Paul is a course 11 graduate with a Master’s in City Planning (‘01). Inspired at ALC in 2019, Paul committed to the unique voice and experiences of first-generation graduates by co-founding FGAMIT. He is also President of the First Generation Harvard Alumni, where he earned his undergraduate degree. After two decades in tech, he is currently studying to be Certified Financial Planner (CFP) to focus on working with first-gen graduates on wealth creation. In 2020, he launched a financial advisory practice focused, helping families of all backgrounds realize their college dream. Originally from Miami with latino roots, Paul currently lives 20 miles from his childhood home in Fort Lauderdale, FL.
Ann is the COO of fintech company Giftly and brings nearly a decade of experience in Silicon Valley software startups. She is also a track and field coach at a San Diego high school and the co-founder of a nonprofit (www.kinetikfoundation.org) that provides free sports injury prevention and rehabilitation to underserved high school athletes. She is passionate about uplifting other members of the FLI community; today she mentors MIT undergrads through OME, UPOP, and FGAMIT. Ann grew up on a farm in the Midwest and graduated from MIT in 2008 with a degree in Chemical-Biological Engineering.
Yi ’85 (6-1) has been the Director of the Educational Council within MIT Admissions for just over one year. Prior to that he worked on Wall Street in NYC for 23 years. Yi is also a Parent Connector as he has a daughter who is currently a member of the class of 2022 at MIT. Earlier in his career, Yi worked in telecommunications software. Yi has a MS in EE from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and an MBA from Wharton. He currently resides in Cambridge, MA with his wife of 34 years, two daughters and golden retriever puppy.
Karla graduated MIT in 2015 with a physics degree and went on to work for the Center for Astrophysics, a joint Smithsonian and Harvard venture that manages several NASA projects. She works for the director’s office for the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Karla is the first in her family to graduate college in the states. A native of the greater Boston area, Karla’s family is originally from El Salvador. She met Paul at ALC in 2019 and that's how FGAMIT came to be!
Ricardo is a first-generation and low-income graduate from MIT. He graduated with a BS degree in course 16 in 2009. He went on to pursue an MBA at The University of Texas at Austin, graduating in 2020. His parents stopped pursuing education after the 5th grade, needing to support their families; they emigrated from a small, rural town in Mexico to Houston hoping to provide better opportunities for their children. This journey has been foundational in Ricardo's values. He hopes to continue to help provide opportunity for others.
Eleane (she/her) is a 2021 MIT graduate with a B.S. degree in Chemistry and Biology. She is working at Mathematica as a health research associate in the Boston area to pursue public health policy. In the near future, she hopes to earn a MPH/MCP and help advance health equity for low-income and minority populations in urban areas. During her undergrad, Eleane was a strong advocate for First Generation and/or Low Income (FLI) students on campus and served as a student liaison between FLI@MIT and FGAMIT. She is super excited to serve as a new member of the FGAMIT leadership team and to continue growing a larger community of FLI students and alums.
Nick graduated from MIT in 2018 with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and a Minor in Spanish Language. He grew up in Brewster, New York and entered MIT as a transfer student. Nick’s favorite experiences at MIT were IAP-Madrid and MISTI Spain, which enabled him to travel internationally and experience life outside of the US for the first time. Nick is excited about the challenges and opportunities in the energy industry and has worked across oil & gas and renewables in the US, Spain, and Mexico.
Natzem graduated from MIT in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and shortly went to work for three years as a mechanical engineer in Seattle. His interest in precision engineering led him to a PhD program at Wyant College of Optical Sciences where he works with sub-nanometer metrology systems to support advanced manufacturing. He serves as the Secretary with the First Generation Alumni of MIT and helps with the student-alumni outreach programming. If you ever want a delicious recipe or advice with a wood working project, that's his jam!