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Staff
Rita Alcantara
Program Director
Rita was born and raised in south Seattle by two amazing Filipino parents. For a short time, she ran away to a
place with a bit more sun, attending Santa Clara University and earning a B.A. in Studio Art and Art History. After
graduating, Rita promptly returned to Seattle, its comforting rain and the strong community that surrounded her here.
After a few years working as a photographer, she felt compelled to give back to the very community that raised her
and so began her journey in the world of non-profit arts education and youth development. Rita is excited to join
the PV team and feels honored to be considered a colleague among individuals of such passion and caliber. Rita loves
karaoke, hip-hop, traveling, eating, being brown and being a girl.
Chera Amlag
Development Assistant
Chera Amlag was born in Olongapo, Philippines and moved to the United States when she was six years old. She grew
up in a suburban military town in Bremerton, Washington. Chera majored in Psychology and graduated with her Bachelors
in Science from the University of Washington. While in college, she cultivated her passion for the arts as a spoken
word artist through isangmahal arts kollective and realized her desire to work with young people. Since graduating
from UW in 2002, Chera has done direct-service work with youth at the API Women and Family Safety Center, Washington
API Families Against Substance Abuse, and most recently was a case-manager and high school teacher through Upward
Bound. Chera also believes in the power of grassroots organizing and is a human rights activist and co-founder of
Pinay Sa Seattle, an all womens Filipina collective. Most importantly, she loves spending time with her growing son,
family, and friends, taking pictures and sleeping.
Tyler Bosma
Office Manager
After a run-of-the-mill suburban Seattle upbringing, Tyler attended the UW, earning degrees in Linguistics and
Scandinavian Area Studies. After college, he moved to the Georgia, where he had an amazing learning experience (along
with some culture shock) while he worked for two years in a rural factory. He then started courses in Journalism and Mass
Communication at the University of Georgia, focusing on queer theory along with race, class, and gender, eventually earning
an MA. Tyler also works as Operations Coordinator for another great Seattle non-profit -- Seattle Works. Through his work
at Powerful Voices, Tyler is involved with the Seattle Coalition for Human Services, and he also volunteers at the Seattle
Public Library in his free time, since he believes that libraries can be a resource for amazing personal and social change.
Tyler loves working at Powerful Voices, and is excited DAILY to be a part of such amazing and important work in support of girls.
A'yana Carroll
CPE & DYVAS Coordinator
A'yana is a native Seattle-lite, born and raised, which is a rare find these days. In 2004 she finished her BS in
Human Development & Family Studies. From September 2004 until July 2006 A'yana was the Just Serve AmeriCorps
member working with the STAGES program. This September she will join the PV staff as the coordinator for Community
Peer Education- an after school program for area high-school youth, and Develop Your Voice and Speak - the summer
youth employment program. As a new member of the PV team A'yana will continue to share her passion for education
and community service with the girls. In addition to her work with STAGES, A'yana enjoys reading, movies, and
volunteering with TSB.
Chel Cendana
Instructional Coordinator, Girls RAP
Chel was born in Bremerton and moved to Seattle as a young child. She was a
student within the Seattle Public Schools, and then attended the University of
Washington with a focus in American Ethnic Studies. During her time at the UW,
she was also a youth worker for the YMCA and YWCA. After a few years of being
a working student, she left the area to do a little more learning and growing.
During her time away as a volunteer youth worker in the United Kingdom, she
realized that there was no other place that she would rather return to than
the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She joined the PV team in January 2007 and
is grateful to be able to work within the schools that she once attended.
Chel also enjoys doing work within the Filipino community, supporting local
hip hop, playing the guitar, traveling and being in the company of good people.
Tanya Kim
Executive Director
Tanya is committed to serving the community at the grassroots level both professional
and personally. At PV she integrates her passion for the arts, youth development and
leadership training. She has over twelve years of experience in implementing youth
programs and in 2004, she and a colleague were awarded "Outstanding Group Supervisor"
by the Seattle Youth Employment Program. She serves on the Minority Executive Directors
Coalition and the Asian Pacific Directors Coalition. Outside of PV, Tanya volunteers with numerous non
profits, serves on the Minority Advisory Board to the President of Western Washington
University (WWU) and served on the Korean Community Counseling Center Board of Directors.
Tanya is a graduate of WWU (1997) and participated in Stanford University’s Graduate
School of Business Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders (2008).
Erica Merritt
Instructional Coordinator, Girls RAP
Erica Merritt was born and raised in Seattle. She has worked in the field of
social services for over 13 years, which includes 8 years of direct case
management and 6 years of group facilitation/instruction. Erica began her work
with the City of Seattle Parks and Rec. in 1993. She later was introduced to
the world of non-profit through YouthCare in 1996. Erica has since then,
continuously worked in the non-profit sector. Most of her experience includes
working with diverse groups of individuals who vary in socio-economic,
cultural and racial backgrounds. Because of her strong roots in our community,
she has built a strong foundation for networking and forming partnerships
with surrounding agencies throughout the greater Seattle area. Erica is
extremely passionate about the work she does and is proud to be a part of
the PV team. Erica is also well known for being a local singer and song writer. In
her spare time she also enjoys teaching voice and culinary arts to inner city youth.
Ann Muno
Associate Director
Ann helped found Powerful Voices in 1995. Her social work experience spans the past fifteen
years, including work with schools and community organizations, and is
rooted in a deep commitment to the next generation of girls. Through her
much-cherished involvement in Powerful Voices, Ann has the opportunity to
see girls take hold of their potential and flourish, staff and volunteers
create educationally exciting spaces for girls, and the community invest in
girls' lives. One day, she'd also enjoy the opportunity to study how female
adolescence differs for Italian-American and Italian girls. Ann is an
Illinois native and has lived in Seattle since 1990. She is the proud mother
of four daughters.
RaGina Sampson
Youth Advocate/Case Manager
RaGina Sampson was born on a refugee plane over East of Hawaii while her mother was flying
to the US from Guam. RaGina’s background and ethnicity is Chinese, Vietnamese and French
with her roots in Saigon now known as Ho Chi Min City. She grew up in SeaTac and now has
made the Central District her home for over 10 years. She attended Tacoma Community College
with her major in human services. She has worked for several non profit organizations and
her passion for organizing has become her other job as a personal organizer. She enjoys
volunteering in the community facilitating art projects with children, doing community
outreach and as a mentor. She is dedicated to incorporating her knowledge of undoing
institutionalized racism, sexism and oppression in all her work. She has a strong sense
of community and is a strong community activist. She enjoys spending most of her free
time with her daughter and puppy. Her other favorite activities include writing, doing
an artistic or creative project and watching independent films.
Sarah Walczyk
Director of Development and Marketing
Sarah Walczyk joined Powerful Voices in November 2006. Sarah brings
several years of substantial fund-raising experience to Powerful Voices,
having worked and volunteered with other non-profit organizations in the
Seattle area since 1998. Before coming to PV, Sarah worked at YouthCare,
where she developed a passion for fundraising for at-risk youth. Sarah is
very excited to be part of the PV family and is eager to work with the
community to promote PV’s programs for adolescent girls. She received her
B.A. in Arts History and Museum Studies from The Evergreen State College. In
her free time, Sarah enjoys listening to music, cooking, volunteering, and
watching movies.
Gloria Womack
STAGES Instructional Coordinator
Gloria was born in Florida but raised in Ohio. While living in Ohio she obtained
her B.A. in Criminal Justice from Our Lady of Lourdes College. Gloria has always
worked in the social service industry, including working with youth in residential
care, juvenile corrections and Girl Scouts. Prior to joining PV Gloria worked as
the Program Manager for the Girl Scouts Beyond Bars Program which focuses on girls
whose mothers are incarcerated in the state of Washington. Gloria has always had
a passion for working with at-risk and underserved youth. She believes in
advocating for them and providing them with tools and resources to help them
have a successful future. Outside of working with youth Gloria enjoys dancing,
playing pool and reading and watching Sci-Fi.
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