Farewell, Lauren! Hello, April.
It’s time to celebrate the end of an era. Lauren Degeorge, our previous Deputy Director , who has been with us for over a decade, just completed her transition out of the BLC. Although Lauren will be sorely missed , we’re excited she will continue to do great things to support our community while following her passion! During her six-month transition, she has been a part of a family endeavor to open , a “community-rooted affirming education and therapy for autistic, neurodivergent and all children and teens,” called Trail House, based in Anchorage, KY which is now fully operational.
Lauren has been pivotal in getting The BLC to where it is today. She first began her journey with us in 2014 part time and as a support for Executive Director Sherry Stanley with the role of establishing programming for children and families. Since then, she helped launch our Front Runners after-school tutoring and family program and helped us establish ourselves as an official and independent 501(c)(3) in 2015. Since then, she’s helped guide our organization through COUNTLESS ebbs and flows, and most importantly, GROWTH. In short, she has been pivotal in our development and we are so grateful to her decade-long service providing support for backstretch workers and their families. Here are a couple photos through the years we’re using to commemorate.
With that, we would like to introduce you to April Smith, our new Director of Programs!
April oversees the Backside Learning Center’s adult and youth educational programs ensuring quality instruction, organization, program development, and training opportunities are available for the backside community and the volunteers of the BLC, as well as the social services team.
Originally from Montana, April relocated to Louisville in 2001 and graduated from the University of Louisville with a BA in Spanish and a Latin American Studies minor in 2008. She began working for the National Center for Families Learning where she found her calling to education. After pursuing her MA TESOL, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, from Murray State University, she was selected as an English Language Fellow funded by the U.S. Department of State that took her around the world. She worked in Niger, West Africa and Manila, Philippines.
Following her time abroad, April continued to develop her administrative capacity in the fields of English as a Second Language (ESL) and adult education in New Mexico, and has finally returned to Louisville to share her growth with the community she loves.
“I love learning and experiencing new and different environments and connecting with people. This makes the BLC a perfect fit,” said April.
In her spare time, April loves sharing time with family and friends. She also enjoys making, baking, and creating all sorts of homemade goods. We’re so excited to have April on our team as we transition into this new era of the BLC!
We’ll miss you, Alexina. Greetings, Usman!
Alexina Wilson has been working with The BLC since summer of 2021. Previously our volunteer coordinator and adult English coordinator, she’s now pursuing her Master’s degree in speech therapy. The past few months, she’s been helping our youngest community members shadowing at Mind, Body Child in addition to her volunteer duties.
As Alexina is pursuing her Master’s full time this Spring, Usman Mustafa has stepped in.
Born in Pakistan, Usman moved to Panama at age of 14. In 2011, he pursued his bachelor’s degree in finance at the University of Louisville and graduated in 2014. He since returned to Panama to work, and then came to UofL once again to begin his Master’s degree at UofL Fall 2024.
In Usman’s previous positions, he helped oversee hiring, training and professional development for employees which will help him greatly in his role supporting volunteers.
Because of Usman’s own experience as an immigrant in the US, “[He is] well-positioned to support BLC’s mission of creating a welcoming, inclusive community for immigrants and individuals from diverse backgrounds.”
Usman is most excited to become the volunteer coordinator to create lasting change. “I get to empower volunteers to grow learn, and make a difference.” Although we will miss Alexina, we’re looking forward to Usman’s leadership as we fulfill our mission with our rockstar community of volunteers!
See you later, Tony! Welcome, Amaray.
Our last staff change up is Tony Barajas and Amaray Coca. Tony has been with us for the past two years, but a part of our community for much longer. The BLC welcomed Tony and the rest of his family when they arrived to the US from Mexico to join his father in 2018. Since then, Tony has participated in a variety of youth programs and leadership opportunities. His father worked as a groom for world-class trainer D. Wayne Lukas for over 20 years.. After graduating from Iroquois High School, his path led him to joining the BLC team as an administrative assistant. His humor, intelligence, quirky comments and love for animals will be greatly missed. This spring semester, he is pursuing his bachelors in music at Bellarmine University! We want to celebrate his growth the past couple years and finding his voice.
Amaray Coca is our new administrative coordinator and English instructor.
Originally from Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, she came to Louisville Kentucky at the age of eight and attended JCPS. From there, she attended the University of Louisville and graduated with a bachelor’s in Spanish.
Amaray became interested in working with community programs based on her own experiences as an immigrant. “I also relied heavily on a mentoring program to learn English when I was younger from the Americana,” Amaray said.
Amaray learned about the BLC from college friends and community members that have talked about The BLC as a one place to supply multiple needs for the community and their families.
“Here is where you can find your family away from home, where everybody is welcomed with a smile,” Amaray said. “The BLC goes above and beyond for their staff and clients.”
Amaray is excited to use her background as a previous teacher and Human Resource Generalist while working at the BLC.
“My hope is to help my future students navigate their lives in the United States by providing them with the lessons and tools to become proficient in English and for them to chase their dreams,” said Amaray.
We’re so excited to have Amaray on the team!
