ABOUT US
Kiskeya is the indigenous name of the island of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. We have a special affection for this land and believe in supporting the homegrown talent of communities that have traditionally lacked investment and opportunity.
In late 2020, we formally launched Kiskeya Education Fund as a concrete way to start investing in the education of young people on the island. Since one of our founders grew up and went to college in the Dominican Republic, we began our efforts there and spent time researching different educational programs throughout the country. After exploring relationships with various local efforts, we established a formal partnership with the Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) in Santo Domingo in order to provide college scholarships to talented students who would not otherwise be able to begin or continue their undergraduate studies. In order to receive a Kiskeya scholarship, students must demonstrate high academic talent, high economic need, and a demonstrated desire to serve their communities.
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We have been pleased to ensure that two cohorts of students will be able to fully fund their education at the UNPHU and are working to expand our efforts. To learn more about the amazing scholars being supported, check out our scholarship page!
MEET THE TEAM
Asha Wilkerson, Board President
Asha is a practicing lawyer focused on business and employment law for for-profit, non-profit, and faith-based organizations and also serves as Professor and Department Chair of the Legal Studies Program at American River College in Sacramento. Her love for Haiti began in 2006 as a member of UC Hastings College of the Law’s human rights delegation tasked with investigating prison conditions for criminal detainees. Since then she has returned multiple times to work with students from l’École Supérieure Catholique de Droit de Jérémie (ESCDROJ) located in Jérémie, and was honored with a human rights award from Chans Alternativ/Alternative Chance, a non-profit organization dedicated to advocating on the behalf of Haitian criminal deportees. Asha is conversational in Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. She has a B.A. in English (with a Minor in Communications) from Santa Clara University, a law degree from the University of California, Hastings, and an MBA from California State University, East Bay.
Ana Cediel, Board Vice-President
Ana was born and raised in the Dominican Republic. Through the relentless work and sacrifice of her parents, she and her siblings were the first generation in their family to have the opportunity to attend college. She attended La Universidad Católica Santo Domingo where she majored in Advertising. As a young entrepreneur, she co-founded and ran a health and wellness business and later coordinated events and exhibitions for one of the country's most important art galleries. In 2010 she moved to the U.S. and has been involved in a variety of non-profit and faith-based organizations. She is currently completing graduate work in non-profit management at the University of Central Florida and she is focused on finding ways to expand the educational opportunities of young Dominicans who would not otherwise be able to pay for college and pursue their dreams.
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Dr. Antonio Cediel, Board Secretary
Antonio is a former teacher, principal, and deputy superintendent of schools. He is the CEO of First Revolution Consulting which trains and coaches a range of educational, corporate, and nonprofit leaders throughout the country and also serves as Special Advisor for Live Free USA, a national organization focused on ending gun violence and mass incarceration. His career in education includes teaching middle schoolers in Oakland, CA, graduate students at Harvard University, and aspiring school leaders at the University of Chicago, but his best students were the men at San Quentin State Prison. He holds a B.A. in religious studies from Brown University, an M.A. in Latin American history from California State University-East Bay, and masters and doctoral degrees from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
