Team Overview
The Accelerate U team is building new pathways to careers incorporating the best practices of workforce development while also providing learners with a college degree. We’re growing our team and looking for others to join us in this effort, especially those with experiences and identities like those of the students we serve.
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Mary Aboutar
Program Director of Allied Health
Mary Aboutar has been active in the field of Training and Educational development for 15 years, focusing on teaching and growing Medical Assisting programs both online and on-ground. Mary has deep experience leading Medical Assisting programs, including developing and managing cost centers, providing administrative and educational direction for staff and students, and creating rigorous curriculum, policies and procedures for clinical training. She has also lead the growth and operations of an Ambulatory Outpatient Education center. Mary currently serves as Program Director of Allied Health for Accelerate U. Mary holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Care Management from St. Leo University, an MBA-Management degree from Westwood University, an RMA-Registered Medical Assistant certification and CMC-Certified Medical Biller & Coder certification.
Angel O. Alcazar
Director of Outreach
Angel brings 13 years of experience spanning clinical care, community health, logistics management, and workforce education. Most recently, Angel served as the Workforce Education Specialist at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, where he managed a diverse portfolio of 12 internship programs serving students across various academic levels ranging from elementary to graduate/medical students. As the Director of Outreach, Angel leads all aspects of outreach, recruitment, and enrollment for Accelerate U programs. He also serves as the Staff Advisor for Nosotros Unidos, a Latine/x student-led organization at National Louis University. Angel, with roots in Jalisco, Mexico and Chicago's Southwest Side, is dedicated to public service, particularly in historically excluded communities. He holds a B.S. in Human Health Sciences and Public Health from DePaul University, an MBA from National Louis University, and licenses/certifications in Trauma Informed Supervision, Grant Writing, Data Collection, Remote Group Facilitation and the
Chieme Atubi
Finance & Data Analyst
Bringing over 6 years of professional experience, Chieme is a seasoned Finance and Data Analyst at Accelerate U. Having served in roles emphasizing financial analysis and data management, Chieme now closely collaborates with the VP of Workforce Pathways, overseeing critical financial operations for strategic decision-making. Proficient in SQL, Python, and data visualization tools, Chieme excels in distilling actionable insights from complex datasets, significantly contributing to the realization of Accelerate U's strategic goals. Beyond the numbers, Chieme is motivated by a commitment to equity, seamlessly aligning with Accelerate U's mission.
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Cynthia Barrios
Medical Assistant Faculty Instructor
Cynthia Barrios brings over a decade of experience in healthcare to her role, marked by a diverse array of responsibilities and accomplishments. Her professional history includes with Ascension Health, where she served as a Lead Physician Support, ensuring the smooth operation of clinic activities. Cynthia holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from NLU (National Louis University), alongside two Associate degrees in Arts and Science, attesting to her commitment to academic and professional excellence. Her expertise is further underscored by a multitude of certifications, including Registered Medical Assistant with the American Medical Technologist and Certified Healthcare Leader (CHL) with the Healthcare Sterile Processing Association (HSPA). Additionally, she holds certifications as a Certified Endoscope Reprocessor and Certified Registered Central Service Technician with HSPA. Cynthia's dedication to continuous learning is evident through specialized training, including Seizure First Aid Certification through the Epilepsy Foundation and recognition as a GI Technical Specialist and Advanced GI Technical Specialist by the Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA). Notably, Cynthia has also collaborated with various organizations such as The Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (ICAAP) and the City of Chicago Vaccines for Children program, demonstrating her commitment to community wellness, disease prevention, and advocacy within the healthcare sector. Currently, Cynthia Barrios works as the Medical Assisting Instructor for the Accelerate U Program, where she passionately trains the next generation of healthcare professionals, embodying her dedication to shaping the future of healthcare delivery. Her multifaceted contributions and holistic approach to healthcare reflect her passion for improving patient outcomes and promoting excellence in healthcare delivery
Eisha Cloption
Externship Coordinator
Eisha has over 18 years of experience in healthcare, starting her career at Ann and Robert H Lurie Children’s Hospital as a CNA and serving most recently as a Lead Medical Assistant. Eisha is also an alumnus of the Accelerate U medical assistant program and a Skill Lab instructor in the program. She is passionate about teaching students how to be successful starting in the healthcare field. Coming from the Englewood community herself, she understands the need to set an example for new MAs starting. Eisha has become a mentor to many new MAs from the program. Eisha wants to further her career by obtaining a BS in Healthcare Leadership so she can someday give the same opportunity to minorities she was given.
Alicia Collins
Career Coach
Alicia has more than a decade of experience working in both charter and public schools in Illinois and Indiana. Most recently, she was an elementary school principal, and she has also served as the Senior Dean of Culture at a charter school in Chicago where she supported a team of more than 20 staff whose collective efforts resulted in a steep decline in disciplinary referrals and a 100% high school graduation rate. Alicia has led workshops around Trauma Informed practices, Social Emotional Learning, and Culturally Responsive teaching practices and has co-authored a social emotional learning curriculum for grades 6-12. Alicia is a proud alumnus of National Louis University and has a Master’s Degree in Education Leadership from Concordia University-Portland.
Shantall Del Giudice
Director of Career Coaching
Shantall has over 15 years of professional experience that spans across teaching in Chicago public schools, college counseling, career/vocational coaching, and content creation/blogging. She brings a passion and knack for coaching others to achieve something great in their careers. As Accelerate U’s Lead Career Coach, she coaches participants on utilizing their learnings in class within job interviews, during the program’s externship, and afterwards in the workforce. Shantall received her B.A. from Texas State University - San Marcos, a Master’s in Secondary Education from National Louis, and a Master’s in Public Service Management, Higher Education Administration from DePaul University.
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Lisa Hairston
Director of Employer Engagement
Lisa Hairston has over 20 years of domestic and international non-profit education and Military Family support experience. Prior to her role with Accelerate U, as Managing Director of Innovation with TFA, she spearheaded the retention of education leaders, policymakers and administrators with trauma-informed professional development driven by equity and belonging. Her career focus is fostering innovative solutions to economic mobility and entrepreneurship in underrepresented communities. In her current role, she continues to champion economic mobility, equity and education through her strategic plan for employer expansion with Accelerate U. Lisa holds a Masters of Education, Curriculum Development, from University of Nevada at Las Vegas and a Masters of Arts, National Security Studies, from American Public University System.
Maria Ixtlapale
Operations Coordinator
Maria is a people-oriented professional with experience in business and case management. Maria's background in business management includes developing merchandising strategies to effectively drive sales, leading conflict resolution initiatives, and coordinating events. As a result, Maria received the Nordstrom All-Star award. This is the most prestigious award given to Nordstrom employees who go above and beyond expectations in helping not only their customers but also their fellow teammates. Before joining Accelerate U, Maria worked in case management, helping adults with co-morbidity diagnoses and mental health disorders in a residential and partial hospital setting. Maria has an eye for detail, a passion for helping others, and is eager to continue her studies. Maria is a first-generation college student at National Louis University and hopes to further her studies in business management.
Thackston Lundy
Vice President of Workforce Pathways
Thackston has nearly two decades of experience in the education sector across K-12 public school systems and networks and non-profit workforce development organizations. He brings a passion for building accessible career credential pathway programs and launched Accelerate U at National Louis University in 2021. Thackston received his B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and his Master’s in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School.
Gabriela Martinez
Career Coach
Gabriela has over half a decade of experience bridging opportunity gaps for historically underserved communities through case management and post-secondary coaching. Her experience includes supporting a preschool expansion program, assisting families in crises at a residential facility, and coaching students in getting to and through college. Prior to joining NLU, Gabriela was a program manager for an Americorps program that focused on developing the next generation of nonprofit leaders. Gabriela is passionate about sparking self exploration in others and unlocking their potential to flourish. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology with a Social Work emphasis from Wheaton College and is a certified Reiki I Practitioner.
Nina Mercado
Career Coach
Nina is a Chicago native with over half a decade of experience within the educational realm (public, private, and non-profit development) ranging from k-12 to high school, and community college environments. Prior to working at NLU, Nina was a Program Coordinator with One Million Degrees at Malcolm X, where she connected students to academic and personal support opportunities and scholarships. She is people oriented and began this work primarily because of her own educational barriers and experience within Higher Education. She aims to continue the work of uplifting historically marginalized communities by dismantling gatekeeping, bridging knowledge gaps, providing a brave space for students to feel empowered, and navigate their path to success. She holds her B.A from Denison University and is excited to work towards her M.A in Higher Education.
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Jennifer Robin
Director of Strategy and Operations
Jennifer Robin has spent nearly two decades supporting students in a variety of educational settings in both secondary and post-secondary landscapes. Most recently Jennifer led NLU’s transfer strategy and oversaw the launch of Direct to Success, a comprehensive initiative to support direct transfer students in completing Bachelor’s degrees. Prior to being Director of Transfer Strategy, through her direct support of the inaugural group of Pathways students at NLU, Jennifer built the undergraduate coaching model now adopted by the undergraduate college at NLU and served as Director of Undergraduate Student Success. Before coming to NLU, Jennifer spent ten years teaching in Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Jennifer received her B.A. from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and her Master’s in Teaching from National Louis University.
Kylie Vadnais
Director of Learning and Product
Kylie has over 12 years of professional experience, with over 10 years in product/program design in her most recent role as the Managing Director of Program Implementation at OneGoal. Kylie brings a passion for designing systems, programs, and products that ensure all students are supported to achieve their greatest ambitions. As the Founding Director of Learning and Product at Accelerate U, she is responsible for building out engaging and meaningful learning experiences for participants. Kylie received her B.S. from Gonzaga University and her Master’s in Science Education from Illinois Institute of Technology.
Richard Vance
Career Coach
Richard has ten years of school leadership, including six years as a classroom teacher district and charter public schools for educational management organizations. This experience includes high performing, at-risk, and turnaround environments. He has lead 50 high-performing educators and driven student-centered results, by developing staff, and monitoring performance, budget, and operations. Richard has deep experience working with school staff and leaders to meet campus-wide goals, often through one-on-one coaching and team-wide professional development. His strengths include leadership development, performance management, school operations, project management, curriculum development, and academic growth. Richard holds a bachelor’s degree from Wilberforce University, Masters in Education from the University of Dayton and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Antioch University.
