Board Leaders Fellowship

Empowering next generation
board leaders

The Board Leaders Fellowship is a comprehensive training program for alumni of our schools and programs to gain nonprofit board experience, while building leadership skills and professional networks.

Make an impact

Embrace the unique opportunity to give back, while making an impact on the next generation of learners.

Expand Your Network

Learn from and build relationships with BwC staff, board members, and experts in the field.

Develop Leadership Skills

Develop the skills necessary to serve as a nonprofit board member and apply those learnings to the work of BwC.

Gain Board Experience

Regularly attend BwC board meetings, and serve as a “board member in training.”

Program Details

Throughout the year-long fellowship, fellows attend professional development sessions to gain the skills of a board member and have the opportunity to see the skills in practice at our school board and foundation board meetings.

Attend 1 session per month:

6 Professional Development Sessions

Grapple with new concepts alongside other fellows and industry experts.

6 Board Meetings

Actively engage in the work of our organization.​

Gain Insight Into

Role of Boards

Strategic Planning and Implementation

Fundraising and Resource Development

Board Governance Fundamentals

Board Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Financial Oversight

Meet Our 2025 Cohort

The Board Leaders Fellowship is a critical pathway for alumni to engage with and continue to learn from our organization into their professional lives, while creating change for the next generation of learners.

Chelsea Bowens

Chelsea Bowens is a proud graduate of BwC Middle School Class of 2008. She earned her undergraduate degree from Central Michigan University and Master of Education from Fordham University. She worked extensively with youth in various roles but has since transitioned to a career in Property Management and Real Estate. Outside of work, she actively volunteers with the Brooklyn NAACP, NCNW Brooklyn Section, and The Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant. Additionally, as founder of the Jesse and Wendy's Neighbor to My Neighbors Scholarship, she supports Bed-Stuy community leaders and scholars. She is excited to join the BwC Board Fellowship to deepen her knowledge of Board governance and contribute to impactful change.

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Jamila Henry

Jamila Henry, a Brooklyn native, is a proud alumna of the University of New Haven, where she earned a degree in Clinical Community Psychology. She began her educational journey at BwCCS, attending from 1st to 8th grade, and continued her high school education in Brooklyn. After college, Jamila launched her career in social services through the BwC internship program, which paved the way for her current role in workforce development as a manager. Beyond her professional achievements, Jamila is also a mentor in online business, sharing her knowledge and passion to inspire others. Jamila aims to continue paying all her teachings forward.

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Shamar Hunter

Shamar Hunter is a Corporate and Investment Banking Credit Analyst at Bank of America. Raised in Brooklyn, he earned a B.A. in Actuarial Science with a minor in Communications Studies from Baruch College in 2021. During high school, Shamar was actively involved in the Alumni Legacy Network, participating in mentoring, SAT prep, and the College Summer Internship program. He credits much of his professional growth to BwC and is eager to contribute his skills to the organization.

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Zhané Jackson

Zhané Jackson is a graduate of BwC Middle School ('10). She is currently a Senior Global Operations Project Manager in Strategy & Planning at Guy Carpenter. Previously, she worked at PricewaterhouseCoopers as an Experienced Risk Assurance Associate (2019-2021). She holds a B.S. in Business Info. Systems and a MEng in Technical Entrepreneurship from Lehigh University ('18, '19G).
Zhané participated in many Legacy Network programs, including the High School/College Summer Internships, College Tours, and SAT Tutoring. Zhané attributes much of her professional success to BwC and is excited to give back to her community.

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Aja Watkins

Aja Watkins is a Talent and Diversity Strategy Associate at Morgan Stanley, a leading global financial services firm. Her responsibilities include leading the Morgan Stanley Finance Academy and providing financial literacy education, mentorship, and access to students from underrepresented backgrounds nationwide. Before joining Morgan Stanley, Aja held community impact roles at Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer LLP and the NYC Council. Aja is a proud Community Partnership Charter School and Syracuse University alumna who attributes many of her professional development milestones to the Beginning with Children Foundation. Aja is dedicated to giving back and looks forward to doing so as a BwC Board Fellow.

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Our Past Cohorts

2023 Founding Cohort

Adel Clemonds

Kanica Khatri

Ardouin Ledain

Toluwalase Oladitan

Leneil Roderique

I-Queen Smart

Alexandria Torres

Kiasia Truluck

I never envisioned myself in a nonprofit board role, but this program has been a deeply personal awakening. The incredible access, the profound revelations, and the transparency it provides have been pivotal in my personal and professional development. Sharing this experience with an organization I cherish makes it all the more special.
Leneil Roderique
This work is important because who better to help steer an organization than the very people it helped produce.
Ardouin Ledain
I hope to sit on boards of impactful organizations in the future so it's great that I get the opportunity to do so now.
Tolu Oladitan
This experience allows me to reflect on the resources I have received and how I want to be part of the planning process for the resources the foundation provides for future generations.
Adel Clemonds
It’s a great opportunity, especially this early in my career, to engage with a board and learn about how they work in a safe space.
I-Queen Smart
I appreciated the fact that it felt like we, the fellows, were actual board members who had to wrestle with decisions that would impact the lives of many students and various other stakeholders.
Ardouin Ledain
Observing board meetings was the most helpful in gaining insight into board governance, learning about the priorities of each board, and meeting management.
Kiasia Truluck
I learned how to engage in strategic planning, oversee financial management, and contribute to fundraising efforts...I gained insights into governance practices and the unique challenges of managing a nonprofit, all of which have enhanced my leadership skills.
Leneil Roderique
Seeing the board in action is invaluable, and it allowed me to contextualize the sessions, which are beginner looks into dense topics.
Alex Torres

Board Impact

Equipped with critical board skills, our Board Leadership Fellows are empowered to create change for our community through board leadership. Many of our fellows go on to serve in an official capacity on a board.

Active Board Members

Alexandria Torres

CPEC Board

2023 Founding Cohort

Kiasia Truluck

Beginning with Children Foundation Board

2023 Founding Cohort

Leneil Roderique

Beginning with Children Foundation Board

2023 Founding Cohort

Legacy Advisory Board Members

Adel Clemonds​

2023 Founding Cohort

Ardouin Ledain​

2023 Founding Cohort

I-Queen Smart​

2023 Founding Cohort

Become a Fellow

If you’re interested in joining our next cohort, please fill out our interest form, or email us with questions.

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Partner With Us

If your organization is interested in partnering with our Board Leaders, please fill out the interest form, or email us with questions.

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Our Valued Partners

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Adel Clemonds​

Adel Clemonds is an associate at Gunderson Dettmer, a venture capital and emerging companies law firm. Originally from New York City, she completed her undergraduate degree at Barnard College and her graduate degree at Boston College Law School. She attended Community Partnership Charter School and her brother currently attends the same school. The Legacy Network has provided a wealth of opportunities for Adel, such as an internship with then city council member Stephen Levin and college application assistance. Adel is hoping to give back to the foundation and the broader Beginning with Children community as a whole.

Kanica Khatri​

Kanica Khatri started her Beginning With Children Charter School journey in Pre-K in 1996 and celebrated her 8th grade graduation in 2006. She has not only had the pleasure of having the full BwC experience but post-BwC was also involved with the Legacy Network and participated in mentorship, internship and college readiness programs. She graduated with a Bachelors in Economics from Binghamton University and most recently with an MBA from Baruch. She currently works in Compliance at Goldman Sachs.

She is grateful to BwC for being a support system throughout her academic and professional career and looks forward to giving back to the Foundation as a Fellow.

Ardouin Ledain

Ardouin Ledain is currently a Global Markets Credit Analyst at TD Securities. He was raised in Brooklyn and obtained a B.B.A in Finance, along with a minor in Communications Studies, from Baruch College in 2021.

During his high school and college years, Ardouin participated in several Alumni Legacy Network programs, including their Mentoring, High School Summer Internship, and College Summer Internship Programs.

Ardouin attributes much of his professional development to BwC and is excited about the opportunity to give back to the organization.

Toluwalase Oladitan

Toluwalase (Tolu) is a proud graduate of the Community Partnership Charter School. Previously she worked as a Senior Associate in Operations Strategy at Amgen Inc., a multinational biopharmaceutical company. In her role, she advised senior leaders with key decision-making and overall product portfolio advancement for the company. Tolu holds a B.A. from Harvard University in Biomedical Engineering and is currently an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School. 

She is grateful to BwC for being a support system throughout her academic and professional career and looks forward to giving back to the Foundation as a Fellow.

Leneil Roderique​

Leneil Roderique is an award-winning creative director with a focus on impactful storytelling. With experience at Vox Media, VICE Media Group, and Conde Nast, he has crafted compelling brand narratives through integrated ad campaigns spanning TV, digital, social, and experiential platforms. His work has included collaborations with renowned brands like Adidas, Google, and Coach.

Leneil Roderique, a graduate of Community Partnership Charter School (2006), City & Country School, Brooklyn Friends, and Wesleyan University, is currently pursuing an MBA at NYU Stern. He has been an active contributor to the BwC community.

I-Queen Smart

I-Queen attended BwCCS from pre-K to 8th grade with her two older brothers, while her mother taught math there from 1998 to 2005. She went on to attend Repertory Company High School for Theater Arts and took part in various Legacy Network program offerings. 

With support from BwC mentors, I-Queen earned a full tuition scholarship to Vanderbilt University through the Posse Foundation. Since graduating from Vanderbilt University, I-Queen has been working as a Sales Specialist at Foundation Medicine. I-Queen sees this fellowship as the start of her journey to give back to BwC, an organization that has been crucial to her success.

Alexandria Torres​

Alexandria Torres graduated from Beginning with Children in 2006 and has since remained connected to the Legacy Network as both a participant and a tutor. She is the second of seven in her family to belong to the Beginning with Children family. 

She graduated from the Macaulay Honors College at Lehman College in 2014 and completed the Columbia Publishing Course in 2015. In addition to her work as a tutor, Alexandria worked in the publishing industry for seven years. She currently works at New York University.

Kiasia Truluck​

Kiasia Truluck is the Director of Communications at TIME, where she leads media relations for TIME’s journalism, global live events, corporate announcements and brand partnerships. Prior to joining TIME, she held senior positions at DKC and Metro PR. Kiasia graduated from St. John’s University with an MS in International Communication and received her BA in Public Communication from SUNY Buffalo State. She credits her development to the support she received as an alumna of Beginning With Children Charter School, where she later gave back by tutoring. Kiasia aims to pay forward the mentorship that shaped her journey.

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