Seth Nigrosh

Site Coordinator, Curriculum Development, and Lead Academic Coordinator

Mario Umana Academy

sethnigrosh@tenacity.org

Harper Johnson

Tennis and Family Engagement Coordinator

Mario Umana Academy

harperjohnson@tenacity.org

Harper earned a B.A. in Psychology and Economics from Williams College in Williamstown, MA. At Williams, she rowed on the crew team for all four years and worked with dining services in the campus bakery. She is originally from Eugene, OR and loves exploring the outdoors. In high school, she rowed, played tennis, and swam competitively. She previously taught youth swim and tennis lessons in Eugene, as well as tutored students in math and reading comprehension. She loves working with kids of all ages and enjoys watching them grow and excel.

Kai Lindsey

Family Engagement Coordinator

Mario Umana Academy

kailindsey@tenacity.org

Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow 2018-20

Neil Devor

AmeriCorps Fellow

Mario Umana Academy

neildevor@tenacity.org

Neil Devor is proud to serve as a Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow at the Mario Umana Academy this year. Neil is originally from Kansas City, Missouri and is currently a student at the University of Central Florida working on a Bachelors in Public Administration with a Minor in Nonprofit Management. His prior experience includes a previous service year with AmeriCorps in California as a literacy tutor for Kindergarten through Eighth Grade. In his free time, Neil enjoys traveling the country and playing card and board games.

Lexi Oskam

AmeriCorps Fellow

Mario Umana Academy

lexioskam@tenacity.org

Lexi Oskam is proud to serve as a Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow at the Mario Umana Academy this year. Lexi recently received her BA from St. Lawrence University in upstate New York where she double majored in English Literature and Combined Anthropology and African Studies. While at St. Lawrence, she was a member of the Varsity Field Hockey team. Her semester studying abroad in Kenya was the most influential experience of her college career. She is originally from Ridgefield, CT, and loves being outside, reading, and skiing in her free time. Lexi has spent time volunteering at The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Ashford, CT, where she worked with campers with a variety of severe illnesses, and was President of Reading Buddies at St. Lawrence, where she tutored students after school.

Grace Polk

AmeriCorps Fellow

Mario Umana Academy

gracepolk@tenacity.org

Grace Polk earned her B.A. in American Studies and Spanish from the University of Notre Dame. At Notre Dame, she worked as a peer tutor with the Center for Languages and Cultures and served as a student manager for the baseball team. Upon graduation, Grace continued on to earn an M.S. in Sports Management from Columbia University in New York, where she also spent time working for Major League Baseball. After spending a year in Phoenix, AZ with the Arizona Coyotes, Grace is thrilled to return to her native Massachusetts to be a part of the Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellows team. In her free time, she loves to read, hike, and play tennis.

Ellie Saksa

AmeriCorps Fellow

Mario Umana Academy

elliesaksa@tenacity.org

Ellie is proud to serve as a Tenacity AmeriCorps Fellow at Mario Umana Academy this year. Ellie is originally from Raleigh, North Carolina and graduated in 2020 with a degree in Political Science from North Carolina State University. Her prior experience includes serving as a mentor in College Mentors for Kids and working as a camp counselor during the summers. In her free time, Ellie enjoys hiking and exploring new places.

Benjamin Spencer

AmeriCorps Fellow

Mario Umana Academy

benjaminspencer@tenacity.org

Benjamin has been part of the Tenacity community since middle school. He started with the Tenacity summer program becoming more acquainted with a small portion of the staff. Knowing that being with Tenacity was like being with family, he wanted to continue to be with Tenacity. Eventually, he ended up being a Site Leader at Constitution Beach this past summer. Still looking for any opportunity to stick with Tenacity, he joined AmeriCorps to be close to the Tenacity program. Though not through college yet, he hopes to use Tenacity and AmeriCorps as a resource to get through that critical point in life.