Nathan-Summer-Learning Covid-19 locked the summer down. These students stepped up.

“A salaam alaikum,” said Nathan (C/O ’22), a second-year TeenSHARP student, as he greeted the Summer Learning Symposium crowd. 

In comfortable, confident Arabic, Nathan reflected on the busy summer he spent learning the language and preparing for a future career in pharmacy. Then he translated the remarks to English, so the audience could understand. Everyone snapped and clapped—even with their mics muted.

This summer, TeenSHARP scholars like Nathan went above and beyond in terms of personal growth and learning, despite the immense challenges they faced during the pandemic. For our part, TeenSHARP made sure they had engaging, extraordinary alternatives to their plans to travel or attend elite, in-person programs. 

It’s TeenSHARP’s goal to place students in competitive, premiere summer programs that develop their leadership skills and knowledge. This year, in response to pandemic-related closures, TeenSHARP even developed and delivered our own rigorous programs to fill-in for students whose plans were called-off or disrupted by Covid-19. For students who did participate in elite virtual programs, it marked the culmination of dozens of competitive applications prepared and submitted with support from TeenSHARP.

“This summer was my most productive, in spite of being in quarantine,” said Asquith Clarke II (C/O ’21).

He got to check a box off his wish list when he designed a video game in his TeenSHARP CyberSPARK summer class. He also attended the Freedom Literacy Academy, through a unique partnership with TeenSHARP and the Center for Black Educator Development in Philadelphia. “Reading W.E.B. Du Bois changed my whole career path,” Asquith said at the symposium. “I now want to be a truth speaker.”

Another high school senior, Daniela Rosiles (C/O ’21), attended the Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP) to study education and citizenship. For six weeks, she and her virtual peers were immersed in the writings of Plato and Socrates, precedent-setting court cases like Plessy v. Ferguson, and essential philosophical questions.

“It helped me a lot with my reading, writing, and analytical skills,” she said. “I’m still kind of shocked by how much we learned during that time.”

In addition to TASP, our students participated in the National Strategic Language Initiative, the ACLU Summer Institute, the Black Engineers Institute at Virginia Tech, the College Readiness Scholars Institute at University of Delaware, the EDGE program at University of Delaware, and Student Voice Week at DelawareCAN, among others. 

David (C/O ’21) spent his summer solving problems: how to keep football players safe from CTEs, and how to decontaminate everyday items in a pandemic-era workplace. He even learned how to code Python, a high-level programming language, in six weeks. 

“It was pretty hard, really crazy, and super fun,” David said during the Summer Learning Symposium—just before he began a demonstration of the prototype helmet he created with peers while attending MOSTEC at MIT.

“I stayed up very many late nights trying to get the bugs from the code,” he said, with palpable enthusiasm and curiosity. “It was a completely different experience than what I thought it would be, and it was excellent.”

David also participated in the Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program, run by the Office of Naval Research. During the eight-week program, his team designed a decontamination chamber that uses high-energy, UV-C light to neutralize viruses on surfaces. Then they had to present it to the Naval officers. “It was kind of intimidating,” he said. 

Still, he knocked it out of the park. 

Beyond academic and professional accomplishments, our TeenSHARP scholars formed a community this summer—connecting across virtual distances to learn and grow together, and support one another. 

Aja (C/O ’21) joined TeenSHARP in April. Or, as she tells it, she “joined, unsubscribed, and re-joined.” 

“I got the little email from Ms. Kim with 25 writing prompts, and I thought, ‘I’m not doing that much extra work,’” Aja said. Then someone from TeenSHARP followed up with a phone call. She said, “You don’t have to do the extra work—but it’s really helpful.”

During the symposium in late August, Aja thanked TeenSHARP for making sure she didn’t fall through the cracks. “I’ve never been in a community where I’m striving to be like the others around me,” she said. “We’re all encouraging each other. Let’s rise together.”

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.