Meet our Executive Board!
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Ellie Mayers
President
Ellie is a senior from Cleveland, OH, studying Nursing with a minor in History, Health, and Humanities. Ellie joined Kite & Key, her freshman spring, and has served as the society’s Communications Chair and Outreach Chair prior to her role as President. Her favorite part of Kite & Key is connecting with prospective students and helping them envision their life as a Quaker! She also loves Kite & Key’s diverse community and society-wide events. When not giving tours, you can find Ellie leading educational events as the co-president of Penn Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health, mentoring younger nursing students as an Anatomy & Physiology TA, and caring for the Philadelphia community in the HUP Emergency Department. Ellie is published in the Society of Maternal Fetal Medicine Pregnancy Journal and hopes to one day become a midwife and work in historically underserved communities. In her spare time, she loves engaging in Jewish life on campus at Penn Hillel, exploring Philly with her sorority sisters, traveling to new places, and going to SoulCycle with friends.
Contact Ellie at emayers@nursing.upenn.edu
Ryan Schager
Vice President
Ryan is a senior in the Wharton School studying Behavioral Economics, originally from Barnegat, New Jersey. Ryan joined Kite & Key in the fall of his sophomore year, and has previously served as the Communications Chair and led the Social Media Cohort before stepping into his role as Vice President. Ryan’s favorite part of K&K is being able to share his love for Penn, and connect with prospective students during such an exciting time. Outside of Kite and Key, Ryan serves as the President of Alpha Kappa Psi, an Undergraduate WH 2010 TA, an Executive Cohort Director for Wharton Undergraduate Cohorts, a Penn First Plus Gateway Mentor, and the Rodin Information Center Student Manager. Outside of his on-campus involvements and work study positions, Ryan loves to play spikeball, hit a volleyball, wander over the Schuylkill bridge or play music on a speaker and lay outside. With all of his heart, Ryan is so grateful for his best friends, swimming at the beach, and watching sunsets.
Contact Ryan at rschager@wharton.upenn.edu
Abigail Shapiro
Visit coordinator for daily programs
Abigail is a senior from Denver, CO studying Philosophy, Politics, and Economics with a minor in Hispanic Studies. She joined Kite & Key as a freshman, served as a shift captain for three semesters, and is now thrilled to be on the Executive Board as Visit Coordinator for Daily Programs. Her favorite part of being a tour guide is enjoying any excuse to walk through campus, especially when the sun is out, and share stories about Penn. Outside of Kite & Key, Abigail is involved with the University of Pennsylvania’s Model United Nations Conference (UPMUNC), Social Impact Consulting, Greek life, and is a TA for Negotiations. She studied abroad in Barcelona during her junior spring and had incredible experiences with friends from Penn and around the world. Abigail loves planning travel itineraries, wandering through art museums, talking about the book she’s currently reading, and going to concerts.
Contact Abigail at apshap@sas.upenn.edu
Bella Santiago
visit coordinator for special programs
Bella Santiago is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences studying Neuroscience and Political Science. She is originally from Los Angeles, California, but is grateful to have been converted into an Eagles fan. She has served as the Shift Captain for Virtual Programming for four semesters and has now transitioned to being the Visit Coordinator for Special Programming. Bella’s favorite part of Kite and Key is the community that she has been able to find both within the society and with every person that comes to tour Penn! Outside of K&K, Bella serves as the Community Engagement Chair for Alpha Iota Gamma, a Legislative Advocate for Penn Reproductive Justice, Residential Advisor, Peer Advisor, tutor for the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project in addition to conducting research at CHOP, and working an on campus job at the Quadrangle. In her free time, Bella enjoys playing volleyball, listening to music, baking, drawing, and spending time with friends and family.
Contact Bella at bsanti@sas.upenn.edu
Charissa Howard
engagement and access chair
Charissa is a senior from Wynnewood, PA, studying English with minors in French and Political Science. She joined Kite & Key during her freshman spring and is thrilled to now be serving on Executive Board for her favorite club. Her favorite part of being a tour guide is connecting with prospective students and getting to tell them stories about her and friends at Penn. Outside of Kite & Key, you can find Charissa doing research as a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow, volunteering as a Civic Scholar, and conducting dialogue work as a Peer Restorative Practitioner. In her free time, she loves running by the Schuylkill River, reading/journaling outside, hunting for the best chai latte in Philly, and throwing spontaneous dance parties with friends.
Contact Charissa at chhow@sas.upenn.edu
Kyndall Brown
Training coordinator
Kyndall is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania, studying Cognitive Science with minors in Consumer Psychology and French. A Philadelphia native, she joined Kite & Key in the fall of her sophomore year, serving as a shift captain before joining the executive board as Training Coordinator. Her favorite part of Kite & Key is engaging with prospective students and sharing personal experiences that reflect her love for Penn, as well as being part of a close-knit and supportive community. Beyond giving tours, Kyndall is involved in the Wharton Undergraduate Media & Entertainment Club (UME), Hopelessly Yellow, and Greek life. She also contributes to linguistics research as a research assistant. In her free time, she enjoys volunteering at the Ronald McDonald House, running, traveling, seeing new movies in theaters, and exploring the city with friends.
Contact Kyndall at kynbrown@sas.upenn.edu
John Gonzalez
finance chair
John is a senior from Westfield, NJ studying both Biology and Healthcare Management and Policy, with a minor in Chemistry, through an uncoordinated dual degree program between the College of Arts and Sciences and Wharton. He is currently applying to medical school. John joined Kite & Key during his sophomore spring, and he served as a shift captain for one semester before his upcoming role as Finance Chair. His favorite part of Kite & Key is the “Live Student Chats” because he gets to engage more directly with students who are excited to discuss their interests, hobbies, and plans for the future. Outside of being a tour guide, John is involved with volunteering at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Ronald McDonald House, tutoring through the Weingarten Center and West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, multiple healthcare- and medicine-related clubs, and Greek life. In his spare time, he loves watching horror movies with friends, exploring the Philly food scene, playing the cello, and collecting magnets from new places he visits.
Contact John at jmgonz31@wharton.upenn.edu
Ireland Gorecki
Communications Chair
Ireland is a junior from Alpharetta, GA studying Biology, with a minor in Chemistry, and American Public Policy. She plans to apply to medical school following her time spent at Penn. Ireland joined the society during the second semester of her freshman year, and served as a shift captain for one semester before her upcoming role as Communications Chair. Her favorite part of Kite and Key is walking between stops and having side conversations with the guests because she enjoys getting to know prospective students on a deeper level and seeks to share more about how her stories can overlap with the students’ interests. When not giving tours, Ireland is a computational researcher at the School of Veterinary Medicine, Captain of the Quaker Girls Dance Team, tutor for the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project, Director of Activities for her Greek organization, photographer for the Pennsylvania Post, and member of the Christian Union. Outside of classes and clubs, she loves binging Netflix shows, trying the newest workout class, having DMCs (deep meaningful conversations) on Locust Walk, and attempting to bake bread in college house kitchens.
Contact Ireland at igorecki@sas.upenn.edu
Gianna Lodato
Outreach Chair
Gianna is a Junior from North Caldwell, NJ studying Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics with a minor in English. Gianna joined Kite & Key during her freshman spring, and this is her first year serving on the Executive Board. Her favorite part of K&K is getting to meet prospective students and helping them find out if Penn would be a good fit for them! Outside of touring, she is a coxswain on the Varsity Lightweight Rowing Team, a junior facilitator for the Penn Athletics Wharton Leadership Academy, a student researcher in the AWARE Lab, a Marketing VP for Wharton Music Business Club, a photographer for Penn Appetit, and an Orientation Peer Advisor for Penn Engineering. In her spare time, she loves going for runs on the Schuylkill River Trail, exploring the amazing Philadelphia restaurant scene, cooking and baking for her friends, and watching sports, especially Formula 1.
Contact Gianna at giannalo@seas.upenn.edu
Erin Gonter
Community development chair
Erin is a senior from Madison, WI, studying Nursing with a minor in Nutrition. Erin joined Kite & Key her freshman spring, and served as a Shift Captain during her sophomore year, which she enjoyed greatly. Erin’s favorite part about Kite & Key is being able to meet new people, whether that be the wide range of society members, or the prospective students and their families during tours. Outside of Kite & Key, Erin is the Co-President of the Penn Chapter of Nurses for Sexual and Reproductive Health, is a member of Student Nurses at Penn, serves as a Teaching Assistant for Integrated Anatomy and Physiology, works as a nanny in the greater Philadelphia area, and conducts research in the Endocrinology Department of the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Erin hopes to use her nursing education to one day become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, as she has worked with children and their families since she was 12 years old. Outside of campus, Erin loves to go on runs on the Schuylkill River Trail, try new restaurants in Philly, wind down by trying new recipes, and attend workout classes.
Contact Erin at egonter@nursing.upenn.edu