Our Graduates

Addys Castillo

Addys Castillo is a public servant by day and performance artist by night. She is a public administrator with over 25 years of experience working across intersecting systems serving and organizing vulnerable populations. She has worked with numerous state agencies and nonproﬁts, including but not limited to LEAP (Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership), the State of Connecticut’s Department of Children and Families, Project Model Offender Reintegration Experience (MORE) Inc., the California Endowment and the Children’s Aid Society. Addys is most passionate about working towards dismantling systems of oppression that impact our most vulnerable communities. As the Executive Director of the Citywide Youth Coalition, Inc. in New Haven, CT she organizes and convenes youth, community members and youth-serving organizations towards building a courageous community where young people lead change.

When she is not building people power, you can ﬁnd Addys dancing, drumming and singing in el Batey with Movimiento Cultural Afro-Continental, Bomba Troupe. She has been dancing for over 29 years and in October 2019 she made her theatrical debut as “Yuisa” in La Negra: A Bomba Musical at Yale University. She is an aspiring bodybuilder and an anti-racist organizer and core trainer with The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond.

Addys is a National Urban Fellow and holds a Bachelor of Arts in sociology from Central Connecticut State University; a Master of Science in criminal justice and Professional Certiﬁcate in forensic psychology from the University of New Haven; along with a Master of Public Administration from the City of New York Baruch College’s School of Public Affairs.

Addys is a Cohort 1 Fellow. She is a 2026 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law!

Ahmaad Robinson

Ahmaad is a ﬁrst-generation college graduate. In 2013, he graduated from the University of Bridgeport with his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and in 2015 from the University of New Haven with his master’s degree in public administration. Ahmaad currently works for the Department of Labor in the employment services division. His experiences working in the non-proﬁt sector providing social services have fueled his desire to pursue a career in law focusing on business contracts and legal literacy. He believes that following a law career will allow him to continue to serve as an advocate for the destitute, empowering them with the necessary skills and tools to understand the law. In his spare time, Ahmaad enjoys creative writing, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.

Ahmaad is a Cohort 3 Fellow. He attends Western New England University School of Law.

Aishah Jenkins Stovall

Aishah Jenkins Stovall was born and raised in New Haven, CT. After graduating from Hopkins School, Aishah went on to receive her undergraduate degree in English at Morgan State University, in Baltimore, Maryland. Although she only received her master’s degree, also in English, from Central Connecticut State University in 2019, she was offered the opportunity to teach her master’s thesis, on intersectionality, as a course. Aishah currently works as an adjunct professor at both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University.

In her personal life, Aishah enjoys reading, baking, and taking long walks with her husband and two children. Her love of learning has proven especially helpful during this COVID-19 pandemic, as Aishah has been successfully homeschooling both her children.

Aishah ﬁrmly believes that America is one giant cultural melting pot. As such, she has long traveled throughout the United States viewing small museums and talking in one cultural experience after another. A lifelong learner, Aishah is constantly searching for new information to furnish her arsenal.

Aishah is a Cohort 1 Fellow. She is a 2025 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law!

Akia S. Callum

Akia S. Callum is an avid community organizer, ﬁerce political strategist, and social justice advocate who is committed to implementing transformational policies from the ground up. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, and is a product of the New York City Public School system. With over 8 years of experience working with and for cross-sector entities, she is committed to advocacy for students of color through the lens of civil rights and education.

Akia became heavily involved in governmental affairs at the age of 16 when she was a legislative aide for a New York City Council Member. During that time, she assisted in organizational branding through the development of marketing material, asset mapping, and programming for direct impact.

A graduate of Post University, she is committed to implementing transformational policies from the ground level. In 2015, Akia was an immediate change agent in her college town of Waterbury, Connecticut. As the founder of the Black Student Union at Post University, she also served on the Campus Culture Committee to bring students voices to the forefront around equitable practices on the topics of diversity and inclusion. In 2017, Akia was appointed to serve on the executive board as Vice President for the Connecticut State Conference NAACP Youth & College Division. Currently, Akia serves as President of the Connecticut State Conference NAACP Youth & College Division and Chair of National Initiatives and Development for the NAACP National Youth Works Committee. She also serves as the Director of Community Impact and Marketing at Waterbury Bridge to Success Community Partnership (BTS).

As the eldest daughter of immigrants, Akia understands the importance of creating opportunities for the marginalized. She has been inﬂuential in addressing critical issues such as criminal justice reform, education, and immigration in communities of color. A champion for education and civic engagement, she knows ﬁrsthand how they directly correlate with one’s quality of life and has helped to mobilize others. It is her vision that we become fearless and truthful while serving in all capacities that alleviate societal issues that impact our communities.

Through her work as a student leader on campus, as well as her various roles for different service organizations including the NAACP on the local, state, and national level; she has realized that law school would further her growth to increase advocacy for students of color through the lens of civil rights and education.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in legal studies and a Master of Education with a concentration in curriculum and instruction from Post University.

Akia is a Cohort 1 Fellow. She is a 2026 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law!

Alanna Herskowitz

Alanna Herskowitz is a proud ﬁrst-generation and multi-race New Haven native. She attended the University of New Haven in West Haven, Connecticut for both her undergraduate and graduate studies. She graduated with a B.S. in criminal justice with a focus in English in May of 2020. She graduated in August of 2021 with a Master of Public Administration. She is an active volunteer within her local community, having worked to organize toy drives for Toys-For-Tots and service the greater New Haven area through clean- ups and food drives. While completing her undergraduate studies, she became a published author, created an honors course focused on the rehabilitation of incarcerated people, and developed an honors thesis that extensively examined the role of overt bias in modern day policing through the scrutinization of departmental policies, training, and the recruitment process. Her thesis abstract was selected for presentation at the 57th annual Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS). Upon completion of the thesis, she felt challenged to create new and innovative solutions to problems that greatly impact varying communities and to produce a comprehensive and effective remedy for an overwhelming and ongoing issue. As a graduate student, Alanna continued to pursue policy analysis in the hopes to further explore policies, laws, and other factors at play when seeking to enact change. She focused a majority of her graduate work on exploring the policy and procedure surrounding or inﬂuenced by various criminal justice topics. Currently, Alanna works as a court clerk for the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. There, she engages with many people of varying races, backgrounds, ideologies, incomes, and experiences. She ﬁnds great joy and pride in being a public servant, which has also played a part in helping her decide to go to law school. In her free time, Alanna is an avid concert attendee and academic journal consumer. She enjoys keeping up to date on the latest advancements in criminal justice and developing policy to aid in eventually making New Haven a better and more equitable place to live.

Alanna is a Cohort 3 Fellow. She will be attending University of Connecticut School of Law in the fall of 2026.

Allyn Wright

Allyn Wright has been a resident of New Haven since 2003 and has family roots in the Newhallville section of the city. Allyn is a 1999 graduate of North Carolina A&T State University with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering and a 2018 graduate of the University of New Haven with a master’s degree in investigations/financial crimes.

From 1999 and 2008, he worked for General Dynamics Electric Boat Corporation, in Groton, Connecticut, as a Nuclear Engineer. Looking for a career change and wanting to become more involved within his community, Wright joined the New Haven Police Department in 2012 during the revitalization of the Community-Based Policing programs under then-Chief Dean Esserman. Allyn began working as a walking beat officer in the Westville Manor Projects and the Rockview/Brookside Estates Housing Complex, where he currently lives as part of an Officer in Residence program. Wright has worked closely with a variety of programs and community-based initiatives including the Yale Child Study program, which seeks to provide services to children and families who have experienced violence and trauma. His involvement with Yale Child Study served as the model of how police officers were trained across the nation in dealing with children who have been exposed to abuse and/or violence and trauma. Wright has been involved since the beginning of Project Longevity, a community and law enforcement initiative to reduce serious gang/gun violence in the New Haven area. He was the lead investigator in the New Haven Downtown Green K2 overdose epidemic in 2018 and the fentanyl-laced cocaine overdose outbreak in 2016 when several people died. Wright presented at the 2018 University of New Haven Henry Lee Institute Overdose Death Investigations Symposium and presented a case overview of overdose death investigations and prosecutions. Wright was involved in the 2018 Future Law Enforcement Youth Academy hosted by Yale University and the New Haven FBI which aims to shape and mold future law enforcement leaders. In 2016 and 2017, he received the United States Attorney’s Office District of Connecticut Award for Outstanding Investigative Service and Performance.

Through these initiatives, Wright has been involved in community-based programs that address addiction and substance abuse, mental health treatment, educational programs, housing, and employment. He is passionate about his role in the community and how the lack of resources and activities affects minority families throughout the City of New Haven.

Wright is looking for law schools with programs similar to Yale Law School’s Justice Collaboratory, which seeks to make the criminal justice system in America more effective and just. He likes the challenges and public service aspects of his job as a police officer and feels a law school degree would complement his professional career.

Outside of work, Wright is a single parent raising a 15-year-old son. He is active in his son’s grassroots basketball program and enjoys engaging youths in sports at all levels. Wright’s late uncle Gavin Jackson was the ﬁrst New Haven public school student to attend Yale University (1980) and played basketball for Yale.

Allyn is a Cohort 2 Fellow. He attends the University of Connecticut School of Law and is expected to graduate in 2027.

Amber Moye

Amber Moye is a talented individual with diverse experiences in many ﬁelds and social issues. With a B.A in strategic management from Howard University and an M.A. in education policy and sociology from Columbia University’s Teacher’s College, she dedicated years to educating public school youth as a K-6 certiﬁed teacher. Within the school system, she also wrote classroom curriculums and policies to improve educational practices.

Moye is a passionate proponent of racial justice. She serves as a board member of a social justice nonproﬁt organization, where she takes an active role in rallying for racial equity and policy changes. Fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, Moye has worked as a consultant with many K-12 education organizations.

Amber is a Cohort 2 Fellow. She is a 2026 graduate of Fordham University School of Law!

Annabelle Halliday

Annabelle Halliday is a Nigerian American business analyst for Yale University’s Web Technologies department. The work includes improving internal business processes and helping different Yale departments achieve their website design goals and needs. Her career in technology is extensive, beginning as a Geek Squad Agent at Best Buy to helping run the Student Technology Collaborative for Yale undergraduates interested in learning about technology and applying the knowledge to real-world applications. As a New Haven County native, she attended Hill Regional Career High School and was a co-captain of the volleyball team. In high school, she worked for LEAP, Inc. to provide enrichment activities after school to underprivileged youth. She also worked at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England as an advocate for STI prevention and education for her peers. Halliday studied at Southern Connecticut State University for her ﬁrst two years of college and then transferred to Western Governors University to graduate with a degree in Information Technology Management.

When she is not delving into technical topics, Halliday has many personal interests. She is an astrologer and tarot card reader, loves jigsaw puzzles, and makes homemade candles and beauty products in her spare time. She’s also an avid gamer and enjoys analyzing hard- to-crack levels.

Although Halliday isn’t sure what ﬁeld of law she wants to pursue, she has one speciﬁc goal: to defend innocent people who aren’t able to defend themselves. She strives to help people and make a positive impact on their lives in whatever she does.

Annabelle is a Cohort 2 Fellow. She is a 2026 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center!

Anna Rose Thelemaque

Anna Rose Thelemaque is a senior at the University of Connecticut pursuing a dual degree in human development and political science. Through her studies, Anna is learning how human development – the brain and its growth physically, emotionally, and socially – overlaps with politics and the law. Anna’s experience and involvement in state-level advocacy work led her to choose this course of study. Anna presented on what additional support, training, or improvements could be made to aid foster youth in ﬁnding and maintaining housing at Connecticut's “Youth at the Capitol” event in February 2022.

Anna aspires to pursue a law degree after her undergraduate studies because she is highly motivated to use both her experiences in academics and as someone with lived experience in foster care to advocate for clients who come from backgrounds of trauma. In summer 2022, Anna participated in the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute's (CCAI) foster youth internship program. She has published a policy report titled, “Eliminating the Foster Care to Homelessness Pipeline” in which she discusses her own personal experience dealing with housing instability after leaving the childcare system. She highlighted that, “each year, more than 20,000 youth in foster care turn 18 years old and are expected to start their lives on their own — looking for a job, a place to live, food to eat, and other basic necessities to survive all at once. The transition from foster care often places young people at risk of homelessness and housing instability due to the loss of support the child welfare system should provide.” Anna is heavily interested in policy work and aspires to be a civil rights lawyer and humanitarian. Aside from academics, she aspires to one day open her own holistic medicine practice to help people recover and let go of trauma, unforgiving, suffering, PTSD, and other issues so they can live a healthy life.

Anna Rose is a Cohort 3 Fellow. She attends Western New England University School of Law and is expected to graduate in 2028.

Anne O’Connell

Anne O’Connell is currently pursuing a B.S. in English and history at Columbia University’s School of General Studies. In addition to being a full-time student, O’Connell is the Admissions Coordinator for the Justice-in-Education Initiative, a program that helps individuals who are formerly incarcerated gain access to higher education. She also interns for the Prosecutor Accountability Project, a non-proﬁt organization committed to ﬁghting absolute immunity. O’Connell is not only devoted to helping people who are seemingly left behind. She has also extensively volunteered for Animal Nation, a wildlife sanctuary that rehabilitates sick animals. O’Connell is also a percussionist and artist who has performed in groups such as the Judy Dworin Performance Project, the Avodah Dance Ensemble, and the Greenwich Town Party. She truly enjoys being of service to others and believes that a good sense of humor is always a good way to walk through life.

Anne is a Cohort 2 Fellow. She is a 2026 graduate of Columbia Law School!

Anton Pettiford

Anton is a current resident of East Hartford, Connecticut. His connection to the New Haven community, interestingly, stems from involvement with the criminal justice system in 2006 when, at age 17, Anton was court-mandated to spend 3 months at New Haven’s Youth Center for Change—a residential program located within 2 miles of Yale Law School. Anton understood how the uniqueness of his own circumstances—having earned a high school diploma and employed part-time just prior to his placement at Youth Center for Change— might have inﬂuenced the judge to impose a sentence of probation instead of prison, but he wanted to understand why racial disparities existed within the criminal justice system, why mass incarceration disproportionately impacted people of color. Moreover, Anton sought to learn how to build off his own experiences and to draw upon the lessons he learned to make a difference in the lives of others, so as to help them avoid the same mistakes he made as a youth.

Anton enrolled in the Criminal Justice program at Manchester Community College (MCC) in 2010, becoming the ﬁrst in his family to pursue a college degree. At MCC, Anton went on to serve, in successive years, as Criminal Justice Club president (2011-12) and president of the Alpha Upsilon Alpha Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa: International Honor Society (2012- 13). Under his leadership, the Criminal Justice Club held several community events such as Bears that Care — a holiday toy drive for children of incarcerated parents. As president of Phi Theta Kappa, Anton helped to raise funds for breast cancer research, provided school supplies to hundreds of Manchester Public School students, held a Community College Completion Corps event where over 100 MCC students pledged to complete their associate degree requirements, and helped to create MCC’s “Pay It Forward: Coaching for Student Success” student mentorship program. Anton was named to the All-Connecticut Academic Team in 2013 and earned the MCC College Student Leadership Award. Anton earned a BA in Criminal Justice from the University of Hartford in 2015.

Since then, Anton has worked as a Behavior Manager in the East Hartford Public School system, Client Supervisor at a residential program (similar to Youth Center for Change), and Youth Development Specialist at a Hartford non-proﬁt organization dedicated to empowering youth to succeed in education and employment. In his current role as Guided Pathways Advisor at Middlesex Community College, Anton helps ﬁrst-generation and low- income students overcome barriers to college success. Additionally, Anton also serves as co-advisor for the MxCC chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, where he continues to share his experiences as a student leader to promote the beneﬁts of academic excellence. Anton serves as a community member on the East Hartford Black Caucus where he shares in the organization’s mission to “build black political and economic equity through advocacy and community collaboration.” Anton is excited to begin his journey with the Access to Law School Program and looks forward to sharing his perspective as someone who was impacted by the justice system.

Anton is a Cohort 3 Fellow. He attends the University of Connecticut School of Law and is expected to graduate in 2027.

Babz Rawls Ivy

Babz Rawls Ivy is a native of New Haven, Connecticut. She grew up in Church Street South Housing complex in the Hill Section. Upon graduation from Eli Whitney RVT High School, she enrolled and was accepted into Barber-Scotia College in Concord, North Carolina (HBCU). A decade after earning her undergraduate degree in Marketing, she went on to graduate school, earning a master’s in public administration as a National Urban Fellow at Baruch, City University New York. She also holds certiﬁcation as a Spiritual Director from the School of Spirituality & Practicum, The Mercy Center in Madison, Connecticut.

Babz has held numerous positions of leadership as an employee and as a volunteer. She has served the Greater New Haven communities through Mayoral appointments, Board Commitments, and Community Activism.

She is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Inner-City News. The Inner-City News is a 30+ year old award-winning weekly print publication published by Penﬁeld Communication, Inc. in New Haven Connecticut. It is the oldest continuous Black owned published print publication in New England.

Babz is a nationally recognized popular blogger and social media inﬂuencer currently managing several blogs on various social media platforms. She is a popular podcaster and a frequently sought after guest for local and national radio, television, and podcast appearances.

Babz is the much listened to morning radio personality and producer of LoveBabz LoveTALK show, Monday-Friday 9:00 am to 11:00 am. Every morning Babz converses with the most interesting people in and around New Haven. She chops it up with reluctant, but always down, Station Manager Harry Droz. WNHH-LP is a hyper-local community radio station under the New Haven Independent news outlet.

Babz is also the co-host of Criminal Justice Insider (CJI) with Jeff Grant, a radio show and podcast on 103.5 WNHH-LP. CJI highlights and showcases matters and issues about the criminal justice system. There is more to criminal justice than going to prison. The prison system is a complex multi-layered entity with a great many moving parts and players.

Babz is an avid reader, a social butterﬂy, and enjoys ﬁne food and drink. You can ﬁnd her in various bars and eateries around town. She hosts salons on her porch in Newhallville, feting artists and intellectuals alike. Building community is her favorite thing. The mother of four beautiful children she and then-husband adopted during their marriage. Motherhood was and is the greatest adventure in her life. Babz served time in FCI Danbury and is a white-collar felon.

She readily speaks about that time in her life’s story when asked and invited. Serving time in federal prison affected her profoundly, so much so she created and founded The Freed Woman Fund with the Prosperity Foundation of CT. The FWF is a fund to aid Black Women exiting prison returning back to community. It is currently an endowed fund with the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.

Babz is a Cohort 3 Fellow. She will be attending Western New England University School of Law in the fall of 2025.

Brittany LaMarr

Brittany is a current senior at the University of Connecticut, pursuing a B.S. in political science.

During a four-year enlistment with the United States Army where she constructed bridges as part of her job as a combat engineer, Brittany received the Soldier of the Year award for her unit two consecutive years in a row, an award given to soldiers for outstanding excellence amongst their peers. She is also a former Big Sister in the Big Brother Big Sister Program, an intern for the Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill, and volunteer for U.S. Senator Chris Murphy’s political campaign. As an advocate for the protection of human rights internationally, Brittany commits her life to serving as a vessel of justice for those whose human rights have been violated. Her passion is to uphold the dignities of all individuals and dreams of becoming a human rights lawyer.

After involvement in the criminal justice system as a young adult, she channels the transformation she was able to make within her life into helping other young adults by speaking with classes of high school students. As a prior athlete, Brittany sought out weightlifting and strength training to enable her strength within. Intrigued by the substantial beneﬁts of physical exercise and proper nutrition for a person’s mental stability, emotional intelligence and overall happiness, Brittany endeavored to become a certiﬁed yoga and meditation instructor, personal trainer, competitive Olympic weightlifter, and American Parkinson Disease Association-certiﬁed personal trainer. She has gone on to open her own sports chiropractic studio to help every individual achieve their own optimal health through a holistic approach, training not only athletes, but those individuals who seek personal training to improve their health and wellness.

She enjoys spending every other moment between work and school, with her four-year-old son. She loves to enjoy the outdoors with him through activities like hiking, kayaking, mountain biking, swimming, or just playing in the dirt with construction trucks. Her most cherished moments are those where she aids in and witnesses his growth as he practices his reading, writing, math, and learning Spanish, which she speaks as a second language.

Brittany is a Cohort 1 Fellow. She is a 2026 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law!

Christian Aviles

Christian is a Los Angeles native who moved to New Haven to start his dream job working as the Director of College Access and Persistence at Squash Haven. In his years at Squash Haven, Christian has helped ﬁrst-generation and low-income students gain admission to competitive colleges and universities across the northeast, secure millions of dollars in renewable ﬁnancial aid and earn summer internships and full-time job opportunities.

Christian also works actively with Squash Haven families to connect them to resources in the community that ensure their economic success, as well as their health and wellbeing. Christian’s work at Squash Haven is fueled by his lifelong passion for using education to empower communities of color and low-income families. Christian comes from a diverse background in education, having worked in public and private schools, nonproﬁts, and test prep settings. In addition to his passion for academics and college access, Christian is also committed to the economic empowerment of the students and families he serves.

Christian is excited to begin his journey with the Law School Access Program and learn more about how to use the law to help people in New Haven overcome barriers that have kept them from accessing the promises of our country: the promise of economic stability, the promise of an education, and the promise of equality under the law.

Christian graduated with honors from Amherst College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Sociology. As part of his senior thesis, Christian completed a year- long project detailing the impact that changes in federal education policy would have on public school teachers. Christian is a ﬁrst-generation college graduate from a low-income background, and a proud Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholar. Christian was also a participant in the New Haven Community Leadership Program, where he worked alongside non-proﬁt leaders to learn about courageous and collaborative leadership. In his free time, Christian enjoys walking around New Haven, listening to podcasts about politics, supporting local restaurants, and reading books.

Christian is a Cohort 1 Fellow. He is a 2026 graduate of Yale Law School!

Daniel Dunn

Daniel Dunn is a government transparency advocate, community organizer, and systems designer in Hamden, Connecticut. Daniel is currently ﬁghting for police transparency and accountability as a member of the Hamden Police Commission. As a member of the Hamden Traffic Authority, Daniel collaborated with community members to create a more accessible public workﬂow for prioritizing and responding to traffic safety issues. Daniel previously managed the open data program for the Town of Chapel Hill, making data about the town and its operations easily accessible online. In 2019, Daniel developed OpenGovernment.io to encourage municipalities to increase transparency and facilitate access to information. With over a decade of experience as a technology consultant and systems architect, Daniel hopes to use his skills to enhance legal fact-ﬁnding, improve local governments, and directly address issues related to class and racial inequality. Daniel is a ﬁrst-generation college graduate with a BA in Philosophy. He enjoys cooking, percussion, robotics, and building new things in his workshop.

Daniel is a Cohort 3 Fellow. He attends Yale Law School and is expected to graduate in 2027.

Daniel Nieves III

Daniel Nieves III is a 30-year-old junior at the University of Connecticut. He’s been a legal consultant and Spanish interpreter for the last six years in New Haven. As a local, Nieves mediates between the judicial system and defendants who are from the area. He ensures that his clients fully understand their court hearings and proceedings. His long-term goal is to complete law school and help his homeland, Puerto Rico, become America’s 51st state.

At UConn, Nieves is an American Studies major. He is part of “La Communidad Intelectual,” a community-based organization that helps impoverished communities. For example, students are involved in big brother/sister programs and go into the ﬁelds of local farm communities to directly help workers.

Nieves hopes to return to Puerto Rico to ﬁght corruption, poverty, and violence on his island. He notes that Puerto Rico is largely ignored by the United States because it is a territory. He believes that getting involved in politics to make Puerto Rico our 51st state is necessary to help his people and the island he loves. Nieves aims to play a major role in starting this process.

Outside of school and work, Nieves is working on his professional boxing debut. He also continues his self-taught speech therapy to help his speech impediment and become more ﬂuent. Nieves enjoys spending time with his family, working on his culinary skills, and reading.

Daniel is a Cohort 2 Fellow. He attends Western New England University School of Law and is expected to graduate in 2027.

Dora Lynn Barnes

Dora Lynn Barnes works as a School Counselor for the West Haven Board of Education. She started her career at West Haven High School (WHHS) and is presently employed at May V. Carrigan Intermediate School. In 2019, she was selected as Carrigan’s Unsung Hero and also implemented Carrigan’s First Annual Black History Celebration which received an Honorary Citation from the Mayor of West Haven. Dora is dedicated to her students and constantly strives to create better opportunities for them by improving their academic, social/emotional, and college/career development. For example, she implemented WHHS’s annual trip to the HBCU College Fair in Riverbank, NY; facilitated WHHS’s annual visit to Monroe College in New Rochelle, NY; and implemented a college collage contest at Carrigan where student winners receive either a University of New Haven t-shirt or attend a demonstration at Carrigan facilitated by Goodwin College in their Advanced Manufacturing Mobile Training Lab.

Dora received her undergraduate degree at Albertus Magnus College where she majored in Sociology with a concentration in Social Work and minored in Criminal Justice. She also graduated from both the University of Saint Joseph where she received her master’s degree in school counseling and from the University of Bridgeport where she earned her 6th Year Degree in Education. She also completed internships at Dr. Robert H. Brown Intermediate School, WHHS, Carrigan, Multicultural Ambulatory Addictions Services, Our Community Counseling, and the State of Connecticut Adult Probation which led to her receiving the Department of Sociology Practicum & Internship Student of the Year from Albertus Magnus College. Dora recently submitted all of her paperwork to the State of Connecticut to become a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and to the National Board for Certiﬁed Counselors (NBCC) for her National Certiﬁed Counselor (NCC) certiﬁcation. She truly enjoys helping, advocating, and mentoring the “underdog,” especially those at a disadvantage due to living in poverty, suffering from systemic racism, or faced with language barriers. Dora is an avid reader who loves to learn about Black history both in the Americas and in ancient African civilizations, as well as the connection between these civilizations and the remainder of the world today. She has enjoyed swimming since childhood and continues to swim as often as her schedule allows. When time permits, she enjoys dancing to Reggae (her favorite music), spending time with friends/family, traveling to new places, and trying new foods. Her long-term aspirations are to retire in a Spanish speaking country, build a home, become a college professor, and start both her own law practice and mental health counseling facility. Her short-term goals are to continue learning Spanish until she is ﬂuent, become a school principal in an urban district, become a superintendent in one of America’s most impoverished cities, and of course to become an attorney!

Dora is a Cohort 1 Fellow. She attends Vermont Law & Graduate School.

Henry J. Seyue

Henry J. Seyue is a third-year political science and economics major at the University of Connecticut. While in high school, Henry became involved in a variety of experiences that sparked a desire for social activism, which he maintains today. Among these experiences was a tenure at the Youth Court of the City of New Haven, where he found ways for youth offenders and delinquent students to repair harm to their communities rather than facing immediate punitive action. He also held other leadership positions during this time such as senior class president and captain of his high school debate team, to name a few. Upon graduating from high school, he matriculated at Benedict College, where he served as a Legislative Lead for Save the Children Action Network and was named the school’s ﬁrst Frederick Douglass Global Fellow. As a Fellow, Henry focused on juxtaposing European and American social and political climates. Following his Fellowship, Henry began attending the University of Connecticut (UConn), where in his ﬁrst semester he contributed to the UConn Political Review as a staff writer. In his second semester, he remotely served as an Assistant Editor to the Review while interning in the D.C. office of Sen. Richard Blumenthal. Currently, he balances his editorial tasks with improving his academic community as an Administrative Assistant in UConn’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Henry is a Cohort 1 Fellow. He is a 2026 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law!

Jalyn Johnson

Jalyn Johnson was born and raised in New Haven, CT and graduated from Common Ground High School, a school that is focused on social justice and the environment, in 2017. At Common Ground, she began working on the school farm and developed a passion for the tough work. She is currently pursuing a BSW at the University of Connecticut and will be graduating in the Spring of 2021. She hopes to work at Connecticut Department of Children and Families after graduation to gain experience as a social worker and then plans to pursue a M.S.W and J.D. to become a juvenile lawyer.

While being a lawyer, she also plans to open a farm to feed communities of color who lack resources to healthy and local food. She also hopes to create a program in which those who are neglected by society, such as the formerly incarcerated or disabled, can learn about themselves and the food that they eat while giving them the tools to be autonomous in a society that rejects/ignores them. She also hopes to raise animals as well to use them as support animals for her clients.

Typically, Jalyn spends her free time watching TV, doing arts and crafts, working out, spending time with friends and family, and learning ASL.

Jalyn is a Cohort 1 Fellow. She is a 2025 graduate of Villanova University School of Law!

Karina Lopez

Born in Ecuador, as one of nine children, Karina came to the United States when she was 18 and has been living in New Haven ever since. For 14 years, Karina was undocumented. This experience helps her understand the challenges many immigrants experience in terms of culture, language, and legal status among other issues. She spent four years with Apostle Immigrant Services (AIS) in New Haven as an accredited representative helping people navigate the immigration system. While working for AIS, Karina obtained her associate’s degree in liberal arts at Gateway Community College. Currently, she is a senior at Southern Connecticut State University where she will obtain a degree in sociology with a minor in Spanish. Karina also works at Loaves and Fishes in New Haven, a food pantry that serves the New Haven community with food and clothes. Besides helping the underserved population, Karina has a passion for reading, watching documentaries, kayaking, and taking small hikes when her schedule allows her to. She adores spending time with her family which includes her son and husband, a cat, and two sisters.

Karina is a Cohort 3 Fellow. She attends Quinnipiac University School of Law and is expected to graduate in 2027.

Kelli Ray Gibson

Kelli Ray Gibson is a native of New Haven and attended the city’s public schools. She completed her undergraduate studies at Central Connecticut State University with a dual degree in psychology and criminology. She also holds a master’s degree from Yale Divinity School where she concentrated primarily on the intersection between law and religion, focusing extensively on the association between trauma, faith, and human ﬂourishing.

Gibson enjoys working with individuals and organizations to help them achieve their goals. She spent her early career working in human development, specializing in technical skill assistance and strategic interventions for individuals with intellectual and behavioral differences. Desiring more educational advocacy work, she transitioned to the nonproﬁt sector. She most recently worked as a strategic content coordinator, educating individuals on how to think more critically and ethically about the communities they serve.

Gibson is currently interested in Veterans Affairs advocacy work. In recent years, her awareness of the rampant health disparities and barriers to quality care that U.S. veterans face catapulted her into social justice work around this issue. She is the proud daughter of a Vietnam War veteran. Outside of work, she enjoys outdoor contemplative practices, DIY home projects, and, most of all, traveling the world.

Kelli is a Cohort 2 Fellow. She is a 2026 graduate of Howard University School of Law!

Kellie Jones

Kellie Jones is a native of New Haven where she currently resides. Mrs. Jones attended the New Haven public schools (NHPS) until her family relocated to Georgia when she was in high school. She suffered a family tragedy in May of 2003 when she lost her oldest sister to domestic violence. Following this incident, her passion to assist domestic violence victims led her to become more interested in a legal path. She was a part of the ﬁrst graduating class from Peachtree Ridge High School in 2004. While at Peachtree Ridge, Mrs. Jones was the President of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), mock trial, and earned national honor roll. After completing high school, Mrs. Jones attended Georgia State University where she received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with a concentration in prelaw studies. While at Georgia State, Mrs. Jones completed an internship at the Partnership Against Domestic Violence as a Legal Advocate. Following her studies at Georgia State, Mrs. Jones returned to New Haven and received her Master of Science in criminal justice from Grand Canyon University. Mrs. Jones was on the Dean’s List while at both Georgia State and Grand Canyon Universities. Mrs. Jones continues to be an advocate for domestic violence awareness through her work with the Family Center Services of Connecticut located in New Haven. In 2016, she established a fund in the memory of her sister called Patrice’s Angels Emergency Fund with the help of Family Center Services. This fund is designed to assist victims of domestic violence in emergency situations. Mrs. Jones is currently the Manager of the Annuity Department at Knights of Columbus and has been with the company for 13 years. She also volunteers for United Way of Greater New Haven. Outside of working and volunteering, Mrs. Jones is a devoted wife and mother of two boys, ages 5 and 15 who attend school in NHPS. Aside from cheering for her oldest at baseball games and assisting her husband with coaching tee ball, she also enjoys hiking, reading, and writing.

Kellie is a Cohort 3 Fellow. She attends Fordham University School of Law and is expected to graduate in 2028.

Kevin Baisden

Kevin Baisden is a recent graduate of Yale Law School. While in law school, he spent his summers interning at law firms and at the United States District Court for the District of Columbia during the academic year. Additionally, Kevin was a Research Assistant for YLS faculty, served on the Board of the Yale Federalist Society, and brought his experience as an Access to Law School Fellow full circle by serving as an Access Coach. Aside from his studies and other activities, he co-authored an opinion piece in the Wall Street Journal discussing Supreme Court jurisprudence, which has been cited by legal faculty in law review articles.

Before law school, Kevin spent several years in asset management and financial technology after graduating from Columbia University, where he studied Economics and Philosophy. After law school, he will be an Associate at a Washington, D.C. law firm before clerking in federal appeals court. His legal interests focus on constitutional law and criminal justice reform, particularly clemency and post-conviction relief.

Kevin is a Cohort 1 Fellow. He is a 2025 graduate of Yale Law School!

Malachi Bridges

Malachi Bridges, from New Haven, CT, is a senior at the University of Connecticut, double majoring in political science and Africana Studies. Malachi graduated valedictorian from his high school, the Metropolitan Business Academy, and found his passion for politics while there. Along with advocacy, Malachi has a passion for ﬁnancial equity. He served as the treasurer of the Student Government and was a 2-year delegate with Yale Model Congress, presenting bills on wealth inequality and housing disparity. At UConn, Malachi is a Residential Advisor (RA), a member of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists (NCOBPS), a member of the CLAS Student Leadership Board, and a ScHOLA2RS House Alum. For three years, Malachi has interned for the City of New Haven as the Coordinator of Corporate Sponsorship. While in this role, he worked to revitalize an urban district and aid in the reintegration of at-risk youth and troubled populations to back into productive society. This past summer, Malachi was awarded UConn’s SURF grant to research the thwarting of Black homeownership. Malachi is interested in administrative law to study property, land use, and disputes in the hope of curbing homelessness, residential inequity, and evictions. He lives by a motto: “I was given these hands and this mouth to do and to speak, but nothing I do or say would mean anything if it wasn’t used to help others.”

Malachi is a Cohort 1 Fellow. He is a 2026 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law!

Marcus T. Harvin

Marcus T. Harvin is a son of the city of New Haven; one who believes deeply in the potential of his birthplace. Marcus is an aspiring minister and community leader who is dedicated to the cause of delivering his hometown from the blight, and socio-economic barrenness that has morphed this metropolis into a slum. He is presently pursuing an undergraduate degree in General Studies at the University of New Haven (by way of his participation in the Yale Prison Education Initiative program while he was imprisoned at MacDougall C.I.). He is a 2022-23 Yale Prison Education Initiative College-to- Career fellow; a participant in the Yale University School of Medicine/ FORDD Clinic Formerly Incarcerated Recovery Support Training program; a graduate of the Blackstone Career Institute Legal Assistant program (with distinction; he also earned graduate certiﬁcations in: Civil Litigation; Criminal Law; Immigration Law; and Personal Injury). However, in his eyes, his greatest accomplishment thus far has been creating his two beloved daughters-Mariah Lorraine Harvin, and Mi’ah Evelyn Harvin. Harvin’s aspiration to become a criminal defense attorney is the byproduct of his prolonged personal battle with the pervasive injustice and inequity within Connecticut’s criminal justice system. The actualization of this aspiration would also serve as the fulﬁllment of a promise he made to his late-beloved grandmother Sally Mae Harvin. Through law, he has discovered a way to turn the pain which accompanies imprisonment into passionate purpose; and he is determined to be the answer to the prayers of the imprisoned, impoverished, and impotent.

Marcus is a Cohort 3 Fellow. He attends Western New England University School of Law.

Marisol Garcia

Marisol Garcia is currently a senior at Trinity College pursuing a degree in public policy and law, graduating in May 2022. She is a 2020 graduate of the Center for Prison Education program between Wesleyan University and Middlesex Community College. After serving a combined total of 14 years of incarceration, parole/probation, and community supervision, Garcia has made it a personal mission to help those she left behind the prison walls through community outreach and education. Her former mentorship in the Vera Institute of Justice Restoring Promise Initiative has helped fuel her continued passion for Restorative Justice. Her past hospice work has also fueled an interest in public health, public policy, and mass incarceration, an interest she pursues at Yale University’s SEICHE Center for Health and Justice. Garcia strives to be a model of hope for people recently released to pursue their dreams. She has wanted to study law since she was ﬁve years old. Since her release in 2019, she has won a Dress for Success Equitable Foundation Scholarship and represented other women’s organizations pursuing higher education and leadership. She balances her job at LAZ parking, two internships, her husband, and two dogs.

Marisol is a Cohort 2 Fellow. She is a 2026 graduate of Vermont Law & Graduate School!

Michael Braham

Michael Braham was born and raised in Hartford. He moved to New Haven upon being released from a Connecticut prison after serving 25 years. While in prison, he earned a reputation as a jailhouse lawyer. He did so by successfully prosecuting several actions against prison officials and also by helping other prisoners do the same. At some point during his incarceration, Braham developed a love and passion for the law and began to imagine becoming a licensed attorney once released. He is now a paralegal working for a local civil rights attorney who frequently takes on cases seeking sentence reductions via motions for sentence modiﬁcation or petitions for commutation. Braham is also a member of the Full Citizens Coalition (FCC), a New Haven nonproﬁt. With FCC, he is working on a project aimed at passing legislation that would give Connecticut prisoners the right to vote.

In his undergraduate career, Braham was a student of Wesleyan-Middlesex’s Center for Prison Education, where he majored in philosophy with a focus on the intersection between critical race theory and sociology.

Michael is a Cohort 2 Fellow. He attends the University of Connecticut School of Law and is expected to graduate in 2028.

Tai Walker

Prior to Tai Walker’s acceptance into the Yale Access to Law School Program, his previous academic accomplishments include graduate studies at Champlain College in Burlington, VT, where he earned his Master of Science in Law degree in 2015. In 2006, he earned his undergraduate Bachelor of Science in mass communication studies from Liberty University, located in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Throughout his undergraduate studies, he enjoyed the performing arts as a stage actor and member of the school’s Gospel Choir. Having special interests in music and entertainment, during his sophomore year, he launched his ﬁrst music entertainment business called Red Carpet Productions. He managed and toured with his own indie artists. His number one college band, “Six Chasing Seven” gained a lot of popularity and would later perform opening acts for the famous Dave Matthews Band located in Charlottesville, VA. His vibrant talent brought something new and daring to the conservative, religious city of Lynchburg.

Although he’s accomplished a great deal, it didn’t come so easy without a price to pay. As a member of an underrepresented population, he remembers growing up as a little boy with limited access to advanced education and economic resources. Living in the inner city, he experienced the sufferings of Black-on-Black crime, systemic racism, unequal justice, and had several run-ins with the law, and even to the point of being incarcerated for a year.

Despite all of these struggles and challenges, he has been able to make good use of his opportunities to become the best man he is today. Some of his further accomplishments include being a SAG-AFTRA union actor, featured in a few motion picture ﬁlms and TV series such as Blue Bloods, The Good Wife, Delivery Man, and Rob the Mob. When not acting, he is a professional Caribbean chef and serial entrepreneur. He owns and successfully operates a restaurant brand, Karobean Kitchen, which received an official citation from the Connecticut General Assembly for being Hartford's ﬁrst Caribbean soul food restaurant to offer self-serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. While his tasteful cuisine continues to capture the heart of many hungry patrons, he uses his restaurant platform to help support local causes such as Harford World Aids Day and Hartford Public Library Career Pathways Initiative (CPI) Food Service Program. In 2017, he gave oral testimony at the state's Capitol for a cause that he is most passionate about, leading to the passing of Connecticut House Bill 6219, An Act Concerning Community Reentry By Persons Who Were Incarcerated. He continues to make his doors open and available to the formerly incarcerated without seeking any government tax-credits. He also supports the State of Connecticut Department of Developmental Services by providing employment opportunities to persons with developmental disabilities and special needs. While he advocates for equal employment and small business opportunities for all people, he endeavors to ﬁght against any and all discriminatory practices that adversely affect Black and minority-owned businesses.

He’s excited to be learning as a Fellow at the Yale Access to Law Program. He hopes that his wealth of experience and knowledge will help other Fellows, as well as contribute to the overall success of the program’s initiative.

Tai is a Cohort 1 Fellow. He attends Western New England University School of Law and is expected to graduate in 2027.

Tiffany Minakhom

Tiffany Minakhom is a passionate, ﬁrst-generation, Lao woman dedicated to addressing power imbalances and ending mass incarceration. Tiffany believes that any change is possible through ﬁerce community organizing and advocacy. She lives by the Bryan Stevenson quote, “our humanity depends on everyone’s humanity.”

As a daughter of Lao refugees, Tiffany acknowledges the signiﬁcance of creating opportunities for exploited communities. Through ﬁerce advocacy in the face of injustice, she believes we all have the power to create powerful change together.

Tiffany is currently a paralegal at the Center for Children’s Advocacy in Hartford, a racial justice nonproﬁt law ﬁrm dedicated to advocating for Connecticut’s most vulnerable youth. Tiffany works with the Youth Justice Project, speciﬁcally working with youth who have been impacted by the juvenile justice system and assisting them through the challenges of re-entry. At the Center, Tiffany assists in facilitating Know Your Rights training for youth 24 and under at Manson Youth Institution. During these trainings, she discusses their civil legal rights when returning to their communities, with an emphasis on education, and potential collateral consequences.

Tiffany is an advocate for ending mass incarceration and believes we should create a world where everyone’s basic needs are met. She is also a member of the Katal Center for Equity, Health, and Justice, a community organization dedicated to ending mass incarceration and the drug war in Connecticut. With Katal leaders and members, she has moderated #CutShutInvest community conversations to discuss the importance of cutting down the number of people incarcerated in jails and prisons, shutting down the number of prisons, and investing in communities most harmed by systemic racism and mass incarceration, into opportunities of housing, healthcare, education, and jobs. Tiffany has also emceed #FreeThemNowCT community-based protests at the Hartford Correctional Center and spoke at the State Capitol to raise awareness about COVID disparities and unsafe environments inside jails and prisons and demand that our state leaders and governor do better.

In addition to her work at Katal, she is also a Mentor for GoodWorks, a non-proﬁt dedicated to empowering women in recovery from the criminal justice system to make positive behavioral changes in their life.

Tiffany is also a personal trainer. Being a plus-size woman, Tiffany knows how vital it is for people to have a safe place to move their bodies and take up space without judgment. She is “anti-BMI” as she advocates for functional training, being stronger, having more endurance, gaining mobility, and moving your body because you want to.

In her downtime, you can ﬁnd Tiffany reading, lifting, boxing, listening to scary podcasts, cuddling with her cat, Sweet Pea, re-watching The Office, and being around family and friends. Tiffany holds an Associate of Arts degree in Paralegal Studies at Manchester Community College and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Legal Studies at Bay Path University.

Tiffany is a Cohort 3 Fellow. She attends St. John’s University School of Law and is expected to graduate in 2027.

Twyla Green

Twyla is a recent first-generation college graduate from the University of Connecticut where she earned her degree in Women Gender Sexuality Studies and Human Rights. Upon graduation, Twyla committed to Teach For America Corps where she became a seventh-grade social studies teacher in Springfield, Massachusetts. Today, she is a third-year teacher in New Haven, CT. During her time as a teacher, she has seen the discrepancies within the education system. Law school has always been her end goal, and what she saw as a teacher drove her passions even further to pursue law. She believes that a child’s zip code should not determine the quality of their education, and she aims to challenge and reform laws within the education system to empower the young leaders of tomorrow.

Not only did Twyla experience public schools as a teacher, but she also encountered them firsthand as she is a product of the New Haven Public School system, from kindergarten all the way up to her senior year at James Hillhouse High School. Twyla graduated in the top 10 of her class of over 200 students and received a multitude of scholarships including the New Haven Promise. She was the captain of her cheerleading team while also attending the Educational Center for the Arts and C.B.C program junior and senior years. Although Twyla had many opportunities in her high school and middle school years as an adolescent, she realizes that her counterparts in more affluent neighborhoods had even more. The students in these districts didn’t have to jump through hurdles to access basic SAT textbooks, the staff in their districts had lighter caseloads and were able to meet the needs of their students so that the college process was smoother, and they were equipped for the college application process. These inequities have shaped her vision of what she hopes to achieve when she begins her law career.

Twyla is a Cohort 4 fellow. She attends Florida A&M University College of Law and is expected to graduate in 2028.

Victoria Nataly Esparza

Victoria Nataly Esparza is a ﬁrst-generation student ﬁnishing the last semester of her undergraduate education remotely at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), majoring in Political Science and Spanish. Esparza immigrated to the United States nine years ago and recently became a New Haven resident. She hopes to attend law school to become an Immigration Attorney and assist other immigrants like herself.

Esparza currently serves as the Undocu/DACA Mentor for the Office of Inclusion and Intercultural Relations at UIUC. She serves as a resource for the immigrant community and assists undocumented/DACA students with college, scholarships, and ﬁnancial aid applications.

Additionally, Victoria served as a Senator in the Illinois Student Government (ISG) for two years. Her work in ISG includes:

Leading and drafting a referendum to create a center for undocumented students during student body general elections.
Securing $24,500 in funding for DACA renewal applications for U of I students.
Creating a program to collaborate with the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of Illinois College of Law to distribute the funds for DACA renewal applications.

Esparza also served as the grants intern at the University YMCA for two years. Her role consisted of assisting with drafting state and federal grants to secure services and programs to serve the immigrant community in Urbana-Champaign. Lastly, Victoria maintained a legal internship for the last four years. Esparza has volunteered to serve in the Hispanic Heritage Advisory Board, along with other volunteers, she organized events for the City of Aurora to raise funds for scholarships.

Victoria is a Cohort 2 Fellow. She is a 2026 graduate of the University of California Berkeley School of Law!