Meet the Team
At MILE, we’re more than educators - we’re mentors, builders and partners in unlocking brilliance. With diverse expertise and lived experiences, we share one purpose: delivering support that is rigorous, human centered and liberating.
Read the bios below to understand why and how we go the extra mile so you can see firsthand the values, qualifications, and lived experiences that shape our work.
Dr. Zion Gezaw
She/Her
Founder • Principal • Possibility-Maker
Services Offered
Student & Family Success
College, Career & Life Readiness
Equity & Instructional Consulting
Experience
Doctorate in Curriculum & Instruction
Current school leader in Denver
Twice exceptional
First generation college grad
Daughter of Ethiopian immigrants
Trilingual
Why MILE
Co-founded MILE to build liberatory environments where every learner can thrive.
What Brings Me Joy
Hiking with family and pups
Vegan cooking and baking
Exploring new coffee shops
Sean McKenzie
He/Him
Strategist • Educator • Brilliance Liberator
Services Offered
Student & Family Success
College, Career & Life Readiness
Strategy & Organizational Consulting
Experience
Postgraduate student at Cambridge University
Current sustainability advisor in international development
Taught and advised learners across multiple universities
First generation college grad
Son of Trinidadian/Canadian immigrants
Running for local office
Why MILE
Co-founded MILE to create spaces where different thinkers are affirmed and equity becomes the expectation.
What Brings Me Joy
Listening to jazz, neo-soul, R&B
Exploring sustainability in everyday life, Net Zero living, EVs, and regenerative food
Being at peace in the great outdoors, being active, meditating, or thinking deeply
Maddie Parker
She/Her
Academic Advisor
Services Offered
Student & Family Success
College, Career & Life Readiness
Experience
Twice-exceptional
Bachelor's in English and Socio-Legal studies; Master's in Leadership for Higher Education
Four years of teaching experience, currently leading Academic Services at CU Anschutz
Why MILE
Joined MILE to support the whole child - fostering growth beyond test scores and advancing equity in education
What Brings Me Joy
Spending time with my pup, Mollie
Reading romance books
Playing board games with friends
Kevin D. Vo
He/Him
Academic Advisor
Services Offered
Student & Family Success
College, Career & Life Readiness
Experience
Private tutor, specializing in math and experience with Boston’s Businesses United in Leadership and Development (BUILD) programme
Teaching assistant at Columbia University, health educator at Peer Health Exchange, scientist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and medical student at University of Rochester
Current 9th-grade math teacher
Why MILE
MILE’s mission statement is to help students, especially those from underserved backgrounds, succeed in both school and life - that motivation is the exact reason I became a teacher
What Brings Me Joy
Former students achieving their college, career, and life dreams
Watching people who were ‘not expected to succeed academically’ do awesome
My three cats and one dog
