Our Board

Fabio is from Windsor, Connecticut, with strong roots in Puerto Rico and Southern Vermont. With two undergraduate degrees in Spanish Studies and Religious Education from Andrews University, and a Masters of Arts in Intercultural Peacebuilding & Conflict Transformation from SIT Graduate Institute. Fabio has committed himself to being a life learner and reflective practitioner. He serves as the Co-Chair for the Board of Directors and just got back from a trip to Puerto Rico with the Peer Leaders.

Amy is first generation, from the Dominican Republic, and she is proudly from the Flats. She has been a part of Pa’lante since 2018, an experience that has really shaped her. Amy is passionate about helping young people amplify their voices, valuing people’s humanity, and fighting against the patriarchy–all of which makes her a beloved member of the Board and a Girls Inc Staff where she works with adolescent girls to step into their power!

Born and raised in Holyoke, Leslie has always had a deep love of the community. She comes from a big family, she is the youngest of seven kids. She joined Pa’lante as a leader freshman year and found a space of loving, supportive people who worked together to amplify youth voices and advocate for transformative justice. Leslie serves as the Secretary for the Board of Directors and is honored to be in spaces where they are doing impactful work and fighting against the school-to-prison pipeline. She recently graduated from American International College, majoring in Communications, and is now working alongside Richard Rodriguez in the Student Support Room–a space created by one of Pa’lante’s first cohorts of Peer Leaders.

Born in Dorchester, MA, Kia Burton-King is a Honduran-American, first-generation student, Latinx, and Black Bostonian. After moving to Holyoke, Kia found love for the community and wanted to get authentically rooted in Holyoke. Her son, Zaire (‘26), is a leader who helped her find Pa’lante and her daughter Zoey (‘29) just became a Peer Leader as well. Kia is passionate about unlearning white supremacy culture, youth voice, and learning to be anti-grind.

Jazzly was raised by a family of strong, independent women here in Holyoke. She motivates students daily as a paraprofessional in Holyoke Public Schools, all while pursuing her Bachelors degree in education. She believes that every child deserves a chance at an education and that schools should foster independence and teach important life skills. Her son Azi and her students introduced her to Pa’lante. In addition to her studies, Jazzly is a talented nail technician and hairstylist, and she loves to cook and bake. When she finds free time, she enjoys reading, and she considers “Just Fine” by Mary J. Blige to be her theme song.

Born and raised in Holyoke, Alexis is a dedicated Peer Leader who is intent on growth. Alexis looks up to his older cousin, Jeremy, as an example of how to be a successful leader and provide for himself and his family. He came to Pa’lante to try to make Holyoke a safer and better community for kids to come up in, and he is proud to be a part of this cohort of powerful Peer Leaders. He is a talented musician, deep thinker, and animal lover. Alexis dreams of opening a business in Holyoke and creating well-paying jobs.

Alicia Fleming, a proud resident of Western Massachusetts, brings a wealth of experience and passion to her role as a board member. As a mother and advocate, she is deeply committed to caring for others and fostering meaningful connections with youth. Alicia’s strategic mindset and dedication to community organizing make her a powerful force for positive change. In addition to her board work, she is a Co-Executive Director of Massachusetts Jobs with Justice, a dynamic coalition of labor, community, faith, and youth organizations united in their efforts to champion workers’ rights.

Board member and alumnus Alyzza was raised in Holyoke. She comes from a Dominican and Puerto Rican family. After years of commitment and joy, Pa’lante has not only helped make her who she is, but she can’t imagine her life without Pa’lante. She is a determined, committed, and humble person who is passionate about equality, justice, and fighting against poverty. She works in the healthcare field, supporting people in her community in accessing affordable and essential healthcare.

Raúl is originally from Mexico and moved to Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood at age 11 for access to a better education. Raúl brings experience working with youth and a commitment to equity on all levels, specifically fighting for the rights of immigrants. His goal is to remove barriers for students to be able to fulfill their dreams. Many Pa’lante alum who have learned with and from Raul can speak to his dedication to making higher ed not only possible, but relevant and rooted in community.

Born and raised in Holyoke MA, Janeyah is an Afro-Latina who is passionate about not only self-love but equality when it comes to education and career opportunities. From planning workshops for her peers to testifying at the statehouse, Janeyah strives to live out her values. As a Youth Staff, she worked closely under the mentorship of Co-Ed Alicia Thomas, and aspires to be an Executive Director herself one day. One fun fact about Janeyah is that she LOVES reading. If she had a theme song it would be “Ex Factor” by Lauryn Hill.

Egla is a proud Peer Leader. She is from El Salvador, where she lived until age ten. She came to Pa’lante excited to make new friends, have fun, and fight for the rights of Black and Latino communities. Egla is a math whiz kid, regularly checking time sheets, and loves to learn new things. In the future, you will catch her being a phlebotomist or a nurse, owning her own home, and taking care of a variety of pets, including but not limited to pit bulls, snakes, and a ferret. In her free time, she likes to talk to her cat and make TikToks with her mom.

Salomé Moreno is a proud first generation American. Her call to social justice took shape while she was a member of Pa’lante in high school but was largely informed by her parents own determination to “make it” in the United States. As an undergraduate at Middlebury College, her studies in linguistics led her to discover a passion for language acquisition, language access, and sociolinguistics. Now, Salomé is working at a charter school in Springfield with Teach for America with a mission to provide students with a high quality and rigorous education.

Peer Leader and Board Member Abdallah is a first gen American from Holyoke, MA with roots in Tanzania. His parents instilled in him strong values of integrity and kindness. Abdallah is a genuine person, who brings patience, an open mind, as well as filmmaking skills to Pa’lante. He is passionate about fighting for human rights. He plans to study Communications at Holyoke Community College.

A New Yorker, Becca found a home in queer and radical Jewish circles in Western Mass while a student at Mount Holyoke and has called it home ever since. Becca is passionate about economic justice, racial justice, and Palestinian rights. Becca has been a steadfast supporter of Pa’lante for more than 5 years, as a Board Member and prior to that our Community Advisory Board. In her free time, you can find Becca hosting a weekly radio show.

Mari’s curiosity about Pa’lante’s black and pink house on the corner of Cabot & Linden led her to attend Pa’lante’s first ever haunted house! Since becoming a Peer Leader, she has jumped into leadership opportunities such as learning community organizing strategies, presenting at Sigue, gardening, and creating an original new mural for our space. She is a warm, honest, and non-judgemental presence at Pa’lante. She believes in advocating with and for people on the spectrum to have equal rights and be included in our community spaces. She wants to achieve financial stability and find inner peace. In her free time, you can find Mari playing volleyball or drawing.

Nichelle is passionate about disability justice, youth power, and cracking jokes. She is steadfast as a Peer Leader, showing up early, staying late, and helping shape the culture of the Meta, our drop-in center, as a place where youth can let their guard down and enjoy themselves. She wants adults to recognize that groups of young people of color getting together shouldn’t be seen as a problem, but an opportunity for transformative change. As a Peer Leader, Nichelle presented on college campuses, testified at the statehouse, and has been interviewed on the radio. She plans to pursue a career in social work, focusing on protecting children’s rights. Her current theme song is “Find Your Wings” by Tyler, the Creator.

Ana Rodriguez is a Boricua New Yorker, and a problem-solver both in her family and the community. She is passionate about education access, equity, and fighting racism and discrimination. She values the genuine connections she witnesses between young people and adults at Pa’lante, and likes to remind young people that they are in the driver’s seat. Her goal is to continue to work for the betterment of her community and to practice active listening.

A proud Boricua Peer Leader starting her junior year, Jazzy loves the positive vibe at Pa’lante, the joy of our annual ropes course, and attending conferences to network with different organizations. She is passionate about fighting for the rights of immigrants and plans to pursue a career working for justice. In her free time, Jazzy enjoys writing poetry, and is inspired by the work of local poet and fellow Pa’lante alum, Mishie Serrano. You can catch Jazzy giving tours at 220 Linden Street, or being an active member of the Youth Advisory Board, in addition to her work on the Board of Directors.