Our Roots
Who We Are
INSPIRE Scholars Inc. was founded in 2025 by Mount Vernon STEAM Academy graduates who returned to their hometown wanting to invest in students who reflected their younger selves.
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Mount Vernon, NY is a diverse, underserved community where students often face overlapping challenges — from academic and social stress to systemic barriers — without access to the mental health education, college guidance, and mentorship they deserve. As teenagers navigating those same gaps, our founders were fortunate to have mentors who helped guide them through it. Inspire Scholars was built so more students could have that same support.
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We believe every student deserves mental health support, mentorship, college guidance, and the tools necessary to unlock their fullest potential, regardless of their background. Our hybrid workshop model brings students together in person and virtually, pairing practical college and career guidance with mental health education and peer leadership development. Through speaker sessions, students connect directly with career professionals and engage in hands-on activities that help them take charge of their own futures.
FOUNDER, Co-Executive Director & Co-Program Manager
Maame Forson
Secretary
Daniella Costa Dos Santos
Social Media Lead
Ashley Faunlagui
Meet Our Board
Co-Executive Director & Internship Coordinator
Indya Taylor
External Outreach & Co-Program Manager
Jake Snyder
Curriculum SUPPORT
Gabrielle Sylvester
2026-2027 Executive Board
Finance Director
Leonardo Valdovinos
Marketing & Outreach DIRECTOR
Nicolette Zaffuto
Website + Tech Support
Phillip Ferguson
Heily Gonzalez
CO-FOUNDER
Heily is a Mount Vernon, NY native and a graduate of Mount Vernon STEAM Academy. She earned her BA from Cornell University, triple majoring in Government, Sociology, and American Studies, and is currently pursuing her J.D. at Boston University.
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As a first-generation Dominican immigrant, she is passionate about building systems that expand access to education, mentorship, and legal support for underrepresented communities. Her work is rooted in the belief that no one should have to navigate opportunity gaps alone, and that people deserve spaces that reflect their experiences and amplify their voices. Heily's next step is attending law school, continuing the work of building access for the communities that raised her.
Maame Forson
CO-FOUNDER
Maame is a Mount Vernon, NY native and graduate of Mount Vernon STEAM Academy. She earned her BA from Harvard University in 2025, studying Psychology on the Cognitive Neuroscience track and Social and Medical Anthropology with a Citation in Twi, and is currently pursuing her Master of Public Health at Yale University.
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Throughout college, Maame conducted neuroscience research on how mental health affects brain aging, while staying deeply involved in public service, educational, and cultural initiatives. Without the mentors who guided her own path, she wouldn't have made it to or through Harvard. Founding Inspire Scholars is her way of passing on the torch to the community that shaped her.
Meet the Founders
Join Our Mission
Support us as a mentor, mentee, donor, or volunteer. Together, we can empower the next generation of scholars.