Staff

Anthony Byers

Executive Director
860.297.5115 (office)
860.713.3316 (cell)
abyers@hartfordyouthscholars.org
Anthony joined HYS at its founding in 2007. In 2010 he became Program Director responsible for staff management and program oversight. In 2011 he was named Co-Executive Director for Programs, responsible for oversight of The Collegiate Academy, Recruitment, Placement, and Support Services. In 2018 Anthony became Executive Director, and he now is ultimately responsible for fundraising, management of day-to-day operations and administration, and organizational sustainability. 

Anthony earned his B.A. in 2007 from the University of Connecticut. He majored in Economics with a focus on the socioeconomics of race and gender. He is a graduate of the Master’s School and a native of Hartford. Anthony previously served on the Board of Directors of The Community Farm of Simsbury. In 2013 he received the CAEOP Trio Achiever Award, and in 2015 he was named one of Hartford Business Journal’s 40 Under 40.

Armanthia Duncan

Chief Program Officer
860.952.2137 (preferred)
860.297.5116 (in-office phone)
 aduncan@hartfordyouthscholars.org
Chief Program Officer Armanthia Duncan has been a part of the HYS family for more than ten years. Since  2019 she has served as Academy Dean. Ms. Duncan is a proud native of Mississippi. She began her collegiate trajectory at Jackson State University, the historically black university in the state’s capital, studying political science under the tutelage of some of the state’s most ardent and influential civil rights activists. She was trained early on to view her educational pathway as a vital tool to elevate the causes of racial uplift and liberation. She attended the University of Memphis where she earned two Masters of Arts degrees in History and Sociology. During that time, she also earned a Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies. Upon graduating from University of Memphis, she was accepted into the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Department of Sociology doctoral program, where she is currently ABD.
 
During her time at UMASS, she worked on NSF-grant-funded research on job insecurity among New Haven’s black residents; worked for the Graduate Student Union and Senate; and taught several courses including Social Inequality, Criminology, Gender and Crime, and Sociology of Law. Her research interests include educational equity, racial inequality, Afropessimism, environmental justice, criminology, comparative historical sociology, sociology of health, and mixed methods research.

Santiago Vidales

Academy Dean
860.952.2137 (preferred)
860.297.5116 (in-office phone)
svidales@hartfordyouthscholars.org
Santiago Vidales was born in Bogotá, Colombia and has lived and in the Mid-Atlantic region and New England for most of his life. Santiago holds a PhD in Chicanx, Latinx, and Latin American Studies from the University of Massachusetts with a specialization in literary histories. For the past ten years he has worked as an instructor for the Spanish and Portuguese Program and held several positions as organizer for the Graduate Employee Organization. Dr. Vidales’ passion for education is rooted in his work as researcher, writer, teacher, and translator. His aim at HYS is to empower scholars through education and community.

As an instructor, Vidales taught all levels of Spanish acquisition as well as world literature courses. His teaching philosophy is to create classrooms that are participatory, inclusive, and student-driven. Empowering students to take charge of their own education is fundamental in creating communities grounded in mutual respect and mutual support. As a literary historian he has focused on recovering the life and work of Chicano poet and revolutionary Raúl Salinas. His dissertation presents a poetic biography of Salinas with an emphasis on his years as a political prisoner. Currently, he is working on turning his dissertation into academic articles and a book-length literary biography.

Dr. Vidales is passionate about literature, arts, politics, and sports. He is always eager to engage in complex conversations, talk about music, and plan bike rides and climbing trips.




 Tariq McMahon
Director of High School Success
860.944.2532 (preferred)
860.297.5114 (in-office phone)
tmcmahon@hartfordyouthscholars.org

Tariq’s time with Hartford Youth Scholars started 10 years ago when he became part of the first cohort of rising 7th grade Scholars. After thus serving as a "guinea pig" for our first iteration of the Collegiate Academy, he went on to attend The Peddie School of New Jersey as a boarding student and Cum Laude graduate of the 2016 class. He then decided to bring his work-ethic and creativity back to Connecticut where he was admitted to Wesleyan University. Tariq is a graduate of the class of 2020 with a B.A in Economics. While at Wes, Tariq was very involved in arts and culture on campus, taking a lead role in Invisible Men: an affinity group focused on building community and providing development opportunities for black students, and as president of The Eclectic Society of Phi Nu Theta: a coed fraternity dedicated to creating spaces and opportunities for POC artists to showcase their talents. 
 
Tariq has been a part of the HYS family for almost half his life and has given back to the organization working as an intern and program fellow in years past, in addition to countless hours as a volunteer. We are excited to have him on the team in this new role and cannot wait to see what his creativity can do for Hartford students. 


Brittany Rodriguez

Director of Scholar Success
860.944.6418 (preferred)
860.297.5256 (in-office phone)
brodriguez@hartfordyouthscholars.org

Director of Scholar Success Brittany Rodriguez is a proud alumna of Hartford Youth Scholars, member of Cohort 1. Ms. Rodriguez attended Suffield Academy as a boarding student and is a member of the 2012 graduating class. She graduated from Pace University in 2016 with a B.A. in Communications, and completed her M.S. in Sociology at Southern Connecticut State University. 

Prior to joining the Hartford Youth Scholars team, she worked as an Associate Research Analyst in the Defined Contributions team at Fiduciary Investment Advisors. The mission and vision of Hartford Youth Scholars is very near and dear to Ms. Rodriguez's heart, and she is proud to be contributing to the Hartford community as a member of the HYS staff.  


Mercy Yalartai

Director of Admissions

Born and raised in Connecticut, Assistant Academy Dean Mercy Yalartai has spent the last 3 years working in education and advocacy. First working at Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services (IRIS) in New Haven, to Planned Parenthood of Southern England, and finally serving as an AmeriCorps member at a school in Bridgeport. Traveling this path solidified education as a passion for Mercy. In 2018, she graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.A. in Sociology and Human Rights. In her role, Mercy is proud to be serving the young people of Hartford.

Natiel Cooper

Associate Director of High School Success

Katie Powers

Director of Development & Operations
860.297.5272
kpowers@hartfordyouthscholars.org

 Katie Powers has over 20 years in fundraising and special event management experience. She has worked at St. Mark’s School in Southborough, MA as the Director of Alumni and Parent Relations and at Watkinson as the Associate Director of Development and Director of Alumni and Family Relations. Prior to joining Hartford Youth Scholars in the summer of 2015, Katie worked at a variety of local non-profits including Hartford Marathon Foundation, Chrysalis Center and HARC. Katie graduated from Watkinson School and holds a B.A. from Simmons College.

Katie is committed to helping make Hartford Youth Scholars’ mission of “to and through college” a reality for our Scholars and their families.

Marisa Beede

Director of Annual Giving
860.297.5272
Marisa Beede joined Hartford Youth Scholars in April 2023 as the Director of Annual Giving. She comes to the organization after over a decade of non-profit development experience and a demonstrated history of cultivating donor relationships and exceeding fundraising goals. Most recently, Marisa served as the Development and Events Manager at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Connecticut and as the Fundraising Events Manager at the National Audubon Society. She is a proud alumna of List College, the dual-degree program with Columbia University and the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Originally from Los Angeles, Marisa now lives with her husband Max in West Hartford. In addition to her work with Hartford Youth Scholars, she is the Youth Advisor for West Hartford United Synagogue Youth (WHUSY), an active participant in Jewish Federation of Greater Hartford’s Emerging Leadership Program, and an educator with Jewish Teen Learning Connection (JTConnect).
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