We are excited to introduce Circle of Hope's new Board of Directors Member, Mariette Bien-Aime Ayala, PhD!
Dr. Ayala is Director of Urban and Off-Campus Support Services (U-Access) at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Boston. She completed her MA in Student Affairs and Higher Education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 2013 and her PhD in Urban Education, Leadership and Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston in 2019. She was born in Boston and has close ties to her family in Haiti. She enjoys working as an advocate for underrepresented youth in her community.
Dr. Ayala has been integral to the success of Circle of Hope's partnership with UMass Boston. As director of U-Access, she facilitates support for college students experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity and distributes COH donations to those in deepest need of our help. We are excited to welcome her to the COH Board of Directors, where her policy expertise, nonprofit board experience, and unique perspective as a COH partner will inform operations and amplify our mission helping students and families experiencing homelessness.
