Christina's C. Bonne-Annee
Christina's C. Bonne-Annee's mission is to develop educational institutions in the African Diaspora that foster systemic developmental growth through community involvement, political action, and legal engagement. Ms. Bonne-Annee graduated from New York University in 2005 with a bachelor of arts in History and French and from Pennsylvania State University, Dickinson School of Law in 2010 with a Juris Doctor. During her law school career, she sat as the Black Law Students' Association vice president, secretary, and academic committee chair. Seeing how students of color struggled to transition into the legal profession, Ms. Bonne-Annee established a mentor-mentee program between upper level classman and first year law students.
Christina was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2011 and is currently practicing civil rights and education litigation. As an education consultant, she has worked with the Connecticut Chapter of the Black Alliance for Educational Options and the Connecticut Parent's Union analyzing legal issues surrounding education reform, drafting education policy, and developing political strategic plans to advance a progressive education agenda. She conducted a presentation for community advocates and parents on Title 1 of No Child Left Behind and parental involvement. During an interview with the Feet In Two Worlds series (a project for the center for NYC affairs at the New School), Ms. Bonne-Annee provided a unique and critical perspective of the issues arising at the intersection of immigration and education policy.
Ms Bonne-Annee is currently working on her first book which chronicles her personal experiences in the New York City public education system. Her past writings include an in depth analysis of charter schools' impact on the achievement gap and a review of the legal system’s effect on public education.
Quinn Nelson
After leaving NYU, I spent four years at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine. Due to unfortunate and unforseen events, I did not complete the program there. In 2011, I completed a Master of Interdisciplinary Studies(a post-bac) at the Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. I will attend medical school there this August.
Ancris Ramdhanie
Ancris Ramdhanie has been with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) since 2004 and is currently a Senior Attorney in the Northeast District Counsel’s Office in New York where she practices financial services and banking law. Ancris graduated from Columbia University School of Law in May 2004, and was admitted to the New York State Bar as well as the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in 2005. She received her B.A. from New York University in 2001.
ancris.ramdhanie@occ.treas.gov
Helen Arteaga
Helen Arteaga is the director of Plaza del Sol Family Health Center, a division of Urban Health Plan, Inc. Born in Ecuador, Helen grew up in Corona, Queens. Following the death of her community activist father, she set out to build a health center that would provide quality health care to the residents of her beloved Corona. Plaza del Sol Famile Health Center opened in June of 2009 and by 2010 it was providing care to more than 10,000 patients.
Helen has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from New York University and a Master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She was a White House Fellow in 1998 during the Clinton Administration and completed a fellowship with the National Hispana Leadership Institute in September 2010. Helen is a member of Community Board #4 in Queens and serves on other boards including the Neighborhood Housing Board and Our Lady of Sorrows School. Recently she was one of 31 women selected by the New York City Commission on Women’s Issues to be featured in "
NYC Women: Make it Here, Make it Happen," a series highlighting women who made a difference in their communities. She also received the Community Impact Award, Humanitarian Award and City of New York American Dreamer Award.
Helen.Arteaga@urbanhealthplan.org
Michelle C. Mondesir
Michelle is a former OP student who started NYU in the fall of 2004. Immediately sensing the need for a community on the somewhat campus-less Washington square, Michelle looked to clubs and organizations to fill the void. Mentored by members of the graduating Class of 2005 and the Academic Achievement Program, Michelle sought to join clubs that reflected her interests and passions. Deciding on a History and Pre-Med academic track, Michelle joined the Black Student Science Association, The Haitian American Student Association and sang with the All University Gospel Choir. Over time, Michelle grew comfortable enough to run for electoral positions within such organizations, confident in her ability to listen to the needs of her peers. The positions she held over the course of her undergraduate career include: Advocacy Chair of the CAS Student Council, Vice President of the Haitian American Student Association, Social Justice Chair of the NAACP, Secretary of the Black Student Science Association among others. Her most taxing position however, was as the Co-chair of African Heritage Month, where her and a peer wielded a 5-figure budget, managed several committees and oversaw 4 large-scale ceremonies/events. The efforts of that position earned Michelle and her colleagues a President's Service Award.
During Michelle's sophomore year, a trip to New Orleans would change her life forever. Kevin Powell, an advocate and politician, came to NYU during a black history month event expressing the concern around the neglect felt by the citizens of New Orleans post-Katrina. Powell urged the students of the NAACP to join a program he was apart of called Katrina on the Ground; an initiative gathering black college students to serve the New Orleans community during the week of spring break. Despite resistance from worried family members, Michelle flew to New Orleans and joined the Treme team, responsible for gutting homes of some of the city's musicians. Teamed with college students from Columbia, Fordham and several others, the trip left a permanent mark. The lesson about serving the most neglected of communities remained a passion and commitment for Michelle to uphold.
Since graduation, Michelle has given time to another of her passions: film. With the help of an internship at MTV/VH1 and Lorber Distribution, Michelle was able to engage the creative side of her. She went on to serve as a Production Manager in the Sundance finalist short "Close" and as Assistant Director in a feature film: "KALEB".
Currently Michelle works at the NYU School of Medicine conducting research in the Department of General Internal Medicine. The study aims to address the disparity in occurrence of hypertension and Colo-Rectal cancer among African American men in New York City.
