About Our TeamThe Community and Alumni Partnerships Team, known in the Houston office as the CAP Team, was formed in late 2013. This new team takes on the corps member placement process, work with alumni and partnerships with community organizations.
Melanie Singleton - Senior Managing Director, Community and Alumni Partnerships A native Houstonian and Rice University REEP graduate, she spent the past seven years serving as a founding school director for YES Prep Public schools in both Spring Branch and Aldine ISD. She was also part of one of the first classes to graduate from YES Prep when the charter program first opened in the Houston community. Lately, you can find her working on renovating her family home and working on other DIY projects! Vini Varughese - Director of Community and Alumni Partnership Originally from Chicago, Vini joined the ’04 Houston Corps and proudly taught 5th Grade Science at Sherman Elementary School. In 2007, he joined YES Prep where he taught Middle School Science and served as a Grade Level Chair, Family Coordinator/Advocate and Dean of Students. In addition to believing in the power of students to accomplish great things, he loves watching Chicago Bears games, hanging out with his dog, Blue, and cooking for his wonderful wife, fellow TFA alum, Denise. Nwamaka "Amaka" Unaka - Director of Community & Alumni Partnerships Amaka firmly believes that an individual’s zip code should not determine their destiny. She spent the last eight years working for KIPP Chicago as the Director of Advocacy and Community Engagement where she was instrumental in helping KIPP Chicago secure facilities for three new campuses and developed a plethora of partnerships to meet the diverse needs of the communities KIPP Chicago serves. Amaka holds a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley, a MSW from the University of Chicago, and a M.Ed. through the KIPP Summer Leadership Program at New York University. Amaka is a first generation Nigerian-American and was reared in sunny Southern California. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, swimming, reading, and traveling. |