Our Team

Meet the Folks Behind the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program

For many of us working with the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP), our own personal backgrounds and interests are a natural extension of expanding quality educational opportunities for all children in the District.

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Samantha Kirby Caruth –Director, D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program
Working with OSP Families Since December 2012

"I have been professionally and personally committed to educational access for over 20 years and continuing this work at OSP is deeply rewarding. To support children’s education, their families and schools is exciting and vital work. I am fortunate to partner with a team that values the experience of each family and that endeavors daily to enable children to have school opportunities which lead to great futures for each child."

 

Sarrah AbuLughod – Manager, Family Services
Working with OSP Families Since June 2008

"I love that I get to be on a first-name basis with the families I serve. I feel connected to the people I work for and I really feel like I am making a difference. I have come to realize that the empowerment that comes from being able to make real decisions about your future is unlike anything else."

 

Jo Ann Guillen* – Manager, Scholarship Payments & Fiscal Operations
Working with OSP Families Since July 2011

"I had amazing educators and supporters and it excites me to know that the work I do at the OSP provides that experience and support for so many families. I am motivated by the fact that for every child who receives a quality education and the character it builds, we are close to ending the disparities among us and moving forward to a better future."

 

Jackie Olcott – Manager, Student Eligibility & School Oversight
Working with OSP Families Since May 2008

"I was fortunate that my town had a good public school system and a low crime rate, so that was one less thing for my parents to worry about. I believe that no parent should have to worry about the quality of education their child is receiving, and should have every option available to choose what is best for their child. This, along with my belief that everyone, especially children, deserves a fair chance to be successful and happy in life has been a major influence in my work with OSP families."

 

William Lopez* – Community Engagement Coordinator
Working with OSP Families Since August 2010

"Growing up in a family that values both hard work and education, I understand first hand how difficult it may be for certain parents to instill the former but not be able to provide the latter. Working with families in the OSP has given me the opportunity to encourage those values I was raised with."

 

Auris Cepin* – Latino Family Support Coordinator
Working with OSP Families Since June 2011

"Having the good fortune of receiving a scholarship I was able to attend a school where the teachers were invested in me doing well. That experience changed my outlook on my academic abilities and stayed with me long after leaving school. I feel that the OSP students we help will not only benefit academically but also in various aspects of their lives, long after using their scholarship ."

 

Sophia Dominguez* – Latino Family Support Coordinator
Working with OSP Families Since June 2011

"My mother was the first in her family to learn English and go to college; she always stressed the importance of how a good education behind my dreams can be the make it or break it point to that dream. I would like to help OSP parents do what my mother did for me, and that is changing their child's life through a great education."

 

Lincoln Pratt – Family Support & Information Coordinator
Working with OSP Families Since February 2012

"I am a firm believer that a well-rounded education and a compassionate learning environment are indispensible to personal growth. Helping to give parents a choice in such a crucial aspect of their children’s lives has been an immensely rewarding experience."