Alysa Ullman  –  Executive Director

Alysa Ullman is the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Citizenship Counts. From a very young age, Ms. Ullman was taught to value American citizenship and appreciate its benefits. In 2007 Alysa was hired by K-12 education publisher, McDougal Littell (now Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) to author The Path to Citizenship, a curriculum that targets middle and high school students and focuses on the tenets of citizenship and the naturalization process. This innovative guide educates students on their rights and responsibilities as citizens and provides them with a unique opportunity to host an authentic naturalization ceremony at their school. The Path to Citizenship served as Citizenship Counts’ core curriculum until September 2011 and has been used in middle and high schools throughout the country.

In early 2006, Alysa started her own consulting company, Au Consulting, LLC. She has been employed by a variety of companies to manage an assortment of projects, ranging from education initiatives to corporate events. Prior to the creation of Au Consulting, LLC, Ms. Ullman worked for the Sydney Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG). She was selected to be on a media team of 17 individuals from around the world who interviewed all 11,000 athletes who competed in the 2000 Summer Olympic Games and authored their official biographies for the Games. Additionally, she worked as a Corporate Marketing Manager for Washington Sports & Entertainment, an umbrella organization that included (at the time) the Washington Wizards, Capitals and Mystics, the Georgetown Hoyas, and MCI Center (now Verizon Center).

In May 2011, Ms. Ullman was recognized as a Champion of Change, which is part of President Obama‘s Winning the Future initiative. Alysa‘s efforts with Citizenship Counts were highlighted as one of the top innovative educational programs in the field of immigrant integration. Her passion for travel and desire to learn has taken her to each and every one of the 50 states. She has a strong commitment to education and to community service, as evidenced by her leadership roles on several charitable committees and boards. Alysa is a graduate of the University of Michigan.

Contact Alysa Ullman at aullman@citizenshipcounts.org.

Melanie Reilly  –  Program Coordinator

Two passions have governed Melanie Reilly’s life trajectory: education and civic engagement. During her undergraduate career, she served as a Trustee Leader Scholar, for which she created and directed three community service programs. These programs partnered with local residential treatment centers and correctional facilities for minors to provide educational and social services to children placed at risk. After graduating, Melanie worked in publishing, at Yale University Press, to disseminate knowledge and create quality educational publications.

Most recently, Melanie joined Teach For America, a national nonprofit that enlists the nation’s most promising leaders to expand educational opportunity. She simultaneously completed a two-year teaching commitment while earning her Masters of Education in Phoenix, Arizona. As a teacher, she served a diverse yet economically disadvantaged community. Despite these challenges, Melanie empowered her students’ parents to advocate for their children and for their communities, guiding three parents to leadership roles within the district, such as President and Vice President of the Parent Committee. Within the Teach For America community, she delivered trainings for fellow teachers to improve student outcomes and also served as a Public Partner Representative, fostering a strong relationship between Teach For America and the schools with which it partners. In addition, she volunteered to assist the organization in its fundraising efforts as a member of the annual giving campaign committee and the Sponsor a Teacher program.

Melanie is delighted to continue working to motivate individuals to participate in service to both local and national communities, strengthening America and its freedoms. Melanie earned her B.A. in Literature from Bard College and her Masters of Education from Arizona State University.

Contact Melanie Reilly at mreilly@citizenshipcounts.org.

Tina Ochoa  –  Education Coordinator

Tina has been working with diverse student populations since 1998. From 1998 – 2003, Tina worked for the Pima County Juvenile Court (in Tucson) system where she worked with adjudicated youth and assisted them in completing their court imposed conditions and obligations. During this time, she also worked at a middle school, for two years, and high school, for two years, as a law-related educator and court/community liaison. In her five-year tenure as a juvenile probation officer, Tina had the opportunity to collaborate with community agencies and partners, co-facilitate citizenship/diversity and cognitive skills courses, work directly with parents, school counselors, teachers, and administrators, and serve as a presenter and trainer.

From 2003 – 2006 Tina served as a Master Trainer for the Arizona Foundation for Legal Services and Education, where she was responsible for administering statewide law-related education trainings, developing curriculum and training materials, developing a train-the-trainer and mentor program, as well as facilitating collaborations between schools and community organizations.

From 2007 – August of 2011, Tina worked for the Center for Civic Education as a program manager for the School Safety Violence Prevention Demonstration Program, and later as the California state coordinator for Project Citizen. As the state coordinator for Project Citizen, she was responsible for: 1) developing, administering and managing multiple grants, 2) network, staff and volunteer coordination and management, 3) maintaining detailed records of program activity, 4) creating opportunities for professional collaboration between schools, community organizations, and civic leaders, 5) planning and facilitation of various types of professional development opportunities ranging from one to five days in length, 6) developing seminar and training materials, and 7) organizing/facilitating student showcases.

Tina is a graduate of the University of Arizona and earned Bachelor of Arts degrees in Journalism and Sociology.

Contact Tina Ochoa at tochoa@citizenshipcounts.org.

Tyler Reber  -  Journey Intern

As a kid growing up Tyler Reber’s family hosted various foreign exchange students for a year at a time. Getting to know these students from all over the world sparked his interest in multiculturalism and his love for traveling.  Through becoming an Eagle Scout, Tyler found a passion for the outdoors and service in the community. He has worked as a river guide in the Grand Canyon since 2008 and will finish his Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology from Northern Arizona University in 2012.  He is excited for this chance to combine his passion of the outdoors, of helping others, and of travelling in this unique cross-country Journey.

 

 

 

 

Kelly Winter – Journey Intern

Starting at the age of 16, Kelly Winter volunteered as a mentor to young girls with Neighborhood Ministries and later served as an intern there.  Since that life-changing experience in her youth, Kelly has felt that multicultural experiences and relationships are powerful for building empathy and understanding.  She has met many people from all walks of life as a river rafting guide in the Grand Canyon and by backpacking internationally.  Experiences like these have continued to fuel both her love for others and her deep thankfulness for the unearned privilege of her American citizenship.  She has always felt the need to give back.  Kelly lead her high school chapter of March of Dimes to be the top fundraiser of the nation the year she was Chapter President.  She also volunteered in an after school program on Skid Row while she lived in the Los Angeles area.   She hopes that by encouraging youth to appreciate and celebrate their citizenship, they, too, will feel compelled to do good for others.

Kelly is a graduate of Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology

Jonathan Quinsey – Media and PR Intern

Jonathan Quinsey was born and raised in Scottsdale, Arizona and has been working with nonprofits since 2009. He believes strongly in Citizenship Counts’ mission to encourage non-partisan civics education and involvement in America.

Before joining Citizenship Counts, Jonathan supervised a work crew for the Coconino Rural Environment Corps. A nonprofit, Americorps-based program, CREC’s work helps to protect rural communities throughout Arizona from the threat of wildfire, increases habitat for a variety of wildlife species, provides greater, less damaging recreational opportunities for Arizona’s citizens and visitors, and implements a variety of other conservation-based solutions across the Southwest’s public lands. In addition to his work at Citizenship Counts, Jonathan is involved in an ongoing, Department of Defense sponsored study of the effects that human implemented water catchments have on the building blocks of Sonoran Desert ecosystem.

Jonathan received his B.A. in from Arizona State University in 2009.  He is currently enrolled in a Writing Certificate program at Arizona State University.

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