WESTFIELD, PLAINFIELD, and PASSAIC, NEW JERSEY – July 7, 2026

More Than Bootstraps (MTB), a New Jersey non-profit organization, announces the new leadership team in Passaic and Plainfield.

Nelsie Abreu (Montclair State University, 2027), Sherly Luna (Drew University, 2027), and Parth Rana (Princeton University, 2027), all rising college seniors, have taken on the role of Program Resource Fellow. They are spearheading the MTB Summer Training Program for new and returning College Student Leaders and the MTB Summer Program for rising senior High School Fellows. They will continue to take on new responsibilities within MTB over the upcoming year.

Ayana Goodwin, MSW (Montclair State University, MAT 2027) is continuing to serve as a Program Resource Fellow for MTB's new site in Plainfield. Ayana is working with MTB's new Plainfield Leaders this summer and will continue to do so over the year ahead.

Joanny (Jo) Iniguez, LSW (Passaic Post-Graduate Fellow) is leading MTB's wellness initiatives and overseeing our team of MTB Social Work Interns in both Plainfield and Passaic.

Nelsie, a 2024 graduate of Passaic Preparatory Academy, was an MTB High School Fellow. After graduating from high school, Nelsie served as a College Student Leader for two years. Nelsie is currently studying medical humanities at Montclair State University.

Sherly, a 2024 graduate of Passaic Preparatory Academy, was an MTB Fellow for two years. She returned to MTB as a College Student Leader in 2025 when she embarked on a degree in teacher education at Drew University. Sherly works full-time in the Passaic Public Schools as a para-professional.

Parth, a 2022 graduate of Passaic Academy for Science and Engineering, joined MTB as a College Student Leader immediately after graduating from high school. This will be Parth's fifth year with MTB. After he graduates from Princeton, Parth will embark on doctoral studies in bioengineering at Rice University.

Ayana has been a long-time member of the MTB Social Work team. She received her MSW in January 2026 from Rutgers University and is currently completing her MAT in teaching for equity and justice in inclusive classrooms from Montclair State University. Ayana works full-time in the Plainfield Public Schools as a first-grade teacher.

Jo joined MTB as a Social Work Intern in Fall 2024 and received her MSW from Rutgers University in May 2026. A veteran and licensed social worker, Jo is passionate about mental health, wellness, and supporting young people through challenges and transitions. In addition to her work with MTB, Jo also volunteers remotely as a crisis counselor.

NEAR-PEER MENTORING

Now beginning its seventh year of programming, MTB employs a near-peer mentoring approach to address the challenges first-generation, low-income students face in accessing and succeeding in higher education.

Working with underrepresented students in Passaic and Plainfield, NJ, the organization matches high school students with near-peer mentors – graduates of the Passaic Public Schools currently enrolled in institutions from Duke University to Kean University. Led by their college student mentors, MTB High School Fellows follow a curriculum that focuses on education about higher education and financial aid, communication with families, holistic student development, and the promotion of student well-being and agency.

In 2026-2027, MTB will serve 92 high school and college students across Plainfield and Passaic, led by Nelsie, Parth, Sherly, Ayana, and Jo.

Grants and donations to More Than Bootstraps fund the monthly stipends that allow the high school and college students in the program some time and space to devote to their professional development and college-going activities while still meeting their financial responsibilities.

“As our organization has grown, we have been able to build student and post-grad leadership positions so that our students can continue to own the program and build their skills,” said Audrey Fisch, president of More Than Bootstraps. “This is the model of students leading students that is at the heart of the vision of MTB.”

Grants and donations to More Than Bootstraps fund the monthly stipends that allow the high school and college students in the program some time and space to devote to their professional development and college-going activities while still meeting their financial responsibilities. Interested donors are invited to visit the MTB website: www.morethanbootstraps.org/donate.

More Than Bootstraps is a nonprofit created by educators seeking to level the playing field and remove some of the substantial barriers that first-generation college students encounter in accessing and succeeding in higher education. More Than Bootstraps employs a near-peer mentoring model to create a community of success. College students from the community return to guide their younger peers in the community through the college search, application, and assimilation process. These leaders, working as a mentoring cohort, in turn strengthen their own college-going identities and improve their own chances of success in higher education.

Students are selected based on their desire to attend college and their commitment to the program rather than grade point average or test scores. All students in the MTB program receive stipends, laptop computers, and access to emergency resources to help them with the many non-tuition expenses of higher education. 

More Than Bootstraps is a 501(c)3 organization, Tax ID 83-2245008.

Media Contact:

Audrey Fisch, Ph.D.

President, More Than Bootstraps

(908) 397-0893

audrey@morethanbootstraps.org