KIPP Philly Alums Accelerating
We are thrilled to announce that two KIPP Philadelphia graduates, Aizhaneya Carter and Shyann Gales-Poland — have been selected to participate in KIPP’s national Alumni Leadership Accelerator program! It is a year-long fellowship for KIPP alumni leaders in their 20s and 30s. Aizhaneya and Shyann are among 23 KIPP alumni nationwide who were selected as fellows this year, chosen from a competitive pool of over 100 applicants nominated by their KIPP regions.
Aizhaneya Carter, attended the University of Pennsylvania where she double majored in International Relations with a concentration in Human Rights and Theatre Arts. Aizhaneya began her career in general management consulting but left to build her career as an actor and producer. While in New York, she produced several short films and served as an associate producer on her first independent feature-length film, ‘What She Said’. Aizhaneya’s life goal is to ensure the voices of those erased, subjugated, and disenfranchised are elevated through sharing and showcasing their stories.
Shyann Gales-Poland, is an alumna of the first graduating class of KIPP Philadelphia Charter School. She received a full-tuition scholarship to attend Lincoln University of Pennsylvania. She graduated cum laude with a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology. For two years, she served over 3400 hours of community service through AmeriCorps, teaching and tutoring middle school students in Wilmington, Delaware. Now, Shyann is a second-year law student at Widener Delaware Law School in which she plans to study intellectual property and transactional law.
KIPP partners with Management Leadership for Tomorrow to deliver the program. The Accelerator, now in its fourth year, aims to support KIPP alumni in reaching top positions of leadership and decision-making at the local, state, and national levels. Through this program, KIPP aims to help 1,000 KIPP alumni reach top leadership positions by 2040.
