Meet The Guidance Team
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Imani DeJesus – Vice President, Programs and Guidance
Imani DeJesus rejoined SEEDS as the Vice President, Programs & Guidance in August 2022. Previously, her work at the organization involved leading the academic programs for nearly 10 years where she most notably was the Founding Director of the College Scholars Program (2016). Before returning to SEEDS, Imani worked as the Director of Operations at Paul Robeson Charter School in Trenton, New Jersey where she oversaw the daily operations of the school and played a key role as a school leader. She’s built a career supporting young people through the nonprofit sector for nearly 15 years as an experienced college access professional, educator, and youth development specialist. Imani takes pride in implementing impactful youth and DEIB initiatives that support pathways for young people – especially those from marginalized backgrounds – to succeed. Though her professional career began in the Greater Philadelphia area and is now in the New York Metropolitan region, Imani is a native of New Jersey. She holds a BS in Biology and Psychology from Seton Hall University (South Orange, NJ) and has completed graduate courses in Organizational Leadership at Gonzaga University (Spokane, WA).
Tyler Anderson, Guidance Officer
Tyler Anderson serves as a Guidance Officer at SEEDS. She was raised in Hillside, New Jersey and attended Hillside Public Schools from K-12th grade. She is first-generation, birthed from a Barbadian mother and Jamaican father. Tyler is a B.S graduate of Montclair State University, where she studied Business Management and is currently a MBA Candidate there.
During her undergraduate journey, Tyler held many leadership positions which prepared her for a future in motivating student leaders and giving back to the community. She was a Resident Assistant at Dinallo Heights, Director of Programming for Student Life at Montclair, Vice President of the Caribbean Student Organization, Step Team Captain of the Black Student Union, Customer Service Assistant at the Financial Aid Office and the list goes on.
In her spare time, she mentors a group of 9th-12th grade young women at her former high school sorority, The National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa Inc. Delta Pi Chapter Xinos of Hillside, New Jersey. She operates a beauty care brand that educates young men and women on hair care and volunteers at monthly community service opportunities. Tyler has devoted her academic and professional career to encourage the youth and strongly believes that they are our future.
Sophie Damas, Guidance Officer
Sophie Damas is a native of Medford, Massachusetts, and moved to New Jersey in 2019. She attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she studied Communication Disorders, Linguistics, and Education. Upon graduation, Sophie spent numerous years as a Speech-Language Specialist for students in grades K-12 in the Greater Boston area. Prior to joining the SEEDS Guidance team, she worked at Princeton University conducting Education Policy research.
In her spare time, Sophie serves as a volunteer advocate for children in the foster care system. She is particularly interested in child development, the consequences of educational stratification, and public policy. These interests are what drew her to SEEDS and she hopes to further the ongoing mission of providing knowledge, skills, and access and support to SEEDS students.
For more information, visit SEEDS’ staff page.