Staff
Rachel Sotsky
Executive Director
Rachel Sotsky spent over two decades as a senior policy advisor to several U.S. Senators, where she devoted considerable time and energy to the development of education policy. She was deeply involved in the drafting and enactment of the Scholarships for Opportunity and Results (SOAR) Act which reauthorized and extended the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP) as part of a three-sector approach to improving educational outcomes in the District of Columbia. The SOAR Act authorizes equal funding for traditional D.C. public schools, D.C. charter schools, and the D.C. OSP. Ms. Sotsky has also served in state and local government, performed as a consultant for several non-profit organizations in the District, and counseled educational institutions as part of a D.C. lobbying firm. She has a B.A. from Brandeis University with a major in Political Science, and an M.P.A. from George Washington University with a major in Budget & Public Finance.
Family Support Team
Kevin Mills
Manager, Family and Community Affairs 
Kevin Mills comes to Serving Our Children with over 20 years of experience working in the non-profit sector, developing and implementing national member engagement and business development strategies. Prior to joining SOC, Kevin served as the Senior Director of Membership Engagement and Marketing for Child Care Aware of America. In this role he managed a team of 4 and provided leadership in the development of social media, direct mail, community engagement and online communication strategies. He was also responsible for identifying and developing products and services to increase awareness, membership and resources. In his previous role as the Director of Membership at the Black Alliance for Educational Options, Kevin managed all community engagement activities increasing program participation and awareness in the communities served. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Justice from Howard University.
Valerie Carpenter
Deputy Manager, Family and Community Affairs
Valerie Carpenter is a native of Osceola, Arkansas. She serves in the capacity of Deputy Manager of Family and Community Affairs. Valerie has 10 years of experience in the education system working in Admissions and Recruitment. She attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology with minors in Information Technology and Biology. She is a 2020 graduate of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and is currently enrolled as a Doctoral student at Northeastern University’s Law and Policy Program.
S. Osman
Family Support and Community Engagement Specialist
Mr. Osman has spent over 8 years working towards the advancement of under privileged children. In 2013, Mr. Osman created an enrichment program for children ages 4-13 designed to address the social, emotional, and behavioral issues that confront young children today. This program focused on coping techniques, one on one therapy sessions, play therapy, and educational assistance. Subsequently, Mr. Osman became a Career Counselor with Job Corps, where he mentored young adults, ages 16-24, to secure high school diplomas, college admission, occupational trade credentials, and general life skills. Mr. Osman brings cultural sensitivity, and a deep understanding of the value of diversity to the families of Serving of Children.
Kayla Thomas
Family Support and Community Engagement Specialist
Kayla Thomas serves the organization as a Spanish speaking Family Support Specialist. Throughout her time within various industries , she has been able to acquire a diverse proficiency in strategic communication, public relations, organizational development, operational initiatives, and administration. She is a skilled professional at organizational analysis, relationship building, and critical thinking to strengthen her roles in community outreach and case management. Reinforcing and exercising these interests and skills, she is able to nurture her passions in professional, community, and social development. Kayla’s interest in education reform began in 2018 during her time as an educator in the Dominican Republic, where she taught elementary language arts and social studies. In this role, she developed strengths in leading a classroom, and building relationships with students, staff, and neighboring communities. Kayla is dedicated to creating broad alliances that drive systemic change in order to safeguard equal chances in life for all children.
Tilak Kebede
Family Support and Community Engagement Specialist
Tilak Makonnen Kebede holds a Master of Science degree with a major in Public Health from Malmo University in Sweden. She worked as a volunteer for Red Cross Sweden in the Swedish Red Cross Youth Breakfast Club project in Malmo city. Before joining Serving Our Children, she was an employee of the Law Office of James A Roberts in Virginia. She worked on a support team actively helping the immigrant community in defending their rights. In addition, her experience includes work as a Sponsorship and Child Development Facilitator at World Vision Ethiopia, an international NGO. She managed and operated the sponsorship database and sponsorship tracking enhancement program. Tilak received a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Social Anthropology at Addis Ababa University, College of Social Science in Ethiopia.
Finance Team
Tonya Sykes
Deputy Manager, Finance and Operations
Tonya Sykes brings to Serving Our Children vast experience and expertise managing financial and accounting matters, with extensive experience within both the business consulting and non-profit sectors. She is graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Finance and Economics, and enjoys applying her knowledge with the Opportunity Scholarship Program. Outside of work, Tonya is also committed to supporting various organizations throughout the greater Washington, DC community.
Data Team
Sharita Page
Manager, Data and Compliance
Sharita comes to Serving Our Children as an accomplished education professional with over ten years of experience in communications, financial aid, student and data services for the Higher-Ed and K-12 industries. In conjunction with her extensive work experience, she has published numerous articles for Alpha Nu Rho’s Literary Magazine, was quoted in Change Magazine, participated in the Department of Education panel discussions and conducts financial aid consulting to high school seniors. Sharita received a Masters degree in Organizational Communication from Bowie State University and is experienced with evaluating international credentials through her training with AACRAO and the University of Southern California.
Robinson Mateo
Deputy Manager, Data and Compliance
Robinson Mateo is a Southern University graduate with a Bachelors of Art in Inter Disciplinary Studies. He comes to Serving Our Children after holding several roles as an educator and advocate for children. As an accomplished college baseball athlete, he served as an assistant coach and mentor at the Homerun Baseball Summer camp, teaching the fundamentals of baseball. As a student, he also played a pivotal role at the Jaguar Kids Summer Camp, managing the Spanish and sports program for over 50 camp attendees. In this role, he was responsible for tracking the metrics of individual student progress in order to communicate regular updates to all the parents. His passion for educating and helping children to learn the necessary skills to be successful in school and beyond is an asset to the mission of Serving Our Children.
