A beneficiary of good mentorship, Michelle is passionate about paying it forward, particularly for young scholars and is thrilled to support education-based charities in Chicago and beyond. Michelle currently works in a healthcare strategy role where she enjoys leveraging her science (PhD Genetics) and healthcare consulting experiences to make an impact on patients’ lives. Her interests include learning about different food/cultures and historical documentaries.

Matt Dapas is a research fellow and instructor at the University of Chicago and specializes in the study of complex disease genetics. Matt is a former consultant in bio-pharmaceutical research and development. He attended college at Johns Hopkins University and earned his PhD from Northwestern University. He moonlights as a semi-professional fine artist.

Stephanie Sonsino is an appellate public defense attorney with The Office of the Public Defender in New York City. Growing up in New York City Stephanie attended private schools that equipped her with the academic and cultural resources necessary to foster her personal and professional development. Supporting AGS’s mission as a mentor is important to Stephanie because she knows from experience that community building is at the heart of any strong education and she is eager to support and learn from AGS’s young global leaders.

Dante grew up in a small city in Mexico and relocated to the United States to pursue an education. His career has spanned non-profit work in Washington, D.C., performance improvement for state, local, and federal governments, and management consulting with the multinational Deloitte. He holds a B.A. in International Affairs and French Studies from Lewis & Clark College, as well as a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University. He currently manages financial operations for Google. Based out of Chicago, he enjoys cooking, horror films, bourbon and staying active.

Carissa earned a PhD in Biology from Northwestern University and is passionate about using science to improve human health. She is an Entrepreneurial Fellow at Northwestern working on early stage drug discovery projects. In her free time, she enjoys taking long walks, gardening and baking.

Jacquelyn Pavilon is completing her PhD in Economics at Georgetown University this year, focusing in migration economics, and currently works for the World Bank. She formerly worked as a mathematician for WMS Gaming Inc. and a communications officer for the Jesuit Refugee Service. She enjoys dancing, playing music and traveling.