MCAC Advisers

Our Advisers

MCAC consists of recent University of Michigan graduates who sign on to serve one of our 16 partner high schools. Each brings with them an individualized set of professional skills shaped by their different academic and personal interests during their undergraduate years. Given this wealth of knowledge, the team collaborates across and between disciplines, experiences, and identities as they work every year to inform, engage, and inspire a new cohort of seniors to create an attainable and sustainable path to, through, and beyond college. In this way, our advisers work to consistently strengthen the existing college-going culture in their school through developing rapport with students and families, deepening relationships with community partners, and innovating on the best practices of previous advisers during their tenure in the program.

Danyale Dockery

Southfield High School for Arts and Technology

Danyale Dockery is a college adviser serving the Southfield High School for Arts and Technology on behalf of the University of Michigan. As a first-generation college student, Danyale’s role is to inspire underrepresented high school students to pursue higher education. Having studied at Michigan State University and Grand Canyon University, Danyale understands the impact of the former and current educational structure in America. Hence, in her role as a college adviser, she not only mentors her students, but also empowers them to navigate the college experience with knowledge and confidence. With a longstanding volunteer history too, it is easy to understand her passion, interest, and investment in advocacy. In her free time, you can find Danyale thumbing through historical documents and spending time with her dog Shiloh.

AJ Espinoza

Jackson High School

AJ Espinoza serves as a second-year adviser at Jackson High School in Jackson, MI. A graduate from the University of Michigan with a degree in Psychology, he is passionate about applying his experiences in social justice and educational psychology research to better serve the next generation of students. As the first in his family to apply to college in the US, he loves guiding his 203 high school seniors and their parents through the college application process and helping them secure financial aid to pursue their post-secondary education. In his free time, you can find him experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen or working on a new 3D animation.

Jenna Horner

Battle Creek Central High School

Jenna Horner is a recent college graduate and member of the Michigan College Advising Corps, currently serving high school students in Battle Creek, Michigan. Here, she uses the knowledge she gained from four years of earning an undergraduate degree in Psychology combined with her passion for supporting the under-appreciated and under-funded public education system in her home state to help students determine and achieve their goals for life after high school.

When she’s not working alongside teachers in their classrooms and connecting with the 200 plus members of the senior class, you may find her sitting on the couch in her office, eating the candy she uses to incentivize her students.

Cody Jonaitis

Flint Southwestern Classical Academy

Cody Jonaitis is a recent graduate of the University of Michigan and currently serves as a member of the Michigan College Advising Corps in Flint. As a full-time adviser at Flint Southwestern Classical Academy, he promotes a robust and engaging college-going culture with both large-scale programming and individualized, one-on-one support. Through his efficient organizational skills and creative flexibility, he helps to connect students with the resources that support their post-secondary goals. When not advocating for college access, Cody might be found hiking national parks, listening to political podcasts, or working on his latest art project.

Greta Kruse

J.W. Sexton High School

Greta is a recent graduate from the University of Michigan, where she studied international studies and anthropology. Throughout her life, Greta has been engaged in work for social change. When she was 16, she attended her first political protest at the 2017 Women’s March and 5 years later, was leading the College Democrats at the University of Michigan her senior year of college. Greta is excited to connect with students on a personal level and be an advocate for their goals. When she’s not advising, Greta is usually listening to music and playing with her kitten, Rylo.

Mellisa Lee

Jalen Rose Leadership Academy

Mellisa Lee is an artist, educator, and activist. She is a first year college adviser at Jalen Rose Leadership Academy and is a recent graduate from the University of Michigan. During her time, Mellisa has worked in student admissions, illustrated for The Michigan Daily, co-launched the Stamps First Generation Club, and took part in the Stamps Undergraduate Juried Exhibition as an award-winning artist. With her educational background in fine arts and sociocultural anthropology, Mellisa is passionate about community outreach and the creative storytelling of underrepresented peoples. In current and future pursuits, she hopes to inspire, lead, and educate students to pursue higher education.

Kiley Lowery

University High School Academy

Kiley Lowery is a recent graduate from the University of Michigan that received her B.A. in Sociology with a subplan in Social Work. She’s passionate about alleviating poverty, causing her to previously be involved with non-profits dealing with various issues ranging from incarceration to housing access. In a desire to be more proactive, she became a first-year adviser at University High School Academy in Lathrup Village. In this role, she serves as a resource to underserved seniors to navigate the college process. She is working towards increasing awareness of funding opportunities to limit the barrier of cost that inhibits her students’ ability to attend and afford their post-secondary education. Outside of her role, she enjoys yoga, thrifting, and making friends with all animals that cross her path.

Armando Otero

Holland High School

Born in Puerto Rico, “la isla del encanto,” Armando developed a passion for culture and the international realm from a very early age. Armando took his passion to the University of Michigan, where he pursued a double major in International Studies and Anthropology. While in college, he developed a further passion for connecting with and advising students through intercultural dialogue, which led to picking up jobs advising for residence halls and the International Center. Now, Armando focuses his intercultural passion into advising predominantly Latinx students at Holland High School on how to make secondary education and college a reality for students.

Alex Shoop

Ypsilanti Community High School

Alex Shoop recently graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. He was raised in Muskegon, Michigan where he was inspired by his college adviser. Alex is serving through MCAC as this year’s college adviser at Ypsilanti Community High School and is eager to provide the same support he had in Muskegon. Outside of work, as a former collegiate athlete at Ave Maria University, he enjoys staying updated with college football and basketball. For the future, Alex is excited to continue to strive for greatness alongside his students as he pursues dental school.

Chloe Turnbow

Ottawa Hills High School

Chloe Turnbow is a first-year adviser at Ottawa Hills High School in Grand Rapids, MI. She recently graduated from the University of Michigan with her Bachelor of Science in Biology, Health, and Society and a minor in Gender and Health. Serving as an adviser with MCAC, Chloe enjoys building relationships with students while helping them create future plans that best align with their interests and goals. Outside of advising, Chloe loves running, camping, and volunteering as a youth literacy mentor.

Dante Vozza

Chandler Park Academy

Dante Vozza (or V as their students call them) is a college adviser at Chandler Park Academy in Detroit-Metro Area through the Michigan College Advising Corps. They help students through the college application and financial aid process and hope to have as big of a positive impact as possible on their community. They also leverage their talents, experiences, and privileges to help students navigate, understand, and even challenge the inequitable systems they are faced with on a daily basis. Beyond counseling, Dante is deeply passionate about cooking, music, and photography. They can often be found taking photos for a variety of Detroit DIY and Punk bands, or just the cool bugs they find in their backyard.

Kara Warnke

Eastern High School

Kara Warnke is the college adviser at Eastern High School in Lansing, Michigan, working with students to achieve the next step in their education. Graduating from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and minors in Writing and English, she found a passion for educational psychology and its applications in a high school setting. A first-generation college student herself, Kara understands how overwhelming the preparation for college can be, and aims to alleviate the anxieties associated with the process. Through meaningful connections with students, she shows students a clearer path to their future. In her free time, Kara enjoys reading and spending time with her dogs.

Magda Wojtara

Pontiac High School

Magda Wojtara is a first-year adviser at Pontiac High School. A graduate of the University of Michigan, she received her Bachelor of Science with Honors in Neuroscience, with additional minors in Interdisciplinary Astronomy and Science, Technology and Society. While at Michigan, she founded her own 501C3 nonprofit, General Intelligences, which focuses on mitigating education inequity in higher education. This helped develop her passion for education as a social determinant of health. Magda is an advocate for all students to be able to achieve their personal, academic and career goals. In her free time, she enjoys running her photography and food blog, going to coffee shops for the illusion of productivity, and archery.