Usap Leadership
Rebecca Z. Mano founded Usap in 1999 in Zimbabwe. Since then, the organization has grown remarkably, spreading to 17 countries on 4 continents and counting. The Usap leadership team represents some of the most experienced people in academia.
Rebecca Z. Mano
Founder, Usap Zimbabwe
In 1999 Rebecca Zeigler Mano founded a small, ambitious but highly organized program called the United States Student Achiever's Program (Usap) in Zimbabwe. Primarily, the program's goal was to encourage and assist highly talented but economically disadvantaged high school graduates access scholarships and full-funding at top US colleges and universities. Starting off with 13 students, Usap has since grown into an international program spanning countries across the continents such as South Africa, Nigeria, Benin, Mongolia, Brazil, Ecuador, Estonia, Romania and The United Kingdom, among others. Rebecca's vision of educating the underprivileged has broken borders and through a dedicated network of Educational Advisors in various countries, Usap has significantly impacted the lives of the recipient youths. There are currently over 150 Usap students in the United States, most, highly dedicated to their communities, bringing about change both on their campuses and in their communities back home.
Rebecca is an Educational Advisor at the U.S Embassy Public Affairs Section in Zimbabwe. On a daily basis, she assists, informs and guides both school leavers and graduates who are interested in accessing an American education. For the past ten years, she has worked tirelessly to ensure students are accepted into U.S colleges with adequate funding.
Formerly an Oversees Advising Coordinator for NAFSA: the Association of International Educators where she served as the Liaison between the board and International Educators worldwide, Rebecca was elected Chair of one of only five of NAFSA's Knowledge Communities, a role she has held as of January 2007.
In May 2006 she received the Marita Houlihan Award for Distinguished Contributions to the Field of International Education from NAFSA. In 1999 she was recognized by the city of San Francisco, her hometown, and awarded the
Certificate of Honor from Board of Supervisors.
Humble and socially committed, Rebecca serves on the board for Chiedza Children's Home, one of Zimbabwe's oldest orphanages, located in Mbare, Harare. She is the current serving Chairperson for the Girl Child Network (GCN), an organization which works to inform, protect, empower and safe house young girls affected by sexual abuse and other forms of social victimization.
She holds a Master's in International Development Education from Stanford University, CA, and a BA in Anthropology (magna cum laude) from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island.
Rebecca is the loving mother of three beautiful girls, Grace, Esther and Margaret. Known as Mai Mano to many in Usap, she is a motherly figure to the students, and an inspiration to all.
Tapfumaneyi Muchenje
Usap Zimbabwe
Tapfumaneyi "Tap" Muchenje has worked at the U.S. Embassy in Harare since 1992. He started working at the Embassy as a receptionist. While doing that job, he became interested in Educational Advising Activities and Programs. He officially joined the Advising Program in the year 2000. Tap is the first contact for all student inquiries that come to the US Educational Advising Center. He is responsible for weekly presentations open to the general public concerning available resources including the membership program at the center and answering basic inquiries about studying in the US.
Tap participated in US Based Training in 2002 as well as in the African Educational Advising Conferences in Senegal in 2000, Ghana in 2001, Johannesburg, South Africa in 2003, and the NAFSA conferences in Baltimore in 2004, Seattle 2005 and NAFSA Montreal, Canada 2006 and Minneapolis 2007. Tap is the proud father of two young children. His interests include attending church, reading and helping students prepare for their future.
Kampala is Alexis' first international posting and her first education advising position. She previously worked as an Intercompany Accountant for Det Norske Veritas, a Norwegian Risk Management Company, with its branch located in Houston, Texas, USA. She worked as a Fixed Asset Accountant prior to that in Houston at Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift of America. She has a degree in Accounting from the University of Houston where she worked a semester as a Remedial English Teacher.
Folashade Adebayo
Usap Nigeria
Folashade Adebayo is an educationUSA advisor at the US Embassy Abuja, Nigeria. She has been advising Nigerian students for over nine years. She is responsible for professional advising and placement of Nigerian students and third country nationals. Over the years her advisees have been able to attend selective schools in the United Sates with various kinds of funding.
She has participated and present at various international educational conferences. Shade's sincere dedication to helping and promoting students at all levels provides strength and courage to Nigerian students.
Ifeanyi Olagbaju is an Educational Advisor at the United States Consulate General in Lagos with ten years of advising experience. She studied at Hillcrest School, Jos, and obtained her Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. She attended the United States Based Training Program in 2000, participated in Africa wide advisors conferences, and co-chaired sessions at several NAFSA conferences.
A former sprinter herself, Ifeanyi encourages young athletes in Lagos, Nigeria to get an education through sport. Several are now studying in the United States on sports scholarships. Working with a second advisor, Ifeanyi organizes summer internships for Nigerians studying in the US to work in Nigerian companies through the Career Connect program and facilitates the re-entry process. The efforts of the Lagos Advisors earned them a Group Franklin Award from the US Department of State in February 2006.
However, it is Ifeanyi's role as a Usap advisor that gives her the most satisfaction. By advising Usap students and sharing their success stories, Ifeanyi spreads a message of hope for a brighter future to talented young Nigerians.
Ifeanyi describes herself as an original 'Nija' with an amazing blend of cultures. She is extremely proud of her heritage. Her grandmother is Fulani, she is Ibo and her husband is Yoruba. She is a Lector in her local church and a mother of three boys.
Before joining the Educational Advising family, Margaret was a 'stay-at-home' mum for 13 years. She kept busy by volunteering for the American Women's Club (AWC) of Nigeria, a charity organization. She was completely in charge of the AWC library and also worked with the scholarship committee. This committee had the task of identifying highly talented, economically disadvantaged students who need help with funding their education. Qualified students are sponsored by the Club to attend only Nigerian Universities. This was a good training ground for Margaret because it prepared her for working with Usap students.
Margaret started working as an Educational Advisor in 2000. She had her USBT in 2003, attended NAFSA conferences in Seattle, Montreal, Minneapolis and the Regional conferences in Joburg and Addis. She had the privilege of visiting several interesting universities during her pre-NAFSA campus tour, presented twice at the NAFSA Conference in collaboration with Yale and American University. She is slated to do her Professional Advance Leadership training in May 2008.
Margaret schooled and lived in the US for eight years; hence she brings to this job first hand information about life in the US and the educational system. Her personal experience and knowledge of the country, quite often, comes in handy in her advising job. But her claim to fame is her kids, three boys and a girl. Two of them are currently doing their Masters' program, MPH and MBA, while the third is eagerly awaiting his fall 2008 admission. Putting her own kids through a US educational system is her most valuable "Advising Manual". She draws from her own daily challenges, as a parent, and use that experience when advising her students and their parents. She easily comes up with real life examples to share just to drive home her points.
Margaret believes that being an Educational Advisor is the best job in the world; nothing is as fulfilling as doing a job that changes lives for the better.
Maria Mercedes Salmon
Usap Ecuador
Maria M. Salmon came to the Fulbright Commission in Ecuador in 2002. Her academic background is in International Business, International Relations and Communications. Maria Mercedes received her undergraduate degree from Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil, and the M.A. from Ohio University, where she was a Fulbright grantee from 1999-2001. She joined the Commission as an Educational Advisor. She has been an active participant in the development and achievement of the Commission's goals of broadening access to the Fulbright Program and the development and implementation of non-traditional programs to serve non-traditional audiences. Because of her leadership role in Advising, she holds the position of Overseas Educational Advising Coordinator and Network Leader for NAFSA's RAP KC since January 2010. Since 2006, Maria Mercedes has worked intensively in developing "Opportunity" and "Usap" in Ecuador and collaborating with the administration of parallel programs in other South and Central American countries. In 2008, she was appointed Acting Executive Director for 18 months. To date, she continues to coordinate Educational Advising in Ecuador.
Tizgo joined the EducationUSA advising team as a Senior Education Advisor in Malawi. Her academic background includes degree in liberal Arts and BBA in Finance from North Lake College and University of Texas at Arlington respectively. She went through the community College and University system as an International Student and also worked in Admissions and International offices while pursuing her studies. She brings in with her wealth of knowledge and experience in living and studying in USA.
Sayamaa Dangaasuren
Usap Mongolia
Sayamaa Dangaasuren is an advisor at the Educational Advising and Resource Center in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. Next to her advising job she is also in charge of Scholarship programs which are funded by the Open Society Institute. Since she started her advising job in 2003 she enjoys its every step towards the international education and unlimited opportunities in the world.
She has a great desire to help many Mongolian students to get the US education through Usap. This is her second year working on Usap and she strongly believes that her students will be good ambassadors of Mongolia.
Andreza Martins holds a BA in International Relations and Child Development from West Virginia University and Master's degree in Social Work and Public Health from Boston University. She has worked in the field of International Education since 2001 first at AFS (former American Field Service) and since 2004 at the Fulbright Commission in Rio. Andreza started as an Education Adviser and since Nov 2008 has become the Country Coordinator for the 20 +EducationUSA advising office in Brazil. Despite her coordination duties Andreza is still very involved and passionate about in advising activities.
Bianca Macena has been an EducationUSA adviser for two years at the Fulbright Commission in Rio de Janeiro. She completed the USBT (US Based Training) in the Spring of 2010. Before joining the EducationUSA, she was a Foreign Language Teaching Assistant (FLTA) at the University of Utah for three years where she had the experience of developing the Portuguese Language Program. In the meantime, she took a Master's in Applied Linguistics at the same institution, and was granted with two certificates - TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) and HETS (Higher Education Teaching Specialist). Prior to this experience in the US, Bianca got her BA in Portuguese Language and Literature of Portuguese Languages at UFRJ.
Danilo Marcondes is an Educational Adviser at the Fulbright - EducationUS's Rio de Janeiro office. Danilo holds a Bachelor's Degree in International Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (PUC-Rio), with a semester abroad at the State University of New York at New Paltz (SUNY New Paltz). Danilo has recently completed his MA, also in International Relations at PUC-Rio. Previous to joining the Fulbright - EducationUSA office, Danilo worked at the United Nations Information Center in Rio de Janeiro (UNIC-Rio) and at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's office in Rio de Janeiro. Danilo, who is an IBEU Alumnus, holds a Michigan Certificate of Proficiency in English and is a member of the following U.S. based international associations: The International Studies Association (ISA) and the Latin American Studies Association (LASA).
Isa Akel is the educational adviser based at Instituto Cultural Brasil Estados Unidos in Manaus – Amazonas- Brazil. She has been at the Institute since 1972, first as an English Teacher, then as a member of the Board. During these years she was also involved with High School Exchange programs and sent hundreds of teenagers to the U.S. Part of her responsibilities was accompanying the students to the U.S. and being part of the team who gave them post arrival orientation. In 2001 she became an adviser and since then has participated in training, conferences and visits to American universities.
Juliana Pasqual attended American middle and high schools in England, Luxembourg and São Paulo and holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of Virginia. After graduation, she returned to Brazil and worked as a private English teacher and translator while taking the Translator and Interpreter course offered by Associação Alumni.
She is currently an Educational Adviser at the EducationUSA Advising Center-Alumni and assists students who would like to study in the United States. She is also in charge of translating education-related documents required by American institutions at the Center. Juliana's current position provides her ample opportunity to combine personal and professional experience and academic background.
Areta Galat holds a B.A. in Languages from PUC-PR, a Specialization in English Language from the UFPR and an MA in TESL from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. For 18 years, she was the Academic Coordinator of the BNC-Curitiba, where, after her return from the U.S., she started her career as an EducationUSA Advisor. Since 2005, she has worked at FAE Centro Universitário as an Advisor at the ECE FAE office and currently also holds the position of Coordinator for the International Relations Department.
Danyelle's academic background involves degrees in Languages and Tourism. In 2004, she was part of the Youth Ambassadors Program and since then she has been working in the field of Study in the USA Advising. In 2009, she became the main adviser for Recife, and she is also responsible for all International Tests administered at this Center (TOEFL, GRE, USMLE, PMP, etc).
Danyelle's academic background involves degrees in Languages and Tourism. In 2004, she was part of the Youth Ambassadors Program and since then she has been working in the field of Study in the USA Advising. In 2009, she became the main adviser for Recife, and she is also responsible for all International Tests administered at this Center (TOEFL, GRE, USMLE, PMP, etc).
Cato
Chief Information Officer
A product of the College of Wooster in Ohio, Cato is our Chief Information Officer. He is responsible for the vision, strategy, direction, and oversight for Information Technology in Usap. He is leading the organization's efforts to integrate the Internet and the World Wide Web into both the organization's long-term strategy and its immediate expansion plans.
Cato is a self-diagnosed "internet addict". For the past few years, he has been working on a project that will change the world of education and econsumerism forever(!).
Cato is based in Silver Spring, MD. When he is not online, Cato enjoys hanging out with his friends, playing tennis and soccer, hiking in the Shenandoah National Park and the local Rock Creek Park, watching movies, listening to music, and reading.