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January 2025 Newsletter

New Staff Spotlight


Amanda Thompson

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Amanda grew up in Salem and graduated from Salem High School. Prior to joining LEAP, Amanda worked for the Women's Friend Society, managing their residence for women.


Amanda brings to LEAP 15 years of private sector sales experience working as a Sales executive at several well-known brands including Bloomingdales, Sephora and Luxotica.

Ariel Fitzhugh

SENIOR DIRECTOR - HIGH SCHOOL AND POST-SECONDARY PROGRAMS

Ariel grew up in Lynn and brings years of experience working with youth, most recently with Big Sisters in Boston and various Boys and Girls Clubs. Ariel will be overseeing the strategy and operations of our teen and postsecondary programs.

Sarelle Creesy

MANAGER OF CAREER AND EDUCATION PATHWAYS

Sarelle joins LEAP to manage the career and postsecondary services offered to LEAP's high school students, Sarelle comes with about 4 years of mentoring and workforce development experience at MIT and MassHire.

Nicole McClain

CAREER AND EDUCATION PATHWAYS COORDINATOR

Nicole lives in Lynn and is a member of the City Council and the Executive Director of the Juneteenth Association in Lynn. She brings her youth experiences and community connections to support our teens in both Salem and Lynn in finding their unique career pathway. Nicole is a veteran serving 11 years in the Army National Guard.

Volunteer-to-Staff Spotlight


Former volunteer Faith Campanello recently became a Group Leader at Expanding Horizons in Salem.


During her time as a volunteer, Faith consistently demonstrated a remarkable ability to connect with and support middle school students, creating a truly positive and inclusive learning environment. Her fluency in Spanish, honed through her studies at Salem State University, allowed her to build strong relationships with students from diverse backgrounds, creating a more welcoming and equitable classroom experience.


Kade Toomey, a former volunteer-intern at LEAP and Salem State University student, recently became a Group Leader at Dream MORE in Lynn.


From day one, Kade consistently demonstrated his ability to skillfully adapt his Spanish language fluency and personal approach to meet the individual language needs of each student, ensuring that all students felt comfortable, connected and engaged in the learning process. 

Kade's unwavering drive to succeed, combined with his strong work ethic, make him an invaluable asset to the LEAP team.

Great Expectations 2025


Our annual Great Expectations event will be here before you know it! There are lots of different ways to get involved:



For tickets and full event info, click the button below.

Learn More

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LEAP for Education supports youth in their personal, educational, and career growth by partnering with the community to increase opportunities and advance equity.

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