Alumni Engagement Team
GABBY NICHOLAS
2014 Undergraduate Transfer Scholar, University of Florida; 2019 Graduate Scholar, Northwestern University
Program Manager, Alumni Engagement
Gabby Nicholas joined the Foundation in 2022, and works to provide engagement opportunities for Cooke Scholar Alums.
Before joining the Foundation as a Staff member, Gabby worked at the University of Wisconsin – Madison as the Assistant Director of Diversity Equity & Inclusion Signature Programs, and the Assistant Director of the Center for Cultural Liberation at Dominican University in River Forest, IL. She’s also worked for the Pat Tillman Foundation as the Digital Engagement Coordinator supporting military veterans, military spouses, and active-duty service members. Gabby also worked for Bottom Line in Chicago as a Success Advisor for first-generation college students. Lastly, she completed a fellowship with 12PLUS, a non-profit organization in Philadelphia focused on empowering high school students to succeed in education beyond high school.
Gabby holds an A.A. in General Education from Seminole State College in Florida and a B.S. in Journalism from the University of Florida. She also holds a Master’s of Science in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University.
Laura Karwoski
Program Associate, Scholar and Alumni Experience
Laura Karwoski joined the Foundation in 2022. She is a Program Associate for Scholar and Alumni Experience and provides communications, event, and programmatic support for the Scholar Experience team.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Laura worked for several years in a communications and fundraising role at the Children’s Science Center. She is also passionate about community involvement and has held volunteer leadership positions on the Boards for several local youth organizations, such as the Catoctin Elementary PTA and Vienna Youth Soccer.
Laura graduated from Virginia Tech with a B.A. in English and a Business Management minor.
Marc linmore
Senior Communications Strategist, Alumni and Scholar Programs
Marc Linmore joined the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation in 2013. He is responsible for designing, developing, and implementing dynamic communication strategies to strengthen the network of over 2,200 Cooke Scholar Alumni, connect Alumni to the Scholar community, and celebrate the Foundation’s mission and impact.
As the Foundation’s principal storyteller and creative director, he is also responsible for developing, writing, producing, and distributing multimedia content, primarily video in short- and long-form documentary-style pieces as well as instructional materials in a variety of media.
Before joining the Foundation, Marc worked for nine years at Discovery Communications, both in production management and as an associate producer at Discovery Studios. Prior to his tenure at Discovery, he worked in the Program and Production Group at Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
Marc graduated with honors from James Madison University with a B.B.A. in Marketing.
natalie rodriguez jansorn
Vice President, Scholarship Programs
As Vice President, Scholarship Programs, Natalie oversees the conception, development and implementation of the Foundation’s Scholar and Alumni programming and communications.
Natalie began working with the Foundation in 2005 as co-manager of the Young Scholars Program where she led a team of Educational Advisers and program Staff in partnership with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth. She went on to direct the Foundation’s grantmaking and higher education programs. She has worked with the Aspen Institute’s College Excellence Program to develop resources for community college leaders transforming their institutions for improved student outcomes.
Before joining the Foundation, Natalie served as Director of Program Development for the Johns Hopkins University National Network of Partnership Schools, assisting schools, districts, and state departments of education to establish school, family, and community partnership programs to support students’ success. She is a contributing author to School, Family, and Community Partnerships: Your Handbook for Action (Second and Third Editions). Natalie has greatly enjoyed teaching and managing supplemental programs for students in both urban and rural schools from kindergarten through the secondary level. She taught English to secondary school students as a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in rural Thailand.
Natalie earned her B.A. in American Studies from Yale University and her M.A. in Instructional Systems Design as a Shriver Peaceworker Fellow from University of Maryland Baltimore County.