Team.

Julia Schechter, Ed.D.

Founder & Director

I was inspired to start The Mentoring Project from my days as a Completion Coach at South Seattle College where I worked with many dedicated students who persisted despite tremendous barriers. As an educator who has worked in the policy world, the classroom and the non-profit sector, my hope is to continue to make a difference by taking initiative, as I did when I started College Access Now back in 2005. My most recent role as Interim Associate Dean of Student Engagement at Richmond, the American International University in London exposed me to the challenges of the global student experience. My BA in Politics is from UC Santa Cruz, MA in Education Administration and Policy Analysis from Stanford University and Doctorate in Education Leadership from Seattle University. My doctoral research was in the area of students with disabilities and their transition to college. The Mentoring Project has long been an idea in my head but “lockdown” has gifted me the time to launch it- onward ho!

Rabia Nadeem

AmeriCorps VISTA Program Manager

I have come a long way from being a South Asian amateur blogger living and raising a family in Dubai to working as a full-time Recruiter in Prague. But the trajectory of my life changes entirely when I started working for non-profit organizations in the USA. My life on three continents; Asia, Europe, and now in North America is a treasure trove of learning, unlearning and relearning experiences. I have no scruples in saying that my journey as a young graduate student was a topsy-turvy ride, and there were times when I wished for a guiding star to navigate me and help me through life's journey. Nevertheless, I’m ready to give back and serve wherever I can. I’m excited to be a part of The Mentoring Project to bring the best mentors in our community and connect them to those who need a guiding star.

Jon Fine

Jon brings deep experience with non-profit leadership, governance and fundraising to The Mentoring Project having served as CEO of the United Way of King County for 19 years. Jon currently teaches non-profit management at Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics and serves in various community leadership roles including advancing the Seattle Colleges. Jon often rides a bike up Queen Anne Hill, one of Seattle’s steepest — this can-do spirit will help move The Mentoring Project forward.

Dan Johnson, Ed.D.

Dr. Johnson is currently the Dean of Student Life at South Seattle College where he oversees Financial Aid, New Student Services and Student Complaints. Among Dan’s previous assignments were tenures as Dean for Student Success (Edmonds Community College), Director of Multicultural Services and Student Life (Lower Columbia College), Director of Multicultural and Student Services (Olympic College), Director of Student Life (Spokane Falls CC) and Assistant Director of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Center (Spokane, WA). A native of Houston, Texas, Dr. Johnson grew up in the Jim Crow segregated south where the educational systems were separate and unequal. Racism and racist perspectives were open and prevalent. Young males of color and males from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were not counseled to pursue any level of higher education. With higher college a limited option, Dan joined the military and served in Vietnam eventually earning his BA in Public Administration from Eastern Washington University and his Master’s and Doctorate from Concordia University. Dr. Johnson is engaged in an ongoing effort to recruit and retain students from all demographics; specifically underrepresented students entering a higher education setting.

Brianne Murphy-Sanchez

Ms. Sanchez is the Director for Financial Aid and Veterans Services at North Seattle College, where she’s been for eight years. Prior to that she was a Workforce Education / Financial Aid Coordinator for the Seattle Community College District. Brianne brings to The Mentoring Project her expertise on student financial aid, college affordability, scholarship or grant aid and financial literacy. She has a BA in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.

Qanani Kalil

Qanani Kalil has joined The Mentoring Project leadership because “my advisers truly changed my life. I’m a first generation student, first in my family to not only graduate from high school, but also graduate from college, and my advisers really helped me through the whole process. I don’t think I would be here if I didn’t have that kind of mentorship and support in my undergrad. I just want to give back.” Qanani has a Master’s Degree in Higher Education from UW and currently works as Interim Associate Director of TRIO SSS at South Seattle College.

Janet Williams, Ph.D.

Dr. Williams is Professor Emerita of Clinical Psychiatric Social Work in the Dept. of Psychiatry at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. She has worked with many different areas of psychopathology, including psychotic, mood, and anxiety disorders. Janet has lived in Seattle for about five years and is looking forward to bringing her expertise in mental health to support young adult mentorship. As an expert in psychiatric assessment she has developed many instruments to measure psychopathology, including the PHQ-9, one of the most widely-used self-report depression screeners in the world. Dr. Williams holds a BS in biology from Tufts University, an MS in marine biology from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, and an MS and PhD from the Columbia University School of Social Work.