History

Summer Search New York City was founded in 2003 by Eden Werring, the former Executive Director of the North San Francisco Bay office and Stacey Thompson, an alumna of the San Francisco office and currently the National Director of Talent and Training.

In 2008, Summer Search celebrated our fifth anniversary as an organization in New York City under the leadership of Executive Director Karina Kirsch. In accordance with this milestone, we have undertaken a major program expansion that will enable us to triple the number of deserving students served throughout New York City.

Staff

Karina Kirsch, Executive Director
Karen Pomerantz, Program Director
Christine Capacillo, Outreach Director
Ricardo Martinez, Development and Volunteer Coordinator
Kathleen Clancy , Program Associate
Akim St. Omer, Program Associate
Jené Toussaint, Program Associate
Emily FitzGerald, Post-Secondary Program Coordinator
Caitlin Hinz, Program Associate and Training Coordinator
Jill Kantrowitz, Grants Specialist
Megan Sussman , Development Manager
Lauren Massell , Program Associate
Elena Yesner, College Access Coordinator

Karina Kirsch, Executive Director
Karina received a B.A. in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies from Brown University. After graduating from Brown, Karina went on to the New York City Teaching Fellows Program where she taught 3rd and 4th grade in the South Bronx while also receiving an M.A. in Early Childhood Education from Lehman College. After completing the Fellows program, Karina joined the Summer Search team as a Program Associate. She became the Program Director in 2006 and stepped into the role of Executive Director in May 2008.

Karen Pomerantz, Program Director
Karen joins Summer Search with over a decade of experience in youth leadership, mentoring, and staff development. After receiving a B.A. in Religious Studies from Vassar College and a Master of Social Work degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Karen began her social services career supporting adolescent girls to make healthy decisions in a school-based pregnancy prevention program in Portland, Oregon. Following a move to Boston, she used her direct service experience to provide technical assistance to strengthen teenage pregnancy prevention initiatives across Massachusetts through a national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initiative. More recently, Karen coordinated a mentoring program serving students across New York City and served as Program Director of an after school program in Brooklyn. In December 2009, Karen was thrilled to join the Summer Search community as Program Director in New York.

Christine Capacillo, Outreach Director
Christine is a 1995 Summer Search San Francisco Alumna. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelors Degree in History and minors in Public Policy and Asian American Studies. Upon graduating, Christine worked at the San Francisco Unified School District as a teacher recruiter. She then went on to work at Summer Search San Francisco from 2001-2006 as a Mentor, College and Financial Aid Advisor and the National Alumni Director serving Summer Search sites across the country. In 2008, Christine completed graduate work at Columbia University’s Teachers College earning a Masters degree in Developmental Psychology with a focus on at-risk youth and access to higher education. As a graduate student she worked as a graduate assistant at Columbia University's Student Development and Activities Department and at Harlem Children’s Zone TRUCE as a College Counselor. From 2008-2010, Christine worked at College Summit New York as a School Partnership Manager overseeing 10 NYC public high schools raise their college enrollment rates by building a college-going culture within their schools. She continued to stay involved as a Summer Search alumna and was the chair of the professional development subcommittee for Summer Search New York City’s Young Leadership Committee. She is excited to be back at Summer Search, where she is responsible for outreach strategies, relationship building with schools and CBOs, and promoting Summer Search among multiple constituents. A part of Christine’s long-term commitment to Summer Search is to ensure that Summer Search becomes nationally recognized organization in youth development and leadership.

Ricardo Martinez, Development and Volunteer Coordinator
Ricardo is a proud New York City public school alumnus.  He was raised in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn and attended PS 101, IS 281 and Midwood High School. Currently, Ricardo is responsible for a variety of efforts within resource development at Summer Search.  His focus includes developing and nurturing relationships with volunteers, identifying and engaging corporate partners and developing career readiness initiatives for Summer Search students. Prior to joining Summer Search in 2010, Ricardo managed the PENCIL Fellows Internship Program. Leveraging his experience and talent for recruitment and relationship management Ricardo helped grow the program into one of the city’s largest internship programs – placing over 250 students in meaningful internships during his tenure. As Manager of Temporary Services at Careers in Nonprofits in Chicago, he recruited staff for such organizations as the Center on Halsted, Chicago Foundation for Women, and the Ounce of Prevention Fund. Ricardo holds an MS in Nonprofit Management from Milano the New School for Management and Urban Policy and a BA from Stony Brook University.

Kathleen Clancy, Program Associate
Kathleen received a B.A. in Early Childhood Education with a focus on Family Studies from Miami University. While working on her degree, she helped create a program that mentored low-income junior high and high school youth in the area. She also worked part-time as a low and high ropes course facilitator for Miami University’s Outdoor Pursuit Center. After graduation, Kathleen worked part-time as a mentor and a director of mentorship for the same program while teaching pre-school. Following her time in Ohio, Kathleen worked for two years as a Classroom Facilitator for Project SUCCESS, a youth development non-profit organization based in Minneapolis. Kathleen’s love of exploring other cultures and the outdoors has taken her to multiple European countries, Mexico, the Boundary Waters of Minnesota and Canada, and an Outward Bound trip to Colorado. Through her multiple experiences with a diverse population of youth, Kathleen has realized her passion for working with young people. Kathleen joined the Summer Search team in June, 2007 and is excited to be a part of such an amazing organization.

Akim St. Omer, Program Associate
Akim is a native of Brooklyn. After participating in the Experiment in International Living trip to Kenya in 2000 he became passionate about working with youth, especially youth of color in various communities. He comes to Summer Search from Prep For Prep where he commenced in 1996 as a student, and served as an Advisor, Guidance Counselor and Admissions Interviewer from 2001 on. Akim graduated from Boston College in 2006 with a BA in Communications and a minor in Black Studies. During his time at Boston College he served in many leadership positions on campus, especially focused on issues of diversity. In 2008, Akim started his own blog dealing with issues of diversity as it impacts society. Akim intends to merge his many loves of travel, diversity and youth in his new position.

Jené Toussaint, Program Associate
Jené joined Summer Search June 2010 with a background in community organizing and a commitment to understanding history, culture and the impact of racism on individuals and communities. Born in New York City and raised in upstate New York, Jené graduated from Brandeis University with a double major in Politics and Philosophy. After working as a trainer at Partnership for the Homeless, she attended Hunter College School of Social Work where she received an MSW concentrating in Community Organization and Planning. Her time at Hunter College was highlighted by her organizing work around popular education and anti-racist principles, which increased her commitment to social justice. More recently Jené educated and empowered youth throughout New York City to lower their tolerance for all forms of violence and discrimination on their school campuses and in their communities through her work with Day One and the Healthy Teen Relationships Coalition.

Emily FitzGerald, Post-Secondary Program Coordinator
Emily received a B.A. in Classical Languages from Hamilton College in 2000. After graduating, she served in AmeriCorps as a Literacy Tutor at an elementary school in Oakland, CA. During her year of service, she taught environmental education and helped start an after-school program. Her love of languages and curiosity led her to the jungle town of Iquitos, Peru, where she taught English in two schools along the Amazon River. Prior to joining Summer Search in 2007, Emily spent five years with NYC Audubon as the Membership Director and Development Associate. In her spare time, she volunteers as a trip leader for the Sierra Club's Inner City Outings. As a native New Yorker, Emily is excited to be working with students in her hometown.

Caitlin Hinz, Program Associate and Training Coordinator
Caitlin was born in Wyoming and raised in Iowa. She attended Skidmore College in upstate New York, earning her Bachelor’s degree in Art History and Literature. While in college, Caitlin worked in the curatorial and education departments at the Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum. With a desire to share her love of art, she developed several projects which facilitated rich and interactive experiences in the museum for a diverse public. In college, Caitlin discovered a love of learning languages and exploring different cultures, and had the opportunity to live and study abroad in India, Italy, Argentina, and Peru. In the summer of 2005, Caitlin worked at Longacre Leadership, a program in which young people work and play on a farm while developing their leadership and communication skills. Here, Caitlin learned of Summer Search and realized her passion for creating positive change in the lives of young people. Caitlin joined Summer Search in October of 2007 as a Program Associate and is thrilled to be a part of the team.

Jill Kantrowitz, Grants Specialist
Jill received a B.A. in Psychology-Sociology from Wesleyan University in 1998 and a M.A. in Public Health in Health Behavior from University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill in 2005. Following Wesleyan, Jill worked as a Health Educator, and then the Director of Education and Training both at the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts. In graduate school, Jill worked in the North Carolina Department of Correction providing medication adherence counseling to prisoners living with HIV/AIDS. Jill joined Summer Search as a Program Associate in 2006. In 1994 Jill completed a NOLS semester course in Mexico and has previously lived in Greece, Israel and Spain.

Megan Sussman, Development Manager
Megan was born and raised in Colorado. She then moved to Seattle where she attended the University of Washington and earned degrees in Speech Communications and Communication Media Studies. During college, Megan participated on the University’s women’s soccer team which led to many opportunities to work with kids as a soccer coach. She also worked for a radio station doing promotions and marketing. Following graduation, Megan moved to London where she worked as an Event Organizer for a marine based non-profit organization, the IMarEST. Living abroad gave her the great opportunity to travel and explore other cultures. Megan joined Summer Search in February 2008 and is excited to be part of such an inspiring organization.

Lauren Massell, Program Associate
Lauren received her B.A. from Skidmore College in Psychology and Government. During college, she volunteered as a psychology research assistant and pre-school teaching assistant, both in pursuit of her social psychology interests. Trying a new route, she went abroad to study the European Union and the diverse cultures of which it is comprised. In 2007, Lauren was fortunate to be part of Skidmore’s First Year Experience program where she mentored and acted as a liaison for freshman from diverse socio-economic backgrounds. After graduation, she worked on a city-wide community engagement effort with the Alliance for Education, a non-profit partner organization to Seattle Public Schools. Lauren joined Summer Search in November 2008, eager to pool her energy with a talented team for a remarkable mission.

Elena Yesner, College Access Coordinator
Elena was raised in Queens, New York. In 2002, she set her sights on Grinnell College, a tiny liberal arts school in Iowa where she developed a surprisingly strong bond with the Midwest and also studied abroad in South India. After college, she spent an incredible year in Indonesia serving as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. Following that, she lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and worked for Public Allies, a national leadership development program, and advised High School students on their college options, applications and financial aid. She feels blessed to have worked in such extraordinary communities: from theatre programs in the Bronx to prisons in Iowa and high schools in West Java—all of which have deepened her desire to serve others through education. Elena joined Summer Search as the College Counselor in August 2008 and is excited to be back home, supporting Summer Search students and their families through the college process.