a secondary education major, it is Brian’s dream to join the Peace Corps and give the same support and guidance to others that he gives to his students in West Virginia.
The most active veteran alumni in West Virginia, Brian’s mission has been to ensure and advocate that the same opportunities that have been presented to him are available to younger alumni in his state.
At- Large Representative – Shantae Edwards
Shantae J Edwards is a native of Chicago, IL and the oldest of seven children. She is passionate about opportunities for exposure, education and college access for urban youth. As a first-generation college graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, making an impact in the world by paying it forward daily is Shantae’s mission.
As a Dream Director with The Future Project, Inc., Shantae supported high school students to follow and activate their dreams. These high school students were able to transform their schools, while positively impacting their community through their passions. Shantae has transitioned to serving in a larger capacity where she works nationally with the Alumni Development and Volunteer Engagement Team. On this team, she provides an ample amount of help by supporting Dream Directors nationwide with tasks that include: recruitment, retention, volunteer engagement and the dreams of high school graduates. Furthermore, Shantae is currently enrolled as a student at Walden University where she is pursuing a Masters in Business Administration concentrating in Marketing.
Shantae is a member of the Global Shapers Community, an initiative of the World Economic Forum, through this, she, along with young leaders worldwide implement sustainable projects impacting communities that create a better future through education, environmental, social entrepreneurship and the arts both locally and globally. Shantae currently serves a Board Chair for Project Inspire, Inc., a non-profit whose mission is to empower youth and young adults through powerful personal, educational and professional opportunities using the arts as a gateway to achievement.
Shantae J Edwards possess dreams daily. Shantae is the creator and CEO of IM D.O.P.E., Inc., a for-profit social enterprise focused on the social impact of your personal as well as professional community branding, philanthropy and storytelling. IM D.O.P.E., Inc., is the creator of a world where you can dream of possibility every day.
Shantae believes that everyone should live life courageously through bold action and by taking on impossible endeavors. She is committed to providing a space for individuals to believe and take ownership of their story. She is a “Certified Passion Pusher” and inspirational speaker, using self-expression and empowerment to change the world one high-five at a time.
At-Large Representative – Brandon Higgins
Brandon Higgins is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the first of his family to graduate high school, and now college. His experience as a College Summit Peer Leader in 2007 led him to want to make an impact in his high school and also in other communities. The College Summit Workshop helped Brandon share his story and vent and release his fears about pursuing higher education. It inspired him to go and be great. He is a May 2013 graduate of Kentucky State University with a degree in liberal arts with a concentration in elementary education. After graduating, Brandon worked at an alternative middle school in Indianapolis. He taught social studies and worked in the special education department.
Although Brandon enjoyed teaching his passion to help children expands to outside of the classroom. He is pursuing a degree in social work because he was part of the foster care system after being raised by a single mom who fell victim to drugs. His experience with social workers was not positive and Brandon wants other foster children have better experiences. He applied and was accepted to six graduate programs. This fall, Brandon will attend the University of Arkansas.
Brandon continues to come back to College Summit because of the impact it has on so many people, and he considers the organization his extended family. His commitment has shown as he has grown through the program from serving as an alumni leader to assistant director. Brandon recalls having a peer leader come to him and thank him for being outgoing and talking to him at the Workshop.
At-Large Representative – Giovanni Mentor
Giovanni Mentor is a leading example of what can come out of being a College Summit Peer Leader. Mr. Mentor had to overcome a multitude of challenges as a high school student at South Dade Senior High. Having to overcome documentation complications that threaten his stay in the United States, Giovanni’s relentless attitudes and determination made him the very first member of this family to graduate at a collegiate level. With much support from family, friends, and College Summit; Giovanni Mentor was able to attend St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, FL. Giovanni Mentor received his Bachelors in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology and obtained certification in Homeland Security and Terrorism. While attending St. Thomas University, Giovanni Mentor not only excelled academically, but also as a student leader. In 2012, Mr. Mentor became the President of a Haitian Student Organization known as Kreyol Nation which steered him towards the highest student leadership position as Student Body President of the Student Government Association.
Giovanni is an active member of his community. While on campus, he served as the student representative for the Board of Trustees, member of the Common Hour, Homecoming and SAAC committees. Off campus, Giovanni is a member of People Acting in Community Together, the Miami Gardens Citizens and Police Engagement Group and a Teen-Upward Bound volunteer.
Recently Mr. Mentor has been selected for a prestigious internship in the nation’s capital with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. The CBCF’s Emerging Leaders Internship Program sponsored by Wal-Mart is a semester-long paid internship for college students and recent graduates. Interns work four days on Capitol Hill, in federal agencies and at non-profit organizations. On Friday afternoons, interns will attend educational seminars that focus on domestic and international issues, participate in leadership-training sessions, and visit cultural and historical sites in the Washington, D.C. area.