OPENING DOORS TO GREAT WORK

CONNECTING STUDENTS TO HIGH-SKILL CAREERS

From the time education began, student reflection on the value of their educational experiences has regularly centered on a single, appropriate, and familiar question: “When am I ever going to use this?”

Our purpose at Avenue Scholars is for the answer to that question to be “every day of your life.” That’s because Avenue Scholars is about careers – learning about them, preparing for them, entering them, and above all else, succeeding in them.

Avenue Scholars will expose the students entering our program today to a variety of quality career options in fields such as health care, information technology, automotive technology, trades and manufacturing, and business processes. We’ll also coach them through part-time work so that they can experience the realities of the work world and learn and develop the attributes necessary to be successful in it.

We’ll help students identify and access the paths to their career goals, which includes providing them with a grant to continue their education/training after successfully completing their Avenue Scholars high school experience. We’ll continue to support them throughout their time in post-high-school training and will work with employers to open doors to career opportunities. We’ll then stay with them for six months after they start their careers to make sure they get off to a good start. This is our commitment to our students.

We greatly appreciate the generous support of our educational, business, philanthropic, and community partners for their unique contributions to our students’ success and well-being. Without the collective contributions of each of them, none of this would be possible. Special thanks to our students for choosing to be part of this program and being the inspiration for our work.

Let’s go forward together and accomplish great things!

“Avenue Scholars helps provide a sense of direction by emphasizing career training and the importance of building a future on that solid foundation.”

Walter Scott, Jr., Founding Board Chair, Avenue Scholars

Board of Directors

Susie Buffett

Chairperson

Jeff Schmid

Director

Calvin Sisson

Director

Katie Weitz, Ph.D.

Director

Ken Bird, Ed.D.

President/CEO

Organizational & Program Administration

Kenneth M. Bird, Ed.D.
President/CEO
402.916.9777
Catie Dagle
Director of Information & Quality Assurance
402.916.9777
Beverly Hass
Office & Staff Assistant
402.916.9777 
Lisa Sterba, Ed.D.
Sr. Director of Programs
402.916.9777
Lindsay Decker
Director of Communications & Development
402.916.9777
Sheree Haynie
Office & Staff Assistant
402.916.9777 
 
 
Kris Valentin
Sr. Director of Human Resources
& Administrative Services
402.916.9777 
Michael Johnson
Assistant Director of Programs
402.916.9777
Kristy Preuss
Office & Staff Assistant
402.916.9777 
 
 

High School Team

 Zadie Johnson – Department Head
High School Career Coach
402.916.9777
Terrence Gillian
High School Career Coach
402.916.9777
 Beth Leach
High School Career Coach
402.916.9777 
Jordyn Smith
High School Career Coach
[email protected]
402.916.9777
Jose Almanza
High School Career Coach
402.916.9777
Kamina Lemons
High School Career Coach
402.916.9777
Marcus Manley
High School Career Coach
402.916.9777
Fred Starks
High School Career Coach
402.916.9777
Vanessa Collins
High School Career Coach
402.916.9777
Marquita Lambert
High School Career Coach 
402.916.9777
Tom Prescott
High School Career Coach
402.916.9777
 
 

Postsecondary/Career Team

Tonya Fairgood – Department Head
Postsecondary Career Coach
402.916.9777 

Tom Robertson
Postsecondary Career Coach
[email protected]
402.916.9777

Dan Corral
Postsecondary Career Coach
402.916.9777
Canei Rodriquez
Postsecondary Career Coach
402.916.9777
 
 
 

Steve Johnston
Postsecondary Career Coach
[email protected]
402.916.9777

Anthony Tate
Postsecondary Career Coach
402.916.9777

Business Outreach Team

Audrey Gustin – Department Head
Business Relations Manager
402.916.9777
 
 
Meagan Botello
Career Awareness & Exploration Coordinator
402.916.9777
Shaney Esparza
Intern & Employment Coordinator
402.916.9777

Student Support Team

Ashley Knott 
Student Support Manager
402.916.9777
Guadalupe Perez-Aguilar
Student Support Assistant
402.916.9777
 
 

Avenue Shared Services

Mike Alvano
Vice President & Treasurer
CFO of Avenue Scholars
402.916.9777
Penny Darnell
Accounting Manager

402.916.9777