siawaa Bryn Mawr-bound with a full scholarship!

Last week, we learned the appalling lengths some are willing to go to ensure their children get accepted into top colleges.

We published an opinion piece in The News Journal noting that we should be more “outraged that our society has accepted that low-income students should have to hurdle endless obstacles to pursue their college dreams.”

TeenSHARP senior Siawaa Antwi’s story provides a prime example of the mountains certain students need to move in pursuit of higher education. While many students are waiting on admissions results over the next several weeks, Siawaa learned in January that she will be attending Bryn Mawr College (34% acceptance rate) on a full scholarship!

A student at Freire Charter School in Wilmington, Siawaa’s family was featured in The News Journal’s story last year on school funding challenges in Delaware.

Siawaa has experienced significant challenges and has responded to these struggles by becoming a fierce advocate for increased support for mental health and trauma in schools. At a school funding summit last year, Siawaa shared:

“My mother instilled in me the importance of doing well in school at a very young age so maintaining a spot at the top of my class hasn’t been much of a problem until high school. Now, it wasn’t because of the increased rigor in high school. It was a function of the extreme stress I needed to shoulder…. But unlike my time at Central, where there was a counselor, I didn’t have that person in other schools I attended who could really help me. So like many other students, I have been left to pick up the pieces myself when life felt like a hurricane.”

As someone who has experienced housing insecurity since 2012, Siawaa recently partnered with another TeenSHARP student (Jah’Sima Cooper) with similar experiences to pitch the business concept Ikigai (Japanese for ‘a reason for being’) at the University of Delaware Horn Program’s Diamond Challenge. Ikigai is intended to provide improved housing and support options for families dealing with homelessness.

Siawaa’s team was selected for the final round in April. We fully expect her to excel in the next round of the competition just like she will excel when she begins at Bryn Mawr in the fall. It will not be without challenge.

But Siawaa is a force and a fighter. And we look forward to continuing to support her fight to clear the hurdles for so many other students and families. 

Deborah Yanez

Parent Programs Manager

Deborah leads TeenSHARP’s parent empowerment work with love, conviction, and credibility. She grew up in one of America’s poorest cities (Camden, NJ), has served as an elected school board member, raised two sons who have accessed higher education successfully (one is a TeenSHARP alumnus and McCabe Scholar at Swarthmore) along with her husband, and has helped many more families prepare their children for college.

Zoha Fatima

Director of Operations & Special Projects

Zoha is driven by a deep passion for education and social justice. With over 8 years of experience in the development sector, she has made significant contributions to various education projects aimed at increasing access and equity. Zoha’s commitment to empowering learners stems from her belief that education is a fundamental right. She honed her expertise at Harvard University, earning a Master’s in Education and Technology, building upon her undergraduate studies in Public Policy.

Based in the Bay Area, Zoha loves exploring the diverse California landscape, especially through hiking. When she’s not championing educational equity, you can find her baking, hitting the trails, or enjoying the outdoor.

Sara Petty

Director of Pre-College Success

Sara Petty is TeenSHARP’s powerhouse Director of Pre-College Success, orchestrating a nationwide expansion to ensure that talented Black, Latino, and low-income students have a direct path to elite colleges. With a proven track record from her days scaling a college access program in Houston, Sara has a knack for turning educational challenges into triumphs. She thrives on transforming obstacles into opportunities and is known for her relentless drive and innovative solutions. When she’s not making waves in the world of education, you can find her brainstorming the next big idea over a cup of coffee or diving into a new book that sparks her curiosity. Sara’s mission? To make sure every student has the chance to unlock their full potential and claim their spot in the future’s top colleges.

Tamara Fentress

Chief of Staff

For over 18 years, Tamara has been a passionate advocate for educational equity, inclusion, and the overall improvement of support structures to build a solid foundation for the journey of learning. Driven by a desire to see all students and families thrive, she has successfully led major projects of varying budget sizes, while also co-creating and implementing innovative strategies at mission-driven organizations across various operational areas, from technology and project management to legal and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEIB) initiatives.

Her journey began in a large urban school district, where she spent a significant portion of her career leading the development of critical strategies that served over 86,000 students. This experience allowed her to work closely with a diverse team of over 10,000 employees, understanding and addressing needs across all levels of the organization. Her collaborative spirit extended beyond the school district, fostering strong partnerships with parent groups, community organizations, and government entities.

Tamara’s dedication to education stems from a deeply personal place. As a mother to two inspiring children, Harmony and Hudson, she sees firsthand the potential and power of having access to opportunities, caring adults, and belief in that which is greater than yourself.  This unwavering belief in the power of serving others, access, equity, and education to empower and transform lives fuels her commitment to continuous learning and creating equitable opportunities for all.

Tatiana Poladko

Co-Founder

Our “force of nature” founder came to New Jersey from Ukraine for graduate school over a decade ago and immediately put her hands to the work of community empowerment and expanding educational opportunity. She has experience managing youth programs for the UN in Ukraine (at the age of 19!), teaching at Temple University, building/managing nonprofit organizations, and supporting students to and through college. She is also a mother to three lovely kids (Zoryana, Nazariy, and Taras), plays guitar and piano, and makes amazing soups!

Atnre Alleyne

Co-Founder/CEO

As TeenSHARP’s resident historian, Atnre is quick to share stories of the organization’s humble church basement beginnings, its growing pains, and many milestones. With his background in research and evaluation, policy and advocacy, communications, technology, and instruction, he has the type of Swiss Army knife skills that are critical in a fast-paced social impact organization. He has three lovely children (Zoryana, Nazariy, and Taras), an amazing wife (TeenSHARP’s Co-Founder), and he plays bass guitar and blogs when he finds the time.