Promise Scholar Alumni Join the Hartford Promise Team
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Joseph Zwiebel, jzwiebel@hartfordpromise.org
Hartford Promise is pleased to announce that Talia Clarke and Hasion Gaston have joined the Hartford Promise team as Promise Coaches. Ms. Clarke and Mr. Gaston will be key members of Hartford Promise’s Reaching Forward Team and will help to ensure the success of nearly 500 active Hartford Promise Scholars, at over 80 colleges and universities across the country. “We are thrilled that Hasion and Talia have joined us.” says Dr. Sivan Hines, Senior Director of College Partnerships and Scholar Success at Hartford Promise. “The two Promise Coach positions are brand new for Hartford Promise and greatly increase our capacity. As former Promise Scholars, Talia and Hasion bring fresh new ideas as well as their own lived experiences to our work, and they will be an integral part of supporting our incredibly talented Promise Scholars right through college, and into successful careers.”
Talia Clarke is a resident of Hartford, and a 2020 graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, with a BS in Public Health. She spent a semester abroad studying at the Public Health Institute at Liverpool John Moores University in 2019. Before joining Hartford Promise, Ms. Clarke worked as a Nutrition Education Consultant at the Hartford Public Schools. Prior to that, she was an Americorps Service Member, where she served at Food Corps at Hartford Public Schools Child Nutritional Services. - As a Hartford Promise Scholar alumnus, "says Ms. Clarke, I’m thrilled to join the Hartford Promise team. I want to help scholars develop a profound sense of self, community and wellness, because I believe that a college education is a driver of both health and prosperity. My passion for working with students will help me ensure that the next generation of Hartford Promise Scholars has the tools they need to succeed.”
Hasion Gaston resides in Hartford, and is a 2020 graduate of Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York, with BS degree in Social Work. Mr. Gaston Studied abroad at Marist’s Freshmen Florence Experience in Florence Italy between September of 2016 and May of 2017. At Marist, Mr. Gaston was the President of the Black Student Union, as well as an intern and mentor at the Marist Liberty Partnership Program. Prior to joining Hartford Promise, he was a Statewide Community Organizer at both Community Action Works, and at the Katal Center in Harford. “I’ve dedicated my career to youth development and connecting communities to opportunities for growth,” says Mr. Gaston. “I’m eager to bring that passion and experience to my new role as a Reaching Forward Coach to support Hartford Scholars on their journey.”
About Hartford Promise: Hartford Promise is a large-scale college scholarship and college success program for Hartford Public Schools students. Hartford Promise provides individual students from Hartford Public high schools who have maintained a B average, had a 93% attendance rate, and resided in Hartford with up to $20,000 in scholarships to attend the college of their choice, along with providing the support services and key relationships that lead to college success. There are currently 480 Hartford Promise Scholars attending 90 different colleges all over the country. They are succeeding at a high rate, and many are returning to Hartford to give back and be part of a diverse talented pipeline of professionals and employees.
Hartford Promise is pleased to announce that Talia Clarke and Hasion Gaston have joined the Hartford Promise team as Promise Coaches. Ms. Clarke and Mr. Gaston will be key members of Hartford Promise’s Reaching Forward Team and will help to ensure the success of nearly 500 active Hartford Promise Scholars, at over 80 colleges and universities across the country. “We are thrilled that Hasion and Talia have joined us.” says Dr. Sivan Hines, Senior Director of College Partnerships and Scholar Success at Hartford Promise. “The two Promise Coach positions are brand new for Hartford Promise and greatly increase our capacity. As former Promise Scholars, Talia and Hasion bring fresh new ideas as well as their own lived experiences to our work, and they will be an integral part of supporting our incredibly talented Promise Scholars right through college, and into successful careers.”
Talia Clarke is a resident of Hartford, and a 2020 graduate of Southern Connecticut State University, with a BS in Public Health. She spent a semester abroad studying at the Public Health Institute at Liverpool John Moores University in 2019. Before joining Hartford Promise, Ms. Clarke worked as a Nutrition Education Consultant at the Hartford Public Schools. Prior to that, she was an Americorps Service Member, where she served at Food Corps at Hartford Public Schools Child Nutritional Services. - As a Hartford Promise Scholar alumnus, "says Ms. Clarke, I’m thrilled to join the Hartford Promise team. I want to help scholars develop a profound sense of self, community and wellness, because I believe that a college education is a driver of both health and prosperity. My passion for working with students will help me ensure that the next generation of Hartford Promise Scholars has the tools they need to succeed.”
Hasion Gaston resides in Hartford, and is a 2020 graduate of Marist College, Poughkeepsie, New York, with BS degree in Social Work. Mr. Gaston Studied abroad at Marist’s Freshmen Florence Experience in Florence Italy between September of 2016 and May of 2017. At Marist, Mr. Gaston was the President of the Black Student Union, as well as an intern and mentor at the Marist Liberty Partnership Program. Prior to joining Hartford Promise, he was a Statewide Community Organizer at both Community Action Works, and at the Katal Center in Harford. “I’ve dedicated my career to youth development and connecting communities to opportunities for growth,” says Mr. Gaston. “I’m eager to bring that passion and experience to my new role as a Reaching Forward Coach to support Hartford Scholars on their journey.”
About Hartford Promise: Hartford Promise is a large-scale college scholarship and college success program for Hartford Public Schools students. Hartford Promise provides individual students from Hartford Public high schools who have maintained a B average, had a 93% attendance rate, and resided in Hartford with up to $20,000 in scholarships to attend the college of their choice, along with providing the support services and key relationships that lead to college success. There are currently 480 Hartford Promise Scholars attending 90 different colleges all over the country. They are succeeding at a high rate, and many are returning to Hartford to give back and be part of a diverse talented pipeline of professionals and employees.

PRESS RELEASE: Reaching Forward Coaches |