The People Behind the Work
Our team is committed to supporting students and families with care, guidance, and accountability. Together, we bring experience, passion, and a shared belief in what is possible for every student and family in our community.
Elizabeth Magan & Matt Magan
Founders
Elizabeth earned her undergraduate degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and MBA and JD at the University of Pennsylvania. Elizabeth currently serves as an operating partner for Ten Oaks Group. Elizabeth’s work for the public defender’s office during law school sparked her passion for justice reform, and she is committed to optimizing lives in Charlotte for all.
Matt earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Maryland and his MBA at University of Pennsylvania. Matt currently leads investing efforts at Ten Oaks Group. Matt’s volunteer work with Big Brothers/Big Sisters ignited his passion for helping under-resourced students and families, and he is dedicated to investing back into the Charlotte community through multiple avenues.
Maryanne Hogan
Executive Director of Academic Services & College Planning
Maryanne Hogan has almost 15 years of experience working with students grades K-12 in various educational settings. Maryanne has served as a tutor, executive functioning coach, and teacher. In directing the CLTRising Academic Support and College Planning program, Maryanne strives to build positive relationships with students and their families, seeking to work together as a team to support growth, confidence, independence, and achievement. She is passionate about meeting students where they are and encouraging them to reach their full potential to be able to pursue their dream career.
Chapman Archer
Executive Director of Student-Family Partnerships & Family Strategist
Chapman is a Masters Level Social Worker who specializes in youth development. Before joining CLTRising, Chapman spent 7 school years as the lead Intensive Case Manager with Commnunities In Schools-Charlotte Mecklenburg as well as 1 year piloting a School Based Mental Health program at Charlotte Catholic High School through Catapult Learning, LLC. In directing the CLTRising Student-Family Partnerships, Chapman strives to build trusting relationships with students and their families, seeking to collaborate and advocate to overcome injustice and barriers to access. She is commited to participant driven work to help families reach their full potential.
Jennifer Hamilton
Director of NCRising
Jennifer is passionate about empowering young adults to achieve their academic and career goals! She has been working in the education and workforce development field for close to twelve years and in that time served families and students in El Salvador, Milwaukee, WI, and Charlotte, NC. She brings joy, creativity, and community building skills to ensure students she works with receive an incredible experience. With a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership she has served in K-12 schools, colleges, and worked with Fortune 500 companies to advise their programming. She is honored to be part of the CLTRising team!
Casey D’Alessandro
Bilingual Family Strategist
Casey has worked in the Human Services field since 2013 and is passionate about collaborating with students and families in order to help them achieve their goals. She is from Roanoke, Virginia and has worked in Charlotte since 2015 in various capacities at agencies such as Communities In Schools, Department of Juvenile Justice, and in CMS at McClintock Middle School. Casey is an advocate for immigrants and, in previous roles, has helped Spanish-speaking families get connected to resources and programs to enrich their lives and acclimate to Charlotte. She is thrilled to be a part of CLTRising and serve as a partner to families!
Nathalia Theogene
College Mentor
Nathalia is a dedicated advocate for student success, bringing over a decade of experience in nonprofit education, specifically in higher education. She currently works for SEO Scholars as Associate Director. As a passionate advisor, she believes in meeting students where they are—letting them take the driver’s seat while she plays the role of their GPS, guiding them toward their academic, personal, and career goals. Armed with a Master of Social Work (M.S.W.) in Social Enterprise Administration from Columbia University and an LMSW license in New York State, Nathalia specializes in academic, personal, and career advising for college students, helping them navigate their journeys with confidence.
Bonnie Kleffman
College Mentor
Bonnie Kleffman, M.Ed., GCDF is a certified Career Development Facilitator with a Master's in Education and English. She has guided students through college advising, curriculum writing, essay coaching, and career exploration, drawing on her experience as an English teacher, AVID instructor, Career Specialist, and nonprofit literacy director. She is committed to helping students discover meaningful career paths and reach their full potential. Outside of work, Bonnie enjoys mountain biking, hot yoga, and spending time with her two daughters.
Lauren Hill
ELA Tutor
Lauren holds a BA in English and an MAT in Secondary Education from Winthrop University. She currently teaches high school English and is passionate about creating comfortable, engaging learning environments for her students. She firmly believes that combining high expectations with comprehensive support can help students find academic and personal success. In her free time, Lauren enjoys the outdoors, roller skating, and cooking for her friends.
Dahlia Watson
ELA Tutor
Dahlia’s passion for literature and learning began early and grew into a drive to inspire others. While studying at the College of Charleston, she built a successful tutoring business supporting high school and freshman college students. She graduated in 2022 with a BA in English Literature, earning top honors and additional recognition in Spanish and Linguistics. After graduation, she moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she taught English to students of all ages using a student-centered approach. She later returned to South Carolina to teach Middle School ELA before moving to the Charlotte area to continue sharing her love for literature, languages, and learning.
Rachel Oco
ELA Tutor
Rachel Oco is a graduate of Western Carolina University and served as a high school history teacher for 9 years. She is currently a homeschool mother of two and enjoys a variety of outdoor activities, crafting and sports. She believes all students can achieve success through a consistent, holistic approach that fosters a true enjoyment of learning.
Liz Layman
ELA Tutor
Liz Layman is a graduate of UNC Chapel Hill in Classical Civilizations and has experience tutoring and teaching ages ranging from Pre-K through high school. She is now a homeschool mom of three, she enjoys weight lifting and playing board games in her free time. She believes that education should be approached holistically, addressing the needs of the whole student, whether it be academic, emotional, or physical.
Daniel Hernandez
Math Tutor
Daniel Hernandez is an engineer with a master’s degree in mechatronics/controls & machine learning from the University of Washington. On his day to day, he works as a controls engineer, writing software and analyzing hydraulic circuits for off-highway machines. During his undergraduate studies at Iowa State University, he worked as a calculus tutor and developed a strong passion for tutoring math. He believes that with the right approach, learning math is for everyone, and is committed to helping others succeed in their academic endeavors. In his free time, he enjoys playing squash and padel, traveling, and spending time with his girlfriend and dogs.
Christy Penner
Math Tutor
Christy holds a BS in Mathematics from Penn State University, an MS in Education from Cairn University, and a certificate in TESL from Georgetown University. From tutoring peers in high school to leading supplemental calculus sessions in college to decades of working as a private tutor, Christy has always been passionate about communicating the beauties of mathematics to others. Her experience as a classroom teacher spans fifteen years and three countries, and she currently teaches high school math at NorthPoint Christian Academy in Waxhaw. She loves working alongside students to cultivate joy in learning and to help each one realize their potential. In her spare time, Christy enjoys hiking, kayaking, and spending time in nature.
Allen Messer
Math Tutor
Allen Messer got his Master’s in Secondary Math Education from UNCC Charlotte and his BA in Mathematics from Appalachian University. He has been teaching math since January of 1996. Most of those years were at the high school level, but four were in the middle grades. Allen decided to become a teacher because he always enjoyed school and about the only way to stay in school is to become a teacher. He has been a math tutor and SAT coach for almost 20 years. He believes everyone can learn math and tutoring should be learner-centered, adaptive, and goal-oriented.