Staff

Hillary Kane is the Director for the Philadelphia Higher Education Network for Neighborhood Development (PHENND). PHENND is a consortium of over 25 institutions of higher education in the Greater Philadelphia region that seeks to help campuses connect to their communities through mutually beneficial service and service-learning partnerships. Since Ms. Kane joined PHENND in 1999, the organization has increased its membership, developed new multi-university programs and partnerships, and become a leader in the field of service-learning. Under her leadership, PHENND has developed particular expertise in K-16 Partnerships, with an emphasis on college readiness and success. PHENND has partnered with the School District of Philadelphia for over 15 years on all of its GEAR UP grants as well as the K-16 VISTA project which places 20 full-time AmeriCorps VISTAs in public schools and District offices. PHENND also manages the Next Steps AmeriCorps program, which enrolls low-income college students as part-time AmeriCorps members. Last year, PHENND acquired PHENND Fellows, another full-time VISTA project that places members at nonprofit organizations for a variety of capacity-building projects. Hillary is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies. She is also member of the Greater Philadelphia Corporate Volunteer Council, is active in local politics, and is a proud School District parent.

Eden Kainer is the VISTA Program Manager at PHENND. Eden began with PHENND in 2012 as part of the planning team for the VISTA Community Partnerships project, helping build the systems and processes for recruiting, training and placing VISTAs in schools to serve as Community Partnerships Coordinators as well building relationships with hosting principals. Prior to PHENND, she served three years as a Parent and Community Ombudsman with the School District of Philadelphia, and is to this day an active Philadelphia public school parent. A graduate of Bryn Mawr College with a degree in sociology, Ms. Kainer also received a PhD in Musicology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. For her dissertation, she examined the intersections of popular vocal performance with aural markers of race. Other interests include violin teaching and orchestral performance.

Janine Wright joined PHENND as the K-16 Partnerships Manager in the summer of 2020. Prior to PHENND she spent over twenty-five years in the nonprofit sector focused primarily on college access and success, community-based education and engagement and professional development. She served as the Assistant Director for Minority Recruitment at the University of Pennsylvania and was part of the inaugural staff of the Philadelphia Education Fund’s College Access Program (later serving twice as its director). Janine also managed the E3 Centers project at the Philadelphia Youth Network and directed the agency’s professional development initiatives for network members.

Janine received both her bachelor’s degree in communications and her master’s degree in urban education from Temple University. She is a proud Philadelphian who remains eternally convinced that the Eagles can do it again.

Roslynn Baker joined PHENND in January 2022 and serves as the VISTA Operations Coordinator with the PHENND Fellows program. Prior to joining PHENND, she worked in Workforce Development, assisting professionals, new and experienced, with their journeys of personal and professional growth. Roslynn is particularly passionate about helping young professionals navigate and succeed in their workplace of choice.

Originally from Springfield, Illinois, Roslynn moved to Philadelphia to pursue her Masters of Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice. Prior to graduate school, Roslynn attended Washington University in St. Louis. There she earned her Bachelor’s in Urban Studies and Educational Studies. Roslynn is also an AmeriCorps alum, serving with City Year, Washington, D.C. during the 2014-2015 school year. City Year was her introduction to AmeriCorps and she is very excited to be returning and supporting members during their time of service.

Lane Frazee is the PHENND Sustainability Coordinator. Prior to joining PHENND, she served two years as the Community Partnerships Coordinator for Walter B. Saul High School in Roxborough. She grew up in Oreland, Pennsylvania, and has lived in and around Montgomery and Philadelphia County for most of her life. Lane is a recent graduate with a B.A. in Peace Studies from Goucher College. Before PHENND, she has worked with an advocacy organization for incarcerated women and girls, and as a bartender at a local brewery.  She is interested in learning about relationships between communities and schools, and how she can help those connections grow stronger. She is especially excited to be working on sustainability because she enjoys gardening, food, and all things animals in her free time. In the future, Lane hopes to work towards building self-sustaining communities.

Anniyah Shelton is a first-generation student and a member of the Education Opportunity Fund program. She graduated in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers-Camden and  majored in Political science with a minor in legal studies. Anniyah is in the honors program where she is conducting research on the Black Lives Matter movement and writing a thesis on the movement utilizing social movement theory. On-campus, she is a vice president of the Political Science Society where she plans events and projects for the club. She is also an at- large representative for the Student Government Association and is a liaison with students, faculty, and staff to raise and advocate for student concerns. Anniyah is a member of the Rutgers Camden Office of Community Standards Campus Appeal Committee where she reviews disciplinary actions towards students, and assists with sanction decisions. She is a member of the Tri Alpha honor society for first-generation students. She completed the Pre-Legal Institute at Seton Hall University, an intensive five-week program where she took courses in legal writing, legal analysis, oral advocacy, property law, criminal law, health law, and contracts. Anniyah is passionate about law and music, and she is pursuing a career as an Intellectual Property attorney.

Born and raised in Allentown, Alyvia studied at Saint Joseph’s University, majoring in Criminal Justice and with a double minor in Public Policy and English. Her previous internship at a marketing firm as their opinions editor gave Alyvia a career goal – policy writing and focusing on language composition. As the president of the Black Student Union and an orientation leader, Alyvia was very involved at Saint Joseph’s University. During this year, Alyvia hopes to better incorporate the company into the community to make the community feel more included within the company’s mission and goals. In her free time, she likes to read murder mysteries, write poetry, and hopes to teach tap dance classes.

Asia Whittenberger is an incoming PHENND Fellow from Carlisle, Pennsylvania, serving at “Heights Philadelphia,” a nonprofit organization that supports low-income and first generation students throughout their college experience. Asia is a recent graduate of Saint Joseph’s University where she double majored in Sociology and Communications (completing a senior thesis on Motown music). During her time as an undergrad, Asia was a writing center tutor, head RA, and the university’s Hawk mascot. Having served a Summer VISTA term already with Kensington Soccer Club, Asia is very excited to join VISTA again for this year of service.

Caroline Nava was born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She moved to Philadelphia for college to attend Temple University, where she received a B.S. in Public Health with a minor in Communication and Activism. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Public Health in Health Policy and Management also at Temple through the 4+1 program. Her passion for combating racial health disparities drew her to this field of study. She will bring this enthusiasm for health equity to the Nationalities Service Center. In her year of service, she is working with NSC to support newcomer parents and children by establishing connections with the Philadelphia School District and other local educational support systems. Caroline will ensure that these connections help parents become more actively involved in their children’s education. She is looking forward to expanding her knowledge and experience in advocacy, health policy reform, and immigrant health access after her service year.

Elianie is a Project Coordinator at Lewis Elkins Elementary who works under the PHENND program in Americorps. Elianie is passionate about education and further improving the skills needed to help better our communities. Elianie holds a BA in Communication from La Salle University. As a communication major, Elianie enjoyed finding new ways to strengthen their interpersonal communication skills. In their free time, Elianie enjoys painting, reading, and playing adventure games with friends.

Catherine is a Philly native who went to the University of Pennsylvania with a major in Psychology and a double minor in Anthropology and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. Catherine is working at the Philadelphia Education Fund conducting internal research and data analysis in order to determine students’ barriers to completion of the College Access Program. She is passionate about urban education and education reform. She has worked with students in the Philadelphia School District throughout her undergraduate career and hopes to pursue a career in urban education reform. In her free time she enjoys taking walks with her dog and spending time with family and friends.

Claire’s passion for education and urban planning fall hand in hand with her new position at the Philadelphia School District’s Office of Strategic Partnerships. As a Philadelphia native, Claire has been through the public school system and hopes to utilize her role within the school district to ensure that resources are provided equitably to students. Her previous experience is in peer advising at her alma mater, Penn State, where she majored in Anthropology and Geography. She dedicated time to the Student Farm, focusing on community development and sustainability. When she’s not doing service, you can find her in her garden, baking or playing with her cat.

Dorian Roffe-Hammond is a PHENND Fellow serving at Feast of Justice, a Frankford Community non-profit food pantry distributing food and produce donated by its many donation partners. Through its network affiliates and team of volunteers Feast of Justice has become a successful social justice enterprise since its inception in 2007.

Dorian obtained his Masters Degree in Human Dimensions from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. He then immediately accepted a volunteer position with U.S. Peace Corps, where he served in Zambia as a Rural Aquaculture Professional teaching smallholder farmers how to raise and manage tilapia fish in order to increase family nutrition and foster employment opportunities.

Dorian enjoys traveling, reading and exploring Philadelphia’s culture and architecture. He is currently pursuing a new career path in data analysis and supply chain management in order to create an international consultancy company for aquacukture trade.

Eliza joins the PHENND fellowship with a distinct passion for urban planning and sustainability. She obtained an undergraduate degree in historic preservation and a master’s in urban planning at the College of Charleston. Born and raised in Baltimore, Eliza always felt that urban green spaces bridge a connection between local communities and nature. During her time in Charleston, Eliza interned at the department of suitability and transportation. She is currently working as a site coordinator in the making of praise 2 of the rail park, located in the Loft District of Philadelphia. In her free time, Eliza enjoys trying new restaurants, biking, and spending time with her dog, croissant

Philly native, Elora attended Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a major in Psychology and minor in Child Development and Family Relations. She was also a member of the honors college. Elora will be working with First Up to start dialogue between families and early childhood education providers. Elora is a Leo sun, Capricorn moon, and Libra rising. Future plans are to potentially continue with the VISTA program next year.

A native of Cinnaminson, NJ, Fiona Flynn will be serving with the Petey Greene Program which provides tutoring and support for formerly and current incarcerated students. She is already familiar with the program as she volunteered with them in the past for two years. Fiona graduated from Haverford College and studied Anthropology with a minor in Health Studies. She worked in Haverford’s art gallery and also played basketball and track. Her love of playing sports translates into her love of Philly sports teams like the Sixers, Eagles, and Phillies.

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Grace then attended The Ohio State University in Columbus Ohio for her undergraduate degree. Grace studied Environment, Economy, Development and Sustainability with a minor in City and Regional Planning. In her free time, she enjoys cooking and baking and is excited to explore the Philadelphia area this coming year. With PHENND, Grace will be working with Cradles to Crayons as a Community Engagement fellow providing essential items to children living in poverty across the Philadelphia area.

Raised in Northern Indiana, Hannah first came to the Philadelphia region to attend Haverford College where she studied Political Science with a minor in Spanish and a concentration in Peace, Justice, and Human Rights, graduating in 2021. Passionate about social justice issues, specifically education, disability, and immigraiton, Hannah focused her political science degree on these issues and worked most recently as a mentor at Carousel Connections for disabled young adults in Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs. Hannah is excited to get directly involved in a school for the coming year working with PHENND as a community school partnerships coordinator at Mastbaum High School. In her free time, Hannah enjoys running and cycling in Philly and is always looking for a new favorite picnic spot in one of the city’s parks and green spaces!

Jill Kelekolio is a PHENND fellow serving with the Office of Sustainability for the School District of Philadelphia working towards promoting sustainable practices and embracing opportunities for the district to assist city goals toward sustainability. Jill is a recent graduate from Franklin and Marshall College majoring in Environmental Studies and Government. At Franklin and Marshall Jill was the captain of her Women’s Rugby team and a costume stitcher for the theatre department. She has worked as a policy intern with a local Politian and as an advocate for Clean Water Action. She is very passionate about environmental issues, particularly environmental justice. Jill is very excited to be back in the Philadelphia area and give back through her time with PHENND.

Born and raised in Prairieville, Louisiana, Joy has a B.A in Psychology and Communications from the University of North Texas and a M.A in Human Services from Liberty University. As a former English teacher, Joy is thrilled to join the Teach Plus team and learn more about writing and implementing education policy. She is passionate about using her own experience as a former teacher to help other teachers become change-makers. Joy is excited to explore Philadelphia and learn more about the education system in the city.

Meredith Ellison was born and raised in Washington, D.C. and moved to Illinois to attend Northwestern University where she received a B.A. in History and a certificate in Civic Engagement. Her interest in cities led her to explore the significance of urban environmental policy, especially concerning transportation, housing, and food access. She embarked on her community engagement path on her campus by working as a campus political organizer. Meredith will now use her skills as a Community Building Liaison with Feast of Justice where she will work to reduce barriers to food access in a new shared services hub.

Omar Babb is the PHENND Fellow for the Re-Engagement Center. He is charged with creating a sustainable system and framework for the development and implementation of an external partnerships program.

He is a graduate of CUNY, holding a BA in Political Science. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Thus he is excited to get to know the community that he is now live. He spent time as Bonner for Allegheny College Gateway. Developing and coordinating programs to assist student development and counseling sessions. Shortly joining the team of Congressman Gregory Meeks as an intern, collecting and analyzing data and performing community outreach and creating marketing materials to inspire engagement in vaccine rollout and spread awareness of the Covid pandemic. He has a strong commitment to extending education opportunities all who has interest and a developing a strong system of support of schools and students.

He has not had the chance to have a Philly cheesesteak yet. Any recommendations?

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Rebecca has always had an interest in the environment and social justice. This led her to pursue an undergraduate degree in Environmental studies from the University of Delaware and a master degree in liberal arts from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her previous experiences include non-profit, legal and school based work. In this year of service she is working with UTC to increase food access and community engagement in Haddington, west Philadelphia. Her larger career goals are to bring justice and empowerment to both people and the environment.

Troy Fluks is a PHENND fellow serving at Ludlow Elementary. Troy is currently in college pursuing a degree in Early Childhood Education at The Community College of Philadelphia. Previously at Drexel, studying Epidemiology, Troy served as the Travel Coordinator and Co-Captain for the foil squad of the Drexel Fencing Club.

Troy has previously worked at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as an infection control member and also worked as an Afterschool Teacher at St. Peter’s School. He also currently works as a freelance editor and proofreader. Troy plays a handful of musical instruments and enjoys spending most of his free time with his wife and 3 cats, playing video games and board games.

Yanah was born and raised in Philadelphia and attended Temple University. One of her defining moments at Temple was reading “Real Education” by Charles Murry. The book inspired her to study Community Based Education and Political Science and work with groups like Philabundance and Cradles to Crayons. She also worked with PHL Pre-K which connected low-income children with Pre-Ks. These experiences helped form the “it takes a village” approach to education. Yanah’s year with AmeriCorps will be at Carver High School as a Partnerships Coordinator. During Yanah’s free time she likes to commune with nature, hang out with family, and practice healthy clean living.

Zoë Welsh is a PHENND Fellows serving at Philadelphia Academies Inc. as a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coach and Training Developer. Philadelphia Academies is a nonprofit focuses on alleviating poverty by creating opportunities for underserved students to thrive. Zoë is a recent graduate of Saint Joseph’s University where she majored in Sociology and minored in Human Resources & People Management and Public Policy.

She is a proud Washingtonian who enjoys spending time outside and trying new restaurants around Philadelphia in her free time. Zoë’s passion for service, equity, and justice is that led her to this position and she hopes to explore how her role can expand PAI’s mission and create unique opportunities for students.