Become a Community Partner

Does your organization have students who could benefit from MLT Ascend? Students must be nominated by an MLT Community Partner that fits one of the following profiles:

• Community-based college advising program
• College preparatory high school with existing or emerging alumni support program
• 4-year college or university within a specific department or student support program

MLT Community Partners must also commit to:

• Designate one primary point of contact to communicate with MLT, and to follow-up with students
• Assist the MLT Ascend program team as we coordinate logistics for recruitment events
• Nominate ten or more (10+) students who meet the basic eligibility requirements

Interested in becoming an MLT Community Partner? For more information, please reach out to ascend@mlt.org.

Become an MLT Ascend Mentor

Give back to MLT by volunteering your time to mentor an Ascend Scholar! Ascend Mentors will be matched 1:1 with an Ascend Scholar based on career interests, university attended, and/or geographic location. All volunteers must complete training before being matched with a Scholar, and should expect to meet with their assigned Scholar at least once after being matched. After your initial meeting, you may meet with your Scholar as often as you both see fit.

Sign up on MLTx or email ascend@mlt.org with questions.

Lead funding for Ascend is provided by the Citi Foundation as part of its Pathways to Progress initiative — a multi-year commitment to connect 100,000 low-income youth to economic opportunities through mentoring, civic engagement, summer employment, and entrepreneurship training. Support for Ascend is also provided by the ECMC Foundation and Executive Leadership Council’s Executive Leadership Foundation community impact initiative.

Contact us at ascend@mlt.org to explore how you can support the MLT Ascend initiative.

Chris Alemán, Director

Chris is a native of Chicago, Illinois, and has successfully developed students and staff as a coach and leader for nearly 20 years. Prior to joining MLT in May 2019, Chris served as an Assistant Director of Admissions for the Full-Time MBA program at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. He supported Kellogg’s diversity admissions goals while also enhancing the student experience of the tour guide program, the peer mentorship program, and led two signature events: Diversity Preview Day and Day at Kellogg.  Since joining MLT, Chris has led the Ascend Program in its growth by more than doubling the number of students currently participating in the program while also increasing the number of professional coaches supporting Scholars. In his spare time, Chris enjoys experiencing new cultures, foods, and hikes. You can also find him playing basketball on the weekends. Chris holds a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a Master of Education with dual concentrations in College Student Development and Counseling from DePaul University.

Doris Hernandez, Senior Associate

Doris is a first-generation Latina college graduate from Chicago with a background in politics, government, and higher education. As the first in her family to attend college, Doris is passionate about helping other underrepresented students reach and surpass their educational goals. Prior to joining MLT, Doris worked at Loyola University Chicago as a Senior Program Coordinator for the School of Social Work. Throughout her time at Loyola, Doris demonstrated a capacity to quickly learn new software and processes which allowed her to contribute to the enhancement of various student, staff, and faculty support functions resulting in an improved student experience. Doris holds a BA in Communications and a Master’s in Public Administration with a concentration in International Public Management from DePaul University. Outside of work, Doris enjoys staying active, playing video games, and catching the next superhero movie at the theater. 

Arija Israel, Program Coach

Arija is a first-generation college student and a 15-year higher education professional. She has an extensive background in academic advising, program development, and student coaching. Her career goals have always included supporting other first-gen students in their educational journeys, and she is excited to continue that path with MLT Ascend Scholars. Her greatest struggle was balancing work, school, and a growing family which is a common challenge many students also face. Arija holds a Master’s degree in Counseling with a concentration in Student Affairs from Texas A&M Commerce, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Saint Louis University.

Kayla Hunter, Program Coach

Kayla is a Bostonian based in Charlotte. She navigated her undergraduate and graduate studies as a first-generation student and went on to devote her career to serving under-represented and under-resourced students in the education nonprofit sector. She joined the MLT Ascend team in 2022 with a background in college persistence program design and coaching with a focus on first-generation and low-income students. Kayla earned a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Connecticut and a Master’s degree in Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring the food scene in new cities with her family.

Chauncey Nartey, Program Coach

Coach Chauncey Nartey helps underrepresented leaders secure and advance in lucrative, impactful careers they love.

Chauncey developed his expertise in career, workforce, and people development through 16+ years of leadership, including serving as a Vice President at Goldman Sachs, Chief Program Officer at Basta, Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at General Assembly, and the Founding Director of Admissions for ed tech unicorn, Multiverse.

Chauncey began his career as a Teach for America corps member in Philadelphia, teaching US and global history at the middle and high school levels. He holds a BA in Political Science and Public Policy from Duke University, a MA in Education from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a certified coach via Brown University’s Leadership and Performance Coaching Program.

Chauncey is proud to be Andrea’s partner, co-founder of Amelia, Alaina and Anya (#girldad), a first-generation, Ghanaian immigrant, a hot sauce fanatic, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and a forever student/teacher. On most days, you can find Chauncey with his family, on a soccer field, writing his weekly newsletter, “Work Wonders,” or otherwise in pursuit of Jesus, joy, justice, and intergenerational wealth.

Nathalie Marc-Charles, Program Coach

Before embarking on her coaching journey with Ascend, Nathalie Marc-Charles held the position of Corporate Partnerships and Business Development Manager for MLT’s Turn Pro initiative.

With a rich career spanning over a decade, Nathalie contributed her expertise to renowned organizations such as ADP, St. John’s University, Viacom Media Networks (Paramount), and AIG (Chartis), where she assumed prominent HR leadership roles. Furthermore, her impact extended beyond these roles as she lent her consulting talents to various organizations, focusing on HR, administration, personnel management, and leadership development, both in Haiti and the United States.

Nathalie’s academic journey began with an undergraduate degree in Management from St. John’s University. She continued her pursuit of knowledge at Columbia University’s Teachers College, where she delved into Organizational Psychology with a specialization in Adult Learning & Leadership, with a thesis currently in progress.

In addition to her academic and professional journey, Nathalie is a certified Birkman Consultant. She harnesses the power of the Birkman Assessment to assist individuals in navigating career transitions, managing their careers effectively, fostering personal growth, and honing their leadership skills.