Leadership
At the heart of Apprentice Learning is a deep commitment to equity and social justice, which is reflected in our work and in the composition of our board and staff. All board members have a personal connection to the organization as a worksite partner, community member, or as someone who benefitted from similar opportunities as a young person. Our staff brings deep experience working with youth within urban school settings. They are viewed as a valuable resource that connects young people to their potential.
Board of Directors
Cinqué Dunham-Carson
“What about Apprentice Learning’s mission inspires and motivates you as a board member?”
I am inspired by Apprentice Learning’s ability to help young learners gain a sense of purpose in the present. Understanding how today’s beliefs and actions help pave the road to tomorrow’s results is critical to success. Apprentice Learning equips our youth with key skills that build confidence and resourcefulness, strengthening their abilities to overcome obstacles and leverage the many talents that they already possess. As a board member, I am motivated to work with a team dedicated to providing our young people with experiences that foster an empowering today and prosperous tomorrow.
“What was your first job?”
Subway “Sandwich Artist”
Northeastern University
Maguire Dalporto
“What about Apprentice Learning’s mission inspires and motivates you as a board member?”
Not only is Apprentice Learning making a tangible difference every day by actively engaging Boston’s youth in career discovery, but it also creates a platform to enable the business community and local workforce to participate in the development of our collective future. As a worksite partner, I am inspired watching these bright young apprentices gain the confidence to converse with traders and investors and begin their journey to discover new career paths. I am honored to be invited to the board and work with Apprentice Learning’s dedicated staff and its inspiring youth.
“What was your first job?”
My first job was in high school, helping to build and install mall holiday decorations. Looking back, I am still shocked that I was allowed to operate a boom lift at 16.
GMO
Kevin Fudge
“What about Apprentice Learning’s mission inspires and motivates you as a board member?”
Apprentice Learning inspires young people to look within but also gives them confidence and a sense of belonging, making them feel welcomed into environments they may not have entered otherwise. I’m happy to be a part of the Board and encouraging young people as well as finding corporate partners that want to also be part of the effort. I was a kid that always asked, “Why do I have to learn this?” because I didn’t like school and had challenges with connecting with teachers, so I understand when kids have that same feeling. But when a kid does find that thing that sparks their interest in learning and adults are validating that potential, it can really have a strong impact on a kid’s worldview.
“What was your first job?”
Movie Theater Attendant
American Student Assistance
Pennie Gregory
“What about Apprentice Learning’s mission inspires and motivates you as a board member?”
Knowledge is power but without access how can you use your power? Being an educator for over 20 years, I think schools sometimes miss the mark when it comes to not only ensuring we teach our students but that we make sure we position them to use that knowledge in ways that are empowering and equip our students with confidence, resourcefulness and independence. As a board member, I am so inspired to work with an organization that partners with schools and the surrounding community to bridge the gap for middle-school aged youth between knowledge and access!
“What was your first job?”
I worked in a small jewelry store, selling silver and gold and piercing ears!
EdPlus, LLC
Brenda Kirouac
“What about Apprentice Learning’s mission inspires and motivates you as a board member?”
Igniting purpose for young adults is so important! Apprentice Learning shows youth at a critical age that the world is so much bigger than their slice of it. As an HR Manager for a local employer, I believe I have a responsibility to help build the next generation of talent. And as a parent, I can see how impactful it is that kids get exposed to ideas and opportunities beyond what they experience at home and at school. When I lead my Girl Scout Troop, I see enthusiasm and hunger from middle schoolers to learn more about our world and how they can be part of it. I joined the Board because it is committed to creating pathways to success for Boston’s youth in partnership with a wide range of employers, schools, and others all working to develop Boston’s workforce.
“What was your first job?”
Donut Shop Crew Member
Board Chair, Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston
Justin McLean
“What about Apprentice Learning’s mission inspires and motivates you as a board member?”
I believe that when students have meaningful and hands-on experiences it can ignite something in them that has the potential to change their trajectory. The middle school years are essential in any young person’s life and providing work experience then can awaken the imagination to the possibilities after high school. Careers have the power to provide purpose, shift circumstances, and create a better world. We live in a society where the playing field is unequal and systems of oppression keep young people, in particular BIPOC youth, from accessing many opportunities. Apprentice Learning seeks to provide access and success.
“What was your first job?”
Montgomery YouthWorks
The Lowell School
Maddy Rodriguez
“What about Apprentice Learning’s mission inspires and motivates you as a board member?”
Apprentice Learning’s mission and programs give students access to a whole new world. I love that we open students’ eyes to all of the possibilities of what their future can look like, and they can visualize what it would be like to be in these workspaces. It really just makes me hopeful as a professional for the future of professional settings, and how they will be enriched because of greater diversity and more voices in those industries that may not have had access to them before.
“What was your first job?”
Ice cream scooper
Foley Hoag LLP
Helen Russell
Helen Russell is the Founder and Executive Director of Apprentice Learning. Over the past 30 years, Russell has advocated for connecting students and schools to their communities using hands-on learning experiences. She spent over a decade in the Boston Public Schools (BPS) in external affairs, program development and fundraising at Boston Arts Academy and the Mission Hill School. Prior to working with BPS she was an instructor and program director for Thompson Island Outward Bound and is a senior trainer at Project Adventure. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Boston College and a Master’s in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
Board Member Emeritus
Chris Schultz
“What about Apprentice Learning’s mission inspires and motivates you as a board member?”
I am inspired by the impact that meaningful work has on young people’s confidence. It is amazing to see what the apprentices can accomplish when given the opportunity.
“What was your first job?”
Laborer on a construction site
Treasurer, Churchill Asset Management
Elizabeth Walczak
“What about Apprentice Learning’s mission inspires and motivates you as a board member?”
“Ignite purpose,” Apprentice Learning’s tagline, has always resonated with me. We connect with students at such a transformative moment – early adolescence, before they start high school, as their identities are being formed.. Opening up a young person’s worldview at this moment, and inspiring them to think big about what they could become, can be a spark that changes their trajectory in school and beyond. And beyond inspiration, Apprentice Learning offers young people real world skills and provides a bridge between our city’s schools, kids, and the businesses that drive our region’s economy.
“What was your first job?”
Through the City of Boston Mayor’s summer jobs program, my first job was at the Franklin Park Zoo, as a “Zoo Teen” and assistant camp counselor. I got to walk by giraffes on my way to work every day!
Nonprofit Management and Consulting
Apprentice Learning Staff
Letta Neely
Letta Neely, Executive Director, is responsible for leading the organization including setting the vision, expansion, fundraising, and executing the strategic plan. Letta has extensive experience managing community-based programs for youth including supporting middle school students and teachers at the Mission Hill School for eight years. Additionally, she is an acclaimed local 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.
Executive Director
Kelly Parrish
As the VP of Operations, Kelly is responsible for strategic partnerships and corporate engagement. She has extensive experience within non-profit management and higher education, including Year Up for eight years, Boston Scholar Athletes for four years, Wentworth Institute of Technology for four years and Cambridge College for 13 years. She is currently a lecturer at Bentley University.
Vice President of Operations
Jaisun Lewinski
My name is Jaisun Lewinski and I am from Asbury Park, NJ. Growing up I played many sports from tennis, basketball, track, cross country, baseball, soccer, and football. My family did not have a lot of money so my introduction to learning about politics came from experience. I saw kids around me having a lot more opportunities and knowing more about them than I did so I began to ask questions early about why our experiences were so different. I decided I wanted to work in education when I was in high school because I wanted to help younger people have the tools to wield an autonomy I often struggled to have myself.
In college I studied Political Science and got my degree from Northeastern University. After completing my degree, I went back to NJ and worked as a community organizer in Newark with the goal of fighting for better funding for public schools. Desiring to move back to Boston, I became a Special Education English Teacher in Boston Public Schools while living in Dorchester. Once the pandemic hit, I decided to move on and work in a different capacity as a project manager for CIty Year Greater Boston working with youth as well as young adults who wanted to work with youth some day. After almost 4 years, I have made the exciting step to work as an Engagement Manager for Apprentice Learning where I look forward to learning a new set of skills to strengthen my work within the field of education.
Engagement Manager
Jomarys Solano Capeles
Jomarys Solano Capeles ‘JSC’, Program Specialist, is a passionate and hardworking Latinx woman who thrives to educate the youth and her colleagues about the importance of mental health awareness, self-branding, and professionalism. She studied psychology and sociology at the State University of New York College at Cortland. Prior to Apprentice Learning, she did an AmeriCorps Service Year at the Dudley Street Neighborhood Charter School and the Dearborn STEM Academy. During her free time, she loves to hang out with friends, journal, and go for walks.
Program Specialist
Payton Allen
Payton Allen is a recent graduate of Boston College, where she earned her degree in Communications in order to learn how effective dialogue can transform companies and communities. A Boston native, Payton has returned to her roots to contribute her new skill set to the Boston Public Schools, combining her passion for social work and her love of children. She is eager to apply both her academic insights and personal experience to support students. Her goal is to expand her knowledge across different communication fields while focusing on the causes she cares about: social work and child development.
Program Coordinator
Paige Whalen
Paige Whalen is the Director of Apprenticeship Programs at Apprentice Learning. After graduating from North Carolina State University in 2019, Paige served as a City Year Americorps member at the Lila G. Frederick Middle School in Dorchester. During her service year, she also served as a Project Coordinator for the Civic Engagement team at City Year Boston. Throughout college, Paige worked at Overland Summers, an outdoor adventure company, leading bike tours for young people across the world.
Director of Apprenticeship Programs