Past Summits

2023 Seamless Advising Summit

Agenda

8:00 am - 8:20 am Breakfast and Networking | Gym


8:20 am - 9:25 am Keynote | Gym



9:35 am - 10:30 am Workshops - Session 1 | Classrooms



10:40 am - 11:35 am Workshops - Session 2 | | Classrooms



11:35 am - 12:10 pm Resource Fair | Lobby


12:15 pm - 12:30 pm Closing | Gym

12:30 pm - 1:00 pm Lunch | Gym 

Sessions

The Importance of Seamless Advising (Keynote) & Trends in Postsecondary Aspirations, Enrollment, and Completion for BPS Students

Dr. Carmen N. Veloria, Central Connecticut State University 

Joseph McLaughlin, Boston Private Industry Council | Roshni Wadhwani, Boston Public Schools

8:20-9:25 | Gym


This keynote conversation will launch with a definition of seamless advising and a brief presentation on current trends in postsecondary enrollment and students’ aspiration. Joseph McLaughlin of the Boston Private Industry Council and Roshni Wadhwani of BPS will share postsecondary trends, grounding us in data before we move into the workshop sessions. They’ll shed light on the factors informing BPS student’s postsecondary choices and raise awareness of key changes in the landscape. Dr. Carmen Veloria, a practitioner and researcher who has worked in K-12, postsecondary, and community-based organizations, will then uplift the importance of seamless advising and share a conceptual framework for equity-minded advising practices. We’ll close with an opportunity for discussion on applying the findings in your own work and your collaborative work with one another. 


Advising with a Cultural Wealth Lens

Lee Santos Silva, Bunker Hill Community College | Jackie McMillion-Williams, Bunker Hill Community College | Lloyd Sheldon-Johnson, Bunker Hill Community College | Emily Singer, Bunker Hill Community College

9:35-10:30, 10:40-11:35 | Classroom E-419


This session will introduce and provide an overview of the different types of cultural wealth. Using examples from the classroom and advising, this session will empower participants to identify and leverage students’ cultural wealth in learning environments.  Attendees will walk away with practical strategies for identifying and uplifting students’ cultural wealth. 


“Always gonna be the same person to me”: Cultivating the Conditions to Build Authentic Student Relationships

Cory McCarthy, Boston Public Schools

9:35-10:30 | Gym


As we move toward a post-pandemic world, the most important "R" word in education is relationship. This session will focus on how we can cultivate the conditions for authentic relationships in our classrooms, schools, and communities through outlining and modeling Culturally & Linguistically Sustaining Practices, drawing upon examples of existing relationship-centered BPS programs, and reflecting on student connection and engagement data with a focus on its implications for college, career, and life readiness. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for relationship building rooted in an understanding that we all have a story to tell and are looking for meaningful connections.


Creating an Inclusive Postsecondary Culture

Lindsay Nicastro, College Advising Corps

9:35-10:30, 10:40-11:35 | Classroom G-227


Does your school have an inclusive postsecondary culture that supports students on both college and career pathways? This session will share promising strategies to create a “postsecondary-prepared culture” and support students throughout the match/fit process. This session will share a variety of resources including programs in/around Boston in various career industries.


Facilitating a Warm Hand-Off from Secondary to Postsecondary

Moderator: Hannah Smith, Education Strategy Group

Panelists: Valduvino Gonçalves, Boston Public Schools | Joél Mora, UMB | Jeremy Patti, Bunker Hill Community College | Rachel Condry, Boston HERC

Closing Activity: Robert Bardwell, Boston Public Schools

9:35-10:30 | Classroom E-175


This session will include a panel discussion made up of student-facing practitioners at the secondary and postsecondary level. The conversation will focus on the importance of the warm handoff and the successes and challenges experienced in supporting students through the transition to, and completion of, higher education. The session will cover topics such as the enabling structural conditions needed for seamless transitions to occur, and tangible ways that practitioners and institutions can support those conditions. The session will close with participants applying what they’ve learned to their own practice.


Fostering Career and College Interest in the Middle Grades

Andrea Dawes, UMass Boston | Erin Jaques, Boston Public Schools | Beth Fitzgerald, UMass Boston | Mai Pham, UMass Boston 

10:40-11:35 | Classroom E-450


This session will present participants with a variety of tools that support creative ways of bringing the MyCAP curriculum to the middle grades, scaffolded by stages of implementation. The session will highlight specific examples and best practices for implementation that complement the MyCAP curriculum and provide an opportunity for participants to share additional best practices and examples with one another.


The Power of Social Capital: Putting Networks to Work in Advising

Robert Markle, The Christensen Institute | Letta Neely, Apprentice Learning

9:35-10:30, 10:40-11:35 | Classroom G-138


Advisors are faced with challenging adult-to-student ratios, limiting the time they’re able to provide individual students with guidance that helps them accomplish their college and career goals. This session will help advisors expand the dosage and diversity of college and career readiness support that students  receive, offering  approaches to help students secure the support of both new and existing people in their personal networks.


Understanding Supports for Students with Disabilities Across Secondary & Postsecondary Systems

Marcia Fitzpatrick, Boston Public Schools | Hannah K. Huynh, UMass Boston | Holly Ressler, Bunker Hill Community College | Rachael Torella, Bunker Hill Community College

9:35-10:30, 10:40-11:35 | Classroom G-139


This session will outline the differences in access to disability services as students move from K-12 to higher education, highlighting the ways in which those differences play out for students, and raise awareness of strategies and steps that student-facing practitioners can take to create a more seamless support experience for students with disabilities at every level.


Unpacking the Career Pathways Experience & Advising

Moderator: Lydia Emmons, Boston Public Schools

Panelists: Monique Cooper, UMass Boston | Christina Hannon, Bunker Hill Community College | Kristen McKenna, Bunker Hill Community College | Jess Sáenz, Boston Public Schools

10:40-11:35 | Classroom E-175


This session will describe the benefits of pathways for student success and highlight examples of key pathway elements in practice at Boston Public Schools, Bunker Hill Community College, and UMass Boston. A panel of representatives from each institution will discuss their pathway options in practice and the importance of seamlessness in pathways to ensure student outcomes. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with the panel and discuss how to enable seamless pathways for their students.


Your Financial Aid Questions, Answered

Moderator: Jade Franco, The Boston Foundation

Panelists: Jonathan Hughes, Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority | Christi Lipman, Tufts Financial Aid | Lauren Meissner, Boston Public Schools | Sydney Morgan, UMass Boston  

9:35-10:30, 10:40-11:35 | Classroom G-140


This session will provide an opportunity to hear directly from financial aid experts about topics ranging from how to avoid common pitfalls in the financial aid application process to resources and funding opportunities available to students throughout their journey. The session will focus on a set of complex student scenarios that practitioners report having seen and how financial aid experts would recommend navigating them. Participants will then have an opportunity to ask real-time questions.

Speakers

Carmen N. Veloria, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, Central Connecticut State University
Carmen N. Veloria is a seasoned educator and administrator with a great deal of experience and knowledge gained from working in the P-20 continuum as a college access administrator, professor, and researcher. Her advocacy, research, writing, teaching, and critical community service work focuses on issues of race, ethnicity, and language usage with respect to youth, schools, and community. 

Beth Fitzgerald, Director of Project REACH Talent Search Program, University of Massachusetts Boston
Beth Fitzgerald is the Director of the Project REACH Talent Search (TRIO) Program at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she has worked for the past 25 years.  Beth is passionate about helping young people discover their potential and supports them in their journey by providing personal, career and post-secondary counseling. One of the most exciting and rewarding aspects of her job is watching the students mature from middle school to high school and then into adulthood where they go off to college and careers. 

Christina Hannon, Career Advising Coordinator, Bunker Hill Community College
Christina Hannon completed her undergraduate degree in English at the University of Connecticut and her Master’s of Education in Higher Education and Student Affairs at Salem State University.  She is currently the Career Advising Coordinator at Bunker Hill Community College where her focus is career exploration and exposure. 

Christi Lipman, Associate Director of Financial Aid, Tufts University
Christi Lipman is an Associate Director of Financial Aid at Tufts University. Prior to working in a college financial aid office, Christi worked as a college counselor at Bottom Line in Boston. She loves discussing financial aid policy and will talk your ear off about aid processing if you let her. 

Cory McCarthy, Executive Director, Urban Coaches Association
In Cory McCarthy’s quest to change the societal narrative around underserved, underrepresented students and special populations, Cory has been successful in transforming both student outcomes and school improvement. He represented BPS as a speaker at the ESEA National Conference and COSEBOC in Boston, MA and New York.  Additionally, he has been a guest lecturer speaking on the importance and value of having culturally competent and responsive educators. He was recently nominated by the Massachusetts State House Black and Latino Legislative Caucus for his work with black and brown students. 

Emily Singer, Program Manager for the Center for Equity and Cultural Wealth, Bunker Hill Community College
Emily Singer serves as the Program Manager for the Center for Equity and Cultural Wealth at BHCC. Prior to this role, she served as a college success coach and program manager with Success Boston, providing support to BPS grads into and through Bunker Hill Community College, UMass Boston, and Suffolk University. She also led a city-wide College Success Initiative for the City of Cambridge, and launched dual enrollment and early college programs with BHCC and Cambridge College for the cities of Cambridge and Somerville.

Erin Jaques, MyCAP District Coordinator, Boston Public Schools
Erin Jaques works closely with teams of educators and stakeholders across Boston to create systems and strategies for MyCAP. Erin has experience across education as a special education teacher, program development and strategy consultant, policy researcher, and teacher coach. She is a member and recently elected Chair of the National Prism Advisory Board, guiding the strategy and direction for Teach For America’s national LGBTQ+ support and programming. 

Hannah Hyunh, Assistant Director, Ross Center for Disability Services, University of Massachusetts Boston
Hannah Huynh is the Assistant Director of the Ross Center for Disability Services at UMass Boston. She has worked with students with disabilities in a variety of K-12 and higher education settings for over a decade. 

Hannah Smith, Director of Postsecondary Transitions, Education Strategy Group
Hannah Smith’s time in K-12 schools as a counselor and advisor instilled a strong commitment to equity and a belief in high quality, aligned student support systems. Prior to joining ESG as Director of Postsecondary Transitions, she served as the Vice President of Partnerships at Moneythink, an ed-tech nonprofit focused on making college more accessible for low-income and first generation students. She holds an AA from City College of San Francisco, a BA in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley and a M.Ed in Prevention Science and Practice from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Holly Ressler, Coordinator of Disability Support Services, Bunker Hill Community College
Holly Ressler has been the Coordinator of Disability Support Services at Bunker Hill Community College since March of 2023. She has a background in K-12 Special Education as both a special educator and case manager. In these roles, she specialized in reading services and inclusion in public schools across the Northshore. Holly is enjoying using her background to help ease the transition for students adjusting from high school special education services to those supports offered at the college level. As the coordinator, she hopes to continue to build and improve the disability support services office at BHCC in order to make it the best possible experience for students that attend our college.

Jade Franco, Program Officer for Education and Career Initiatives, The Boston Foundation
Jade Franco is a proud Afro-Latina & Dominican who grew up in the city of Boston. After graduating from Boston Latin Academy, she enrolled at Stonehill College for her bachelor’s degree. At Stonehill, she designed her own major under the Multidisciplinary Studies track to combine her passions for Political Science and Business Administration. Jade’s career has centered on serving youth pursuing education and career pathways at mission-driven organizations. Jade is passionate about advocating for underrepresented youth across Boston to pursue, afford and graduate from college.

Jacqueline “Jackie” McMillion-Williams, Interim Associate Dean: Advising, LifeMap and Assessment, Bunker Hill Community College
Jacqueline “Jackie” McMillion-Williams is a Black, queer, woman, former single mother, first-generation student, advocate for equity in education, and a proud community college graduate.With over 10 years of advising experience, Jacqueline has worked in various positions atBunker Hill Community College (BHCC) including Director of Advising & LifeMap, Coordinator of Retention, Academic Counselor, and Admissions Counselor. Prior to joining BHCC full-time, Jacqueline worked part-time as a coordinator for the Chelsea Campus’ tutoring and advising office. Currently she is serving as the Interim Associate Dean of Advising, LifeMap and Assessment. 

 Jessica Sáenz, Career Pathways Project Manager, Boston Public Schools
As the Career Pathways Project Manager, Jessica Sáenz works to expand college and career pathway opportunities for secondary school students, grades 7-12. They primarily act as a liaison between schools, central office, and various BPS departments including Data and Accountability, Budget, Technology, and Operations, as well as with external partners, to plan, initiate, and complete important tasks that build coherent systems among key efforts in the pathways expansion work.

Joél T. Mora, Assistant Director of Student Success Programs, University of Massachusetts Boston
Joél Mora oversees the Success Boston initiative on campus and serves as an academic advisor under the Student Success Scholars (SSS) TRIO program. He began in August 2021 and came from the nonprofit sector where he served as the Education Programs Manager at the Hyde Square Task Force (HSTF) for the past 11 years​. There he oversaw programs in the department such as mentoring for 8th grade through 12th grade youth, tutoring, the College Success Program, the HSTF alumni network, and the Young Men's Initiative. At UMass Boston, Joél helps college students reach their goals and dreams of going and graduating from college by helping them develop the necessary skills needed to be successful and understand their purpose. 

Jonathan Hughes, Associate Director of College Planning and Content Creation, MEFA

Jonathan Hughes joined MEFA in 2001 as a loan counselor. As Associate Director of College Planning and Content Creation, he provides guidance on planning, saving, and paying for college to students and their families through several different channels. He also works with the Editorial Team to create new content including the 90 Seconds with MEFA video series, the MEFA Podcast, and blog posts. Additionally, he conducts webinars on college financing and the importance of saving for college, and works collaboratively with several community-based organizations on behalf of MEFA. He is a member of the MASFAA Financial Wellness Committee and has a BA in Communications from Emerson College.


Joseph McLaughlin, Director of Research and Strategy, Boston Private Industry Council (PIC)
Joseph McLaughlin leads the PIC’s research, data management, and program evaluation activities. His research focuses on the college enrollment, persistence, and completion outcomes of BPS graduates, the labor market experiences of youth and adults in MA, and industry and occupational employment developments in MA and the U.S. Prior to joining the PIC, Joseph worked at the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University, where he co-authored research studies on the youth labor market in New England and the U.S., the economic and social benefits of increasing educational attainment, and the college enrollment and completion experiences of high school graduates. 

Kristen P. McKenna, Dean of Workforce and Economic Development, Bunker Hill Community College
Kristen P. McKenna has been in education and workforce development for 25 years working in K-12, preschool, corporate, adult education and higher education in RI, NH, MA, and VA. Previously, she was the Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs at River Valley Community College in Lebanon NH.  Ms. McKenna was also the Career Pathways manager in RI for Governor Raimondo's Workforce Board. Kristen has a Master's in Higher Education Administration from Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy MA and a BFA from RI College, Providence RI.

LaVonia Montouté, Director of Career Pathways, EdVestors
As the Director of Career Pathways, LaVonia Montouté leads the New Skills Boston effort, partnering across sectors to expand access to high quality career exploration and  pathways for Boston students. LaVonia previously worked at the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy, where she supported schools in Gateway cities to design, implement, and evaluate evidence-based postsecondary interventions through the Massachusetts Institute for College and Career Readiness. LaVonia is passionate about career development and learning through work. She earned a B.S. in Psychology from Davidson College and Masters of Education in Human Development from Boston University. She is also a proud alumna of a local culinary arts workforce training program.

Lauren Meissner, Career Pathways Analyst, Boston Public Schools
Lauren Meissner currently serves as the Career Pathways Analyst in the Office of Data and Accountability with the Boston Public Schools. Prior to that she spent over five years teaching math. Lauren holds a Master’s Degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University and a Bachelor’s Degree in Math Education from the University of Oklahoma.

Lee Santos Silva, Director of the Center for Equity and Cultural Wealth, Bunker Hill Community College
Prior to his current role, Lee Santos Silva chaired Bunker Hill’s English Department and served as a faculty member in the department. His research and teaching interests are in culturally sustaining pedagogies, African and African American Studies and LGBTQIA studies. 

Lena Quadros, Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid Services, University of Massachusetts Boston
Lena Quadros has nearly 30 years of experience in Financial Aid Administration. She is dedicated to providing exceptional service and guidance to students and their families.

Letta Neely, Vice President of Programs, Apprentice Learning
Letta Neely is responsible for guiding program delivery and expansion at Apprentice Learning. She has extensive experience managing community-based programs for youth and middle school students. She is also an acclaimed playwright and poet and has taught in community settings with both youth and adults. She is a parent of an Apprentice Learning alum and a resident of Dorchester. 

Lindsay Nicastro, Senior Assistant Director, Career Advising Corps, Boston University
Lindsay Nicastro has spent her professional career supporting students in their post-secondary journey. During her time working in schools, she completed her Masters of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy at Boston University as well as a Certificate of Non-Profit Management with the Institute of Non-Profit Practice (INP) at Tufts University. In the Summer of 2020, she returned to CAC-BU as the Senior Assistant Director where she focuses on training and developing the current CAC-BU advisers.

Dr. Lloyd Sheldon Johnson, Professor of Behavioral Science, Bunker Hill Community College
Dr. Johnson has been nationally recognized for his work in diversity, human relations, and education. Currently, Professor of Behavioral Science at Bunker Hill Community College, Johnson has received many awards for teaching excellence. He has been a leader in institutionalizing learning communities in higher education and creating bridges between community colleges and males incarcerated in the Massachusetts prison system. As a multicultural education and diversity specialist, he has worked with independent and public schools, K-12, in need of his services and expertise. His past work with the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and other institutions recruiting and training new teachers is noteworthy. He is a part of the Achieving the Dream faculty team at Bunker Hill Community College.

Lydia Emmons, Director of Early College Programs, Boston Public Schools
For over a decade, Lydia Emmons has led organizations and programs to expand equitable pathways to higher education and increase economic mobility for young people in the greater Boston area. In her current role, Lydia works in deep partnership with industry leaders, institutions of higher education, district leadership, and philanthropic partners to expand high quality early college and career pathways across BPS’s Secondary Schools. These strategic efforts, at both the systems and program level, have increased the number of students engaged in work-based learning, career advising, college course taking, and technical skill building. 

Mai Pham, Director of the Talent Search (TBACHS) Program, University of Massachusetts Boston
Mai Pham has spent five years working with TRIO programs. She holds a BA from Clark University and an MPA from the University of Massachusetts Boston.

Marcia Fitzpatrick, Career Educator, Boston Public Schools
Over the past 29 years, Marcia Fitzpatrick has served in the roles of classroom teacher, coordinator of Special Education and currently as the Assistant Director of Transition. In her current role, Marcia oversees transition programming for students with disabilities ages 14 -22.

Marsha Inniss-Mitchell, Executive Director of Postsecondary Initiatives, Boston Public Schools
Marsha Inniss-Mitchell leads strategies to increase access to advanced coursework for high school students, expand quality advising services, and build more robust systems for overall college, career, and academic planning. Marsha has served BPS students and families for over twenty years and has an extensive background in nonprofit management, out-of-school time programming, and college access services. Marsha holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Hampton University, an M.Ed. in the Administration of Higher Education from Suffolk University, and was part of the 2006 University of Massachusetts-Boston emerging leaders cohort. 

Monique S. Cooper, Assistant Vice Provost, University of Massachusetts Boston
Monique S. Cooper is an equity-minded higher education professional who is passionate about creating and sustaining inclusive campus climates where students from diverse backgrounds can thrive. Her multicultural and equity-minded philosophy focuses on optimizing holistic development, cultural empowerment and empathy, and career readiness and satisfaction for all students. She possesses a bachelor's degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Connecticut, a master's degree in School Counseling from Cambridge College, and a PhD degree in Learning, Leadership, and Educational Policy from the University of Connecticut. 

Rachel Condry, Alumni Success Program Director, Boston HERC
Rachel Condry joined the Boston HERC team in June, 2021. Rachel graduated from the University of Massachusetts (Amherst) in 2011 with a dual Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and Sociology. For over a decade, she has served in the non-profit sector, including direct service with underprivileged youth and managing programming servicing at-risk families. She is honored to serve in her role as the Boston HERC’s Director of Alumni Success, where she has an outlet to care for her staff, cast programmatic vision and, ultimately, impact young lives. In her free time, Rachel enjoys volunteering at her church, spending time outside, and singing way too loudly in the car.

Rachael Torella, Assistive Technology Educator and Academic Counselor, Bunker Hill Community College

Rachael is the Assistive Technology Educator/Academic Counselor at Bunker Hill Community College. Throughout her career, Rachael has served in various roles in disability support services and in education, including K-12 and collegiate settings. As the Assistive Technology Educator, she focuses on creating access to helpful technology for students with disabilities.


Robert Bardwell, Interim Executive Director of School Counseling, Boston Public Schools

Robert Bardwell has been a school counselor and school counseling director for 30 years.  He became the Executive Director of MASCA in July 2019 and was the former Team Lead of Reach Higher Massachusetts, an initiative of the former First Lady Michelle Obama.  In addition to his counseling duties, he is an adjunct professor at Westfield State University and American International College, teaching both school counseling and college admission counseling courses for aspiring school counselors.  


Dr. Robert Markle, Research Manager, The Christensen Institute
Dr. Robert  Markle’s work focuses on investigating and scaling promising approaches for expanding the way in which education systems prepare students for professional and personal success. His work centers on increasing awareness and adoption of emerging practices for building and measuring students’ social capital with the goal of increasing access to opportunity, economic mobility, and personal well-being. Given Dr. Markle’s background in implementation science and program evaluation, he is interested in how relationship-based initiatives can be optimized for local contexts to maximize their effectiveness.

Roshni Wadhwani, College, Career and Life Readiness Analyst, Boston Public Schools
Roshni Wadhwani began her career in 2011 as a Chemistry teacher at a secondary school in Singapore. She then served as a higher education policy analyst at Singapore’s Ministry of Education and as an Assistant Director at the Public Service Division of Singapore’s Prime Minister’s Office. Prior to joining Boston Public Schools, Roshni was a Research Associate at Public Profit, an Oakland-based consulting group. She is also a Harvard Strategic Data Fellow alumna.

Sydney Morgan, Director of Undergraduate Admissions, University of Massachusetts Boston
Sydney Morgan is a higher education professional with nearly a decade of experience working in education in the Greater Boston area. She is committed to helping students discover the educational pathways that work best for them. She is passionate about creating equitable and accessible pathways to and through higher education, particularly for transfer and nontraditional students. She has served on the board of the New England Transfer Association and is involved in state-wide initiatives like MassTransfer and Early College. 

Valduvino Gonçalves, Student Development Counselor, John D. O'Bryant School of Mathematics and Science
As a product of the Boston Public Schools, Valduvino Gonçalves is committed to social justice and passionate about working with students. As a school counselor, he is responsible for supporting the college process at the O'Bryant, ensuring students are on track to graduate, and serving as a resource and advocate for all of his students. Valduvino is a former mentor in the High School to Teaching Program. Valduvino has been a board member of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative for the last two years and was recently elected to serve as the vice president of the board.