Staff
Dzifa is responsible for coordinating student attendance and records at Wolverine Pathways. She is from Ann Arbor, MI and is passionate about supporting young people in Southeast Michigan through education and outreach. She received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the College of Wooster and previously served as Family Program & Outreach Manager at a nonprofit in Louisville, Kentucky. She enjoys baking, discovering new music, and spending time with her dog.
Lauren serves as a Research Area Specialist in Evaluation and Assessment at Wolverine Pathways. She holds a Bachelors of Arts in Biopsychology, with a minor in Spanish, and a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, as well as a Ph.D. in Social Work from Michigan State University. With more than a decade of experience in program evaluation and data analysis, Lauren’s work has primarily focused on evaluating programs designed to support marginalized youth and promote positive outcomes. She is passionate about using data and evaluation to better understand program impact and inform meaningful improvements. Outside of work, Lauren enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family and two busy kids!
Tyra is responsible for supporting the Wolverine Pathways and ODEI Evaluation and Assessment teams in capturing, organizing and storing student and parent information. She has worked to develop effective information systems for educational institutions and non profit organizations since 2013. Tyra is passionate about increasing information system efficiency to increase accessibility for underrepresented communities. Tyra enjoys hiking, exploring cultures through food, and enjoying her hometown Detroit.
Adrienne, a proud advocate for college access, serves as the Associate Director of Wolverine Pathways. She was born and raised in Benton Harbor, MI and received her Bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and Sociology from the University of Michigan. She also holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership: Higher Education Student Affairs from Western Michigan University and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Higher, Adult and Lifelong Education at Michigan State University. Adrienne began her career in education and college access in 2014 as an advisor for the University of Michigan College Advising Corps. Since then, she has remained committed to helping first-generation and underrepresented students prepare for and navigate the transition to and matriculation through higher education. Most recently serving as the Director of Lake Michigan College TRIO Upward Bound Program, Adrienne previously held positions as college academic advisor, student life advisor, academic coach to support first-year transition to college, and college preparatory instructor and consultant for TRIO programs.
Becca is a College Advisor at Wolverine Pathways. She completed her Bachelors of Science in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Central Michigan University. Prior to joining the Wolverine Pathways team, Becca served as a College Advisor in Detroit through Advise MI and the Michigan College Advising Corps. In her free time she enjoys going on hikes, exploring new coffee shops, cheering on her favorite Detroit sports teams, and spending time with family and friends.
Kiley serves as a College Advisor at Wolverine Pathways. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a sub-plan in Social Work and just recently completed her Masters’ of Social Work from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. Kiley’s deep passion for student support and college access began in 2022 when she served as a College Adviser in Southfield Public Schools through the Michigan College Advising Corps. She finds her joy in caring for and uplifting young people along with yoga, petting strangers’ dogs, dancing, time outdoors, and laughing with loved ones.
Tyne serves as the Assistant Director for Wolverine Pathways, where she provides administrative leadership to support the program’s mission of creating opportunities for scholars and families. With over a decade of experience in higher education administration, Tyne oversees core administrative operations including financial and budgetary processes, human resources functions, parent engagement initiatives, and the administrative systems that keep the program running effectively. She also leads the planning and execution of signature program events, including scholar orientation and graduation celebrations. Her background includes managing large-scale university events and coordinating institution-wide strategic planning efforts across dozens of campus units. Prior to higher education, she directed workforce development programs in Washtenaw County, helping connect community members with employment resources and opportunities. Tyne holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications with a minor in Marketing from Eastern Michigan University and has completed several leadership development programs. Outside of work, she loves traveling to new places, experiencing live performances through concerts and theater, and exploring new restaurants.
Olivia is Wolverine Pathways’ Administrative Assistant Intermediate. Her responsibilities include answering inquiries, maintaining the office, assisting the Wolverine Pathways team, coordinating events, and handling front-end HR needs. She is from Iowa City, Iowa and she received bachelor’s degrees in Communication Studies and Music from the University of Iowa in 2022. Before working for Wolverine Pathways, Olivia honed her administrative, educational, and event programming skills through many different roles. She has worked as a Special Projects Coordinator for the TUESDAY Agency and as a clerk for the Hinsdale Public Library. Her passion for education grew when she served as a fellow for the AmeriCorps, tutoring under-served middle school students in Washington, DC. Olivia is passionate about music, building community, reading, video games, and spending time with loved ones.
Carla is University Diversity and Social Transformation Professor and Arthur F. Thurnau Professor in the Marsal Family School of Education. Responsible for the implementation, continuous improvement, and expansion of Wolverine Pathways, her assumption of the directorship is inspired by her own experiences as a first generation immigrant and a first generation college graduate whose college ambitions were supported by a supplementary college preparatory program like Wolverine Pathways. In guiding the program, she draws upon her research on educational resilience or why and how underserved and marginalized populations are able to beat the odds and achieve academic success and college completion despite social and institutional obstacles. Her team works with families and targeted school communities to provide enrichment and exposures that aim to increase the likelihood that promising young people apply, attend and graduate from the University of Michigan and other selective colleges.
Kayla serves as a Program Coordinator and Success Coach at Wolverine Pathways and is excited to be working with (and learning from!) promising young scholars. Kayla holds a B.A. in Cognitive Science with a minor in Educational Studies from Carleton College. Her work in college access began at The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, where she was a Program Coordinator for their Young Scholars program. Outside of work she enjoys snowy days, quality time with friends and family, New York Times crossword puzzles, and supporting local coffee shops.
Miguel works as a Program Coordinator and Success Coach for Wolverine Pathways. Miguel’s journey with work in equity began at the University of Michigan where he earned a degree in Political Science in 2024. His studies emphasized political theory—more specifically decolonization. This education has informed his professional aspirations towards creating equity in response to systemic issues. Before joining the Wolverine Pathways team, Miguel spent a year working for the University of Michigan College Advising Corps as a College Advisor, where his passion for working in higher education took off.
Brenda leads the design and supervision of WP’s 7th through 12th grade curriculum for college exploration, career readiness, and academic preparation. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Studies and Latino Studies from the University of Michigan. Brenda is passionate about supporting underrepresented communities through mentorship and resource sharing to increase generational wealth and knowledge. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering in her community, live music, films, and the great outdoors.