History

Summer Search Seattle opened in September of 2003 under the leadership of Executive Director, Mia Ellis, and Board Chair, Cecile Delafield. Since then, the program has grown to serve 55 students in 2006 with plans to serve 85 students this year. The Seattle office has a staff of six and an Advisory Board of ten. Students come from the Seattle, Bellevue, Shoreline, Lake Washington and Highline School Districts. The goal is to grow to serve 150 students annually by 2010 with a 12-15 member Advisory Board.

Staff

Mia Ellis, Executive Director
Jennifer Hahn McCoy, Director of College Access & Alumni Relations
Amy Tran Russell, Program Director
Eliza Arai, Program Associate
Helen Kwon, Program Associate
Rebecca Sullivan, Program Associate
Alexandra Wakeman, Program Associate
Sarah Warren, Development and Operations Assistant

Mia Ellis, Executive Director
Mia is a northwest native, born and raised in Bellingham, WA. She attended the University of Colorado, in Boulder, and graduated in 1997 with a degree in Interpersonal Communication. During college, Mia attended a National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) wilderness course, and her passion for experiential education was born. After college, she worked for NOLS in Wyoming and Alaska, and then for Deer Hill Expeditions, a wilderness leadership program, in Colorado. At Deer Hill, Mia was the Program Manager and a Field Leader and worked with many Summer Search students. Mia joined Summer Search as the Executive Director of the Seattle program in September 2003.

Jennifer Hahn McCoy , Director of College Access & Alumni Relations
Originally from Texas, Jennifer moved to Seattle to go to graduate school at the University of Washington. After earning her master's degree in Education, she worked as a college advisor at Chief Sealth High School in the Seattle Public Schools for six years. She first met Summer Search as a Referral Partner and joined the Seattle staff in March of 2005. Jennifer works with all our students throughout their participation in Summer Search, helping them develop and implement their plans for college. She is also coordinating the small but growing alumni program. Jennifer lives in Maple Valley with her son and husband.

Amy Tran Russell, Program Director
Amy was born and raised in San Francisco, California, with the exception of two years spent in Texas. She graduated from the University of California Davis with a Bachelor’s degree in History. Immediately after, she attended the University of California Santa Cruz where she earned her Masters degree in Education in conjunction with her teaching certificate. Following eleven years of participation in track and field, Amy has been coaching long and triple jumpers at various programs over the past few years. She comes to us as a former middle school history teacher and is currently mentoring students and leading outreach efforts in Seattle.

Eliza Arai, Program Associate
Eliza grew up in South Seattle and is a proud alumna of Franklin High School. In 2005, she graduated from Whitman College with a Bachelor of Arts in Biology and a minor in Japanese Language and Literature. Always striving to embrace new challenges and broaden her horizons, she feels extremely fortunate to have had a variety of opportunities to travel and experience different cultures of Asia and South America, including an eye-opening journey to the Philippines during high school, and a professor-led exploration of the Galapagos Islands during college. After spending a year teaching English in Japan with the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program, Eliza is now happy to be back in Seattle as a member of the Summer Search team. She is especially excited to meet and connect with students as they begin to explore all the opportunities Summer Search has to offer.

Helen Kwon, Program Associate
Helen is from Kent, WA, but has lived in several different cities, including Anchorage, Portland, New York, Boston, and Seoul, South Korea.She graduated from Wellesley College in Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies and Education.After college, Helen returned to Washington to join the Federal Way Public Schools AmeriCorps team where she served students and families through tutoring, running before- and after-school programs, and engaging the community in service projects.Helen moved to New York City to teach after she completed her AmeriCorps term, and recently earned her Master's Degree in Education Policy and Management at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She is thrilled about returning to Seattle and joining the Summer Search staff.

Rebecca Sullivan , Program Associate
Rebecca hails from Vancouver, WA, and recently returned to the Northwest after receiving her Bachelor's Degree in Organizational Leadership and Dance from Chapman University in Orange County, California. Most recently, she has attended Seattle University, earning her Master's Degree in Student Development Administration, a program that reinforced her commitment to making educational attainment accessible to all young students. While at SU, Rebecca worked with New Student and Family Programs, helping coordinate summer orientation and new student orientation. Rebecca continues to enjoy dancing with Chimera Dance Theatre and teaching dance at Garfield Community Center.

Alexandra Wakeman, Program Associate
Alex grew up in Texas and Washington, settling in Seattle and into the Seattle Public Schools at the age of 9. After graduating from Ballard High School, she attended Pomona College, one of the Claremont Colleges. There she played NCAA DIII volleyball, served in student government, and spent school breaks exploring the many waterways and wildernesses of California. In 2006, she graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy Analysis and Politics, focusing her studies on educational policy and education reform. After college, she spent the next two years teaching high school math in the Mississippi Delta through Teach for America. During her time as a teacher, she also coached cross country, advised student groups and volunteered with a girl’s empowerment organization. Having relocated to her hometown of Seattle in June 2008, Alex is excited to continue working with high school students and help them develop into insightful, confident, and altruistic leaders.

Sarah Warren, Development and Operations Assistant
A native of the East coast, Sarah grew up in the small ski resort town of Manchester, VT. After attending Burr and Burton Seminary, she took a year off before leaving the green mountains for Boston, MA. She attended Suffolk University and graduated with a double major in Art History and American History, with a Women’s Studies minor. Sarah returned to Vermont after college and put her degree to work at two local non-profit organizations, Robert Todd Lincoln’s Hildene and the Southern Vermont Arts Center. She recently moved to Seattle to build upon her career in development and return to city life. Sarah lives in First Hill with her dog Harlow.