OUR TEAM

During the last eleven years she has spent in Providence, Madalyn has worked for a number of community and education based organizations including the Feinstein Institute for Public Service at Providence College and the Providence After School Alliance. As a first generation college graduate, Madalyn is particularly committed to work advancing access to and affordability of post-secondary education, topics which she focused on in her graduate studies. Madalyn has worked with the College Promise Campaign in Washington, D.C., and was a contributor to Civic Nation Voice on Forbes.com, focusing on Providence Promise and the power of Promise programs. Madalyn is passionate about family and community engagement, and believes that families and students must be at the center of this work, as well as in the Board Room. Madalyn received her bachelor's degree from Providence College and her Master of Arts in Urban Education Policy from Brown University.

Lucrecia is originally from Guatemala. She has spent the last 12 years working in the tax preparation industry servicing, in large part, the Latinx community. Her passion is working with families and youth. She has served as a youth and family counselor for her church for the past 20 years and also serves as an interpreter in religious services as well as many community outreach events. During the pandemic, she ran a program called Project Compassion that serviced over 500 families by providing much needed grocery boxes every Saturday. Lucrecia is an adamant believer that education is key to transforming our communities and empowering them to overcome the challenges of today. She is eager to partner with the parents of Providence Promise to educate, motivate, and support the children to aspire to higher education and to thrive while doing so.

Rachel believes that a quality education should be a guaranteed right for all young people regardless of financial means and can be a powerful tool for systemic change. During her time at Bentley University, Rachel became very involved in the service-learning center and became passionate about fighting the inequities experienced by youth and families in Waltham and across the country. After graduation, Rachel became president of the Prospect Hill Community Foundation, a non-profit organization that operates a free and accessible after-school program for Waltham's largest subsidized housing community. She is excited to bring her skills and experience to make an impact in Providence, RI. She has previous experience with Teach For America - MA, the Providence Public School District, Citizens, APA Associates, and the City of Providence. She resides in Massachusetts, where she enjoys coaching and playing youth soccer, exercising, and spending time with her loved ones. She has a Master's in Urban Education Policy from Brown and a Bachelor's in Business Communications from Bentley University.

A health care worker and professional with over 30 years of experience, Juan has worked predominantly with the immigrant communities in Rhode Island. He started his career with the homeless through shelters and the Providence Center. Juan finished his Associate degree work in Biology, Laboratory studies, and Psychology at Rhode Island College and with the Miriam Hospital. He is an Alumni of the Upward Bound, PEP, and Work-Study programs. While transitioning to a professional career, Juan continued to improve his bilingual skills and volunteer work focusing on real health issues of marginalized and low-income people in Providence. Juan has earned certifications as a health and legal interpreter, and used these skills as a parent leader for the dual-language program at Alfred Lima Elementary School. Most recently, Juan Interpreted for Governor Gina Raimondo during the COVID-19 pandemic. Juan is passionate about all his collective education and is looking forward to serving in his new role.

Jaelene is a first-generation college student who is a strong advocate for affordability and accessibility to quality education. She obtained her bachelor's degree from The University of Rhode Island in Human Development and Family Sciences. She is passionate about working together with children and families to help empower and equip them for their stages of development. Jaelene chose to focus her undergraduate studies on family and community settings, as she believes healthy family involvement and access to equitable resources impact a child's likelihood to succeed. Jaelene loves to spend time traveling and sight-seeing, getting to know our community as well as other cultures. Jaelene is excited to be part of the Providence Promise team, and plans to make a positive impact on the families and youth that we serve through her work as the new Bilingual Youth Engagement Coordinator. 

Chandana began her journey within the field of education through a Masters program in Urban Education Policy from Brown University. She is passionate about students’ rights to accessibility and affordability, and hopes to embody these passions in her work towards educational equity. She is driven by the belief that quality education can empower students, especially those in marginalized communities, and pave the path to their success. Chandana hopes to ultimately be a part of reforming the system and creating policies that will uphold the principles of "no child left behind." She received her Bachelors from Chapman University in Strategic and Corporate Communications and her Master of Arts in Urban Education Policy from Brown University. In her spare time, Chandana enjoys reading, cooking and traveling! 

Meredith is a recent graduate of Providence College, with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology and a minor in Business and Innovation. She is passionate about increasing equity for all people and has previously volunteered with Better Lives Rhode Island and House of Hope RI, working with people who are experiencing homelessness in Providence and surrounding areas. Meredith is extremely driven by helping others and believes that every student deserves options to pursue higher education after high school. In her spare time, Meredith enjoys hiking, traveling, and spending time with friends and family. She has lived in Rhode Island her whole life and is very excited to join the Providence Promise team as the Finance and Operations Coordinator.