Generation Citizen

Scott Warren

Executive Director

Scott Warren is the co-founder and Executive Director of Generation Citizen. He is a current recipient of an Echoing Green Fellowship, and was a finalist for the Truman Scholarship. Scott graduated from Brown University with a degree in International Relations.

Scott’s passion for activism stems from his experience growing up abroad. After his father joined the State Department, Scott lived throughout Latin America and Africa, receiving exposure to diverse cultures and formative experiences. In 2002, Scott served as an observer in the first truly democratic elections in Kenya’s history, where he began to recognize the transformative potential of democracy. During college, Scott served as the National Student Director of STAND, a national student anti-genocide coalition. STAND works with over 800 high school and college chapters to work together to create political campaigns for US action to prevent and end genocide, and create a permanent student anti-genocide constituency. Scott also helped lead successful campaigns to divest Brown University, the City of Providence, and the State of Rhode Island from companies conducting business in Sudan. Scott founded Generation Citizen his senior year at Brown with the aim of helping to create an authentic democratic experience for all youth across the country, keeping in mind the transformative power he first witnessed in Kenya.

In his spare time, Scott enjoys running, traveling, and religiously following his hometown teams: the San Diego Padres and Chargers.

Email: SWarren@GenerationCitizen.org

Daniel Millenson

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Daniel Millenson is the Managing Director of Generation Citizen. Daniel graduated magna cum laude from Brandeis University with a degree in philosophy and history and was a finalist for the Truman Scholarship.

Beginning in 2009, Daniel spent two years as a Teach For America corps member in Lexington, Mississippi, where he taught 11th and 12th grade English at J. J. McClain High School in one of the poorest counties in the state. He challenged his students to learn and expected them to do so, bringing into the classroom books as diverse as Romeo and Juliet, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and Elie Wiesel’s Night. In one school year, students’ reading levels improved on average by over one and a half grade levels, and ACT English and reading scores increased markedly as well. He also worked to boost the number of students applying and being accepted to college. Daniel served as a Teach for America learning team leader, helping to mentor fellow corps members teaching high school English.

While at Brandeis, Daniel was the co-founder and national advocacy director of the Sudan Divestment Task Force (SDTF), a national effort to apply economic pressure on Sudan to halt the genocide in Darfur. Starting in 2005, SDTF pushed universities, public pension funds and other institutions to divest their portfolios of companies engaged in problematic business operations in Sudan. Daniel organized grassroots campaigns, developed strategy, and he worked on crafting divestment policies with private asset managers, state pension funds, and state and federal legislators. SDTF, a project of the Genocide Intervention Network, ultimately helped get divestment policies adopted by over 60 universities, 24 states (including Rhode Island, a campaign which Generation Citizen’s Scott Warren led) and the federal government.

In his spare time, Daniel enjoys running, biking, and reading.

Email: DMillenson@GenerationCitizen.org

Molly Mills

Director of Programming

Molly graduated from Brown University with a dual concentration in Sociology and American Civilization in which she received honors. Throughout her time at Brown, she studied youth in participatory learning environments and those who undertook entrepreneurial efforts to achieve social goals.

Her studies and work with the International Youth Research Network (IYRN) enlivened her belief in youth civic participation and indulged her passion for teaching which culminated in co-teaching an Informal Education course at Brown. To further support the social change efforts of young people, Molly joined the Social Innovation Initiative (SII) at Brown’s Howard Swearer Center in 2008 where she designed and implemented a multi-stage grant competition for early-stage social ventures. Molly’s honors thesis reflected upon the skills, community resources, and open forums needed for underrepresented young migrant women in Northern California to engage with their communities and make future plans. At Generation Citizen Molly brings together her belief in the power of youth and her passion for learning in the effort to make all young people see themselves as active and vital citizens in their communities.

Email: MMills@GenerationCitizen.org

Sarah Andes

PROGRAM MANAGER - NEW YORK

Sarah Andes is the New York Program Manager for Generation Citizen.  She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with dual degrees in Geography and the Plan II Honors program, a minor in French, and a certificate in Social Inequality, Health, and Policy.

Sarah’s academic interests initially centered on the spatial distribution of inequality – studying how and why demographic characteristics were distributed and changed over time.  Her senior year, she served as a teaching assistant for a small freshman tutorial called “Community and Place,” which explored various avenues of civic engagement.  Her passion for studying the changes within populations coalesced into a focus on helping citizens make desired changes for themselves.  She spent the rest of her time at UT as a member of a committee working to develop a civic engagement track within the Plan II Honors curriculum.

Sarah has spent the last two years teaching high school algebra at Williams-Sullivan High School in Durant, Mississippi as a Teach for America corps member.  She made developing students’ confidence in math a priority alongside helping them pass the state algebra test required for graduation, and they have reason to be confident: in two years, Sarah’s students grew their school’s passing average 43 percentage points, more than doubling the percentage of students who passed their mandated test on their first attempt.  Within Teach for America, Sarah also worked as a first-year mentor and as a Corps Member Advisor to fourteen incoming teachers at TFA’s summer training institute.

She comes to New York with the intention of helping other young people find the voice, hope, and authority that she hoped to instill amongst her own students and teachers.

Email: SAndes@GenerationCitizen.org

Gillian Pressman

PROGRAM MANAGER- GREATER BOSTON

Gillian Pressman comes to Generation Citizen from BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life), where she spent three years growing and managing BELL’s alumni program, the BELL Alumni Society. As the founding leader of the BELL Alumni Society, Gillian was created, delivered, evaluated, and took to scale a wide array of services to help alumni of BELL’s after school and summer programs continue to excel and ultimately reach college and career success.

Gillian is passionate about Generation Citizen because of her firm belief that enhancing the educational achievement of underserved youth depends, fundamentally, on youth empowerment.  It is not enough to prepare students academically; schools and districts must also help youth believe in their potential to be agents of change, and impart the leadership, communication, and reflection skills necessary for them to successfully advocate for themselves and for their communities. She is incredibly compelled by Generation Citizen’s program model in that it meaningfully builds these foundational skills.  She is extremely excited to help develop and grow GC in her role as Greater Boston Program Manager.

Gillian is originally from Tarrytown, NY and attended Princeton University, where she earned a B.A. in Religion. Outside of work, Gillian dances and performs with several Boston- and Cambridge- based dance companies.  She also likes to cook, do Crossfit, and watch cheesy television shows.

Email: gpressman@generationcitizen.org

Elena Maker

COLLEGE COORDINATOR- BROWN UNIVERSITY

Elena is a rising senior at Brown University where she is concentrating in Human Development [through the Education department] and South American history. She is an advocate for teaching and learning that helps students attain the tools they need to lead their own educations and lives. Accordingly, she has worked with various nonprofits, such as Generation Citizen, Brown Refugee Youth Tutoring and Engagement, the Genesis ESL program, Bear Paw Tutoring, as well as with organizations in Chile, Bolivia, and Nicaragua, that help deepen and expand her understanding of an effective education. She would one day like to become a classroom teacher and to join the growing national movement to better the quality of our public education system. She appreciates the opportunity Generation Citizen gives her to learn more about active student participation in and outside of the classroom. She worked as a Generation Citizen Mentor for two semesters, before becoming a College Coordinator in 2010. She is extremely excited to continue working as a Coordinator in the coming year.

Rachel Baker

COLLEGE COORDINATOR- BROWN UNIVERSITY

Rachel Baker is a senior at Brown University pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Education Studies and Public Policy. She has long enjoyed mentoring and first developed her passion for school reform in her hometown of Redondo Beach, California. She learned of Generation Citizen’s presence in Providence, RI in the fall of 2010 and began working with high school students as a college Mentor. She has become a strong believer in GC’s approach to civics education and its mission to encourage a lifetime of civics engagement, and is thrilled to serve as a College Coordinator for the coming year. She will also serve as a captain on Brown University’s Cross Country and Track & Field teams. After graduating, she plans to pursue a career in education reform.

Email: Brown@generationcitizen.org

Steven Hagerty

COLLEGE COORDINATOR- BROWN UNIVERSITY

Steve is a sophomore at Brown University, concentrating in Economics. He developed a strong love and commitment to education in high school, working to open a tutoring center in his school in his hometown of Portland, Oregon. He was involved with various teaching and mentoring programs in the Providence community before deciding to mentor with GC in the fall of 2011. Learning of Generation Citizen’s mission and seeing its results, he has become an advocate for strong civics education and youth voice. He enjoys backpacking and camping in his free time. After graduating, he hopes to possibly pursue AmeriCorps, teaching, or policy.

Email: Brown@generationcitizen.org

Carmen Sobczak

COLLEGE COORDINATOR BROWN UNIVERSITY

Carmen is a sophomore at Brown University concentrating in Political Science and Education Studies. She firstdiscovered her love of teaching when she worked as a youth leader for the Mosaic Project, a non-profit that seeks to foster peaceful learning communities among children from diverse backgrounds. She is also interested in curricular development, and produced an educational video for a health education organization in her hometown of Berkeley, California. She is very passionate about the American political process, and is grateful that GC has given her the opportunity to share her excitement with younger generations of students. Outside of GC, Carmen is a member of Brown’s oldest all-female a cappella group, the Chattertocks. She hopes to someday establish a liberal arts college in Northern California.

Email: brown@generationcitizen.org

Peter Petrin

COLLEGE COORDINATOR - NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY

Originally from North Carolina, Peter started his junior year at Northeastern University this fall, majoring in Political Science with a minor in Business Administration. Peter is an active member of the Civic Engagement Program on campus, and has volunteered with a number of service projects at NU. During his first few years at Northeastern, Peter volunteered with the non-profit organization Peace Games, teaching lessons in non-violence and conflict resolution to students in a number of schools in the Roxbury/Mission Hill area. Peter has also enthusiastically assisted in the planning of numerous events at Northeastern, including Human Rights Week and No Violence Week, and is currently completing a six-month co-op in the STEM Center for Education on campus.

During his first semester as a Generation Citizen mentor, Peter worked with a ninth-grade class to plan a school-wide Stereotype Awareness Day, complete with interactive workshops, educational skits, and socially conscious rap performances. Peter enthusiastically coordinated the process of getting Generation Citizen recognized as one of the newest student groups at Northeastern University, working to spread GC’s presence and impact on campus. Outside of Generation Citizen, Peter’s on-campus activities at Northeastern include serving as the vice president of his fraternity, as treasurer of the Political Science Student Association, and as a Resident Assistant for freshman Honors students this fall.

Email: Northeastern@GenerationCitizen.org

Haley Reddington

COLLEGE COORDINATOR - NORTHEASTERN

Haley Reddington is Generation Citizen’s co-coordinator at Northeastern University, where she is a sophomore studying Political Science with the hopes of going on to a career in law. She has also served as a Mentor for the organization, working with four freshmen classes from Malden High School. Originally from Kingston, Massachusetts, Haley decided to become a member of GC so that she could inspire students to become involved in their communities and the political process, just as her high school teachers had ingrained in her the importance of active participation. In addition to Generation Citizen, Haley also participates in intramural sports, Colleges Against Cancer, and the Civic Engagement Program at Northeastern University.

Email: Northeastern@GenerationCitizen.org

Callie Guy

COLLEGE COORDINATOR - NORTHEASTERN

Kathryn Kroetch

COLLEGE COORDINATOR- TUFTS UNIVERSITY

Kathryn is a junior at Tufts University majoring in Architectural Studies and Art History. She joined Generation Citizen as a mentor in the Spring of 2011 to encourage and empower local youth to learn and take part in the political system, and is returning in the Fall as a College Coordinator. Her passion for reaching out to communities began in high school through the influence of her teachers, and is rivaled only by her passion for swimming. A member of the Tufts Swim Team, she hopes to inspire students in Generation Citizen to respect their passions and stay involved in what they believe in.

Email: Tufts@GenerationCitizen.org

Alexander Hoffarth

COLLEGE COORDINATOR BOSTON COLLEGE

Originally from Rochester, New York, Alexander is a Junior Political Science Major at Boston College. During his time at BC, he has participated in the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), volunteered as a tutor, and served as Vice President in the Honors House Council. In addition, he has been active in the Boston College Student Admission Program as a Day Visit Captain, outreach volunteer, and tour guide. Alexander currently serves as the Director of Political Action for the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) and is responsible for raising political awareness on the Boston College campus. He has been passionate about civic engagement since a speech he wrote for his 9th grade Public Speaking class and looks forward to strengthening Boston College’s involvement with Generation Citizen.

Email: BC@GenerationCitizen.org

Noelle Cormier

COLLEGE COORDINATOR BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Email: BU@generationcitizen.org

Sergio Reyes

COLLEGE COORDINATOR BOSTON UNIVERSITY

Sergio Reyes is a sophomore at Boston University majoring in Political Science. A Cuban political refugee, Sergio has a passion for the American democratic system and community service. These values led to his involvement with Generation Citizen from the outset of his college career. As a mentor, Sergio taught at The Social Justice Academy in Hyde Park High School during the Spring of 2011. Moved by the enthusiasm and dedication with which his students tackled the issue of homelessness in their neighborhood, Sergio has remained committed to the mission of Generation Citizen. In his role as College Coordinator for Boston University, he enjoys assisting new Mentors and strengthening Generation Citizen’s presence on campus.

Email: BU@GenerationCitizen.org

Yao Wei

COORDINATOR - COLUMBIA TEACHERS COLLEGE

Yao Wei was born in China. He did his undergraduate in Shanghai and is now pursuing his Masters in International Educational Development at Teachers College, Columbia University. He was very active in social organizations while he studied and worked in Shanghai. Wei used to be a coordinator of a joint program in which Canadian students and Chinese students partnered to work in various NGOs in China. He also did a lot of volunteer work especially in schools for migrant workers’ children. In his free time, Wei enjoys travelling and photography and also plays guitar as a hobby. Yao is new to the team and looking forward to meeting new Mentors!

Email: tc@GenerationCitizen.org

Violet Resnick

COLLEGE COORDINATOR- NYU

Violet is currently a senior at NYU studying political science and sociology. Originally from Seattle, Violet moved to New York City in search of a new experience completely different from West Coast culture. Among many past times, Violet enjoys running, wandering the streets of NYC, meeting new people and food. She got involved with Generation Citizen last year and really believes in the value and importance of political and civic education and hope to pursue a career surrounding this field.

Johnny DeVito

COLLEGE COORDINATOR- NYU

Johnny De Vito is a Junior at New York University on the honors track for Political Science. Originally from the eastern-most part of Long Island, Johnny has been involved in community service both home and in New York City. Recognized as an emerging leader both by the YMCA and NYS Assembly, Johnny is passionate about helping others in local NYC homeless shelters and food pantries. In addition, he presides as Philanthropy Chair in his fraternity, Delta Lambda Phi, and is a part of the Trevor Project’s service arm- NextGen. Johnny attributes his desire to serve to his modest roots and love for America.

Email: nyu@GenerationCitizen.org

Kalila Hoggard

COLLEGE COORDINATOR- COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Kalila is a rising senior at Columbia University studying Political Science and Anthropology. She has worked the last 4 years with children and teenagers in a variety of settings including summer camps and an after school mentoring program in Cape Town, South Africa. Her other interests include sports, reading, and enjoying the outdoors. Last semester Kalila mentored with GC in a high school freshman class at Urban Assembly School for Green Careers. Additionally, she worked with Generation Citizen in Summer 2011 to help GC expand and grow in New York. She looks forward to increasing her involvement with the organization as a College Coordinator for Columbia in 2011.

Email: KHoggard@GenerationCitizen.org