Meet the Leadership Team
Staff
Amber Scott is Founder and Executive Director of Leap Year. A child of first-generation college students, the importance of higher education and the power that it can have to raise a family out of poverty was instilled in Amber at a young age. She believes that the opportunity for higher education should be open to everyone, regardless of where they are born. After working in the nonprofit sector for ten years, she founded Leap Year to challenge the status quo. Amber is a 2018 Echoing Green Fellow, the 2019 winner of the $100,000 Jaffe Grand Prize, and was recognized by Black Enterprise as one of “25 Black Women Who Are Changing the World.” She holds a BA in neuroscience from Smith College, and an MBA in marketing from The Ohio State University.
Anastasia Baldwin serves as the Literacy and Academic Prep Program Manager at Leap Year. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education and Master’s degree in Education Technology from the University of West Georgia. After her undergraduate career, she went on to teach Elementary school for almost seven years. After stepping out of the classroom, Anastasia began working behind the scenes in Curriculum and Instruction. This is where she discovered her love for providing instruction to educators and constructing curriculum. As a first generation college graduate herself, she knows the value in a proper education. Anastasia looks forward to aiding other first generation students in becoming successful and college/career ready.
Charity Davis serves as the Recruiting and Community Engagement Program Associate at Leap Year. Charity is a recent graduate of Fort Valley State University. She is from College Park, Georgia and enjoys art and fashion. Charity prides herself on being a solution-driven, self-motivated, community engagement specialist. She has professional experience in client/donor relations, community engagement, political organizing, and student affairs. She looks forward to connecting with students across the Atlanta area to share the great things Leap Year has to offer.
Kanaya Starling serves as the Recruiting and Community Engagement Program Associate at Leap Year. Kanaya is a small town Georgia native who moved to Atlanta to study Biochemistry at Spelman College. While at Spelman College, she volunteered in various educational programs throughout the Atlanta Public School system, participated in educational research, and was actively involved in the planning and execution of events for students within the Spelman College Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. Kanaya looks most forward to learning more about nonprofit space and helping Leap Year address the educational disparities in the metro Atlanta area.
Kyesha Davis serves as the Literacy Program Manager at Leap Year. As a Mississippi native, Kyesha earned her Bachelor of Social Work with a minor in Psychology from The University of Mississippi and her Master of Social Work from The University of Alabama one year later. After graduation, Kyesha stepped foot into the nonprofit world, where she learned the importance of community development and social impact. She is driven by her genuine desire to make a difference. She believes in the power of collective action to address the most pressing issues, such as educational disparities, facing our communities.
Jossette Footmon-Smith (she/her), LMSW is the current Program Director for Leap Year. She has an undergraduate degree in Human Services from Queens University of Charlotte and a Master of Social Work from Kennesaw State University. Josie has spent over 10 years as a nonprofit professional in the youth development space. She is passionate about bringing high quality programming, wellness, and SEL practices to the organizations she serves.