Meet the Leadership Team
Amber Scott is Founder and Executive Director of Leap Year. A child of first-generation college students, the importance of higher education and the power that it can have to raise a family out of poverty was instilled in Amber at a young age. She believes that the opportunity for higher education should be open to everyone, regardless of where they are born. After working in the nonprofit sector for ten years, she founded Leap Year to challenge the status quo. Amber is a 2018 Echoing Green Fellow, the 2019 winner of the $100,000 Jaffe Grand Prize, and was recognized by Black Enterprise as one of “25 Black Women Who Are Changing the World.” She holds a BA in neuroscience from Smith College, and an MBA in marketing from The Ohio State University.
Latonya Dawson serves as the Literacy Program Manager at Leap Year. Latonya is an army brat and has worked in the nonprofit community most of her professional career. Latonya developed a strong sense of devotion for the nonprofit sector as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador. Her experience in Peace Corps lead her to work with youth internationally and domestically for many years. She also spent time as a Teacher with Teach for America in South Dakota and Georgia. She received a Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University and a Bachelors degree in Psychology from the University of West Georgia.
Lenette Holland serves as the College Readiness Program Manager with Leap Year. Raised in Charlotte, NC, Lenette graduated from North Carolina Central University where she earned a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology with a focus on adolescent and child development. Prior to joining Leap Year Lenette served as an educator in a local charter school in Atlanta specializing in Special Education programs. Lenette is passionate about youth and community development through education and the arts.
