Get to know your MCAN board members!
Mark Hunter '78
[Mark Hunter] Mark is an independent law professional (NY state and federal courts) with interdisciplinary competencies and interests. His practice includes commercial litigation, small corp./LLC/partnership advisement, transactional matters, and business and arts immigration petitions. He is a business owner (architectural concrete design and fabrication) and provides medico-legal training to emergency medicine residents and attendings. Mark is also a master humanities teacher, from Walpole Prison (Mass.) to PENN, and scholar (literature and law via a full ride National Mellon Fellowship in the Humanities). His philanthropy includes pro bono representation in an asylum and removal proceedings and extending educational opportunities to deserving and qualified students.
Margarita Herrera '08, Chair
[Margarita Herrera]
Margarita graduated as a Posse Scholar from Carleton College in 2008 with a BA in Psychology.
Margarita's passion lies in education equity and reform. As the Executive Assistant at KIPP Chicago, one of the nation's leading charter organization, she has been able to serve her team and the children of Chicago since 2010. Prior to working at KIPP, she was the Program Coordinator at Posse Chicago. Margarita loves to stay connected to her community, where she volunteers during her spare time as a mentor and tutor.
Beserat Kelati '12
[Beserat Kelati]
Beserat Kelati graduated from Carleton College with a BA in Sociology and Anthropology. Originally from Houston, Texas, Beserat decided to attend Carleton College after her week long experience with the Carleton Liberal Arts Experience (CLAE) program in 2006. While at Carleton, Beserat was involved with the Office of Intercultural and International Life (OIIL) as an Intercultural Peer Leader and the Student Activities Office as a program assistant. Along with these departments, she served as the president of the Coalition of Women of Color, Senator at Large for the Carleton Student Association, secretary Black Student Alliance and founder of the Minority Student Pre-Law Association. Beserat is currently working for the Schuler Foundation in Illinois as a Scholar coach at Round Lake High School. She plans on working with the Schuler Foundation for two years until pursuing a master’s degree in urban education and policy. During her free time, Beserat enjoys camping, kayaking, cooking, playing soccer, and watching movies.
Luke Lightning '93
[Luke Lightning]
Luke Lightning is a 1993 graduate of Carleton who majored in Chemistry. Currently, he is Senior Director of Research at Alquest Therapeutics, a biotech startup based at UCSF Mission Bay in San Francisco. He has been involved in pre-clinical programs that progressed to human clinical trials in the areas of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal, and neuronal diseases. Prior to pursuing a career in industry, he was an Assistant Professor at Purdue University, worked as a Postdoctoral Scholar at UCSF, and obtained his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Washington. He is also the Founder of MogulDex, Founder of the Bay Area LifeTech Meetup group, lead organizer of Native American Heritage Night with the SF Giants, and member of the SF Planning Department’s Western SOMA Task Force.
Asim Manizada '13
[Asim Manizada]
Asim is a rising senior from Baku, Azerbaijan, double-majoring in mathematics and economics. His interests span across public policy, economics, and national security. At Carleton, he serves as a Resident Assistant and participates in Model United Nations, International Relations Council, and Mortar Board.
Halah Mohammed '14
[Halah Mohammed] Halah is a rising junior from Brooklyn, New York, majoring in English. Her interests are poetry and dance. At Carleton, she is a member of PACT (Carleton’s Caribbean and African student association).
Sabrina Singh '04
[Sabrina Singh]
Sabrina Singh joined the Bernard F. and Alva B. Gimbel Foundation in NYC in 2009. As the Senior Program Officer, she helps manage grantmaking in all program areas, including economic development, public education, civil legal services, criminal justice, reproductive rights and the environment. Prior to joining the Foundation, she was awarded the William J. Clinton Fellowship for Service in India and worked in multiple programmatic and research capacities to improve and promote women's and human rights in India. Sabrina was also Client Services Coordinator and Development Coordinator for Women's Initiative for Self Employment, a California-based NGO which provides training, networking opportunities and loans to help low-income women start and expand their own businesses. Before that, she worked in the corporate consulting sector as a business analyst for Accenture. Sabrina received a master’s degree in International Development from The London School of Economics and a B.A. in History and Spanish from Carleton College.
Shao Zhu '10 [Shao Zhu]
Shao Zhu graduated from Carleton College in 2010 with a B.A. in Economics. A former MCAN scholar during undergrad, Shao gained his first internship experience at a non-profit organization that promotes Chinese restaurant workers’ rights in San Francisco through the sponsorship of MCAN. While at Carleton, Shao was actively involved with a variety of student organizations, including Carleton Investment Group, Multi-cultural Mentoring Program, and Carleton Chinese Association. Shao is currently working as a management consultant at Deloitte Consulting in Minneapolis. He hopes to pursue a master’s degree in business administration in the near future.