Our Team
One More Thing
My perfect Saturday - Getting up early, going for a bike ride around the lake, coming home to read and drink my coffee, then spending the afternoon with my husband attending an outdoor festival or doing something we haven't done before.
JANET MORRISON-LANE
Executive Director
Dr. Janet Morrison-Lane began at VMYDF as the Director of the EAGLE Scholars college readiness program in 2012 and became the Executive Director in 2021. Dr. Janet (as she is referred to by the Scholars) grew the program from a 5-week summer program into a year-round program where 93% of Scholars go directly into college after high school with an average of $14,000 in financial aid and 71% graduate from a four-year university. She has a Bachelor of Social Work from Harding University, a Master of Science in Reading and a Doctorate in Supervision, Curriculum, and Instruction from Texas A & M - Commerce. Dr. Morrison-Lane was a Leadership ISD Fellow, served on the Friends of the Dallas Public Library board, wrote for the Dallas Morning News Community Voices, was chosen for the Dallas Public Voices Greenhouse Op-Ed Project, and received the Gail Reese Ward Excellence in Mentoring Award from SMU.
Dr. Janet believes that young people deserve to have choices in life and believes that college and education should be accessible to everyone. She is passionate about creating a world where people have a voice at the table.
YASMIN milan
Manager of Business Operations
One More Thing
My perfect Saturday would consist of having brunch with my friends/family, exploring a new place in the city or doing something new and ending it with a movie.
Yasmin actively participated in the EAGLE Scholars program from 2012 to 2018. After high school, she interned with EAGLE Scholars through AmeriCorps in 2019. Graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2021, Yasmin earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Texas Woman's University. Impressed by her academic excellence and dedication, Dr. Janet offered Yasmin the Administrative Assistant position at EAGLE Scholars, which she gladly accepted. Her outstanding performance led to a promotion to oversee operations in the newly established Success Center.
Currently, Yasmin plays a vital role in overseeing all operations within the Success Center, effectively managing various tasks and providing valuable support. Her dedication and expertise continue to be instrumental in the organization's success and growth.
Yasmin is passionate about EAGLE Scholars, which played a pivotal role in her life for six years. As a first-generation student, their unwavering support during high school and college ensured she never felt alone. Inspired by the impact they had on her, Yasmin became an intern for the program and remains dedicated to spreading their mission to as many students as possible.
Cassandra Garcia
Interim College Success Director
One More Thing
Now if the office held a talent show, I would wow everyone with my whistle talents I hear so many rave about.
Cassandra (Cassie) Garcia is a first-generation high school and college graduate from Dallas, TX. She studied University Studies of Leadership, Minoring in Business and Communications at Texas A&M University. While obtaining her degree, Cassie was a Peer Recruiter for A&M, a Math and Reading tutor for K-9th grade, and a brand associate for Old Navy.
Cassie volunteered her time as a student voice for Leadership ISD when she was in Dallas and was Vice President of an organization on campus called First Generation Aggies. After graduation, Cassie worked at a small law firm in Dallas focusing on estate planning for three years. While helping people understand the importance of an estate plan, she is currently a board member for a nonprofit that is dedicated to helping Latin college students through mentorship and scholarships.
Cassie’s degree and these positions only ignited her passion, which drove her even further to join VMYDF. In fact, her desire to help others and give back to the community has been what she wanted to do since she was a kid. While in high school, she discovered the powerful impact having the support of just one person can do to inspire motivation in someone. To be placed in the position to become that one person for students is Cassie’s dream and is proud to say she is now living it.
BLANCA LErMA
Family Support Specialist
One More Thing
If I wasn’t working at VMYDF, I would definitely be volunteering with as many nonprofit organizations as possible.
Blanca studied Auxiliary Accounting in Mexico City at the Escuela Superior de Auditoría y Contaduría IPN (Instituto Politecnico Nacional). Before Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation, she was a volunteer at a community center where the director of the volunteer group connected her to Martha Stowe, former Executive Director. Blanca has been with VMYDF since 2009 and maintains several certifications including Positive Parenting Certification, Parents Anonymous Facilitator Certification, ARC Parenting Certification and Engage Parenting Facilitator Certification.
Blanca is passionate about connecting with people regardless of their country of origin. She firmly believes in providing resources to immigrant families who, like her, arrived in the United States without prior knowledge of the school system their children would be attending. Blanca's goal is to help them have a better experience of life in this new country.
One More Thing
If I wasn't working for VMYDF I would be operating a training facility for student athletes to train and also receive help accessing college! Sports and education goes hand in hand!
VALERIA MORALES
Development Manager
Valeria attended the local schools in the Vickery Meadow community including Hotchkiss, Jack Lowe, Sam Tasby, and graduated from Emmett J. Conrad. She moved to San Antonio to attend the University of Texas at San Antonio where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Multidisciplinary Studies focusing in Business, Sociology and Health. After graduation, Valeria had various careers in business management and sports coaching before moving back to Dallas where she began her career in education. She has worked with VMYDF as a Program Director, at Conrad High School as a teacher and coach and now back in action with VMYDF!
As a child, Valeria had so many mentors in the Vickery Meadow community that inspired the drive to pursue a better life for herself. Some of these mentors came from the EAGLE Scholars summer program she attended as a student and some from sports. Both showed her that if she really wanted something, she could get it. Without their support and motivation, Valeria doesn’t think she would have had the resources to achieve all the success she has. Throughout her senior year of high school, she found herself sharing all the tips and tricks to the college application process with her friends. Once she was in college, she was doing the same thing with her younger siblings. That’s when she learned that helping others have college access was a passion of hers. There are so many families who are first gen in America and so many more students who are first gen college students and they all deserve to have a big sister or big brother helping them through the college journey! VMYDF is that big brother or big sister that can help so many reach their full potential!
MELANIE RIVERA-BURGOS
Community Engagement Coordinator
Melanie Rivera-Burgos attended Texas Tech University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Development and Family Sciences. While pursuing her degree, she held several part-time jobs, worked as a teaching assistant for a course called Developing Cross-Cultural Perspectives, and served as an Outreach Intern for TTU United Future Leaders.
Upon graduation, Melanie returned to Dallas, TX, and began her career in the nonprofit sector. Her journey began at an organization focused on supporting youth experiencing homelessness. She later transitioned to a program dedicated to equipping young people from under-resourced communities with socio-emotional skills. Most recently, she worked at an anti-human trafficking nonprofit, where she facilitated workforce development programs for youth at high risk for trafficking in Dallas.
Melanie is deeply passionate about community-building and empowering youth by connecting them with resources that enable their success. As a graduate of Irma Lerma Rangel Young Women’s Leadership School, she personally experienced the transformative impact of youth development programs, which shaped her belief that all young people deserve the opportunity to achieve their full potential. Her commitment to youth empowerment inspired her to work with VMYDF, an organization she admires for its dedication to fostering both youth and community development.
One More Thing
If I weren’t working at VMYDF and had unlimited funds, I’d travel the world as much as I could. I would also want to open my own restaurant, serving authentic Puerto Rican food!
Board Members
John Neill, President and Founder
The Telesis Company
Ellen Wood, Finance Committee Chair
Teaching Trust
Jonathan Hustis, Governance Committee Chair
Teakwood Capital
Katrina Hobbs
Dallas ISD
Hesam Hosseini
Match.com
Sharon Mumert
Volunteer
Barbara Neill
Community Volunteer
James Payne
JP Morgan
Harry Smith
Pegasus Bank