Malikah comes to PHEND with over twenty years’ experience working primarily in the college access and career education field with High School and first year generation college students. Prior to PHENND Malikah served as the Assistant Program Manager of a non-profit organization called A Better Chance, working to provide access and equity to recruit, identify and place students of color into independent day & boarding schools located throughout the United States. In this role Malikah was able to serve students in the Midwest & MidAtlantic regions.
Before working with A Better Chance Malikah was responsible for managing the Philadelphia Scholars Program with the Philadelphia Education Fund helping to provide supports, mentoring and additional resources with college students who applied for the last dollar scholarship. Malikah started at PEF as the TRIO College Access Coordinator working at Roxborough High School assisting seniors with college applications, filling out the FAFSA, coordinating college trips and providing college readiness workshops to help students get to and through college successfully.
Working with the Scholars Program Malikah learned about food insecurity and the challenges that our youth experience in college. This furthered Malikah to get more involved in her community by becoming a member of the Junior League of Philadelphia and serving on both the Little Black Dress Initiative committee, a fundraiser to combat food insecurity in Philadelphia, as well as the Diversity and Inclusion committee.
Malikah earned her Master’s degree from Rosemont College, and her Bachelor’s degree from Lincoln University. She was destined to be a writer, but after she graduated from college she decided to complete a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA Volunteer with the Big Brother Big Sister Association, in which she worked as a School-Based Mentoring Intern. This experience propelled her interest and passion for working with youth.
Malikah currently resides in Drexel Hill, PA, and loves to spend time with her family. In fact, she hopes in the near future to write a children’s book with her daughter.
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.
