Our Team
Noelle Nelson
Executive Director
Noelle Nelson serves as Executive Director of Avenue Scholars Des Moines. Noelle spent the past 23 years serving as a teacher, curriculum coordinator, administrator, and most recently, as Executive Director of Leadership and Learning, for Des Moines Public Schools. She is passionate about equity of access for all scholars and has committed her career to removing barriers for our most marginalized groups.
Mary Core
Director of Community Engagement
Mary has nearly 20 years of non-profit experience working for organizations like United Way of Central Iowa, Goodwill Industries and the Pinky Swear Foundation. She had previously spent 21 years with Principal Financial Group in various roles. Mary brings her business and community knowledge and connections to the team. Mary is excited to support scholars by connecting them to area businesses and a path to insure they are successful.
Carla Miller
Administrative Assistant
Carla Miller is the Administrative Assistant for Avenue Scholars Des Moines. Before coming to Avenue Scholars Des Moines in April 2022, she was employed by Des Moines Public Schools for 25 years. The last 7 of those years as the Executive Assistant for the Leadership and Learning Department. She chose Avenue Scholars Des Moines because this position allows her to build relationships and provide support for the students in our program.
Corey Lewis
Post Secondary Career Coach for IT and Business
Corey is a seasoned professional with a diverse background in HR recruiting, IT recruiting and both business and residential sales. A native of Des Moines, Corey holds a degree in History from Iowa State University, where he developed a deep appreciation for understanding people and cultures. Passionate about connecting individuals’ unique talents and passion to their work, he thrives on helping others find meaningful career paths. Outside of his professional life, Corey enjoys working out and reading, continuously seeking ways to grow both personally and professionally.
Mark Core
Career Coach East HS
Mark is a lifelong educator committed to the wellbeing of students as well as contributing to a more just and equitable community. His roles in education have included classroom teacher, dean of students, athletics coach, and adjunct professor. Since retiring from public employment, he has transitioned to the non-profit sector and has enjoyed continued engagement with young adults who are seeking to maximize their future opportunities through secondary and post-secondary education. Mark is super-excited about contributing to the ongoing success of Avenue Scholars and looks forward to the day when these students take their places as leaders within the community.
Anousith Macvilay
Post Secondary Career Coach for Skilled Trades and Automotive
Growing up on the Southside of Des Moines, Anousith graduated from Lincoln High and continued his education in Culinary Science at Iowa State University. Alongside becoming a young chef in college, Anousith became employed as a yoga and kickboxing instructor. He has lived and worked in several countries taking these arts with him. Every dish became a story and working together became the classroom. In 2022 he found himself being a volunteer for a growing non-profit called Forest Ave Outreach. With time and focus, Anousith became the program manager for “Pathway to Building Trades”. An enriching experience that guided youth to navigate a career path in trade skills. By 2025, Anousith joined Avenue Scholars Des Moines where he intends to help even more youth in our city as a Post Secondary Coach that focuses not only on trade skills, but also the hands-on work that connects us to ourselves.
Carol Mendez
Career Coach North HS
Carol Mendez is a proud daughter of immigrants and first-generation college graduate. Her personal experience with public education led to a career in education. Shortly after graduating from Central College Carol served two years in AmeriCorps under Teach For America in St Louis. In 2017 Carol was recognized as Charter Teacher of the Year. And, in 2022 Carol led her building to score in the top three state assessment scores in the city of St Louis. Carol served 12 years in St Louis working as a teacher, teacher coach/dean, and principal. She then spent a year doing consulting work with a charter school in South Carolina and finally relocated to Des Moines, to be closer to her family. Carol joined Avenue Scholars as she deeply believes that everyone not only deserves a quality education, but quality support to ensure students not only land dream careers but a life full of opportunities. In her spare time Carol enjoys walks, puzzles, yoga, documentaries, house projects, traveling, and spending time with her family!
Sara Wodka
Career Coach Roosevelt HS
After graduating from Iowa State University, she entered the human services/social work field. Sara has worked with many different, diverse populations over the past seven years. The majority of her experience in the field was as a counselor at a youth crisis shelter, where she learned that she most enjoyed working with young people, particularly high schoolers. Working with and partnering with students gives her energy; they have fire in their steps and the world at their fingertips, sometimes all they need is a little guidance along the way. When the opportunity arose at Avenue Scholars, it seemed too good to be true. Avenue Scholars provides her a front row seat to guide and coach, utilizing skills developed over the years as a counselor, case manager, and mentor. Most importantly though, Avenue Scholars gives her the privilege to watch young people grow, learn, and become who they desire to be -- and that's pretty remarkable.
Bethany Johnson
Career Coach Lincoln HS
Born and raised in Iowa, Bethany attended Drake University where she earned undergraduate degrees in English and Secondary Education, and later, a Master’s Degree in Literacy Education. After eight years of teaching middle school and high school English, Bethany joined Avenue Scholars Des Moines in the spring of 2024. Bethany has a knack for building positive rapport with her students and is excited to support her students, not only in the classroom, but in their career endeavors as well. In her free time, Bethany enjoys watching crime shows, reading books, and spending time with family, friends, and her dog, Lucy.
Terri Steinmann
Career Coach at Hoover HS
A proud Des Moines native and graduate of North High School, Terri received her undergraduate degree from Drake University, and spent five years living and working in Chicago before returning home to Des Moines to pursue a Master's Degree in Secondary Education from Simpson College. She's spent the last 17 years serving the students and families of Des Moines Public Schools as an English teacher at Lincoln High School and Central Academy. In 2019, Terri gained her Real Estate license and joined the Realty ONE Group Impact family, and currently serves on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee for the Des Moines Area Real Estate Association.
Sahira Garcia
Post Secondary Career Coach for Health Sciences
Sahira graduated from Roosevelt High School and then pursued her BA in Family Services at UNI. She then continued her education to obtain her Master of Arts in Post Secondary Education: Student Affairs from the University of Northern Iowa. She served as a Program Coordinator for Iowa State’s Multicultural Vision Program, where she led programming and academic intervention initiatives for over 350 first-generation scholarship recipients. Being a first-generation student herself, college was not an easy transition. She quickly got involved in many student organizations which led her to discover her passion, which is helping students navigate college despite the adversities students like herself may encounter. She finds joy in connecting with young scholars, finding ways to help students achieve their educational and lifelong goals. "I believe the most important thing an advisor can do is provide a safe space for students so they can truly be themselves. My advisors always made me feel cared for outside of the classroom setting. Now being on the other side, it is fulfilling to learn from the students as much as they learn from us." Outside of the office, Sahira enjoys spending time with family and friends. She also enjoys trying new foods, traveling, working out, and reading a good book!