Meet the Fellows
Twelve individuals – one team – dedicated to using our diversity of experience and perspective to make a measurable difference in the academic lives of young people. Having recently graduated from college, we dedicate this year of service to help ensure in the years ahead that greater numbers of young people are prepared to do the same.
 Emily Brenes |
 Shavonda Guilford |
 Danielle Krumholz |
 Frances de Saussure |
 Heidi Guzmán |
 Keith Lau |
 Eric Dufault |
 Juan Hollomon |
 Kevin O’Neil |
 Alison Fedyna |
 Kevin Jeng |
 Kristen Pantazes |
Emily BrenesHometown: Laguna Niguel, CA Education: BA English, University of California, Berkeley |
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| During her four years as a student at UC Berkeley, Emily acquired an extensive knowledge of and passionate devotion to social issues, particularly those of environmental protection and educational equity. A recent graduate of Berkeley’s English Department, she greatly values her education and aspires to extend the opportunities she has had to individuals from all walks of life. Her experience volunteering in Bay Area schools has reinforced this ambition. Emily is an avid reader and writer, both creatively and academically; she recently completed her Honors Thesis entitled “Playing with Beloved: Traces of Derrida in Toni Morrison.” Born in New Orleans, Emily lived throughout the southern United States before moving with her family to Southern California in 2000. As the daughter |  |
| of a Panamanian, Emily is proficient in Spanish and enthusiastic about Latino culture. The oldest of three children and many cousins, Emily has a vested interest in helping younger generations of the world reach their educational potential. She became a Blue Engine Fellow to spread her passion for education to others and to explore a career in teaching. | |
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Frances de SaussureHometown: Charleston, SC Education: BA Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University |
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| Since Frances first volunteered as a second grade teacher’s assistant during her high school years in Alexandria, Virginia, her interest in education and youth development has only deepened. Throughout her college years, Frances combined her passion for working with students with her love for basketball by serving as a volunteer coach for several middle school girls’ and boys’ basketball teams. A college summer in Kenya working on issues related to community development and wildlife conservation followed by course work on international development the next summer at the London School of Economics increased Frances’ appreciation for the individual empowerment made possible by a first-class education. Bringing her interest in development back home, |  |
| Frances worked last summer for the Maverick Capital Foundation, an organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty in New York, primarily through education and youth development programs. Inspired by this work, Frances ran the 2009 New York City Marathon to raise funds for the Robin Hood Foundation, another New York-based foundation. Frances’ educational and life experiences have instilled in her a passion for helping young people and a strong belief in the power of teachers, tutors, mentors, and coaches. She hopes to continue work in the field of education by pursuing a teaching career. Her participation in Blue Engine reflects her deep interest in educational equity and desire to give her students what all of her teachers have given her. | |
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Eric DufaultHometown: Pepperell, MA Education: Playwriting, Sarah Lawrence College |
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| Born and raised in rural northern Massachusetts, Eric experienced a traditional education until attending Francis W. Parker Charter High School, an alternative charter school in Devens, Massachusetts. While there, he worked as a supervisor at the nearby “Horizons” center for disadvantaged youth. Following graduation, Eric attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York, working as an assistant teacher to kindergarten students at SLC’s Early Childhood Center, and later as an algebra tutor to adolescent mothers at “A Different Start” in Yonkers, New York. In addition to teaching, Eric has studied art and writing in both Ireland and Italy. Majoring in playwriting, Eric has written and produced numerous plays, and acted as head writer of his college’s sketch comedy troupe. |  |
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Alison FedynaHometown: Salem, OH Education: BA Psychology and BS Biology, University of Toledo |
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| A life-long learning enthusiast and dedicated volunteer, Alison devoted her college experience to growing both academically and personally. She pursued her love of helping others by teaching a remedial course for college chemistry students and tutoring autistic children at a local elementary school. Hailing originally from a small town in the Midwest, Alison knew from experience how difficult the switch to big college life could be, an awareness that led to a peer mentoring role designed to help incoming students transition successfully to the world of higher education. Alison’s long-held desire to learn about and experience different cultures led her to study abroad in Manchester, England for nine months, where she developed an appreciation for other models of educational practice as well as a passion for traveling |  |
| beyond her comfort zone. Her internship the following summer with the Lucas County Workforce Development Agency inspired her interests in program development and social policy and confirmed her commitment to a service-oriented career. Alison chose Blue Engine because it allows her to combine a longstanding love of volunteering with interests in youth development and education. After her fellowship, Alison plans to pursue a graduate degree in human development and educational policy and aspires to work towards creating viable solutions to education’s toughest problems. | |
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Shavonda GuilfordHometown: Philadelphia, PA Education: BA Anthropology and Sociology, Dickinson College |
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| As told by her friends, “In your past life you were an activist that came back because there were voices that still needed to be heard and a fight that still needed to be fought.” Knowing that there would be a difficult battle to be fought has never stopped Shavonda from pursing her goals, lending her voice to those without and picking up the skills necessary to bring forth social change. Having grown up in the inner city public school system of Philadelphia, she knows firsthand the challenges that plague the youth of today, having worked hard to face and overcome those obstacles herself. In her extensive experience as a role model and mentor with the Philadelphia Youth Network and Project Forward Leap, Shavonda has emphasized that dreams, to become fully realized, must |  |
| be accompanied by hard work. Shavonda is a recent graduate of Dickinson College, where she majored in sociology and anthropology. She became a Blue Engine Fellow in order to help students, regardless of background or past achievement, receive an exceptional education that is catered to their needs. | |
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Heidi GuzmánHometown: Harlem, NY Education: BA Community Health, Brown University |
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| As a first generation college graduate, Heidi has always been passionate about education and giving back to the community. She grew up in New York City where she experienced firsthand the challenges students faced from overcrowding, underfunding, and diminished academic standards. These experiences fueled Heidi’s determination to help students, families, and communities struggling to overcome social disparities and entrenched inequalities in her hometown. While at Brown University, Heidi volunteered as a case worker at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, helping low-income families apply for health insurance, jobs, and affordable housing. Heidi also took her interests abroad, traveling to the Dominican Republic to bring free medical care to poor rural farming communities. |  |
| At Brown, Heidi also spent time mentoring and advising students in a number of capacities. As a Residential Advisor for a high school pre-summer college program, she facilitated academic and social programming events; her work as a mentor and coordinator for underrepresented students in math and science also solidified Heidi’s commitment to students and service. Heidi is excited to be a Blue Engine Fellow in order to help students achieve academic excellence and to be part of a team that is invested in creating positive and long lasting change. | |
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Juan HollomonHometown: Nicholasville, KY Education: BA Political Science, University of Louisville |
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| Juan is a strong proponent of education and service, and knows first-hand of their life-changing powers. The first in his family to graduate college, he was considered a “statistic” by many of his early educators. A former class president and scholar, he has worked tirelessly to debunk ill-conceived stereotypes and to help students achieve their full potential. Juan believes one of the best ways to impact a student’s success is to connect with that student early in their academic career. As such, he has worked as a student orientation leader, a resident assistant, a peer advisor, and a teaching assistant. Juan sees himself as a servant-leader – one who is servant first; one who ensures the needs of others are being met, that those being served are growing, becoming wiser, freer, and |  |
| more autonomous. He served his college as a Student Government Association Senator, his fraternity as Pledge Class President, and his community by participating in numerous Habitat for Humanity build projects and programs that provide food and shelter to those less fortunate. His participation in Blue Engine is rooted in a genuine commitment to service. | |
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Kevin JengHometown: Potsdam, NY/Fremont, CA Education: BS Electrical Engineering, Princeton University |
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| A recent graduate of Princeton University, Kevin decided to break the engineering mold and dedicate his life after graduation to pursue a year of service with Blue Engine. Although working with electronic devices never ceases to fascinate his mind, Kevin also believes strongly in the importance of social service to help create a better world. While at Princeton, Kevin served as a peer educator for the LGBT peer education program, a program helping to “sensitize the larger University community to issues of homophobia, heterosexism, and stereotyping of LGBT people” and to provide support for the general student body. For Kevin, the responsibilities that we innately have as human beings require us to help fight inequity in whatever shape or form it takes. In becoming a Blue |  |
| Engine Fellow, Kevin plans to harness that responsibility to make a positive, lasting impact in the lives of youth. | |
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Danielle KrumholzHometown: Florham Park, NJ Education: BA Political Science and Spanish, University of Michigan |
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| A dedicated community volunteer and student leader, Danielle shaped her passion for social justice through her active college experience. Coming from a small high school, Danielle embraced the huge university life by becoming involved with a mentorship program at a local middle school. Seeing the challenges her students faced, Danielle became deeply committed to working in the field of education. Her four-year experience with the University of Michigan’s Program on Intergroup Relations (IGR) developed her understanding of what it means to be an advocate for social justice and social change. Pursuing her love for travel and interest in international relations, Danielle spent a summer volunteering as a tutor in an impoverished neighborhood in Quito, Ecuador. Her internship with |  |
| an HIV/AIDS nonprofit organization the following summer in India opened her eyes to a new culture and this important global issue; a subsequent semester in Argentina only deepened her love for the Spanish language and Hispanic culture. Upon her departure from her home in the Midwest, Danielle has understood that more than anything, the relationships she has with people—friends, teachers, students, mentors, and family—are her foundation, her source of inspiration and content. Danielle aspires to work in the fields of civil rights and advocacy, both in the U.S. and abroad. Her participation in Blue Engine is rooted in her belief that a strong education is integral for personal development and lays the foundation for social change. | |
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Keith LauHometown: Moraga, CA Education: BS Sports Management, New York University |
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| A resident of New York City for the past four years, Keith Lau brings to Blue Engine a desire to effect change for students in the city he has grown to love. Originally from Moraga, California in the Bay Area, Keith aims to pursue a career in education. In his first year in New York, Keith was an America Reads tutor at MS 54, helping to teach English to a classroom of international middle school students. For the next three years, he volunteered at PS 40, supporting school staff, parents, and students in a variety of roles. A personal witness to many of the challenges that schools face today, Keith has the passion to make change happen, the ingenuity to think differently, and the dedication to work tirelessly to expand educational opportunities for students across |  |
| New York City. He became a Blue Engine Fellow to uphold the value that every child – through education – can achieve whatever life he or she dreams. | |
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Kevin O’NeilHometown: St. Louis, MO Education: BA Secondary Education and Math, Boston College MEd Educational Research, Boston College |
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| Learning, teaching, and community service have always been three of Kevin’s most important mainstays. From serving his community and pursuing the Eagle Scout award in Boy Scouts to working as a Teaching Assistant during middle and high school for underprivileged students through the Aim High program in St. Louis, Kevin has always sought out ways to use his talents to work with and help others. Upon graduating from high school in 2005, Kevin enrolled in Boston College where he served as Director of Concert Organization and Vice President of the University Chorale and director of a fundraising initiative to benefit students at the Campus School. At Boston College, Kevin pursued degrees in secondary education and mathematics and recently completed |  |
| a master’s degree in educational research, an experience that provided him the skills to conduct independent research and analyze data in a way that helps increase academic achievement for schools, teachers, and students alike. For Kevin, Blue Engine represents a rare opportunity to work closely with small groups of students and to join a team dedicated to such an important educational purpose—academic acceleration for all. | |
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Kristen PantazesHometown: Landenberg, PA Education: BA Sociology and Government, The College of William and Mary |
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| Kristen comes to Blue Engine after completing a degree in government and sociology at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. While in school, her academic interest in the interplay between social interactions, culture, and governmental structures was paired with her active involvement in a number of different organizations, including W&M’s Undergraduate Honor Council, an a cappella singing group, a social sorority, and the campus tour guide program. Kristen’s application to Blue Engine was inspired by her participation in a range of domestic and international service initiatives, including experiences in Williamsburg as well as Camden, Kampala, Uganda, and Monterrey, during which she discovered her passion for expanding educational |  |
| opportunities for youth. Hailing originally from Landenberg, PA, Kristen learned from an early age to value intellectual challenges, family ties, and strong personal relationships with those around her, striving to integrate these forces of inspiration into her daily life. She plans to use a blend of optimism and adaptability to help the Blue Engine team embark upon a successful first year and hopes that her Fellowship experience will further her commitment to working with students and improving education in America and beyond. | |
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