Dr. Christopher Lester is a motivational speaker, presenter, mediation conflict resolution specialist, and consultant on human development, multicultural organizational development, and youth empowerment issues. Dr. Lester has traveled extensively throughout the United States and works with a variety of organizations and educational institutions on issues of personal transformation, youth leadership and empowerment, multicultural organizational development and human development. Dr. Lester is the director of the Office of Multi-ethnic Student Education at the University of Maryland and president, CEO and founder of the National Educational Empowerment Summit, Inc. He has committed his life to helping others realize their fullest potential and recognize the ability to create empowering environments for all individuals.
Mr. Sawyer has over 20 years of experience in student and community engagement, teaching, and learning.
As assistant director, Mr. Sawyer trains student leaders, provides leadership for professional and student staff, and drives strategic implementation of student engagement and outreach. Mr. Sawyer also guides marketing strategy, advances alumni and donor engagement initiatives, manages the department’s technology infrastructure, and leads reporting and analysis for the holistic advising program.
Bringing extensive leadership experience to support the office’s mission and foster student success, Mr. Sawyer holds a Master of Business Administration.
Harita Patel is the assistant program director for assessment for the Office for Multi-ethnic Student Education (OMSE). She leads assessment and reporting across OMSE and supports senior staff in program development. Harita has over 10 years of experience in student development, teaching, and academia at the post-secondary level. She has worked in a variety of positions in higher education including with undergraduate advising, instruction, and administration. She is passionate about facilitating dialogue between students and administration to foster inclusive educational environments for today’s students. She has earned graduate degrees in political science from the University of Cincinnati and the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She is currently working on completing her dissertation at the University of Cincinnati.
Dashielle Horn is the assistant program director of academic outreach and student development for the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education (OMSE), where she works with the tutoring services program and Sister to Sister.
Dashielle has over 15 years of experience supporting students in higher education, with a background in teaching first-year writing, literature, and pedagogy; tutoring in study skills and writing; and student success program administration. In past positions, she has led tutoring centers and overseen wraparound retention efforts, resulting in high retention, graduation, and return from leave rates. She holds a tutoring certification from the College Reading and Learning Association, as well as Supplemental Instruction Supervisor training from the International Center for Supplemental Instruction. Dashielle earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Lehigh University, after B.A.s in English and history from Salisbury University. Dashielle's doctoral research focused on British women writers of the eighteenth century, investigating the formation of the spinster figure and early women novelists’ efforts to write opportunities for single lives into existence.
As the program coordinator for the College Success Scholars Program at the University of Maryland, Jovany Joya plays a pivotal role in fostering the personal, academic, and professional success of students. Through comprehensive support and a structured curriculum, he helps scholars build resilience, agency, and purpose. Jovany oversees initiatives such as mentoring, academic support sessions, and experiential learning opportunities, ensuring scholars are prepared for graduate school and competitive careers. Jovany has earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology and masters of professional studies in technology entrepreneurship and corporate innovation at the University of Maryland.
Vivian Tung is the Coordinator for the Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Education (OMSE). She is responsible for coordinating the OMSE Academic Excellence Society (OAES), OMSE Student Leader Advisory Council (SLAC), and University Partners Program (UPP). She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Criminology and Psychology with a minor in Law and Society from the University of Maryland, College Park. During her undergraduate years, she was the President of UPP as well as a member of OAES. During her free time, Vivian loves spending time with her dog, listening to crime podcasts, and traveling the world.
Emmanuel Wanjala holds a doctorate in international education policy from the University of Maryland, College Park. He also holds an M.A. in higher education, student affairs and international education policy (HESI) from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Arts in education majoring in linguistics and literature with a minor in international studies from the University of Nairobi. He is a former Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) at the University of Pittsburgh. His research interests include internationalization of higher education, youth empowerment, sustainability and international development.
Kate Whatley is a graduate assistant for the Service Learning Certificate (SLC) program at OMSE. She is a graduate student pursuing her master’s in library and information science, as she hopes to become an academic librarian. Prior, she received her bachelor’s degree in English with minors in classics and dance from Skidmore College, where she developed her interest in the ancient Mediterranean, disability studies, and modernist World War I novels. At Skidmore, Kate worked as a writing tutor, which she continued after graduation at Baltimore City Community College. She also works as a museum educator and front desk coordinator at the Baltimore Museum of Industry where she enjoys getting to mix her loves of education and history. Her hobbies include reading, crocheting, dancing, and learning how to bake new cookie recipes. She is excited to be a part of OMSE and SLC and hopes to support and empower students as they learn about the power of tutoring others.
Cloe is a first year Master of Applied Anthropology student concentrating in historical archaeology and has worked in professional archaeology for two years. Her current research focuses on historic ceramics associated with the Famine period of rural Ireland. Cloe serves on the OMSE tutoring team as a graduate assistant, coordinating tutor matches and session attendance throughout the year. She graduated from Georgia State University with a B.A. in anthropology and a B.S. in psychology in 2024 and has since conducted research in the U.S. and Germany.
Sami is interested in product design and user research, with a growing interest in accessibility in digital products and services. She is especially motivated by work that makes systems more inclusive, usable, and human-centered. To support UMD students, she helps monitor incoming tutoring requests, match students with tutors, and coordinate clear communication across all parties. She also compiles weekly reports to assess program reach, identify gaps, and ensure students receive consistent and timely academic support. She is in the Master of Science in Human-Computer Interaction program at the University of Maryland, where she explores how thoughtful design can improve experiences across complex systems and platforms.
Megan Hallihan is a graduate assistant for the Sister to Sister (S2S) program. She assists with recruitment and the facilitation and management of program curriculum and events. She is pursuing her Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree through the Department of Hearing and Speech Sciences at the University of Maryland. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in Communication Science and Disorders (CSD) from the University of Pittsburgh in 2024.
