Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Shontierra obtained a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in African American Studies. Since then, she has gained a variety of experience within the nonprofit sector as a case manager of displaced youth, coordinating out-of-school time (OST) programs, learning specialist and more. In her most recent role as a Partnership Specialist at Communities in Schools, Shontierra was able to bridge the gap between schools and community organizations by providing over 300 no-cost youth programs to 200+ schools. Shontierra’s passion for engaging with youth in her community brought her to pursue a Master’s in Public Policy at the Sanford School of Public Policy.
A summa cum laude graduate of the University of South Carolina, Alicia Davenport earned a Master of Arts in Teaching Secondary English. Her undergraduate and previous graduate studies provided a multidisciplinary background which broadened her understanding of systemic structures that cause disparities and institutions as political instruments.Further learnings addressed biases, viewed literacy and writing as outlets to social justice, and applied equitable pedagogical methods and strategies. Prior to joining the Sanford School of Public Policy as an MPP candidate, Alicia was a high school English teacher. She devoted special attention to training programs dedicated to assisting Multilingual Learners and support and improvement for Special Education students. A lifelong learner, Alicia added an array of additional endorsements and certifications. She has also fulfilled a plethora of leadership positions within her school and district as a liaison, committee member, and mentor. She also served as Horry County Schools 2022 Rookie Teacher of the Year. Alicia’s policy interests include educational policy and social policy. Her curiosities include policy inequalities across vulnerable populations. At Sanford, she intends to explore questions related to social impact involving the conditions of policy action and inaction, supporting marginalized groups through policy creation, as well as political engagement to meet needs when policies are unsuccessful, and coalition building to advocate for human and civil rights. As a public servant, reflective practitioner, enthusiastic advocate, and caring visionary, her goal is to find understandings that improve the lives of others.
Jesse is a Virginia native and graduated from Berea College, where he studied political science. Before coming to Sanford, Jesse worked as an AmeriCorps member and Civic Engagement Project Leader for City Year, an American education nonprofit organization. At City Year, Jesse was regularly in elementary schools, aiding classroom instruction and developing students’ math and literacy skills through learning activities. At Sanford, Jesse aims to pursue policy research and opportunities related to technological innovation and technology’s growing presence in other industries nationwide. In addition to his studies and career aspirations, Jesse’s hobbies include biking, jogging, cooking, collecting comic books, and playing video games.
Ellie was born and raised on Boston’s south shore before attending Macalester College in Saint Paul, MN, where she double-majored in political science and sociology. While in college, Ellie interned for then Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, and that experience solidified her interest in the public policy sector. After graduating from Macalester, Ellie served as an AmeriCorps Legal Advocate at the Children’s Law Center of MA, where she worked in immigration law and then served as a Paralegal for their Civil Legal Aid for Victims of Crime program. Most recently, Ellie was a Senior Program Associate at The Philanthropic Initiative, where she helped a variety of clients increase the impact of their philanthropy. At Duke, Ellie is excited to study education and social policy, with a particular interest in housing and transportation policy. Outside of school, Ellie is a big fan of Boston sports and loves reading and spending time outdoors.
Maxwell Garrison grew up near Grand Rapids Michigan. He graduated in 2022, from Michigan State University, with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. He is an AmeriCorps Alum, having worked with an urban affordable housing non-profit organization and in higher education access, as part of the Michigan State University College Advising Corps. Maxwell is originally from Durham, North Carolina, and was born at Duke Hospital. He has always been a Blue Devil fan. In his free time, he enjoys playing soccer, golfing and watching football of any level.
Logan is from Charlotte, North Carolina, and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2022 with bachelor’s degrees in English and Comparative Literature, Human Services and Social Justice, and a minor in Education. During her undergraduate experience, she took an interdisciplinary academic approach, combining classes in public policy, city planning, economics, global studies, sociology, and more, exploring the dynamics of injustice and how we can address social issues through both policy and service. Logan’s interests are vast but they primarily center on education equity, particularly the intersection between education and city planning. She has worked in public, private, and non-profit spaces and is looking forward to dedicating her career to evaluating and improving the ways that schools and education systems support students and communities and promote equity and justice. In her free time, Logan enjoys reading, crocheting, cooking, and spending time with friends and family.
Lola was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and graduated in the top 1% of her MSc Public Health class at the University of Lagos.
She was born with bronchial asthma and this traumatic childhood experience shaped her desire to make every day she can breathe unaided count for herself and other humans.
In the last 13 years, Lola has lived up to this commitment by leading a cancer prevention, and subsequently, an education nonprofit in Nigeria. During these times, she worked with businesses as well as local and state governments in the Western and Northern regions of Nigeria to sustain the social impact of these nonprofits’ programs. She has also applied her belief in the multi-sectoral approach to public health to lead numerous projects funded by the American Cancer Society (ACS), Pfizer, World Connect, and the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).
Upon the completion of her dual-degree program, Lola will pivot into sustainability consulting. In this role, she plans to work as a tri-sector leader in the intersection of government, business, and nonprofit to help principal decision-makers choose how to efficiently allocate scarce resources in ways that maximize social impact and achieve the greatest good for the most people.
When she is not reading another self-help book or mentoring intentional young people, Lola can be found watching a romantic comedy or documentary, hosting friends to home-cooked meals, having brain-stimulating conversations, and playing board games.
Emily earned her BA in Educational Studies at Davidson College in 2020 and worked as a high school Spanish teacher in Charlotte until 2022. She is now a third-year graduate student at Duke, pursuing both a Master of Divinity and a Master of Public Policy. At the Divinity School, Emily is concentrating in Prison Studies and Faith-Based Organizing, Advocacy, and Social Transformation. She is interested in the overlaps between public theology and social equity, particularly as they relate to education, housing, and re-entry. Emily currently serves on Duke’s Graduate and Professional Student Government as the Director of Durham Relations. Though North Carolina has been home since 2016, Emily grew up in New Hampshire and is a fan of all things fall. An introvert at heart, she enjoys drinking tea, baking, gardening, and completing jigsaw puzzles.
Tej is a dual degree MPP-JD student from Alpharetta, Georgia. Tej graduated from Davidson College in 2023 with a B.S. in Psychology. Tej also played Division 1 soccer at the University of Maryland and Davidson College. During his time at Davidson, Tej was a team lead for the College Crisis Initiative. He led a team of data collectors on various projects studying and analyzing educational systems responses to emergency/crisis situations like COVID, flu, and natural disasters. Tej has also worked in a healthcare systems and real estate investment firm where he experienced the interconnected nature of law and policy and how an intimate knowledge of both is critical in creating systems-level impact. Given these experiences, Tej’s primary policy interests are in healthcare, education, and business, but he is eager and excited to learn more about the other policy areas studied at Sanford. Tej enjoys playing and watching sports, traveling with family, and cooking in his free time.
Kali is from Liberty Lake, Washington and received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics-Environmental Studies from Whitman College in 2023. She also completed a minor in Anthropology. During her college career, Kali worked with a local environmental non-profit on stream and riparian restoration in the Walla Walla area in Washington state. Prior to joining Sanford, Kali was an AmeriCorps member at an environmental organization focused on increasing climate literacy in the Spokane area. During her time with AmeriCorps, Kali worked with teachers and developed a deep interest in integrating climate-focused curriculum into K-12 classrooms. In her free time, Kali enjoys reading, waterskiing, and hiking with her dogs, Remi and Otis.
Kelly grew up in Connecticut and graduated from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2021 with a double major in Journalism and Political Science. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, Kelly returned to Bridgeport, CT to teach English to 10th and 12th grade students. As a part of the Teach for America program, Kelly taught high school for two years while receiving training on how to provide an equitable education to students. This experience opened her eyes to the educational disparities in her home state and fueled a desire to pursue public policy. Kelly has previously interned in the office of MA state senator Jo Comerford and worked in the children’s department of a public library for a year. In her free time, Kelly enjoys reading (especially memoirs) and being in nature.
Stephanie Pett grew up in Massachusetts, and attended Fordham University where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre. After graduating, she has worked as a 7th grade math teacher in partnership with Teach for America in Charlotte, North Carolina. At Sanford, she hopes to study education policy, focusing on Title I schools. Outside of her studies, Stephanie loves to travel, kickbox, and take her yellow punchbuggy for a spin.
A born-and-raised North Carolinian, Natalie graduated summa cum laude from UNC Greensboro in 2018 with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and minor in Biology. Over the next five years, she worked as a research assistant on a longitudinal study of early socioemotional and neurological development at UNC Chapel Hill. Working closely with participating families from her community inspired her decision to pursue a Master of Public Policy degree. Her interests include expanding access to equitable education and resources for low-income families. In her free time, Natalie enjoys baking, seeing live music, and watching documentaries (especially true crime).
Kyana is from Orange County, California. She graduated with her BA in Political Science from UCLA in 2021, where she was a Model UN nerd and a writer at the Journal of World Affairs. She is currently a research analyst at a government affairs and policy intelligence company. She also has teaching and tutoring experience through charter schools and nonprofits. She hopes to continue to navigate the intersection of policy, technology, education at Sanford.
My name is Demia Tucker, and I was born and raised in Decatur, Georgia, surrounded by inspiring and resilient Black women. I was nurtured with values of dignity, self-respect, courage, and ethics. Before joining Duke University, I worked as a substitute teacher in my hometown and as a legal assistant for a distinguished attorney in Atlanta. I have a two-year-old daughter whom I adore, and we love spending time together at the park and going for walks. I am deeply passionate about learning, assisting others, advocating for social justice, and supporting underprivileged communities in their quest for equality. These passions drive my commitment to uplifting my community in every possible way.
Vanessa Woods is originally from Trumbull, Connecticut but moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to obtain her undergraduate degree from Franklin & Marshall College. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a joint degree in Government-Public Policy. She was heavily involved with her on-campus community along with her community in her home-town and is excited to join the Duke community. After receiving her bachelor’s degree, she relocated to New York City and worked for a non-profit organization where she focused on establishing and advancing their advocacy and public policy work. Vanessa’s interests include education/social policy, specifically focusing on the intersections between education, race, and gender as it relates to economic mobility.
