Jayda Batchelder currently serves as the Founding Executive Director of Education Opens Doors, setting and achieving strategic priorities, raising capital through fundraising and program sales and attracting and retaining top talent while responsibly managing the organization and budget.

Jayda was inspired to create Education Opens Doors while working as a Teach For America corps member at a high need middle school in Dallas, TX. It was through her work as an award-winning science teacher that she realized content mastery alone did not adequately prepare her students for success. She searched for a resource or program to meet this need, and when she realized one did not exist, she developed the Roadmap to Success student manual. In 2012 she left the classroom to launch Education Opens Doors to expand student access to the Roadmap to Success.

Jayda’s work in the college access sphere has garnered her a number of accolades. In 2015, Jayda was named a “40 Under 40” honoree by the Dallas Business Journal. In 2016, she was selected as a Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation Entrepreneur and in 2017 was selected as a Marshall Memorial Fellow. Most recently she was honored as an inaugural recipient of the I Stand for Parkland Community First Award.

When I was in middle school, I wanted to be…

I wanted to be a marine biologist (funny because I lived in a landlocked state) or a veterinarian!

Prior to joining Education Opens Doors in 2015, Andy spent eight years pursuing his loves of teaching and travel, working with underprivileged students in Taiwanese cities, an impoverished Chilean desert town, and a marginalized indigenous Panamanian island. As a result of these and many other global and local experiences, his perspectives (and wonder) have deeply broadened, affirming his belief in the value a degree holds no matter where one calls home. Andy earned his Bachelor of Arts in History and Secondary Education from Holy Cross in 2006 and a Masters of Public Service from the University of Arkansas Clinton School in 2015. In his current role, Andy is deeply entrenched in most facets of the organization’s operations. Human resources, research and development, supply chain management, financial reporting, and major marketing initiatives are some of the areas that he oversees as Director of Operations.

When I was in middle school, I wanted to be…

The starting shortstop for the Boston Red Sox.

Stephanie Epps serves as Director of Programs for Education Opens Doors. She was born and raised in Indiana although she has spent most of her adulthood in the Bay Area. As a Stanford alum with a B.A. in Comparative Studies in Race and Ethnicity, Stephanie started her career at Google and went on to work in tech/educational technology at a couple of start-ups where she realized her passion for college access, workforce development, and program management. She also provides DEI, team/culture building, and professional development resources and training to professionals in need. In 2014, Stephanie combined her passion and skills to shift from tech to the mission-based work of the non-profit world and has loved it ever since. She focuses on social impact through working with low income, first generation college students and communities of color to help support their paths to success.

When I was in middle school, I wanted to be…

a CFO of a Fortune 500 company.

Allen Anderson serves as the Director of Partnerships and Talent at Education Opens Doors, where he leads the cultivation, relationship management and strategy around EOD partners, as well as oversees talent strategy and development for the organization.

Prior to joining Education Opens Doors, Allen worked at Uplift Education for 10 years and served in several leadership roles. From 2017 – 2020, he worked as the Sr. Director of Talent Acquisition where he oversaw all recruitment, selection, and talent partnerships work. He also had the privilege of opening an Uplift school as the founding Middle School Director at Uplift Grand Preparatory in 2014.

Allen is a 2009 charter Teach for America DFW alum, and a graduate from The University of Oklahoma where he majored in Public Relations. He received his masters in Education Policy and Urban Leadership from Southern Methodist University. He also serves as the Board Chair for the Teach for America DFW Alumni Board and is a board member of the Teach for America Regional Advisory Board.

Brittany H. Brady, Ed.M., is the Manager of Development at Education Opens Doors. An opportunity to be community liaison at W.E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy within the Dallas Independent School District brought Brittany to Dallas from Washington, D.C. While at Greiner, Brady worked to increase parental engagement and student achievement by creating parenting workshops and mentoring truant students. Brittany also served as Executive Director of the Brewer Foundation Future Leaders Program assisting high achieving students from Dallas ISD on their journey to attaining a college degree.

Brittany received her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Maryland and also holds a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in Prevention Science and Practice. While at the University of Maryland, she was named a Banneker/Key and Ronald E. McNair Scholar.

when i was in middle school, i wanted to be…

An attorney.

As the daughter and granddaughter of lifelong educators in underprivileged Detroit-area schools, Melissa Flynn has always had a passion for education. She currently serves as Deputy Director focused on strategic planning, growth initiatives and marketing/communications.

With more than two decades of experience leading strategy and public relations/marketing for nonprofits and companies of all sizes – most recently as an independent consultant – she is driven to use her skills “for good.” She’s proud to have worked with a variety of educational organizations, from Educate Texas to Trident Technical College System to several State Departments of Education, and for important cause-based organizations, including St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Melissa earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Michigan, a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Tennessee and is Accredited in Public Relations (APR) by the Public Relations Society of America. She is also the past president of PRSA Dallas and a relentless pet rescue advocate.

When I was in middle school, I wanted to be…

A mechanical engineer.

As an Impact Manager, Summerlin Northrup makes an impact by training teachers and helping them implement the Roadmap to Success program, the cornerstone of Education Opens Doors. Summerlin has the privilege of visiting schools on a bi-weekly basis, developing relationships with both the teachers and their administrators. She shares, “The best part of my job is not only engaging with students about their passions and hopes for their lives, but knowing I am a part of the very positive influence Education Opens Doors provides to them.”

Summerlin graduated in 2014 from Baylor University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Education and became a 4th grade math teacher in Mesquite, TX, with a mission to inspire students to strive for their absolute best, no matter their circumstances. She now has the opportunity to provide students with a tool that inspires them to pursue their most daring aspirations, while also educating them on their college and financial aid options so that they can live a prosperous and fulfilling life.

When I was in middle school I wanted to be…

An author. Reading and writing has been my passion as far back as I can remember, although since graduating from college my writing skills have become quite rusty.

Jorgelina Marin graduated from the University of Southern California, Riverside in 2014 where she earned her BA in Public Policy and a minor in Political Science. It was at UC Riverside that she found her passion supporting freshman residents as a Program Coordinator. Jorgelina became a Teach for America corps member in Fort Worth, Texas where she recognized the high need in the community. She sought to empower students and parents by implementing a social emotional curriculum in her classroom, and creating parent workshops to equip parents with the academic tools to support their children at home – all in hopes of teaching the whole child. Her experience in the classroom led her to a summer fellowship at College Track, a college access non-profit, where she gained a better understanding of the barriers students face to access higher education. She joins Education Opens Doors as an Impact Manager, where she is eager to support teachers through the Roadmap to Success program.

When I was in middle school, I wanted to be…

A veterinarian.

Joe completed his BA in Linguistics, Russian Studies, and Comparative Cultures at Brandeis University. The social justice mission of his alma mater inspired Joe to join Teach For America in 2015 to work directly in addressing educational inequity. He loved working with his students to empower their growth, but soon saw that the academic mastery his students achieved was not enough to ensure their long term success. It was after this realization that Joe knew he needed to address the systemic barriers students faced, not just the academic ones. He joined Education Opens Doors in 2019 as the Executive Assistant, where he coordinates the daily operations of the office and supports the planning and execution of organizational initiatives. He completed his Masters of Education at Southern Methodist University.

When i was in middle school, i wanted to be…

A science fiction author.

Staceye is a life-long learner passionate about being a change agent through sharing knowledge, developed when she taught in Dallas ISD for 15 years.  Desiring a change, Staceye then moved to central administration where she coordinated college and career readiness initiatives and brought career education programs to middle and elementary school students. Her next position focused on managing learning and development experiences, creating meaningful leadership development opportunities, and compliance training oversight. She joins the Education Opens Doors team to support human resources, hiring and staff development.

Staceye holds a BS from Texas Woman’s University in Denton, TX and a MLA from Southern Methodist University.

When I was in middle school, i wanted to be…

An attorney.

Chappel Billings, Ed.M. is an instructional designer and training facilitator. Chappel, a Chicago native, has over 18 years of experience in education, serving in the roles of special education teacher, assistant principal, special education coordinator and instructional designer. Motivated by her passion for adult learning and technology, Chappel advises training and development professionals on ways to leverage technology and innovation strategies to create transformative training experiences.

Chappel holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Special Education from Eastern Illinois University and a Masters of Arts degree in School Leadership from Concordia University, Chicago.  She is currently pursuing her Doctorate in Educational Technology from Concordia University.  Chappel Billings is a 2018 Future School Leaders Network Inductee.

when i was in middle school, i wanted to be…

A bodybuilder or a teacher.

Susan is excited to continue to serve the Dallas-Fort Worth community as an Impact Manager to help provide educational access to all students, regardless of their background.

As a college student, Susan had the privilege to intern on Capitol Hill where she first began to work on legislation initiatives to reduce the burden of student loans and close the achievement gap. Upon graduation, Susan was accepted as a 2014 Teach for America Corps Member where she worked as an 8th Grade English and Language Arts teacher for 3 years. Following her Teach for America commitment, Susan continued to support the West Dallas community as a Middle School Reading Interventionist. Susan has experience developing student-centered curriculum, creating and leading adult professional development, as well as mentoring new teachers.

Susan was awarded one of five Dallas Mavericks Teacher of the Year awards in 2018. She holds a BA in Political Science from The George Washington University and an MA in Education from Southern Methodist University.

when i was in middle school, i wanted to be…

An Academy Award winning actress.

Prior to joining the team at EOD, Nausheen professionally worked as an educator teaching students with limited English proficiency in Fulton County Schools. Through her experiences working with students from different backgrounds and populations, one thing has remained consistent: their potential. She firmly believes that each student is capable and deserving of post-secondary educational success, but circumstantially, the opportunity to act on that said potential is not always there. Nausheen has been on a mission since to involve herself in work that brings opportunity to all students, regardless of the barriers they may face. In her role as an Impact Manager, she will continue to support teachers in equipping their students with the awareness, knowledge, and skills they need through the Roadmap to Success program.

when i was in middle school, i wanted to be…

A pilot.

Jeff McGuire is the Operations Associate at Education Opens Doors. Prior to joining EOD, Jeff served as an 11th grade AP English teacher and IB English teacher in West Dallas for three years. Before becoming a classroom teacher, Jeff worked for an education non-profit advocacy group in Washington, D.C., where his work focused on improving the educational circumstances for military-connected children. Prior to his career in education, Jeff served five years as an Airborne Infantryman in the U.S. Army, serving one twelve-month deployment to Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom and one eighteen-month deployment to South Korea.

Jeff received his Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Oklahoma and holds a Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in Education, and a Master’s degree from George Mason University in Conflict Analysis and Resolution.

when i was in middle school, i wanted to be…

A writer.

Devon Lockard, M.Ed., is the Data Manager at Education Opens Doors. Devon’s education background started out with a position as a physics and math teacher in a high-needs school in Wichita, Kansas where he conducted a mentorship program targeting Black male students and coached Track and Field. He later became a program director for a TRIO college access program that targets low-income and first generation students before he relocated to Dallas and taught math in Dallas Public Schools. Devon gained experiences in education research as an assistant data scientist at the University of Oklahoma finding ways to improve campus policies to increase retention, as well as being a research assistant at Southern Methodist University delving into student debt and teachers of color in the labor market. Devon holds a passion for youth development and mentorship as a previous board member and program advisor for a non-profit focused on college access for Black male students.

Devon Lockard received his Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education: Physics from Wichita State University and also completed a Master’s degree in Adult and Higher Education: Institutional Research from the University of Oklahoma. Devon is currently a Ph.D. student in Education at Southern Methodist University with research focuses in econometrics and access, retention, and success of underrepresented populations.

when i was in middle school, i wanted to be…

An astronomer.

Diana Guerrero serves as Development Associate for Education Opens Doors. She is a first-generation college graduate from the University of North Texas. As a college student, Diana worked with different educational non-profits as a tutor and mentor to low-income and first-generation students in underrepresented communities. Diana became more engaged as a Strategic Initiatives Intern at the Latino Center for Leadership Development and worked to address the challenges and opportunities in the Latinx community. She also worked as Development and Marketing Manager at Literacy Instruction for Texas, focusing on educational programs for low-literate adults in the North Texas area.

When I was in middle school, I wanted to be…

An author.