Team

Dr. Noël S. Harmon has served as President and Executive Director of APIA Scholars since 2018. Under her leadership, the organization has expanded its impact and strengthened its position as the nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to the academic, personal, and professional success of APIA Scholars and Alumni. She has sharpened the organization’s focus on students with the greatest financial need, broadened college-to-career and student success initiatives, and secured support for scholarships, programs, research and partnerships. Through her strategic leadership, APIA Scholars has deepened its commitment to educational access for all students regardless of race or income. 

Dr. Harmon’s focus throughout her career has been on educational access, higher education attainment, student success, and cross-sector collaboration. Prior to joining APIA Scholars, Dr. Harmon held senior leadership roles at Say Yes to Education, the Brookings Institution, and CEOs for Cities. Earlier in her career, she managed national initiatives at the Institute for Higher Education Policy and advanced student success at Hofstra University, the University of Michigan, Western Illinois University, and the University of Iowa. 

Dr. Harmon holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education and a B.A. in English from the University of Iowa, as well as an M.A. in Student Affairs Administration from Ball State University. 

Michelle Cohenour serves as Deputy Executive Director & Chief Operating Officer at APIA Scholars, having joined the organization in August 2021. In this role, Cohenour leads organization-wide operations, internal strategy, and staff success initiatives. She is responsible for ensuring operational excellence, cross-functional alignment, and consistent execution of mission-critical work, helping translate strategic priorities into measurable operational results. 

Cohenour brings more than twenty years of experience in higher education, with a focus on student retention, early intervention, career development, academic advising, and residence life. Prior to joining APIA Scholars, Cohenour led student success and engagement initiatives at Baylor University and the University of Iowa, where she drove efforts focused on retention, early intervention, and holistic student support. Across these roles, Cohenour has driven measurable improvements in student persistence and engagement through data-informed strategies and coordinated support models. 

Deeply committed to student success, Cohenour believes outcomes improve when organizations cultivate integrated networks of care. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Early-Childhood Education from Eastern Illinois University, a Master’s in College Student Development from Western Illinois University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Tarleton State University. 

Wendy Wong is the Senior Vice President of Advancement at APIA Scholars, where she oversees Development, Marketing & Communications, Strategic Initiatives, and Alumni Affairs. Since joining the organization in June 2022, she has elevated APIA Scholars’ national profile and advanced its mission through integrated marketing, communications, fundraising, and strategic growth initiatives. 

During her tenure, Wong has increased awareness of APIA Scholars through high-impact campaigns. She led two national public service announcement (PSA) campaigns that generated more than $9 million in earned media value and 173 million impressions. She also produced the organization’s first nationwide media tour that generated more than 25 million impressions across TV, online, and radio. Wong spearheaded the launch of APIA Scholars’ redesigned website, introducing a refreshed brand, modernized content, and a focused digital strategy. She also led the organization’s successful 20th Anniversary campaign and earned an Anthem Award for Awareness in Education Program. 

Prior to APIA Scholars, Wong held senior marketing leadership roles at the Singleton Foundation, Lionsgate, and Summit Entertainment, where she developed award-winning campaigns and strategic partnerships with organizations including Scholastic, HarperCollins, CoverGirl, Hasbro, and Chegg. Her work has earned Clio and Promax/BDA Awards for excellence in marketing and communications. 

Wong holds a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Cornell University and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Stacy Lewis (she/her) is the Associate Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at APIA Scholars. She originally joined the organization in January 2014 as an Administrative Assistant for the Gates Millennium Scholars Program. Over the course of nearly six years, Stacy served in progressively more senior roles supporting the team in Scholarships, Programs, Communications, and Development. She left the organization in October 2019 as the Director of Development and External Relations. After nearly three years away serving as the Senior Director of External Affairs at the Millennial Action Project, Stacy rejoined APIA Scholars in May 2022 to lead the organization’s national fundraising efforts.   

Stacy holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Art & Art History from The College of William & Mary and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University. Her home island is Saipan, CNMI and her maternal roots are in Bicol, Philippines. 

Helen Li serves as Vice President of Development at APIA Scholars, where she leads the organization’s national fundraising portfolio, driving comprehensive strategies that expand philanthropic investment in educational equity and student success. Since joining APIA Scholars in 2025, she has strengthened fundraising operations and elevated the organization’s individual giving program through strategic donor engagement, strengthened stewardship practices, and expanded philanthropic support.

Prior to APIA Scholars, Li served as Assistant Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, providing strategic leadership for advancement operations across six schools and five campuses. She directed cross-functional teams spanning major and planned giving, annual giving, alumni relations, donor relations, fundraising communications, and advancement operations.

Her career includes serving as Senior Consultant at Campbell & Company, where she advised nonprofit organizations on transformative fundraising and advancement strategies, and as Major Gift Officer at Sidwell Friends School. Li’s diverse leadership experience further includes roles at the United States Tennis Association Mid-Atlantic, Inc., where she served as Diversity Manager and Development Manager and Analyst for the Strengthening Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) Project at Abt Associates, Inc.

Li earned a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Dickinson College and an MBA from Texas Tech University’s Rawls College of Business with dual concentrations in Healthcare Management and AI & Data Science.

A first-generation Chinese American whose educational journey was made possible through scholarships, Li is deeply committed to expanding access to higher education and removing financial barriers that prevent students from achieving their academic and professional aspirations.

Matthew Rosales (he/him) is the Vice President of Scholar Success at APIA Scholars, joining the organization in June 2023 and previously holding the position of AVP of Executive Operations and Special Projects. With over 20 years in public service, Matthew brings a wealth of nonprofit programmatic and operational excellence and experience through previous roles which include Senior Operations Manager, Organizational Policy and Performance at Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Senior Manager of Scholarships and Grants at the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, and Scholarship and Alumni Programs Manager at the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation.  

Matthew has led breakout sessions at multiple conferences for the National Scholarship Providers Association and was featured in the American Society of Association Executives article: The Building Blocks for a Successful Scholarship Program. As a passionate advocate for higher education access and economic opportunity, Matthew has helped over 50,000 individuals receive over $50million in scholarships and grants throughout his career. In addition to his work in the non-profit sector, Matthew is a military veteran, having served in the United States Marine Corps and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Salisbury University in Maryland and a certificate in Project Leadership through Cornell University.

Maggie Chu (she/they) is the Senior Scholarships Manager and has been a part of the APIA Scholars team since June 2022. Chu currently manages APIA’s day-to-day administration of the scholarship program, leading in customer service and outreach to scholars and applicants. Chu has a strong commitment to supporting Asian American and Pacific Islander youth and their journey to higher education and access to community. Before joining APIA Scholars, they worked as an afterschool program coordinator, creating curriculum for underserved youth on leadership and identity development. Chu graduated from William & Mary with a Bachelor of Arts in Asian Pacific Islander American Studies and History.

Sierra Lloyd (she/her) serves as the Senior Director of Grants and Scholar Aid and joined APIA Scholars in June of 2020. She currently leads the design, implementation, and management of APIA Scholars’ specialized financial support programs, creating funding initiatives that help scholars overcome financial barriers and pursue academic and career opportunities. Having transitioned from managing the organization’s scholarship programs, she now focuses on designing scalable support models and advancing equitable access to resources that help scholars thrive. Prior to joining APIA Scholars, Lloyd worked for various other college access and success organizations, including the College Advising Corps, where she created targeted programming and advised hundreds of high school students on navigating the college application and financial aid process. She also comes to APIA Scholars with years’ experience in managing and overseeing college access and scholarship programming, at the city-wide and school-district level, created for students, parents, and high school counselors. Lloyd holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies and Gender Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master of Public Administration from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University. 

Courtney Arguello (she/her) joined APIA Scholars in 2024 and serves as the Senior Director of Scholar Enrichment.  In this role, she drives the scholar enrichment strategy, creating opportunities that help scholars navigate college while advancing economic and social mobility. Her work is centered on building meaningful experiences for scholars to build skills, confidence, and stay connected to the APIA Scholars community.  At APIA Scholars, Arguello has helped grow and strengthen signature programs, including CareerFest, an annual event that brings together 75+ scholars, alumni, partners, and industry professionals for exploration, skill-building, and networking.  She has also led the redesign of the new scholar orientation, virtual programming, and developed engagement strategies that strengthen belonging across the scholar journey.  

Before joining APIA Scholars, Arguello’s career spans across the non-profit, higher education, and entertainment industries.  At the Making Waves Education Foundation, she supported students and alumni as they transitioned from college to career through 1:1 coaching.  She later joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, managing an alumni and mentorship program that expanded opportunities for emerging filmmakers and entertainment professionals.  Arguello’s educational journey has continued to shape her commitment to access and opportunity, having attended College of Marin, earning a BA in Sociology from the University of California, San Diego and her MA in Sport Management from the University of San Francisco. 

Kristine Pak (she/her) joined APIA Scholars as the Student Success Associate in 2025. Pak supports the facilitation of signature programming and scholar connection with the Scholar Enrichment team. In her role as Student Success Associate, Pak works to bring student-centered programming to life, equipping scholars with skills for both professional and personal development. She coordinates recurring engagement points with scholars to ensure APIA Scholars programming continues to best serve scholars’ holistic needs.

Pak found herself immersed in Asian American student organizing spaces during her time as a UVA student, giving her a first-hand look at the impact of resources dedicated to marginalized communities. This propelled her to take on the position of Student Success Intern at APIA Scholars in the summer of 2024, which allowed Pak to foster strong social connections and create enduring support networks across the Asian American student community. 

Pak is dedicated to and passionate about working towards a more equitable future for all, so she is grateful to be a part of the Scholar Success Team and contribute to the organization’s work at large! Pak holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a Minor in Asian Pacific American Studies from the University of Virginia and currently resides in the DMV area. 

Audrey D. Paredes, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of educational leadership and administration in the School of Education at California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM). Her role as a teacher-scholar is informed by her positionality as the daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, first-generation college student, and a former college student affairs practitioner. As an interdisciplinary scholar, Dr. Paredes’ broader research agenda utilizes critical approaches to understand and conceptualize the ways in which institutions of higher education, specifically Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), can be sites of transformation so that systemically marginalized communities can thrive. Currently, her research focuses on responding to the heterogeneity of the Latina/o/x college student population within the context of federally designated Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) by way of examining the lived experiences of Central American undergraduates. Dr. Paredes’ has expertise in anti-racist and decolonial theories such as Critical Race Theory and Chicana/Latina Feminist Theories as well as, Chicana/Latina Feminista qualitative methodologies. Prior to joining CSUSM, she was a post-doctoral scholar at UCLA, the lead project manager for the University of California’s Hispanic Serving Institutions (UC-HSI) Initiative, and a consultant for the UC Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) working group. Dr. Paredes earned her Ph.D. in education with a specialization in race and ethnic studies at the UCLA, MA in education at UCLA, and BA in Gender, Ethnicity, and Multicultural Studies (concentration in Chicana/o Studies) from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.

Robert Teranishi is Professor of Social Science and Comparative Education, the inaugural Morgan and Helen Chu Endowed Chair in Asian American Studies, and director for the Institute for Immigration, Globalization, and Education at the University of California, Los Angeles. His research examines the causes and consequences of the stratification of college opportunities, with a particular interest on the impact of higher education practice and policy on the mobility of marginalized and vulnerable communities. Teranishi’s research has been influential to federal, state, and institution policy related to college access and completion. He has testified before Congress on the Higher Education Reauthorization Act, the College Cost Reduction and Affordability Act, and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. His research has been referenced in U.S. Supreme Court cases on school desegregation and affirmative action in college admissions. In 2011, he was appointed by Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan to the U.S. Department of Education’s Equity and Excellence Commission. In 2015, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as a member of the National Board for the Institute for Education Sciences. He has also served as a strategic planning and restructuring consultant for the Ford Foundation. Teranishi has received national awards from the National Institute for the Study of Transfers, the National Association of Student Affairs Professionals, and the Association for the Study of Higher Education. He has received the Martin Luther King, Jr. Faculty Award and the Daniel E. Griffiths Award at NYU and at UCLA he has been the recipient of the Robert M. Stevenson Award, Hoshide Distinguished Teaching Award, and Don T. Nakanishi Award for Outstanding Engaged Scholarship. Teranishi has also been ranked among the most influential academics in the field of education by Education Weekly and was named one of the nation’s top “up-and-coming” leaders by Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Teranishi was formally a National Institute for Mental Health postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania’s W.E.B. Du Bois Research Institute. He received his B.A. from the University of California, Santa Cruz in Sociology and his M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles in Higher Education and Organizational Change.

Maria Dolojan is the Senior Grants Manager at APIA Scholars. Since joining in February 2024, Maria has led the creation of grant proposals for corporate and foundation partners, securing funds to help more students access higher education and career development opportunities. Born and raised in Guam, Maria’s background motivates her to advocate for students from U.S. territories, and she remains committed to supporting underserved communities to ensure they have the resources to thrive.  

Maria brings a unique perspective to her work, beginning her journey with APIA Scholars as an APIASF/Wells Fargo AANAPISI Scholar. As an alumna of the program, she has also served as a Social Innovation Fellow, an Elevating Leaders Summit Group Facilitator, and a Volunteer Scholarship Reader for the organization. 

Beyond her work at APIA Scholars, Maria founded Famalåo’an Rights and serves on its board. She is also a part of the inaugural cohort of Obama Foundation Leaders USA. Maria earned a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration and Criminal Justice from the University of Guam and a Master of Public Administration from New York University. She is currently a Master’s in Education candidate at Harvard.

Meredith Randle serves as Senior Director of Development and has held the role since April 2023. Since joining the organization in February 2018, Randle has advanced through multiple roles, driving organizational growth, fundraising success, and strategic transformation. 

In her role, Randle leads fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and development operations, overseeing the full donor lifecycle across corporate, foundation, and individual giving. She partners with senior leadership to strengthen fundraising infrastructure, expand philanthropic partnerships, and drive sustainable revenue growth. 

Before returning to APIA Scholars, Randle served as Associate Director of Business Development at SimpsonScarborough, the premier higher education marketing and branding agency. As an early member of the agency’s newly established Sales and Marketing division, she built foundational business development processes, operationalized a sales pipeline managing eight-figure annual deal flow, led CRM implementation and adoption efforts, and managed the delivery of hundreds of business proposals annually. Her process innovations helped support a period of unprecedented growth during which the agency more than doubled in size between 2019 and 2022. 

Randle holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Community Studies from William & Mary and an Executive Leadership Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgetown University.  

Sydney Zhu (she/her) serves as the Development Manager at APIA Scholars. She joined the organization in August 2023. Zhu has built her career by leveraging her background in community organizing, relationship building, and strategic fundraising to uplift overlooked and marginalized communities. In her role at APIA Scholars, she is humbled to have the opportunity to lead fundraising initiatives that directly support the educational advancement of students and the broader AANHPI community, a commitment that she holds closely.   

Sydney is passionate about social justice, and in her most recent roles, she advocated for equitable housing practices and rent stabilization on behalf of tenants in Washington, DC, during the height of COVID-19. Zhu also served as the Development and Communications Coordinator at Rebuilding Together DC Alexandria, where she led initiatives to support low-income homeowners in building generational wealth and helping longtime Washingtonians remain in their communities.  

Sydney holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Political Science from The George Washington University. 

Faith-Carmen Le (she/her) joined APIA Scholars in February 2025 and currently serves as the Marketing & Analytics Senior Associate. In this role, she executes and optimizes email marketing campaigns, designs visual materials for marketing campaigns and events, and helps manage social media platforms. Additionally, she updates, reports on, and prepares analytics for our integrative work via WordPress, Google Analytics, Google Search Console, email marketing, and social media platforms. Faith-Carmen has a background in business and policy, having graduated from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a minor in law and public policy. 

Before joining APIA Scholars, Faith-Carmen gained experience in strategic marketing and digital communications, driven by her passion for connecting with diverse communities. She worked as an Email & SMS Strategist at the Democratic National Committee, where she managed digital campaigns to fundraise Democratic candidates at all levels. Her political career in Washington, D.C. began with a legislative internship for a U.S. Senator, followed by an internship at a lobbying firm.

Bryan Park (he/they) serves as the Director of Creative Marketing and Operations for APIA Scholars and originally joined the organization in May 2018 as a Communications Associate. Bryan comes from a background in journalism, having graduated from American University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in print journalism and Asian Studies. Bryan is passionate about using his storytelling skills and experience to bring rich and empowering stories of young Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholars to the forefront of popular media. During his time at APIA Scholars, Bryan has led key marketing and brand building efforts for the organization including the 2018 APIA Scholars rebrand, social media management, website development, photography/videography production, event collaterals, and more.