As a Scholar Advisor for the 2-Year Program at Wallin Education Partners, Joel Navam (he/him/his) advocates for students seeking to complete a two-year degree in the greater Twin Cities area. He supports students holistically as they face unique challenges and opportunities during their educational experience. Before joining Wallin, Joel worked at the University of Minnesota, where he served as a Student Engagement Coordinator and, most recently, Assistant Director of Engagement, Communication, and DEI at the School of Public Health. Before the University of Minnesota, Joel served in various roles at the University of St. Thomas, where he completed his Master's Thesis: Words, Belonging, and Retention: How Racial Microaggressions Impact Students of Color. Joel holds a BA in Business Administration, grew up attending international schools in South Korea and India, and has lived in Minnesota for the past decade. In working with students, he is most energized by empathizing with historically excluded students using student development theory frameworks. He enjoys traveling, exploring a new bike trail, and reading memoirs in his free time. Joel Navam serves as a 2-Year Scholar AdvisorAs the Senior Manager of Scholar Programs, Sarah Butler will help support Wallin Scholars throughout their undergraduate career in hopes for them to find their path towards success. Sarah is an enrolled tribal member of the Lake Superior Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe Nation and a proud first-generation student. She is a graduate of UW-Green Bay (B.S.) and UW-Oshkosh (M.S.E.). She has worked in Student Affairs for fifteen years at all levels of learning institutions – technical, private, public and tribal colleges/universities. Outside of Wallin, Sarah enjoys riding horses, camping, reading, and exploring different restaurants in the area. Sarah Butler serves as Senior Manager of Scholar ProgramsErin joined Wallin Education Partners in June 2022 and serves as our Chief Advancement Officer. In her role, she leads our efforts in philanthropy, alumni engagement, marketing and communications. Erin has nearly 20 years of nonprofit experience building philanthropic support for nonprofits. She is passionate about helping youth access opportunities that help them learn, grow and thrive as we build strong, equitable communities. Erin most recently worked at Washburn Center for Children, managing individual giving and event fundraising strategies. She enjoys connecting with individuals and corporations to inspire meaningful impact for our community’s youth. Erin earned her Bachelor’s degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in Management. In her free time, she enjoys baking, playing games, the outdoors, shuffling her two teens to their favorite activities, finding a new restaurant, and connecting with friends. Erin Zondervan serves as Chief Advancement OfficerRichard Rose was born in Fort Campbell, KY and has lived in 17 cities, nine states and Germany. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas (Rock Chalk Jayhawk!) and his Masters in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Western Kentucky University. He has over fifteen years of experience working alongside college students to define and achieve their goals. Prior to joining Wallin, Richard worked for six years as a College Coach with the Making Waves Foundation in Richmond, CA serving students attending University of California, Berkeley and local Bay Area community colleges. Before that, he served as the Director of the GEAR UP Summer Academy at Western Kentucky University and as an Academic Advising Manager for Purdue University Global. Richard is committed to helping students critically evaluate, understand, and navigate the higher education landscape so they can envision what success means for them and make plans to achieve it. Richard lives in Stillwater with his family and spends time working in the garden and puttering around in the garage. As a former bookstore employee and rare book buyer for Northwestern University, he has a fairly large library that his wife is hoping they never have to move again! Richard Rose serves as a 4-Year Scholar AdvisorAngelica Penafort-Galan is a Wallin Scholar and serves Wallin as a Scholar Program Intern. She is from Bloomington, Minnesota. Angelica is a student at the College of Saint Benedict, pursuing a Biochemistry major with a French minor. She also works at her college as a Student Event Coordinator. Outside of Wallin, she likes to hike and hangout with her friends. She loves coffee and likes to grab Starbucks in the morning! Her favorite drink is the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew and the Mango Dragonfruit. Additionally, she likes to watch Netflix in her free time. One of her favorite shows to watch is The Office. Angelica Penafort-Galan serves as a Scholar Program InternCandy Hernandez is a Wallin Scholar and supports Wallin as a Scholar Program Intern. She hopes to work closely within her community in the future but is exploring her interests; one of the many reasons why she is excited to intern at Wallin. Candy is a student at St. Olaf College, majoring in Social Work with a concentration in Gender and Sexuality Studies. In the past, she has worked at Laura Baker’s Service as a Direct Support Personnel and has worked at the YMCA Beacon School of Success as an Enrichment Facilitator. During her free time, she enjoys spending time outside, taking a slow walk, or sitting on a bench. She also loves reading any type of thriller or romance books. Candy Hernandez serves as our Scholar Program InternMin Yu, our current Graphic Design Intern, supports Wallin Education Partners as a member of the Marketing Team. Min has a great passion for expressing her creativity through design and bringing her community together. In the future, she dreams of becoming a well-known UX Designer and hopes to gain valuable experience designing for Wallin. Min is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design and a Bachelor of Sciences in Statistics at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Min has worked as a UX Research Intern at Kookmin University in South Korea and as a part-time Graphic Designer on-campus at her university. Outside of school and work, she likes to play sports, karaoke, and travel. Her favorite place to visit is California, where she lived for nine years before moving to Minnesota for school. Min Yu serves as our Graphic Design InternAs a proud first-gen Latina educator, Kim (she/hers) delights in supporting students to thrive as they traverse their undergraduate journey through college completion and, ultimately, their career goals. She is passionate about advocacy, education, equity, and mentorship, continually working with students to navigate the complexities of higher education. Kim is excited to join the Wallin team, which is deeply committed to the success of each student they serve. Kim spent the last twelve years at Catherine University, both as an undergrad student and then as a professional staff member. After earning a BS in Social Work, she served as the Campus-Based College Possible Coach at her alma mater. She then transitioned to coordinate programs and events for BIPOC high school and college students in the Multicultural Department before joining Wallin Education Partners. She is committed to creating spaces where students can show up fully as their authentic selves and support them into BEING strong leaders. When not working, she enjoys visiting new places and trying new foods with friends. She loves hiking, camping, plants, live music, movies, and above all, family. Kim Muñoz serves as Scholar AdvisorMohamed Sallam is a dynamic and experienced higher education and nonprofit leader and researcher whose work spans advising and advocacy, program management and innovation, and evaluation and assessment. For over 15 years, he has been committed to building the capacity of universities and nonprofits through the principles of equity-focused organizational leadership and professional development to ensure organizations more effectively and meaningfully meet the needs of their students, partners, and other stakeholders. Most recently, Mohamed served as the Director of Programs for the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA), where he was responsible for the comprehensive oversight for five US-based and four international semester programs focused on equity and social justice. Prior to his time with HECUA, Mohamed served as the Director of the Pan-Afrikan Center (PAC) and Instructor in the Department of History at Augsburg University. As the Director of the PAC, he provided academic and social support to students of African descent, promoted African and African-American scholarship, and engaged local communities of African descent. As a researcher and consultant, Mohamed has led several US-based and international projects focused on social connectedness, education and livelihoods, and social and cultural issues within schools. Mohamed holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development from the University of Minnesota. His family moved to the United States from Egypt, and while he spent most of his childhood in Minnesota, he has lived and traveled extensively throughout the Middle East and North Africa. Mohamed enjoys spending time with his partner Amina and his teenage children Muhammad and Salma, playing soccer and basketball, and hopelessly supporting the Minnesota Timberwolves. Mohamed Sallam serves as President and CEODr. Rolando García currently serves as the President of North Hennepin Community College. Dr. García is a compassionate leader with an accomplished record of promoting diversity and championing underserved students through visionary and transformational leadership. Dr. García has served Broward College (FL) as president of the Judson A. Samuels South Campus and vice provost of academic resources since 2015. He has served in various educational settings including Northern Virginia Community College and Miami Dade College. Dr. García also has extensive board experience, serving on the Miramar Pembroke Pines Regional Chamber of Commerce, the YMCA of South Florida, and Hispanic Unity of Florida board of directors. Dr. García holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Miami and a master’s and a doctorate from Florida International University. Dr. Rolando García serves on the Board of Trustees |