Milwaukee AmeriCorps Members

Adi is proud to be spending the next year as a Development VISTA. During her year with College Possible, Adi is looking forward to learning more about her hometown of Milwaukee and serving the community here. She grew up in Milwaukee and graduated from UW-Madison with a degree in International Studies. The focus within her major was Environmental Studies, and she strives to maintain this passion as part of her daily life, even if oftentimes that simply means cooking delicious meals with farmers’ market produce. Besides wandering through farmers’ markets, Adi enjoys baking, reading, knitting, and bike riding. She also loves road trips, whether it is annual family camping trips out West, or a trip to Pasadena to cheer on the Badgers!

Lia Stratton, Workshop & Volunteer AmeriCorps Member

Lia Stratton is very excited to be returning to College Possible as the new Workshop/Volunteer AmeriCorps member. Lia recently graduated with honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison where she majored in Psychology with a minor in Gender and Women's Studies. Lia is originally from the Chicagoland area and although she remains loyal to the Cubbies, all these years in Wisconsin have successfully converted her into a Packers fan! This past year, through College Possible, Lia was lucky enough to work with an organization called Compass Guide that provided accessible college advising to thousands of Milwaukee area students and she is looking forward to continuing to serve this community. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, teaching herself to cook, doing crafts and other DIY projects, as well as being active and exploring all the fun and interesting things this city has to offer! Top

Carolyn Vidmar, Communications VISTA

Carolyn is psyched to return for a second year as Communications VISTA at College Possible Milwaukee. She thinks College Possible students are absolutely the greatest and feels honored to be able to share their stories! Carolyn graduated with comprehensive honors from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Journalism and Mass Communication in 2010. At UW-Madison, Carolyn worked as a Staff Writer for The Badger Herald and as a Lead Writer for Curb, the School of Journalism’s annual magazine. When she’s not busy sharing the College Possible story, her favorite activities include running, knitting and watching football (at the same time), wearing bright colors and making lists. A native of Baltimore, Md., Carolyn loyally cheers for the Ravens. She loves to explore Milwaukee, but believes she is destined to live in a city where she does not have to drive in the snow. She is always planning her next vacation, and she prefers Harry Potter over Twilight. Top

Hannah Wrobel, Events AmeriCorps Member

Hannah is thrilled to serve as the College Possible Events AmeriCorps member! Originally from La Crosse, WI, she is a 2011 graduate from UW-Madison, where she earned a Bachelors of Science with distinction in Political Science and a Certificate in Integrated Liberal Studies. During her time at UW-Madison, she served as a peer advisor where she helped students formulate their academic plans. She is very passionate about politics, and spent two semesters interning at the Wisconsin State Capitol and a summer interning at the United States Capitol. Her dream is to be the first female Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Aside from politics, her interests include the Badgers, Brewers, Packers and Bucks; Mariah Carey; walking around Target for hours; and the movie A Few Good Men. Top

Technology-Based College Coaches

Kelly Diggins

Kelly is joining College Possible for her first year as a College Coach! She graduated from The University of Iowa in May 2011 with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication. Kelly loves to travel and spent the past summer interning in London and traveling around Europe! In her spare time you can find her reading, running, listening to music or watching ‘Friends.' Originally from Iowa, Kelly is a die-hard Hawkeye fan and self-proclaimed film buff. In the future, Kelly would like to work in student affairs. She's excited to serve students in Milwaukee! Top

Rachael Habermehl

Rachael Habermehl is excited to be joining College Possible as a college coach. Rachael graduated from UW-Milwaukee last December 2010 with a BA in both Philosophy and Women’s Studies. She is passionate about social justice issues and thrilled to be part of an organization that works to offset some of the disadvantages fostered in our society and our school system.

Rachael has lived in Milwaukee for six years and her family is from here, so it feels like home. In her free time in the summer, Rachael goes to the beach every day that the sun is out; in the winter she puts on extra socks and sits by her space heater! Her favorite pastime is spending as much time as she can with people she loves and with new friends, preferably with coffee on the side. Top

Minhtuyen Mai

Minh Tuyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam and came to the United States when she was three. She grew up in Milwaukee, attended Milwaukee Public Schools K-12 and graduated from Pulaski High School as valedictorian. Minh attended and graduated from the University Wisconsin- Madison on a full-ride scholarship as a Chancellor's Scholar where she received her triple major of Bachelor of Sciences in Sociology, Languages and Cultures of Asia, and Southeast Asian Studies with a certificate in Asian American Studies. She was involved in several organizations on campus including being a McNair Scholar, a board member for the Vietnam Health Project which fundraises to promote awareness of health issues in Vietnam, a mentor for the TRIO program, and a Fellow at the Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. Minh is fluent in Vietnamese and knows conversational Hmong and Spanish. She hopes that her time serving her students as a College Coach will provide her with personal insight into the academic achievement in underserved populations especially Southeast Asian Americans that she is hoping to study in graduate school.

During her free time, she likes to practice Kung Fu and Tai Chi, play video games, and watch the Food Network.Top

Raven Newberry

Raven Newberry is a 2011 graduate from the University of Kentucky. She received a geography degree with honors and became interested in education through her own undergraduate experience as a student ambassador. Through this position she worked with prospective students and current undergraduates on navigating the collegiate waters. This extracurricular work really piqued her interest in continuing such work. That combined with her love of community service led her to pursue an AmeriCorps position with College Possible. Raven is so excited at this opportunity to help others pursue their educational goals.

Raven is originally from Paducah, KY which is famous(ish) for the invention of Dippin’ Dots and for being the quilt capital of the world. In her free time you can find her reading, jogging, pursuing outdoor activities, sewing, guiltily watching trashy television, and eating Cheez-its. Top

Molina Tang

Molina Tang will be serving with College Possible as a College Coach. She is originally from Oakland, California and graduated from Carleton College with a degree in International Relations. While in college, she worked closely with Upward Bound and a Minnesotan State Senate Campaign that focused highly on the value of education. With these experiences, she developed a passion to continue working in education. During her time outside of College Possible, you can find her kicking back in sweats, drinking tea, and reading Japanese manga or watching her favorite television series. On the other hand, you can also find her biking, hiking, or playing a variety of sports outside. She also loves to cook, study martial arts, and listen to 90s music. Top

Mai Chao Thao

Mai Chao was born in a refugee camp in Thailand, but was fortunate enough to grow up in Manitowoc, WI. To the joy of her non-English speaking parents, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Psychology and Gender and Women’s Studies in May of 2011.
Having grown up in a low-income, non-English speaking home, and having been a first generation college student, the challenges of applying to college and attending college are all too familiar. While at UW Madison, Mai Chao spent two years tutoring minority students from grade K-10. She enjoyed the experience so much, she wanted to continue serving disadvantaged students; College Possible was a perfect fit.

You can find Mai Chao walking her two Chihuahuas, Sweet Pea and Pinki, at the park or cooking in her kitchen during her spare time. She loves to sit down to a good book and occasionally enjoys a good game of soccer. Top

Jenny Wysocky

Jenny Wysocky is 22 years old and from Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin. She recently graduated from University of Wisconsin – La Crosse with a degree in Psychology. Some of her interests include running, playing tennis and basketball, reading, watching “Friends,” dancing to any kind of music, and traveling as much as possible, a passion she developed while studying abroad in Prague, Czech Republic. She is also a die-hard Green Bay Packers fan, along with all other Wisconsin sports teams. Jenny often volunteered with her sorority, Alpha Phi, during her college career and also worked for the YMCA for three years. Both of these activities allowed her to see her passion for service, one reason she decided to serve with College Possible. Top

Pa Dao Yang

Pa Dao Yang is an alum of Patrick Henry High School, Minneapolis, Minnesota graduating class of 2007. Pa Dao pursued higher education at Augsburg College, located in the heart of the Twin Cities and graduated with a degree in Sociology in 2011. Throughout her years at Augsburg College, Pa Dao passionately partook in service work and planning. She served in the Augsburg Asian Student Association (AASA) for four years. During her senior year she became an intern for the Pan-Asian office to co-advise AASA along with being the Pan-Asian Mentor Program Coordinator. Within her four years in college, she worked with three different Asian community organizations and one statewide organization in which she implemented an art project for Hmong youth to express themselves through different art forms.

Aside from her academics, she enjoys jogging during nice weather, playing soccer, and surrounding herself with friends. Top

High School Coaches - Junior Cohorts

Erin Bennett, Saint Joan Antida High School & Morse Marshall High School

Erin grew up around the Milwaukee area, but she decided to venture into even colder weather for four years and travel six hours north to attend the University of Minnesota. She graduated in May 2011 from the Carlson School of Management with a degree in Marketing and Public/Non- Profit Management and a minor in Spanish Studies. She is in love with Spanish culture and spent five months studying microfinance in rural Ecuador. Erin also loves the outdoors: backpacking, snowboarding, wakeboarding and just being active; but most of all she loves to run! From a 5k to a marathon, depending on the day. Other than that she loves anything that involves creativity, coffee, thrift shores or vegetarian food.

Last summer Erin spent every single night in a tent working with youth in the Minnesota Conservation Corps and became passionate about impacting lives. She is so excited to work with high school students every day! She knows she can only teach as much as she can learn, which is a never-ending process.Top

Matt Coombs, South Division High School

Matt is looking forward to this upcoming year with College Possible and is excited to get to know the city of Milwaukee. Though not a native of the midwest, he has spent a large part of his life here, and after 10 years of not having gotten used to the cold winters, he is wondering if this is the year when he will finally get used to it. He spent his childhood in Peru, junior high in Ecuador, then finished up high school in the Detroit area before moving to the Chicago area, where he recently graduated from Wheaton College. Living in Latin America and enjoying soccer tend to go hand in hand, and Matt is no exception to the rule. He has been playing it ever since he can remember, and has been a fan of the Peruvian soccer team his whole life. However, though he enjoys soccer, his friends and family are much more important aspects of Matt's life. He greatly values relationships, and you can often find him simply hanging out with his friends, talking over coffee or tea, or watching a movie together. Top

Kari Houghtaling, Hamilton High School

Kari Houghtaling, originally from Duluth, Minnesota, is a 2011 graduate of Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, where she studied Communication and Management. She spent her final months in Decorah relaxing, tubing down the Upper Iowa River, and working some part-time jobs. She is looking forward to getting to know the Milwaukee area and starting the school year with a group of juniors at Hamilton High! Kari is a big fan of traveling, and while at Luther went on a couple January term trips to South Africa and Nicaragua and spent a semester studying in Scotland. Kari also enjoys meeting new people, eating all kinds of food, going to amusement parks, and partaking in various outdoor activities. Top

Connie Meltzer, Milwaukee School of Languages & International Peace Academy

Connie is so happy to be in Wisconsin for another year and join the College Possible team! After growing up in the New York City area, Connie ventured away from her peers to attend Beloit College. During those years, she fell in love with Wisconsin, cheese, the Packers, and sociology. She graduated with a degree in English literary studies and sociology, which sparked her passion in helping solve injustice in the United States. When she's not coaching College Possible students at International Peace Academy or Milwaukee School of Languages, Connie loves to color, swim, send postcards, create gifts for people, and take photos.Top

Kyle Nickodem, Riverside University High School

Kyle was originally born in Milwaukee, WI and moved to Chapel Hill, NC 11 years later. He is a recent graduate from Notre Dame with a Bachelors of Arts degree in psychology. While at Notre Dame he worked for three years in a research psychology lab that specialized in marital conflict and its effect on child development. Following College Possible, Kyle hopes to attend graduate school in psychology with a focus on clinical research. In his free time Kyle enjoys watching and playing every sport known to man although his favorites include soccer, hockey, and football. He also enjoys playing bass guitar and learning new recipes to cook. With College Possible Kyle will be a Junior High School Coach and he is looking forward to serving high school students. Top

High School Coaches - Senior Cohorts

Jaleesa Joy, Riverside University High School

Jaleesa will be serving at College Possible for the first time as a Senior Coach. She is so excited to meet the seniors and get to know them during this time of decision-making. She is a recent graduate from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, where she double majored in Theatre Arts and African American and African Studies. Jaleesa was born and raised right here in Milwaukee where she went to John Marshall High School. There she found her love for theatre and a chance to grow academically. She was also a Gates Millennium Scholarship recipient in 2006 and has had many experiences discussing admissions and financial aid opportunities with students since graduating from high school. Once in college, Jaleesa was actively involved in many student organizations including her beloved sorority Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. She is looking forward to this new experience with College Possible.
In her spare time Jaleesa loves to watch TV Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, many reality shows, Bones and Law and Order: SVU and Glee. She also loves to read, and her bookshelf is overflowing. She loves writing short stories, poetry, plays, and journal writing. Top

Kimberly Randle, South Division High School

Kimberly Randle attended college at Calvin College, a small Christian school in Grand Rapids, Michigan where she studied English, Education, and Sociology. She enjoys reading, writing, listening to music, watching television, learning about and advocating for various social issues, and hula hooping! She is a staunch advocate for educational equity & equality and looks forward to putting this into practice by serving students through College Possible. Top

Katy Resop, Saint Joan Antida High School

Katy is thrilled to return for a second term of service with College Possible as a senior coach at St. Joan Antida High School. Last year she learned so much from her incredible students and she looks forward to growing even more with them in the 2011-2012 school year.

Katy grew up in Oshkosh, WI, wearing Oshkosh B'Gosh overalls and aspiring to be a pilot. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in May 2008 with a B.A. in History and Political Science, lived in Chicago and England, and finally moved back to the great state of Wisconsin! She's fallen in love with Milwaukee and looks forward to another year of exploring this beautiful place and its amazing people. She loves classic novels, thrift stores, artichokes, moccasins, chocolate chip cookies, Lake Michigan, and yoga. In her spare time, she enjoys making vegetarian soup, baking cupcakes, hanging her laundry to dry, strumming her guitar, and cleaning her house. Katy is extremely passionate about racial justice and educational equity, and she loves College Possible's role in serving youth to address those complexities in Milwaukee.Top

Amanda Wysk, Milwaukee School of Languages & International Peace Academy

Amanda graduated from Oberlin College in May 2011 with a double major in Law & Society and English. While at Oberlin, she became very interested in education. She tutored with America Reads for four years and held a site leadership position her senior year. Additionally, she was a Writing Associate for her college Writing Center. Amanda has been playing volleyball basically her entire life, and played all fours years in college. She enjoys being active: running, playing sports, canoeing, doing yoga and more. She’s a vegetarian and she loves to cook for herself and for her friends. Amanda’s other hobbies include reading, writing, astronomy, and playing ridiculously dated video games. She loves animals, snow, pineapple, the Packers, the Brewers, the Constitution, and thrift stores. She is quite excited to be back in her home state and start her term of service with College Possible!Top

Becky Zeman, Hamilton High School

Becky grew up in Milwaukee. She attended Milwaukee Public Schools and went on to graduate from Alverno College with a B.A. in Professional Communication with a support in Political Science. This will be her second year serving with College Possible; last year she was a Junior Coach, and now she is coming back as a Senior Coach for Northwest Secondary School and Alexander Hamilton High School. She is anxious to see her 28 students soon and get them into college!

In her downtime she likes to watch Netflix, play Wii, go for walks, and play tennis. She loves taking fun classes like bellydancing, ballroom dancing, kickboxing and yoga, even though she claims that she cannot dance! She is currently interested in trying to learn to cook. Becky really loves Milwaukee and doing all the fun Milwaukee things (especially Brewer games). Top

Meet the Milwaukee Leadership Team.

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