Gregory Chery serves as Minds Matter Boston’s Executive Director. A native of Haiti, Gregory has dedicated his career to furthering educational equity. He brings over a decade of experience in higher education, most recently as the Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Dartmouth College and the President of the Northeast Consortium Bridging Access to College. Gregory began his career in undergraduate admissions at his alma mater, Centre College. After five years, Gregory transitioned to student affairs serving as the Director of the Bonner Scholars Program, which provides diverse and low-income students with access to education and an opportunity to serve. After Centre, Gregory served as the Associate Dean of Multicultural Recruitment at Providence College, overseeing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr Scholarship. A first-generation college student and Boston Public Schools alumnus, Gregory returns home to Boston and brings a deep personal connection to MMB’s mission. He received his M.Ed. in Higher Education from Providence College and his BA in Philosophy from Centre College.

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MaeAnna Edwards (she/her) serves as Minds Matter Boston's Associate Director of College Access. A New York Native transplanted to New Hampshire, MaeAnna ("May" like the month, "Anna" like Elsa's sister), has over a decade of experience in college access work - through her own experiences and working with thousands of students and families in the Northeast. An AmeriCorps alumna, she served two years at Dartmouth College, serving as VISTA Leader in her second term. In 2015, MaeAnna graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a Bachelor's of Arts in Sociology, minor in Psychology, and concentrations in Social Work and Criminology. Five years later, MaeAnna earned her Masters of Science in Education at the University of Pennsylvania in Education, Culture, and Society with a concentration in Community Action and Social Change. During her time at Penn, MaeAnna's research was focused on the intersection where Black males, student-athletes, meritocracy, and college access/admissions meet. MaeAnna loves meaningful conversations, avocado toast, her 100+ houseplants, and one of a kind Irish (or Scottish) Terrier, Tucker.

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Katrina Carter (she/her) serves as Minds Matter Boston’s College Access Program Manager for our 12th grade programing. Originally from Oregon, Katrina now considers Boston home after moving to serve with City Year Boston as a Student Success Coach and then Team Leader in Boston Public Schools. She then worked at uAspire, a non-profit organization focused on increasing access to financial aid and postsecondary pathways for underrepresented students as a College Affordability Advisor. There she supported high school seniors in Boston Public Schools and their families through the financial aid process, motivated by her own experience with the barriers and challenges of navigating this as a low-income student. She is excited to join the MMB team to continue working with and supporting Boston students. Katrina graduated from Willamette University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.

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Lindsey serves as Minds Matter Boston’s Senior Director of Programs. She brings over 15 years of experience working in education primarily as a bilingual high school teacher and administrator. She has worked with talented educators and served students and families in Zacatecas, Mexico, Lynn, MA, and Denver, CO. She has returned home to the Boston area to support MMB’s work to build a sustainable, culturally responsive program for and with our communities. She received her M.Ed from Boston University with a focus in Curriculum and Instruction and her B.A.S from the University of Richmond where she majored in Sociology with a minor in Spanish and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

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Yanille Baez serves as the Associate Director of College and Career Success at Minds Matter Boston. Originally from Lawrence, Massachusetts, Yanille draws deep inspiration from her immigrant parents’ sacrifices to provide her with a quality education, which fuels her passion for promoting educational equity. As a first-generation college graduate, she is committed to expanding access and fostering success in low-income communities. Prior to joining Minds Matter, Yanille forged impactful partnerships in education and corporate sectors at Junior Achievement of Greater Boston, where she led initiatives like the JA Summer Institute to empower students in financial literacy, career readiness, and entrepreneurship. Beyond the non-profit sector, Yanille spent five years at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business as an academic advisor and instructor, specializing in courses integrating career exploration, financial education, and cultural awareness. Her professional path also encompasses teaching in K-12 education and an enriching experience as an English Teaching Assistant in Madrid, Spain. She holds an Ed.M. in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies from Boston University and a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy from the College of the Holy Cross.

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Magnoly serves as Minds Matter Boston’s College & Career Success Manager. A native of Lawrence, Massachusetts, her experiences as a first-generation low-income college student have inspired her passion for accessibility in higher education. Prior to joining the MMB team, Magnoly sat on admission teams at Merrimack College, Wheaton College, and most recently Providence College, where she worked to empower students on the path to college success. She received a B.S. in Business Management & Finance from Providence College in 2019 and M. Ed. in Higher Education, Student Affairs from Merrimack College in 2020.

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Juanita Murcia serves as Minds Matter Boston's Operations Coordinator. As an immigrant born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, she has been inspired to work for education accessibility for everybody and brings a great amount of passion and determination to MMB. Before starting her role at MMB, Juanita was an arts teacher and Marketing Assistant at ARCK, and a Social Service leader in Colombia, where she worked hard to empower and give her students a voice and the accessibility to a better education. She studied Music Business and Contemporary Writing and Production at Berklee College of Music and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the institution.

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Meredith Traquina serves as Minds Matter Boston's Director of Development. A native of the Greater Boston area, she is a proud AmeriCorps member alum and serves on the Advisory Board of Empowering People for Inclusive Communities (EPIC), a service-learning organization for young adults with disabilities. Most recently, she acted as Senior Director of Corporate & Foundations Partnerships at City Year Greater Boston. Her own formative experiences in education – both as a teacher and student - have inspired her to make those same experiences possible for all students. She studied Education at Bates College and was named Bates’ Young Alumni of the Year in 2019, having chaired the College’s largest business network. She completed her Master’s in Social Work at Boston College with a focus on community organizing, public policy, and nonprofit management.

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Ayomide Olugbemi serves as the College Access Program Manager for 10-11th grade at Minds Matter Boston. Born in Lagos Nigeria, raised in  Providence RI, Ayo is a first generation student himself , this fuels his passion for promoting educational equity. As a first-generation college graduate, he is committed to expanding access and fostering success in low-income communities. Prior to joining Minds Matter, Ayo worked with students as a College Counselor with Uncommon schools and the College Crusade. Ayo forged impactful partnerships in the higher ed sector and was able send multiple students to colleges on full rides through scholarships programs like Quest-bridge, Gates, &Posse. His financial aid expertise and application strategies encouraged students to apply to colleges and allows their out of pocket cost to be cut significantly. Ayo has spent 10+ years supporting and working with different families and  communities in different aspects. Whether that be with Henry Fords Health systems Generation with promise, being a  CDC cup scholar, or supporting students in their application process, he finds joy in helping to create social and educational equity.   He holds a BA in Sociology/Psychology from the College of Mount Saint Vincent.

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Rhea Bennett serves as Minds Matter Boston’s Manager of Volunteers. As a native of the Greater Boston area, she started working in college admissions as a student recruitment coordinator in Harvard University’s Undergraduate Admissions Office during her undergraduate tenure at Harvard where she received a B.A. in Anthropology. Rhea is a proud AmeriCorps alum, beginning her professional career as a College and Career Advisor in the Boston Public School system through the College Advising Corps at Boston University. Most recently she served as an Assistant Director of Admissions at Clark University for three years. She is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education, ensuring that students from historically underrepresented backgrounds are supported through the college process.

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