A native of Washington, DC, Caitlin received her BA from Georgetown University and an MBA from Kellogg (Northwestern University). She works in finance at Fannie Mae, where she buys multi-family mortgages.

Caitlin became a mentor to involve herself locally with children, specifically with foster kids. She comes from a very close family and feels everyone should have someone to lean on, rely on, and learn from.

Her goal for her mentee is to cultivate his trust and help him develop tools (curiosity, strength, confidence) to encourage him to be the best he can be.

Working with BEST Kids has reminded her not to take things for granted, but appreciate life more, especially the small things that are all one needs to do to make someone smile.

Born in Washington, DC, Will split his time growing up among Washington, DC, southern California, and Florida, but considers DC his home.

Will received his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL, and is finishing up his Master's degree at Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

He works for the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in the Domestic Counterterrorism Office, analyzing terrorism trends and recommending legal and policy initiatives in making the U.S. more secure from attempted acts of terrorism. He was formerly a high school English teacher.

Will says he was motivated to become a mentor because of his love of kids.   Even kids who have faced immense challenges and difficulties in life find value in the people who care for them and invest in them. He has found, as a teacher and a mentor, that he's happiest when learning from kids' infectious optimism and teaching them how to harness that optimism and energy for good purposes.

Among Will's goals for his mentee, is showing him that he is valuable and loved. On a more structural level, he wants to help him regain his faith in a world that has been rough with him. His longterm goal is to help him prepare himself for success and accomplishment in the future .

Will feels that mentoring has made him a better person and enriched his life.

Steven Lozano is committed to helping youth who suffer from neglect. His own experiences have enabled him to empathize with youth who need a helping hand. He and his three brothers were raised by a single mother. He credits his well-being and success to the formal and informal mentoring he received. Whether it was the kind-hearted elderly couple that lived across the street who tutored him during his junior high years, the priest from the college campus ministry who provided him spiritual direction, or the professional colleague who helped him get promoted, they have served as role models.

With the encouragement he received from his "mentors," Steven graduated from Santa Clara University with a B.S. in Political Science, and earned a Masters in Public Administration from the University of Washington’s Graduate School of Public Affairs. For the past 16 years he has been employed at the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in Washington, D.C. His current position is Assistant Director, Strategic Issues.

Having lived in Washington, D.C., for the past 19 years, Steven has been both saddened and frustrated to see how so many youth have been neglected and marginalized and who then turn to violence and criminality, or become self-destructive. He says being a mentor can be his contribution to address this continuing crisis while also honoring the role models in life.

Dru was born in Delaware, but was raised in Apple Valley, MN.  He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a BS in Electrical Engineering in 2004.  He quickly found work at the US Patent and Trademark Office, where he is currently employed.

Dru has been mentoring with BEST Kids since March 2007.  He became a mentor in order to have an impact on the lives of young black boys who have had a less fortunate upbringing than he had.  He says, “I love seeing the positive impact and influence I have on these kids.”  He wants to give them the hope, belief, and optimism to become anything they want to be.

Krystal Speed joined BEST Kids as a mentor in January 2008. Krystal earned her BS in Elementary Education from South Carolina State University and a Masters in Education, Curriculum and Instructional Leadership from Vanderbilt University. She currently is employed at Data Systems & Technology, Inc., as their director of human capital development,

Born in Arizona, Krystal moved to Northern Virginia while in high school. She enjoys working with young people as evidenced by her 4-1/2 years as an elementary school teacher. She has especially enjoyed the fact that her mentee's interests are different from hers so she is able to try new things while exposing him to new ideas as well. One of Krystal's goals is to demonstrate to her mentee that there are people who genuinely care about him and are willing to put in time to ensure his success in life.

Jeffrey Nelson grew up in Seattle, WA, until age 13, then moved to Southeast Massachusetts (Raynham) until college. Jeff attended Cornell University, graduating with a bachelor of science degree in 2006. Currently he is employed at Fannie Mae in Bethesda, MD. .

Jeff had a lot of experience working with children during college and enjoyed it. He joined BEST Kids in order to find a way to make a difference in the life of a young person who was encountering challenges. Jeff hopes to impress on his mentee the importance of math and science, especially as they relate to his ability to find employment in a field that interests him.

Kevin was blessed by having both parents and an older brother. His family enjoyed many dinners and activities together. His mother reviewed his homework with him and did not allow him to watch television during the weekday. Though “the rules” seemed strict at times, the values his parents imparted, including perseverance, commitment and caring have helped him become a successful entrepreneur.

Upon graduation from the University of Virginia in 2000 with a degree in architecture, Kevin recognized the need for a broader approach to assist companies seeking to use technology, to improve their companies’ performance in the new digital economy. In 2001, he co-founded Web-Emerse, LLC (www.web-emerse.com), a firm focused on developing web, multimedia, and interactive voice response solutions which improve an organization’s access to, and utilization of, their information and relationships.

Kevin’s achievements early in his professional career have earned him recognition as a 2003 Top “40 Under Forty” honoree by The Network Journal, a New York City based magazine that focuses on African American professionals and small business news. His energy and commitment is evident, serving on Committees of both the District of Columbia, and Montgomery County (MD) Chambers of Commerce, and in The 100 Black Men of Greater Washington. He is a past chapter president of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.

Kevin started giving back early by tutoring children while attending Gonzaga High School. He has since continued tutoring, and working with children through The 100 Black Men of Greater Washington, D.C. Kevin enjoys reading non-fiction and watching movies, along with playing golf and chess. One of his childhood hobbies was creating cartoons. He would love to share this interest as he mentors a child interested in art. We are looking forward to Kevin helping to discover a foster care child’s abilities, as his abilities have been drawn out so successfully.