Thea Karakalos

(She/Her)

About Me:

Hi! I'm Thea Karakalos (pronounced tay-uh), and I am so excited to be joining the Summer Search team. As a first generation student, I had no idea how to navigate college, or what I wanted to do afterwards. So, after graduation I completed an Americorps term of service coaching seniors through the financial aid and college process. That is where I found my passion for supporting students, and I knew that I wanted to be the mentor that I never had. Fast forward to today, I have worked at nonprofits, 2 year colleges, private institutions, and completed my Master's in Higher Education and Student Affairs simultaneously! I can't wait to meet you all and support in anyway that I can, so please reach out!

Interests & Hobbies:

I spend most of my time outside of work traveling, seeing comedy shows and live music, and going to the movies (I have a monthly pass!).

Contact Me About:

*FAFSA/WASFA.

*Financial aid/literacy.

*Academic advising.

*Major/career exploration.

*Transferring (in WA and CA).

*Navigating grad school.

Meet With Me:

*Virtually

*In-Person (Seattle, WA)

Jocelyn "Joss" Sanchez

(She/Her)

About Me:

Hey Summer Searchers. My name is Jocelyn. I was born and raised in Queens, NY and have been in the Bay Area, California, working at Summer Search since 2015. I have my Masters in School Counseling with a vision to support first-gen individuals find their path. Coming from a big family, community has always been super important to me and I've been fortunate to find that at Summer Search. I love spending time with my friends and family. 

Interests & Hobbies:

Taking my dog hiking, camping or anywhere else I go, baking, cooking, and salsa dancing.

Contact Me About:

*Academic Advising & exploring your major.

*Budgeting & Managing Finances.

*Exploring Post-Secondary Pathways (especially 4 year, community colleges, vocational programs).

*Health and wellness practices.

*Identity exploration and navigation (woman of color/Latinx identities).

*Applying for Summer Search financial support from the BA office.

Meet With Me:

*Virtually

*In-Person (Bay Area, CA)

Madison Crosby

(She/Her)

About Me:

I am a lifelong greater Boston area resident. I graduated from Boston University with a Bachelors in International Relations and have spent over 3 years supporting and empowering young people to achieve their goals for the future.I'm excited to be able to continue supporting students at all ages and stages of life through Pathways. When not working, you can find me creating an unofficial ranking of all the bubble tea shops in the Boston area. 

Interests & Hobbies:

Bubble Tea, cooking, baking, eating and all things food, traveling.

Contact Me About:

*Academic Advising & exploring your major.

*Time management.

*Exploring Post-Secondary Pathways (especially 4 year, community colleges, Americorps).

*Financial Aid.

*Health and wellness practices.

*Identity exploration and navigation (Asian & model minority identities).

*Applying for Summer Search financial support from the BO office.

Meet With Me:

*Virtually

*In-Person (Boston, MA)

Adriana Espinal

(She/Her)

About Me:

My name is Adriana but most people call me Adri. Growing up, I loved math and science but didn't know what I really wanted to do with that, so I studied engineering in college. After I graduated, I worked at the largest chemical manufacturing site in the western hemisphere for several years, during which I realized the gifts and talents I've been given are more suited towards helping people directly. I love empowering young people and chose to leave engineering in 2018 to work at MIT, where I led programs that equip students from marginalized communities with the skills and tools necessary to pursue degrees in STEM. I joined Summer Search in 2022 and am excited to connect with you all and support you in any way that I can. 

Interests & Hobbies:

Doing anything outdoors, writing, reading, exercising regularly, traveling, spending quality time with friends and family.

Contact Me About:

*STEM degrees and careers.

*Working while pursuing a bachelor's degree.

*Leadership skills.

*Finding internships.

*Exploring your major.

*Identity exploration and navigation.

*Budgeting & Managing Finances. 

*Resume/cover letter help. 

*Interview & Internship Prep.

Meet With Me:

*Virtually

*In-Person (Boston, MA)

MJ Jones

(They/Them)

About Me:

Hey, Summer Searchers! My name is MJ and I have been working at Summer Search for almost 4 years. I've spent much of my life as an educator, activist and social justice advocate, and I'm deeply committed to support marginalized students in education and folks impacted by oppressive systems. Before coming to Summer Search, I coordinated LGBTQ youth programming at Youth Uprising in deep East Oakland. I have my MFA in Poetry from Mills College, hold an MA in Student Development Administration from Seattle University, and a BA in Sociology from Sonoma State University. Most importantly, I have a beautiful 4-and-a-half year old son, Glory!

Interests & Hobbies:

Poetry, creative writing, music (playing and listening), boxing, and hiking/outdoor adventure.

Contact Me About:

*Navigating identity.

*Well-being practices.

*Time management.

*Resume/cover letter help.

Meet With Me:

*Virtually

*In-Person (Bay Area, CA)

Fernando Serrato

(He/Him)

About Me:

I've had the pleasure of working with hundreds of Summer Searchers over the years! I am excited and eager to help young adults excel in their academic, professional, and social endeavors. The first in my family to graduate from college, I value the relationships and opportunities that have shaped my journey. I believe in the power of storytelling and the strength in community. I am passionate about engaging young people in career exploration and connecting them to local internships/employment opportunities.

Interests & Hobbies:

Art, Music, Food, Running, Swimming, The Outdoors. Spending time & sharing meals with family and friends.

Contact Me About:

*Career exploration.

*Job search.

*Resume review,

*Networking.

*Informational interviews.

*Career coaching.

*LinkedIn.

Regional Offerings (Bay Area):

*Bay Area Internships.

*Bay Area Career Coaching (through Summer Search).

Meet With Me:

*Virtually

*In-Person (Oakland, CA)

Ruby Kirby

(She/Her)

About Me:

Hi all! A bit about me: My post-secondary journey brought me to the University of Michigan, where I completed a B.A. in Public Policy in 2017. Afterwards, I planned to spend one year at Orkeeswa School in northern Tanzania as a Princeton in Africa Fellow. I ended up staying to develop multiple programs to strengthen essential social, emotional, and professional tools for an extra 1.5 years in person and 2 years virtually while I ran an internship program for young parents in my hometown. I joined the Boston team in March and am excited to support your own career journey!

Interests & Hobbies:

Reading, strategic board + card games, live music performances, global music and media, travel, exploring the Northeast spending time in green spaces.

Contact Me About:

*Career exploration.

*Job search.

*Resume review,

*Preparing for interviews.

*Career coaching.

*Internship preparation.

*Job shadowing.

Regional Offerings (Boston):

*Boston internships.

*Boston connections / networking.

*Career Coach Program (application in August).

*Summer Internship Program.

*Career workshops.

*Regional Career Conference.

Meet With Me:

*Virtually

*In-Person (Boston, MA)

Kioka Abbott

(She/Her)

About Me:

I love being a resource for students as they explore and grow. I'm a former interior decorator who recently achieved a Master's degree in Public Administration from Baruch College. I changed career paths because I am deeply driven to contribute to the movement of eradicating social and educational inequities. I'm excited to be the Career Navigator here at Summer Search and looking forward to creating dynamic career-readiness events and programming for our deserving participants!

Interests & Hobbies:

Art, music, bike riding, dancing, reading, cooking (and eating).

Contact Me About:

*Career exploration.

*Job search.

*Resume review.

*Preparing for interviews.

*Career coaching.

*Internship preparation.

*Job shadowing.

Regional Offerings (New York):

*NYC internships.

*Career-readiness / exploration workshops & trips.

Meet With Me:

*Virtually

*In-Person (New York City [Manhattan office], NY)