Staff

Carla O’Connor, Ph.D

Director

Carla is responsible for the development, implementation and ongoing improvement of the Wolverine Pathways initiative. Her team works with targeted school communities to provide enrichment and exposures that aim to increase the likelihood that promising young people apply, attend and graduate from the University of Michigan.

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Lara Du, Ph.D

Senior Program Manager

Lara is responsible for the math curriculum at WP as well as planning and overseeing certain administrative tasks. She holds a bachelor’s degree in math from University College London and a Ph.D. in math, specializing in Number Theory, from the University of Michigan. Prior to joining Wolverine Pathways, Lara designed math curriculum, taught at various levels and ran math outreach. She believes strongly that math is for everyone and that it’s best learned through active exploration. Lara is passionate about helping students from underserved communities find infinite joy in math because of both her own lived experiences and the amazing students she’s worked with.

Angela Anderson

Administrative Assistant

Angela is responsible for supporting the Wolverine Pathways staff, students and parents.  She has worked in administrative support for PreK-12th grade public school education in Ann Arbor since 2005.

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Tyra High

Data Manager

Tyra is responsible for supporting the Wolverine Pathways and ODEI Evaluation and Assessment teams in capturing, organizing and storing student and parent information. She has worked to develop effective information systems for educational institutions and non profit organizations since 2013. Tyra is passionate about increasing information system efficiency to increase accessibility for underrepresented communities. Tyra enjoys hiking, exploring cultures through food, and enjoying her hometown Detroit.

Davee Hunter

Administrative Specialist and Community Liaison

Davee is directly responsible for managing the coordination, direction, and policy development in areas of administration, finance, facility operations, human resources, support services and supporting Wolverine Pathways families with parent engagement initiatives. She manages the administrative team and supports the program director in planning and pacing of high-level special projects and the assistant director and senior program manager in streamlining initiatives administratively throughout the department, and is also a member of Wolverine Pathways executive team. She enjoys Wolverine Pathways because the team works diligently on programming, and uses an integrated approach to foster student success; and it is enlightening to see everything come to fruition and to make a difference in the lives of our scholars and families.

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Julie Lim

Program Coordinator and Success Coach

Julie received her Bachelor’s in American Ethnic Studies from the University of Washington and her Master’s in Higher Education from the University of Michigan. She is a daughter of Cambodian refugees and is a first-generation college graduate. Julie is passionate about holistically supporting students towards their college and career aspirations. Her lived experiences have provided her with an invigorating passion to support students with similar backgrounds. Julie is honored to have the opportunity to work in a field that aligns with her lived experiences, life trajectory, and passions. In her free time, Julie enjoys trying out new restaurants, working out, and traveling! She’s also obsessed with aquariums and sea life.

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Sariah Metcalfe

Program Coordinator and Success Coach

Sariah Metcalfe joined the Wolverine Pathways team in the Winter of 2023 to continue developing the Success Coach program. Sariah’s hometown is Kalamazoo, Michigan, and they are an alumnus of Kalamazoo Public Schools and Michigan State University. Sariah has been a community organizer developing programs related to Racial and Gender Justice since 2016 and is a graduate of the New Leaders in African-Centered Social Work program at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. In addition, Sariah has worked with youth in the public school setting as a mentor for six years. They are excited to support Wolverine Pathways Scholars in setting goals that promote their academic success and individual well-being.

Pete Vandermeer

Program Manager for College Access

Pete serves as the Program Manager for College Access at Wolverine Pathways. Originally from Ypsilanti, he received his Bachelor of Science in History from Central Michigan University, and he is currently pursuing his Master’s in Higher Education through Penn State University. Pete began his career in education as a high school social studies teacher and college counselor in San Antonio, Texas before joining Wolverine Pathways in 2019. Having the opportunity to work with students and families in his home state is what he loves most about WP, and his passion for equity and expanding college access to underrepresented communities is what drives him. Pete also loves music and he enjoys playing guitar and drums for his family and friends.

Headshot for Brenda Vasconcelos-Ramirez

Brenda Vasconcelos-Ramirez

Assistant Program Manager for Strategic Initiatives

Brenda is responsible for Wolverine Pathways’ remote programming outside of Southeast Michigan and is a success coach to scholars in the program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Studies and Latino Studies from the University of Michigan. Brenda is passionate about supporting underrepresented communities through mentorship and resource sharing to increase generational wealth and knowledge in those communities. She enjoys knitting, Studio Ghibli films, and the great outdoors in her spare time.