2011-2012 Class of Coro Fellows

Abiola Adeola

Hometown: Abeokuta, Nigeria

Bachelor of Business Administration in Human Resource Management, Temple University

From growing up in Abeokuta, Nigeria to attending college in Philadelphia, Abiola has consistently been exposed to social inequality. However, she had developed an acceptance of the status quo until she got a jarring picture of world inequality while traveling on the Semester at Sea voyage. Her travels, coupled with a study of poverty and economic development ignited a passion for social justice and inspired Abiola to effect positive change within her own community. She hopes to achieve this by working towards capacity development for the Nigerian masses.

Corinne Bernstein

Hometown: Irvine, CA

Bachelor of Arts, Northwestern University

Corinne Bernstein, originally from southern California, graduated cum laude from Northwestern University in June 2011 with a dual degree in Middle East Languages and Civilizations and in International Studies, focusing in International Security. While at Northwestern, Corinne worked extensively with both the campus and local communities. She worked together with the Evanston Community Foundation as the Alumni and Community Relations Co-Chair for Northwestern Univeristy's Dance Marathon, one of the nation’s largest fully student-run organizations, and served the Jewish community as Vice President of Hillel. Corinne has interned with several social justice organizations and plans to pursue a Masters Degree in Social Policy.

Amal Elbakhar

Hometown: New York City, NY

Bachelor of Arts, Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College of CUNY

Amal Elbakhar is a graduate of the Macaulay Honors College at Hunter College where she majored in Chemistry and Women Studies. She has served as the President of the Hunter College Pre-med Club, as Co-chair of the Macaulay Scholars Council and as a voting member of the Macaulay Governing Council. Alongside, she has volunteered, interned and worked at Bellevue Hospital/NYU Medical Center, conducted a biophysics project at both Hunter College and Rockefeller University and currently works at the Center for Reproductive Rights. Amal plans to pursue an MD/JD dual degree with a concentration in health policy pertaining to women’s health.

Emmanuel Fortune

Hometown: Miami, FL

Bachelor of Arts in English, University of Florida

Born and raised in Miami, Florida, Emmanuel graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in English. At Florida, he conducted research on public policy and ethnomusicology as a Ronald E. McNair Scholar. He received the distinguished University of Florida Multicultural and Diversity Award for his commitment to promoting diversity. In addition to public policy, his passion for improving K-12 education led him to stints at Breakthrough Collaborative, Upward Bound, College Summit, and Teach For America. He successfully taught secondary Language Arts in Jacksonville, FL, coached swimming and debate. 

Monis Khan

Hometown: Milwaukee, WI

Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Washington University in St. Louis

Founder and President of Drop Knowledge Magazine, and the Karachi Creative Arts Initiative, Monis has addressed pressing social issues with innovation, imagination, and ambition. A passionate advocate for the communities he is a part of, Monis works to provide access to valuable resources, as well as share the struggles of these communities through film, literature, and the stage. With experience as an active counselor and trainer of peer counselors at

Washington University in St. Louis, Monis has developed the necessary skills to provide comfort and resources for students struggling with a wide range of social and mental health issues.

Keara L. McKenna

Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science, Chatham University

Masters Candidate in Health Care Policy and Management, Carnegie Mellon University

As an undergraduate, Keara became passionate about Food and Nutritional Policy, an interest that culminated in her senior thesis “What Not to Eat: A Behavioral, Economic and Regulatory Approach to Food.” She continued to pursue this passion in graduate school by specializing in Health Care Policy and Management. In addition to academically pursuing her interests, Keara began working for the MITRE Corporation, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, in the Center for Transforming Health as a Systems Engineer. After Coro, she plans to finish her final year of graduate school at Carnegie Mellon and pursue a PhD.

Tim Morrison

Hometown: Arcata, CA

Bachelor of Arts in Integrative Biology; University of California, Berkeley

While earning his BA in Biology from UC Berkeley, Tim co-founded an intercultural collaboration and, behind the leadership of several Shuar communities in Amazonian Ecuador, helped facilitate a dialogue on safe water and sanitation. Later, he worked as a children's health policy advocate in both California and New York. He also volunteered as a legislative researcher and strategist for the California Domestic Workers Bill of Rights and as an outdoor educator in Yosemite National Park. He hopes to refine his skills as an advocate and policy analyst so he can better promote initiatives that encourage equal opportunity.

Mary C. Parker

Hometown: Stone Mountain, GA

Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a minor in Ethics, Emory University

Mary awoke her passion for community and diversity through her leadership as student at Emory University. While at Emory she served as a moderator of two different dialogue groups on race, volunteered in Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, and helped found the Freshman Crossroads Retreat, a diversity initiative for incoming first-year students. Upon graduation Mary served two years as an AmeriCorps Member with City Year. Her experiences with AmeriCorps stimulated her interest in education reform. Mary’s ultimate goal is to find a career that intersects her interests in education policy and diversity education. 

Marcus V. Phelps

Hometown: Mansfield, Ohio

Bachelor of Arts in Economics with a minor in Spanish, University of Akron

Marcus Vincent Phelps graduated magna cum laude from the University of Akron with a major in Economics, a minor in Spanish, and received a certificate in Racial Conflict. There, Marcus was very active and was appointed by then Governor Ted Strickland to the University of Akron Board of Trustees as a student Trustee. He was also a national qualifier in three events in forensic speech and debate, and tied for third place at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland Economics Research Competition. The summer following his graduation he volunteered in Peru as Community Health worker for eight weeks. Though he is not 100% sure of what his career will be, he hopes to ultimately encourage the discouraged and help those in impoverished areas. In his free time, Marcus enjoys dancing with his mother, brother and father.

Kirsten Soong

Hometown: Larchmont, NY

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology Educational emphasis on Chinese Lang and Culture, University of Michigan

Kirsten Soong grew up in Larchmont, New York and graduated from the University of Michigan. She joined the Chicago office as an Assistant Director in 2009 managing the Planned Parenthood’s Action Fund campaign, advocating the passage of a pro-choice health care bill. In 2010 Kirsten accepted the opportunity to run the San Francisco office managing campaigns for health care, equal rights, the environment and the fight against global poverty. Kirsten is inspired by the power of individuals coming together for change. She plans on getting an MBA and hopes to start her own organization in education, economic opportunity or healthcare.

Olivia A. Warren

Hometown: Racine, WI

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, Marymount Manhattan College

Hailing from Racine, Wisconsin, Olivia grew up in a town where the ramifications of poor policy decisions were felt by all. While completing a B.F.A. in Dance, she received a J.K. Watson Fellowship through which she spent her summers working for the Gotham Gazette, Congressman Serrano's Office, and teaching English in rural Cambodia. Her professional experience solidified her calling to the public arena rather than the theatrical stage, and Olivia hopes through Coro to gain a better understanding of how she can best make an impact combating the drastic divisions of class and gender that remain pervasive and often unchallenged.