Governing Board

Our international governing board manages the sustainability of the mission of the organization and are responsible stewards of financial contributions.

Pascale Leblanc (she/her), PResident

pascale@writetobe.org
Special Education Team Lead, University of Chicago Charter School - Woodlawn Campus

Pascale has worked in the field of education for over 10 years and strives to improve the quality of education available to all children. Focusing her work in underserved and under-resourced communities of color, she takes great pride in helping students with specific learning disabilities, and other exceptionalities, realize their full potential. Prior to working in the K-12 school setting, she was a Project Manager at the American College of Surgeons where she oversaw the development, revision, and execution of various programs in their trauma education department. Her work with international educators inspired her to pursue a career in education abroad. In 2016 she moved to France to serve as a teaching assistant under the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following her two years abroad, she joined Teach for America and returned to her hometown of Chicago, Il, to teach in the very community that raised her. Pascale’s passion for serving others and working with international audiences was inspired by her Haitian parents who consistently emphasized the importance of education, philanthropy, and taking pride in one’s cultural identity. Pascale holds a B.A. in Communication, an M.A. in Teaching, and is currently pursuing a 2nd M.A. in International Education and Leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Emma Sparks (she/her), Vice PResident

emma@writetobe.org
Youth Development Program Director for SOLID Foundation

Emma graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2016 with a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. After graduating, she moved to Haiti for 2 years. During this time, she taught English classes to young women, learned Haitian Kreyol, participated in outreach efforts after Hurricane Matthew and worked hard to develop culturally informative trips for those interested in visiting Haiti. After moving back to the States in 2018, she worked for a non-profit organization called Oasis: A Haven for Women and Children where I taught ESL classes for children and adults and led a summer camp program for over 160 children ages 6 - 16. In 2019, she began teaching in a traditional school setting, where she taught first and second graders throughout the pandemic. Currently, she works as a non-profit Program Director for an organization that strives to provide youth ages 8 - 18 life and social-emotional skills through skateboarding and arts programming.

Kelsey Ullom (She/Her)

kelsey@writetobe.org
Assistant Director, Center for Civic Leadership, Rice University

Kelsey is an international educator focused on creating cross-cultural learning opportunities for young people. At Rice University, she builds university-community partnerships to support international programming rooted in social justice. Prior to Rice, Kelsey facilitated service-learning programs in Haiti and administered U.S. Department of State study abroad programs at the Institute of International Education. Kelsey holds a B.A. in International Studies from Ohio Wesleyan University and a M.S.Ed. in International Educational Development from the University of Pennsylvania.

Rachel Vinciguerra (she/her)

rachel@writetobe.org
National Program Manager, Hello Neighbor

Rachel leads the Hello Neighbor Network, a coalition of grassroots organizations working with refugees and immigrants across the U.S. convened by Hello Neighbor. She has worked with nonprofit and international organizations for the past seven years focused on gender equity, social inclusion, and program design and evaluation. She has lived and worked in countries including Haiti, Thailand, and India. And worked with organizations including the United Nations Development Programme, Strong Women, Strong Girls, and The FISA Foundation. She currently serves on the boards of the Jane Addams Peace Association, The Birmingham Foundation, and Write to Be (of which she was a founding member). Rachel has a bachelor’s degree in history from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master of International Development and Master of Social Work from the University of Pittsburgh. A Boston native, Rachel has made Pittsburgh her home. She is also a children's book author and yoga instructor. She lives in Pittsburgh with her cat and chickens.

Angelique Rodgers (she/her)

angelique@writetobe.org
Assistant Director of Communications and Organizational Development, A Second Chance, Inc.

In her current role, Angelique develops and oversees organizational content and marketing strategy for internal and external communications, acts a liaison to the CEO for the development of critical community reports and initiatives impacting children and families, and works with local and national thought leaders to develop and provide oversight for growth and development opportunities for ASCI staff. As a dedicated nonprofit and communications professional, Angelique believes in the power of mission fulfilment through storytelling, and has dedicated her life to the advocacy and empowerment of young Black women and girls through their stories. Angelique founded her own nonprofit, Our Father’s Daughters, that supports young Black women and girls to reach their fullest potentials through mentorship, and has been leading the organization and its programs for almost a decade. Angelique’s passion for serving people and working with her family in ministry her entire life is guided by her strong faith. She is the proud mother of two with her loving husband of eight years. Angelique holds a Master of Public Administration in public and nonprofit management from Liberty University and a bachelor’s degree in public relations with a certificate of business management from Duquesne University.

Stafford Oliver (he/him)

stafford@writetobe.org
KGSP Advising Manager, Institute of International Education

Stafford D. Oliver joined IIE in December 2015. In his time he has had several different roles. Currently he is the Advising Manager, KGSP in which he leads a team of advisors who provide direct support to undergraduate students. Prior to IIE, he held several roles in international education across Europe, North America, and Asia. In his undergraduate course, Stafford studied abroad at SOAS, University of London as a Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholar. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Boston College and a Master of Science from The University of Edinburgh.

Amanda Powers (she/her)

amanda@writetobe.org
Senior Strategy Consultant/Project Lead at Center for Organizational Excellence, INC (COE)

Amanda Powers currently serves as a senior strategy consultant and project lead at COE. COE is a trusted advisor in helping organizations and programs transform to more efficiently and effectively accomplish their missions. Amanda brings over seven years of experience implementing project management and strategic planning to multiple Federal Agencies to ultimately build comprehensive strategic plans and implement process improvements across various departments.Amanda is certified project management professional (PMP) and is most proud of contributions to streamline processes through the Department of Veterans Affairs to help Veterans throughout the country receive financial support and benefits in a more efficient manner. Amanda studied abroad in London through Temple University and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Strategic Communications in 2014.

Tye Matthews (she/her)

tye@writetobe.org
Engagement Lead, Huma

Tye Matthews is the Team Engagement Lead at Huma. She is a passionate volunteer, leader, and has supported teams and leaders as an Executive Administrator and engagement lead. She studied business management and communication and media studies at University of Phoenix and The College of New Rochelle earning a B.S. in Business Management.

Hamna Khlud (she/her)

hamna@writetobe.org
Grant Writer, Oasis-Haven for Women and Children

Hamna Khuld is a professional grant writer with three years of experience working in the nonprofit sector. Currently, she works at Oasis -- A Haven for Women and Children, a multiservice anti-poverty organization located in Paterson, NJ. Hamna has conducted research on vitiligo, a skin depigmentation condition--documenting people’s shared experiences with vitiligo, such as stigma, ostracization, and animalization, as well as acceptance of their condition. Hamna is also involved with the Passaic County Food Policy Council, Passaic County Workforce Development Board, SuperMajority, and Islamic Relief USA Advocacy Board. She has a background in Anthropology with a concentration in Medical Anthropology and Disabilities Studies.

Samantha Hackney (she/her)

samantha@writetobe.org
Senior Consultant, TCC Group

Samantha is a Senior Consultant at TCC Group, a mission-driven consulting firm and certified B Corporation. Guided by the conviction that a more just and equal society will only be possible if those closest to the problems are at the forefront of making the change, Samantha works with clients across the philanthropic, nonprofit, and corporate sectors. She brings over ten years of experience in nonprofit strategy and capacity building with expertise in strategic planning, scaling, program design, fundraising, operations, and communications. Prior to joining TCC, Samantha advanced the efforts of the Haiti Development Institute (HDI) at The Boston Foundation to address inefficiencies in the deployment of philanthropic capital and increase the intended impact of grassroots organizations in Haiti. She devised a unique three-tiered capacity assessment tool to evaluate the ability of grassroots organizations to affect change in their communities, enabling HDI to effectively function as an advisor for philanthropists and foundations looking to invest in or give to Haitian organizations. Samantha holds an M.A.L.D. in International Business and Development Economics from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a B.A. in French from Amherst College.

Corinne Paul (she/her)

corinne@writetobe.org
Global Health Policy Advocate, CARE

Corinne Paul is the Global Health Policy Advocate at CARE, an international non-governmental organization that works around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice while putting women and girls at the center of its work. As a policy advocate, Corinne helps influence the U.S. Government to improve international COVID-19 response and advance global women’s health. Previously, she was a foreign policy legislative aide to Senator Benjamin Cardin. In that role, Corinne was responsible for issues related to Latin America and the Caribbean and much of South and Southeast Asia, as well as global health, migration, gender, and international development. Prior to her time in the Senate, she worked for a nonprofit organization in Les Cayes, Haiti where she was introduced to Write to Be and supported the Fi Ki Fo program. Corinne earned her Master of Public Policy with a specialization in international development policy and a Bachelor of Arts in government and politics with minors in international development and US Latina/o studies from the University of Maryland.