At ɫƵ Milwaukee, we believe that “it takes a village to raise a child.” To nourish positive impact, we focus on our personal responsibility, curiosity and gratitude. We're proud of our staff and those who support Milwaukee's students all day, everyday.
Kyle Corbett (He/him/his), serves as the Impact Manager at Bay View High School. He joined ɫƵ with a strong background in program management and a commitment to making a difference in the lives of the students we serve. Kyle has extensive experience in student services and enrollment coaching, having worked at both Herzing University and Brandman University. In these roles, Kyle built strong relationships, assessed student needs, facilitated trainings, and contributed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives.
Paola Gonzalez (she/her) serves as the Impact Manager on the Julia A. Uihlein Team at Alexander Mitchell Integrated Arts School where she oversees the professional development of a team of AmeriCorps members and works with school leaders to continue to forge a strong partnership that benefits students. Prior to this role, Paola served as a first year AmeriCorps member for ɫƵ Boston before going on to serve a second year as a member of ɫƵ New York’s Civic Engagement Team. In New York, Paola was able to use her creativity and love for art to design mural projects and organize volunteer events with the goal of beautifying the schools in the community. She is a University of Wisconsin-Madison Alum with a bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies and art history with a certificate in gender and women’s studies. Her experience working with a pre-college enrichment program while getting her degree inspired her to pursue her passion for education and equity-based work. Paola is a proud child of immigrants who instilled in her the value of education and helping others—values that have led her to seek opportunities to uplift and empower young people, including those who come into ɫƵ!
Gloria is a seasoned educational leader with over 15 years in instructional and administrative experience. In her previous role as Assistant Director of Continuous Improvement at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Gloria managed substantial Title I grant funding under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and led a team supporting over 71 school districts. With a focus on strategic planning, professional development, and systems change, Gloria has introduced statewide improvement frameworks, chaired the State Superintendent’s Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Advisory Committee, and is now pursuing her doctorate at the University of Miami. She is dedicated to fostering equitable outcomes for all students and will be a dynamic force in driving our Impact strategy.
Phillip Krull is a ɫƵ alumnus who served with ɫƵ San Antonio in 2007 and supported the start-up of ɫƵ Milwaukee in 2009. For the last 15 years, Phillip has worked passionately with Milwaukee’s youth, initially supporting adjudicated youth and, most recently, working within Milwaukee Public Schools through a mentoring program.
Isabel Miranda has over five years of experience educating youth in the city of Milwaukee in various capacities, including literacy, nutrition education, and most recently, environmental education. She believes that the most effective way to empower youth is through education. Isabel enjoys collaboration and developing meaningful connections. She is currently in her first semester of graduate school, pursuing a Master's in Public Service from Marquette University.
Yaphet Morales serves as the Chief of Staff. Prior to this role, he was the service and learning director and before that he served as the impact manager on the Julia A. Uihlein Team at Alexander Mitchell Integrated Arts School. Before joining ɫƵ Milwaukee's staff, he was a bilingual special education teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools and served six years in the U.S. Coast Guard. He is an alum of the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin with a bachelor's degree in sociology.
Connor Morris views education as a means to uplift community and deconstruct systems of oppression. As a middle school teacher in Milwaukee Public Schools, he collaborated with ɫƵ AmeriCorps members placed in his classrooms to create rigorous, student-centered learning environments. For the past two years, Connor has also supported other teachers as an instructional coach, focusing on increasing student engagement and agency through the integration of educational technology. He has also served on the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association executive board and is currently pursuing a masters degree from UWM. Connor is now excited to join ɫƵ Milwaukee as the Instructional Director, where he will leverage observation and coaching to boost the impact that AmeriCorps members have on the students they serve
Ysel Nicholson proudly serves as our Community Partnerships Manager. In this role, Ysel creates and maintains partnerships with all 25 College and Career Centers in our Milwaukee Public Schools, community colleges such as, MATC, Wisconsin Lutheran, Carroll University, and Concordia, and multiple community-based organizations to generate a strong pipeline of prospective ɫƵ AmeriCorps members to serve at our site. Prior to joining ɫƵ, Ysel graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and served as a Public Ally with Public Allies Wisconsin.
Elia Peredo (she/her) proudly serves as the Senior Impact Manager on the Herb Kohl Philanthropies Team at Siefert Elementary School. Elia is passionate about creating access and equal opportunities within the education system of Milwaukee. Prior to joining ɫƵ, Elia taught elementary school in the South Side of Milwaukee for 5 years. Elia is a Teach For America Milwaukee Alum ('21) and holds a Master of Arts in early childhood education with a certification in urban education from Alverno College. Elia also attained a Bachelor of Science in neuroscience and psychology from Loras College. In her free time, Elia enjoys spending time with her two dogs, reading and writing poetry, trying new coffee shops, playing video games, and trying new foods.
Laura G. Perez (she/her/ella) serves as the Senior Impact Director. Prior to returning to ɫƵ Milwaukee, she was a sixth and seventh grade math teacher at Milwaukee College Prep. Laura also brings experience in the areas of talent development, local recruitment and campaign management for school board races. She is a proud mamá, partner, ɫƵ Milwaukee alumna and Milwaukee local.
Mendoza Perez serves as the Service and Learning Director. They have a strong background in youth development, education and community engagement. They're a proud graduate of both ɫƵ Baton Rouge '14 and ɫƵ Milwaukee '18. Mendoza is humbled to get to do this work in the city they love.
Mina is the Senior Communications Manager. She is from Elmira, New York, and graduated from SUNY Geneseo, where she studied psychology and dance. She served as an AmeriCorps member ('19) and Team Leader ('20) at Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts.
Rivera proudly serves as the Senior Manager of External Affairs, driving impactful service initiatives for Milwaukee students. In this capacity, they empower both the Development Department and the Executive Director to foster vital relationships essential for the progression and expansion of ɫƵ Milwaukee's mission. Prior to this role, Rivera served as a Regional Recruiter and Communication & Development Operations Manager at ɫƵ.
Their journey with ɫƵ began as an AmeriCorps Member at Rogers Street Academy ‘20 and later as a Civic Engagement Team Leader ‘21 in Milwaukee. Rivera's dedication to educational equity and immigration rights remains unwavering. Through their advocacy efforts, they strive to champion equality and justice for all communities.
Angelica Rocha is a Mexican-American Latina, who serves as the Impact Manager at Dr. George W. Washington Carver Academy of Mathematics and Science. She was born and raised here in Milwaukee and is a proud MPS and ɫƵ Milwaukee alum. Angelica has a bachelor's in mass communications from Concordia University Wisconsin and will be attending grad school this fall to complete her master’s in teaching. Her previous fields of work include healthcare marketing, media, and resettlement, but the one that has filled her cup the most has been her work in education.
She is an advocate at heart. In her free time, Angelica loves to read, take photos, and spend time with her family and pets.
Angela Steffens serves as the impact manager on the Rockwell Automation Team at Rogers Street Academy. She served as a ɫƵ AmeriCorps member ('20) at Vincent High School and a Team Leader ('21) at South Division High School. Prior to ɫƵ, Angela received a Bachelor of Arts in sociology and minors in Spanish and ethnic and racial studies at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
Kayla Stephan is the Senior Impact Director for ɫƵ Milwaukee, where she has dedicated nearly a decade to empowering students and AmeriCorps members. A proud graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology with double minors in Spanish Studies and Family Social Science. Kayla began her journey as a Corps Member in Corps 5 at South Division High School, later serving as the Team Leader at Alexander Mitchell Integrated Arts School. She has also held roles as Impact Manager and Senior Impact Manager, and now leads all K-8 programming in her current position as Senior Impact Director. In her free time, you can find Kayla listening to a podcast, cycling, going to sporting events, trying new food, spending time outside and trying to keep up with her two-year-old and four-year-old. Go, Pack, Go!
Dia Vang serves as the Senior Impact Manager on the Chavez Cardinals Team at South Division High School. She served as an AmeriCorps member ('19) at Roosevelt Middle School of the Arts and as a Team Leader ('20) at James Madison High School. From the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Dia earned a Bachelor of Science in human services and minor in African American studies. During her free time, she enjoys trying new recipes, crafting and hanging out with her nieces and nephews.
Rose Wegner, a Milwaukee native, proudly serves as the Senior Operations Manager, overseeing both site and development operations programming. After graduating from Milwaukee High School of the Arts with a focus in Creative Writing, she completed two years of service with ɫƵ Milwaukee as an AmeriCorps member ('17) at Barack Obama School of Career and Technical Education and a Team Leader ('18) at Clarke Street School. She has obtained a certificate in Excellence in Leadership and Change Management, a Technical Diploma in Organizational Leadership, as well as an Associates of Applied Science in Leadership Development at Waukesha County Technical College.
Commodore Williams serves as Analytics Manager, though his journey at ɫƵ Milwaukee began as an AmeriCorps member ('20) at Casimir Pulaski High School and a Team Leader ('21) at Bay View High School. Originally from the suburbs of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he received a Bachelor of Arts in African Studies and a Bachelor of Science in International Development with minors in French and City & Regional Planning from The Ohio State University. Working in analytics, he hopes to build transparency around data and deepen teams' impact with students by developing systems to promote data fluency and analysis within the organization.
