In 2006, Coaching for College welcomed Nisha Anjali Sachdev
as the organization's new full-time program director. Through her academic
background, work experience and professional accomplishments she has proved her
commitment to serve youth and their families, not only the District of
Columbia, but also globally. Nisha received her Bachelor of Science degree from
the University of Michigan, majoring in Psychology with a double minor in
Spanish and Criminal Justice. She worked in a juvenile detention center in
Pontiac, MI and then relocated to Washington, D.C. in 2003.
While completing her Master's in Public Health focusing on Global Health Promotion at the George Washington University, she worked as a high school math teacher at Frost School, an alternative high school for children with social, emotional, and behavioral disorders. It was here Nisha experienced the lack of resources that faced youth in D.C. and surrounding areas. This led her to become a co-founder of Breaking the Cycle, an organization started with four recent D.C. high school students to increase college awareness and to assist at-risk students in achieving academic success. Her experiences locally are complemented by her accomplishments globally. As a consultant for UNICEF and through her work with the Ministry of Health of Trinidad and Tobago, she expanded her vision and knowledge of the needs and issues facing youth throughout the Latin American and Caribbean region. She developed the first adolescent reproductive policy for the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago and also evaluated and provided policy recommendations at UNICEF for the implementation of a regional program promoting anti-violence. Nisha has been working to strengthen Coaching for College's program offerings, develop links with the community, and provide students with the greatest opportunity for personal and academic success. She is currently at George Washington University completing her doctorate in Public Health.
Program Staff
Andrea Lacy joined Coaching for College in 2009 as the Girls'Group Program Facilitator and the Coaching for College Program Evaluation Specialist.Andrea graduated from the University of Pittsburgh in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience, a minor in Chemistry, and certificate in Conceptual Foundations of Medicine. She is currently pursuing her Master's of Public Health from The George Washington University focusing on Prevention and Community Health.Andrea is originally from the Washington DC Metro area and is looking forward to giving back to this community. Her work experience as a research coordinator in the Univ. of Pittsburghs Center for Family Planning Research and GWUs Clinical Psychiatric Research Center coupled with her academic study of women's and children's health has primed her to be an exciting addition to the Coaching for College team.
Jeana Kamdar joined Coaching for College as Research Associate. Jeana relocated to D.C. in 2006 from California to get her Master's in Public Health from The George Washington University. She joined Coaching for College as a coach that fall. Now she contributes to Coaching for College as a research associate, developing a Girls Group Program that aims to hold regular workshops on various health issues for the middle school girls within the Coaching for College program. She is completing her MPH degree in December, 2008 from The George Washington University. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences with a minor in Public Health from the University of California, Irvine. Her academic background is complemented with experiences such as studying abroad in Durban, South Africa; previously working as a Clinical Research Coordinator in Long Beach, California; and working as an Assistant Health Outreach Coordinator for college students at the The George Washington University.
Cristen Bates joined Coaching for College in early 2010 as a intern and program evaluator. She is seeking her Masters in Public Health from George Washington University in Maternal and Child Health and is scheduled to graduate in May 2010. Cristen's interest in social programs began during her undergraduate career at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. Throughout college she worked at a Community Mental Health Center and in 2004 graduated with a degree in Psychology with a minor in Women's Studies. After spending a year as a crisis case manager at the mental health center, Cristen joined the Peace Corps in the summer of 2005. She traveled to Niger where she worked as a community health agent in a small village in the south central part of the country. After her return to the U.S. she decided to keep a preventative health focus and began working towards her degree at GWU. Cristen is very excited to help Coaching for College explore student outcomes and improve our ability to serve our students.
Renee Hill joined the Coaching for College team in January of 2010 as the Communications Specialist. Renee is currently working on her Masters in Public Health from George Washington University with a concentration in Global Health Communications. Renee has a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin. During her undergraduate career Renee volunteered as an English tutor both while studying in Santiago, Chile and in Madison, WI. Renee worked at the Network for the Improvement of Addiction Treatment (NIATx) from 2007-2009 serving as a communications
liaison
between the main office and 200 treatment providers. While working on her masters degree, Renee has participated in several health communications projects and is looking forward to working with Coaching for College on their communication strategy.
Board of Directors
Mark Bayer, Founder Federal Government Employee
Kirsten Anderson Consultant Accenture
Steve Baskin Partner Kilpatrick and Stockton, LLP
Susan Lukacs Medical Officer Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Paul Massey Senior Vice President Powell Tate|Weber Shandwick Mark Vineyard Consultant IBM David Zaharchuk Senior Managing Consultant IBM
Coaching for College is always seeking new leaders to join our Board of Directors. If you know of someone who is committed to helping young people succeed, has demonstrated leadership abilities, and has a lot of energy and good ideas, please nominate them to join the Board. You can email their name and contact information to Nisha Sachdev at info@coachingforcollege.org
* 607 14th Street NW, Suite 900 * Washington, DC 20005 * (202) 508-5829 *
