MEET YOUR POST SECONDARY TEAM!
DALLAS PRIDE
Director of Post-Secondary Program and Alumni Relations
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
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Dallas believes we all have the capacity to lead and she has dedicated her career to instilling this belief in young people, first-generation students and those from underrepresented communities. She is excited to continue supporting student success while engaging Summer Search's alumni community.
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Previously, Dallas worked for the Posse Foundation, helping students transition from being leaders on campus to leaders in the workforce. She has also created and administered development programs for several colleges and universities and managed community relations initiatives for NBA and WNBA teams.
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Dallas received her Bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia and her Master's degree in education from Northeastern University. Outside of Summer Search, you'll find her spending time with friends and family, bargain shopping or planning her next road trip.
KARA KOMPRATHOUM
Post-Secondary Program Coordinator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
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Kara passionately believes in elevating the voices of young people in order to make a more equitable and just world.
She joined Summer Search after previously working for Generation Citizen (GC) where she trained college volunteers to facilitate action civics programming in school classrooms and supported youth advocacy efforts. Prior to GC, she was a member of Brown University’s College Advising Corps where she served with Americorps as a College Adviser in Providence helping low-income, first-generation students with the college application process and other post-secondary aspirations. This work helped Kara deepen her love for equity, education, and justice.
Kara’s greatest passion in life is helping other people find their own passion. She is excited to work at Summer Search as she helps students find their voice in order to pave a path to achieving their goals.
She is a proud first-generation college graduate in a Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies with a minor in Public and Community Service from Providence College. She was also Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Scholar.
In her spare time, Kara loves traveling the country and world often in search of the best noodle or dessert dish, reading, shopping and waiting for Beyoncé to release her next album and/or concert tour dates.
JENNIFER ORTEGA
Post-Secondary Program Coordinator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Jennifer believes that youth should be equitably supported as they work to discover who they are, who they want to be, and what they want to do. The power to adequately foster this development creates powerful communities and leaders of a more inclusive future.
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Before joining Summer Search, Jennifer worked at Earthwatch Institute where she led youth in exploring their curiosity for the outdoors and the environmental sciences. Her previous work in the environmental justice and education fields showed her the importance of community agency, listening, and assisting as a means for communities of color to heal. It was a combination of this work and her personal experiences that helped Jennifer realize her passion for helping youth develop their agency and leadership.
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Jennifer received her B.A. in Environmental Chemistry from Middlebury College. When she is not working, Jennifer can be found reading an Octavia Butler book or listening to music.
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CYDNI BURTON
Post-Secondary Program Coordinator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Cydni embodies the phrase "I am because we are." Growing up in Roxbury, she experienced first hand how relational bonds shape our personhood. As an adult, she is dedicated to serving today's youth and empowering them to lead and grow in community with each other.
Before joining Summer Search, Cydni served as a virtual college adviser through the College Advising Corps. In this role, she supported high achieving first-generation students through the college application process. It was through this experience that she gained a passion for post-secondary access and is excited to help all students on their journey to success no matter what path they take.
Cydni graduated with a bachelor's degree in Education Studies from Spelman College. In her free time, Cydni enjoys listening to podcasts by Malcolm Gladwell, jogging, and completing puzzles.
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Ann is passionate about coaching students and providing them with alternative pathways to success. Using her certification in CliftonStrengths, she believes in focusing on each individual student’s skills. This influences her mentoring style as she assists students to gain self-efficacy, equipping students with tools to better articulate their knowledge and skills onto paper.
Previous to Summer Search she worked in higher education as a Career Coach at Cal State Fullerton, Azusa Pacific University, Concordia University, and Brandman University. At Cornell University, she worked to create programming to suitably meet developmental and intellectual needs of students. Ann also has experience in teaching college students in computer science and career readiness. Additionally, she taught Career Readiness at a women’s correctional facility to assist inmates as they prepared to transition back into society.
Ann is originally from Torrance, CA and earned her B.A. in Political Science from Cal State University Long Beach. She is a proud first generation college student and served as a peer mentor for other first generation college students during her undergraduate studies. After spending a few years in the business sector, she returned to school to earn her M.S. in College Counseling and Student Development from Azusa Pacific University as well as a certification in Business Law from Harbor Community College.
Outside of Summer Search, you may have trouble tracking Ann down as she loves to travel (collecting Starbucks mugs from all her destinations as well). If you can find her, it will most likely be in California, where most of her friends and family reside. Trying to get her Yelp Elite status back after a brief hiatus, she’s quite the foodie and is always excited to try new restaurants.
ANN ATIENZA
Post-Secondary Program Coordinator
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
