The Board of Directors

Jayvan Mitchell (Chair)Associate, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP — **Jayvan Mitchell (Chair)**
*Associate, Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP*

Hometown: Sav-la-mar, Jamaica

Education: Doctor of Law, The University of Chicago Law School; B.A., Wesleyan University

“I went to school in Jamaica with many extremely talented and motivated individuals, many of whom did not achieve their full potential because of financial limitations. I created this foundation to help enable talented students from low-income families to shoot for the stars and realize their full academic potential.”

Shenae Bell (Treasurer)Associate, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP — **Shenae Bell (Treasurer)**
*Associate, Hunton Andrews Kurth LLP*

Hometown: Montego Bay, Jamaica

Education: LLM, Fordham University School of Law; J.D., Columbia Law School; Bachelor of Arts, Amherst College

“Every great student should have the opportunity to live up fully to his/her potential. I joined the board because I believe in its mission to provide financial support to low-income Jamaican high school students who are capable of, and committed to, excellence.”

Kara Trowell (PR Co-Lead)Associate, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP — **Kara Trowell (PR Co-Lead)**
*Associate, Davis Wright Tremaine LLP*

Hometown: Grosse Pointe, MI

Education: J.D., New York University School of Law; B.A., University of California, Los Angeles

“I believe education is the only way to achieve true social mobility. And every child should be given a chance to rise above the circumstances into which they were born.”

Hometown: Maui, Hawaii

Education: M.P.H., Yale University; B.A., Wesleyan University

“My parents worked tirelessly to ensure that I had all the resources I needed to succeed academically. I joined the board because I want to personally help students who are not as fortunate as I was to have the resources they need to achieve their academic goals."

Colleen Carpenter (Co-Chair)Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of California San Francisco — **Colleen Carpenter (Co-Chair)**
*Post-Doctoral Fellow, University of California San Francisco*

Hometown: Portland, Jamaica

Education: PhD, University of Michigan; B.A., Wesleyan University

“Mentorship and scholarship can drastically improve lives; they changed my life. I decided to join the board as a means of paying it forward.”

Robert CatmullAssociate, O’Melveny & Meyers LLP — **Robert Catmull**
*Associate, O’Melveny & Meyers LLP*

Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada

Education: J.D., The University of Chicago Law School; B.A., University of Nevada-Las Vegas

“I joined the board because access to education and the right network are significant factors in long term success and mobility within society. I’m excited to work with the Foundation to cut through socio-economic barriers and help extremely deserving youth accomplish their goals.”

Donovan Birch Jr. (PR Co-Lead)Digital Communications Strategist — **Donovan Birch Jr. (PR Co-Lead)**
*Digital Communications Strategist*

Hometown: Boston, MA

Education: B.S., Emerson College,

"I believe every child deserves an education. We must come together as a community to ensure no child faces any barrier to getting an education and achieving their fullest potential."

Christopher WilsonLitigation Associate, Baker Botts LLP — **Christopher Wilson**
*Litigation Associate, Baker Botts LLP*

Hometown: Chicago, IL

Education: J.D., Stanford University Law School; B.A., Penn State University

“I joined the board because I have seen first-hand how a good education can transform someone’s life.”

Joan AkalaonuAssociate, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP — **Joan Akalaonu**
*Associate, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP*

Hometown: Naperville, IL

Education: J.D., Loyola University Chicago School of Law; M.S.W., University of Illinois at Chicago; B.A., Yale University

“I believe in supporting diverse youth, who have worked hard to excel academically but may be limited financially, in having bigger and broader access to educational opportunities that can launch them into success in adulthood.”