January 27, 2022

Five KIPP Texas alumni selected to Leadership Accelerator Program

KIPPsters are the next generation’s leaders and changemakers, and our organization supports our students and alumni every step of the way. This year, five KIPP Texas alumni were selected for the Alumni Leadership Accelerator Program, a yearlong program of professional development, mentorship, and network building. The Leadership Accelerator Program aims to support KIPP alumni in reaching top leadership positions at the local, state, and national levels. This year’s Fellows will:

Receive 10 months of personalized, executive leadership coaching
Attend two leadership conferences
Join a tight-knit cohort of peers who graduated from KIPP schools across the country
Have access to networking and skill-building opportunities

Each of the alumni selected already possess a vision for inspiring change, and we’re lucky enough to be a part of their journey!

The five KIPP Texas alumni selected are:

German Barbosa (KIPP 3D Academy, KIPP Houston High School ‘13) has always been passionate about politics. After earning a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University and a Bachelor of Science in economics at the University of Houston, German interned for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, worked as a legal assistant, and taught AP government and politics at KIPP Texas. German is motivated by his firm belief that in order for a government to be truly representative, more people in positions of power must come from his community and work for his community.

Eliseo Iglesias (KIPP Academy Middle School) is a first-generation Salvadoran American with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering Science from Trinity University and a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at San Antonio. He plans to continue his academic journey and become tenure-track college faculty. Eliseo hopes to use his own experience to create a path for other young students in underrepresented and underserved communities to achieve positions of leadership in the STEM field.

Paula Fernandez-Baca (KIPP Academy Middle School) is a consultant for global management consulting firm Bain & Company and recently graduated with her Master of Business Administration from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. After graduating with honors from The Johns Hopkins University, she taught students at KIPP Houston through Teach for America, and has worked in fundraising and advocacy for the KIPP Foundation and the KIPP Bay Area. She aspires to return to the social sector, leading organizations that make an impact in education and workforce development for underserved communities.

Jozlyn Hall is a proud member of KIPP Truth Academy’s founding class. Jozlyn graduated from Texas Woman’s University in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. After graduating, she became the founding 6th grade science teacher at KIPP Destiny Middle School for the 2015-2016 school year. She then transitioned from education to healthcare and decided to work in Orthopedic Oncology while attending Nursing School at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she earned her Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing. Jozlyn is currently a registered nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and combines both compassion and critical thinking skills to render the best care to her patients and their families. Jozlyn serves as the Founding Co-Chair for KIPP DFW Alumni Association, whose mission is to cultivate a safe space for KIPP DFW Alumni to network and be the greatest version of themselves.

Jennifer Constanza (KIPP Houston High School ‘11) is a Houston native who graduated from Duke University with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy. During her time at Duke, Jennifer focused on energy policy. Her undergraduate thesis examined how the liberalization of the Mexican energy market created opportunities for American oil and gas companies. Currently, Jennifer is a consultant for PA Consulting, a global consulting company specializing in strategy, technology, and innovation. Over the past year, she planned and coordinated a partnership between her firm and the National Society of Black Engineers to increase the recruitment of Black professionals and raise funds to continue building that pipeline for years to come. From the electrification of transportation to the decentralization of the electric grid, Jennifer wants to be a leader in addressing the energy and infrastructure needs of low-income communities.