Associate Spotlights of the Week

Junior Associate: Sydney Paige Thomas

Where do you come from?

I was born and raised in San Diego, CA. I recently graduated from Duke University, located in Durham, NC, where I was a Public Policy major and an African and African American Studies minor and I’m moving to New York City in the fall to participate in the NYC Urban Fellows Program.

Why did you choose UELIP?

I chose UELIP because I wanted to get more exposure to education policy. I spent last summer working with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc. for Congresswoman Barbara Lee (CA-09) and felt that I was dealing with a whole bunch of issues and never really got a handle on any of them. So I wanted an internship where I was able to focus on one policy area. And Michelle Rhee seemed pretty awesome.

What are you working on during your time here?

Right now I’m working on an enrollment campaign to help get high school students registered for school prior to the first day of classes. DC is such a transient city that it requires students to re-enroll every year. A lot of high schoolers don’t end up enrolling until the first day of school which messes up school budgets, makes the first day of classes chaotic, etc. So my supervisor and I are trying to rectify this situation. If any UELIPers want to volunteer on this campaign please let me know!

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I was a competitive dancer from age 3 to age 15. I did jazz, tap and ballet. Hated ballet, but the dance studio I went to made me stick with it in order to continue with jazz (which I loved) so I sucked it up.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I have always been indecisive. I never had an answer for that question, lol.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Ms. Zoref. She brought her standard poodle to school everyday in 4th grade which helped quell my fear of dogs. And she thought I was hilarious so class was always fun.

Where would you take your dream vacation?

Santorini, Greece! Or Colombia – one of my best friends is from there and she’s always talking about how gorgeous it is, so I want to be able to see it for myself.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

I was actually just asked this question! I want to be able to multiply things. Like if I have 4 french fries in front of me, I want to be able to instantly create 4 more.

Senior Associate: Jordan Rosen

Where do you come from?

I am a rising second year law student at Washington University School of Law, originally from Highland Park, Illinois.

Why did you choose UELIP?

Chancellor Rhee. I first heard about the Chancellor’s work as a Teach For America corps member in Chicago and followed DCPS in the news. Based on my experience as a Chicago corps member, I felt that Chancellor Rhee was making all of the right moves, from attacking the seniority system to implementing merit pay. I was also fascinated by the story of Jim Sandman, the DCPS general counsel who chose to take a break from his work with Arnold & Porter for the chance to work with Chancellor Rhee. DCPS was becoming a lodestone for passionate and talented leaders. I chose to submit an application to UELIP with the hope of seeing DCPS in action every day.

What are you working on during your time here?

Primarily, I am working with the Office of the General Counsel on various legal issues. The legal issues confronting schools are far more fascinating than I would have thought. They range from answering typical discovery questions to challenging First Amendment issues. The OGC provides an exceptionally interesting view into the inner workings of DCPS. I also joined a whole host of committees available through UELIP and DCPS. Through the committees, I am mentoring high school students, developing school policy, and more.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I have a streak of extremely blonde hair. Barbers always ask me if I want to dye it to a “normal” color. Others assume it’s already dyed and I have a weird sense of style. Sometimes in law school lecture halls, when I am especially bored, I use my blonde streak to blind eighty of my peers.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I wanted to be a philosophy professor when I was younger, but then I figured out what philosophy professors actually do. I panicked and then joined Teach For America.

Who was your favorite teacher and why?

Besides myself, of course, I have three:

Mrs. Dershowitz: She inspired me to write.

Professor Malacinski: Chronically angry with his students. Chose favorites. Malacinski inspired students by adopting only the highest standards for them.

Professor Bose: Too liberal for her student population, but she didn’t care. Professor Bose was a passionate activist for atheists and other marginalized groups.

Where would you take your dream vacation?

Bon Temps, Louisiana.

Forks, Washington. (Real men sparkle.)

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

If other people had super powers too then I would be Rogue from X-Men. She was the strongest member of the X-Men because she could steal the superpower of anyone else. Rogue would probably say I don’t want her powers because I would not be able to touch anyone, but cry me a river.

Associate Spotlights of the Week

Junior Associate: Julia Hellmich

Where are you from?

I'm a rising senior at Cornell majoring in human development and minoring in education, inequality studies and dance.

I'm originally from Ossining, NY which is near Westchester. My house is five minutes from Sing-Sing prison, and I went there on a trip in 2nd grade. I think they took us there to scare us into being good.

Why did you choose UELIP?

I had always been interested in education policy work, and when Chancellor Rhee came to speak at Cornell, things fell into place. I fell in love with education reform, and I wanted to be here because this is where the action is. Doing UELIP became 100% what I wanted to do this summer.

If aliens landed in front of you, and in exchange for anything you desire offered you any position on their planet, what would you want?

I would want to be superintendent of an alien school district, but it would have to be a school district where I could feel that I was helping and somehow making a difference.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I have never been on an airplane or been in an airport. I also have twin sisters, and I have been an avid ballet dancer since I was 9 years old.

If you could be any character from fiction which one would you be?

I would be Elizabeth from Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. I like her because she's really witty and courageous, and she has a ton of spunk.

What was the last book you read?

Middlemarch by George Elliot. It was one of the books on my AP English reading list, and I'm re-reading it.

If we took a look in your refrigerator what would we find?

Turkey Hill Dutch chocolate ice cream.

Wouldn’t that technically be in the freezer?

No, I forgot to put it in the freezer and left it in the refrigerator yesterday. It was all over the fridge! You would also find lots of seltzer and some broccoli.

Can you tell us what you are doing at UELIP?

I'm working with the resolution team in the Office of Special Education (OSE) helping to create a database for all of the education awards.

Education awards are hours of tutoring that we provide students. The database will help track "used hours" information that is currently stored in spreadsheets.

Anything else you want to share?

I'm friendly! Say hi to me :)

Senior Associate: Bo Han

Where do you come from?
I’m from the Philly area, but most recently, I was in Boston for graduate school. I’m enrolled in a joint Master in Public Policy and Master of Business Administration program at the Harvard Kennedy School and the MIT Sloan School of Management.


Why did you choose UELIP?
I chose UELIP because I believe in the potential for great change in our public education system. There is a lot of innovation in education reform occurring at DCPS, and I want to be here to observe first-hand and learn as much as I can from DCPS’s reform efforts.

If aliens landed in front of you and, in exchange for anything you desire, offered you any position on their planet, what would you want?
I don’t know if I would ask for a position, but I would have a couple of questions for them that I would want answered like “What’s the deal with Roswell?” and “How do you feel about the way aliens are portrayed in the media?”

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
I once helped an old lady cross the street.


If you could be any character from fiction which one would you be?
Probably Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. I think he is the epitome of integrity and compassion. A less boring answer would be one of the Boxcar children. I had a fascination with the series as a child!

What was the last book you read?
The last book I read was the required UELIP reading, Dan Pink’s A Whole New Mind. It was really informative and provided a lot of insight on how the world is changing so rapidly around us. Right now I’m reading Sunstein and Thaler’s Nudge, which I highly recommend. If you enjoy Malcolm Gladwell, Nudge will be right up your alley.

If we took a look in your refrigerator what would we find?
A bunch of frozen dinners. I need to start taking better care of myself!

Can you tell us what you are doing at UELIP?
This summer I’m helping to revise the Teaching and Learning Framework that is the center of DCPS’s Effective Schools Framework. DCPS is rolling out a new rubric and the TLF will help support teachers in the classroom. Also, I’m working on an Innovation Team called More Meals for More Students that is helping to bring salad bars and healthy vending machines to DC schools.

Chief Chat: Abigail Smith

Abigail Smith is the Chief of the Transformation Management Office with the District of Columbia Public Schools. The Transformation Management Office drives strategic planning for the school district, develops and maintains district-wide performance management tools and manages cross-cutting strategic initiatives.

Can you describe to us what you do as Chief of Transformation Management?

I do strategic planning, performance management, including school stat, and a range of other strategic initiatives.

Where are you from?

I grew up in Baltimore, MD. As an undergraduate, I attended Yale and then went onto the Harvard Graduate School of Education. I've lived in DC for 13 of the past 16 years. I was in Cambridge and New York while I wasn’t here, but I have been living in the District for the past 10 years.

When did you know you wanted to pursue education?

I'm not exactly sure when that moment was, but I initially got into education through Teach For America (TFA). TFA wasn’t around I was in college, but after it started, it was one of the options I was looking at. Once I became a part of the TFA corps, I realized that this is what I wanted to do.

Where did you do TFA?

I did TFA in North Carolina, and I taught 1st grade for two years.

What are you most proud of since working here at DCPS?

Broadly speaking, it is the fact that we have demonstrated tangible and clear progress for kids in our city. Also, I am proud that that we have shown a willingness for adults to make tough decisions even though it can make some people uncomfortable.

What do you find to be most challenging about your position?

Trying to work within government bureaucracy

Is there any advice that you would like to give to our associates?

The most important thing is to make sure that you get out to schools this summer. Don’t spend the entire summer in the central office. That’s one thing that I would like to do more as well!

Why do you think that it is so important to visit schools?

Seeing things happen or not happen in the school influences how you think about design. Also, it mostly effects how you think about implementation. Implementation is key! The best idea on paper just might not play out when you bring it into a school, so you have to see it for yourself.

Associate Spotlights of the Week

Senior Associate: Marianna Neely

Where do you come from?

I am from South Carolina. I went to Furman University as an undergraduate and graduate student. I got my undergraduate degree in elementary education and my graduate degree in literacy.

While I was working on my masters, I taught second and third grade, both in Title I schools. Both of the schools that I taught in were in my hometown of Spartanburg. I never realized that there was poverty like I saw while teaching in my town even though I grew up there.

After teaching in Spartanburg, I went to Germany as a Fullbright teaching assistant. Over in Germany, I taught grades 5-12 English in many different settings.

Why did you choose UELIP?
After being in the classroom for three years, I wanted to see education from a different perspective.

What project are you currently working on?
Right now, I'm working on updating databases in Early Stages, and there should be more projects to come!

If you could have one object symbolize you, what would it be?
A book- I have my masters in literacy! I love teaching reading, and I always thought I would teach.

If you could be any fruit or vegetable, what would you be?
I would be a watermelon- it's one of my favorite fruits and it reminds me of playing "Fruitbasket Turnover". I played Fruitbasket Turnover in elementary school on the swing sets- it's a game like musical chairs.

What was your favorite subject in grade school?
My favorite subject was reading!

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
I come from a big family, I have four brothers and one sister. I'm number 5 of 6 and would always wear 5 on my jerseys.

Junior Associate: Teake

Where do you come from?
Repping hard for New Haven--where I grew up! I attend school outside Boston, but I'm living in DC now and loving it. Hopefully, I'll live in New York or the sun-soaked west coast in the future. I can’t wait!

Why did you choose UELIP?
I had never been to DC before, but it looked like the place to be as far as avant-garde education reform. Also, Michelle Rhee is definitely role model material.

What project are you currently working on?
I'm working on about five right now, but my highest priority is making sure that summer school is properly staffed. I’ve been making lots of calls to summer school coordinators with my friends in HR!

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
Can I use the “one name” line again? :)

If you could be any fruit or vegetable what would you be?
Is coconut a fruit? If so, let’s do that.

What was your favorite subject in grade school?
I love everything school-related; that’s why I’m here! No discrimination.

If you could have one object symbolize you what would it be?
A tree swaying in the wind, always growing, sometimes twisted, sent to the factory and processed, turned into a chunk of wood, possibly teak. Lol, peace!

Associate Spotlights of the Week

Senior Associate: Nik Nevrekar

Where do you come from?
My current hometown is Houston, TX, and I go to school at Cornell in Ithaca, NY--but that’s not to say that I am a Texan or a New Yorker (and who could be? polar opposites….).

Actually, throughout my I have lived for more than a year in CA, NJ, RI, AZ, VA, TX, and NY, so I come from all over the place. If I had to choose, I would say my favorite place was North Kingstown, RI—I lived through the core years of my childhood there and loved it.

Why did you choose UELIP?
Traveling between so many regions in the U.S., I gained an appreciation for the way some communities hold education as the highest priority. I don’t know where I would be today if I had not received instruction from the great teachers who worked at my high school.

I chose UELIP as a way to give back and show my thanks. The youth in DC have been overlooked for generations, and I want to be on the battlefield to help change that.

If aliens landed in front of you and offered you any position on their planet, what would you be?
I would be an astronaut. I imagine that the aliens have a technologically-advanced space program, and I would want to visit Earth every once in a while.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
Before high school, I rocked a bowl-cut/“mushroom” hairdo.

What would I find your refrigerator right now?
Several bags of all-in-one salad kits, Newman’s Own Lemonade, Ocean Spray Cran-Apple juice and milk (for my cereal/oatmeal).

What was the last book you read?
I read Rethinking the New Deal Court by Barry Cushman, a book about the legal course of American economic regulation during FDR administration and the surprising resilience of Supreme Court in resisting political pressure.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
If I had a superpower, I would want to be able to breathe underwater. I am not a great swimmer, so I figure that superpower would help out a lot when I’m in the pool.

Junior Associate: Rebecca Scaife

Where do you come from?I’m a southern girl. I am from Memphis, Tennessee. I’ve lived there most of my life. I was born in Oakland California though—most people don’t know that about me. I am a rising senior at Harvard. Go Crimsons!

Why did you choose UELIP?
I went to public school in Memphis. I was shocked by the disparities I saw firsthand by going to school in this environment. I really felt that I should make a difference.

I went to a summer program in DC at the School of Public Service and I saw that I could make a change. I started a mentoring program pairing high-performing upper classmen with underclassmen in high school. Through that experience I saw that I could make a difference.

If aliens landed in front of you and offered you any position on their planet, what would you want?
I would be a super star or a super star’s manager. I’d want to be the manager so I won’t have to deal with paparazzi, and could just be behind the scenes. If I could I would be a Lady GaGa inspired super star- see Lady GaGa’s song Fame!

I want to be a super star for the glamour, but also so I would have the power to change the world.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
I was asked to be in a CNN documentary about poverty and education.

What would I find your refrigerator right now?
A bunch of random frozen food because I can’t cook.

What was the last book you read?
To tell you the truth, I hate reading… but the last book I opened was “Whatever It Takes”.

If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
Can I be Susan Cheng? :)

UELIP Retreat

Say "cheese"! Some of our associates with Deputy Chancellor Kaya Henderson.

Break the ice! We broke up into small groups to get to know everyone a little bit better.

Using pictures, we shared a little about what we thought about education policy and DCPS.

Deputy Chancellor Kaya Henderson stopped by our retreat and shared some words of wisdom with us!

Associate Spotlights of the Week

Junior Associate: Carlyn Mueller

Where do you come from?
I’m from Northern Virginia, right outside of DC. I go to school at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland, where I’m a Special Education major.

Why did you choose UELIP?
I chose UELIP in part because of my experiences this year teaching an after school program in Baltimore. I got to meet so many smart, charismatic, strong kids who had so much potential and deserved a whole team of people on their side. I wanted to figure out how I could do good things for kids not just in a classroom, not just in Baltimore, but on a bigger scale. UELIP was the best opportunity to help me do that.

What is one thing you want to do before you leave DC?

Even though I’ve lived just outside of the city for a long time, there’s still a whole lot that I haven’t done! The biggest thing on my list is to go to Busboys & Poets.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.
I am absolutely addicted to country music.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?
A giraffe, I think. They’re low-key and their biggest priority seems to be eating good food, which matches my life philosophy pretty well.

What was your favorite book growing up?
Gone With the Wind. I read it for the first time when I was 10 or 11 and I’ve read it 6 times since then. I remember giving a book report on it once when I was in elementary school and having my teachers be really skeptical...but I really did read it.

If you had a million dollars, what would you do with it?
I’d probably use it to open a school. I feel like that’s kind of a predictable answer given the UELIP program, but it’s true!

Senior Associate: Fady Hanalla

Where do you come from? (State, school, etc.)

I was born in Cairo, Egypt and lived there for 10 years. After that I moved all around to NY, California, New Orleans, and Texas. I’m currently living in Houston Texas, and Austin is the best. And the university I’m from is Texas State University San Marcos.

Why did you choose UELIP?

I just completed my first year as teacher teaching 10^th grade World History. And I thought there were a lot of evident problems with education. So I started researching districts that were practicing really progressive methods of education. I looked into how they viewed education, how they were moving forward and I thought DCPS was very interesting in the way they were doing things, and wanted to join their team.

What is one thing you want to do before you leave DC?

Well, I used to intern in Senator Ted Kennedy’s office so I’ve done quite a bit here already. But I would want to have lunch with Barack Obama.

Name one interesting fact about yourself.

I am staunchly non-partisan. And a great ping pong player.

If you could be any animal, what would you be and why?

A lion because I am the king of the jungle.

What was your favorite book growing up?

Sideway Stories and Wayside Schools.

If you had a billion dollars, what would you do with it?

Buy Apple shares.