Staff

Marketea Abbott is the Post-Secondary Transition Coach at Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars. Since joining the team in 2020, Marketea works to engage with students throughout the college enrollment process by providing personalized outreach, coaching, and guidance. Marketea assists in coordinating senior-focused programming and experiences like FAFSA workshops, financial literacy training, comparing aid award letters, and more. As a proud alumni of the Next Level Scholars program herself, she brings highly relatable, first-hand knowledge and experience into her role. Currently, Marketea is a Junior at Hope College, pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work.

Marissa D’Angelo is the Next Level Scholars Program Manager at Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars. Marissa joined the team in 2019 to work alongside the Next Level Scholars Program Director in coordinating targeted experiences to support students as they prepare for life after high school. She is responsible for managing transportation logistics for events, creating event materials, and communicating with students, parents, advisers and other stakeholders. Prior to joining Dollars for Scholars, Marissa worked in higher education where she administered financial aid for students studying abroad, contributed to the First Generation Student Commission, and was a member of the Council for Non-Traditional Students. Marissa holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Michigan State University.

Jill Marecki is the Next Level Scholars Program Director at Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars. She is responsible for strategically planning all student programming and events for 10th through 12th grade students, as well as building strong partnerships and enhancing the organization’s data practices. Jill holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Kalamazoo College and a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Oakland University. Since 2010, Jill has dedicated her career to education and college access in Detroit. In 2018, Jill was recognized as Detroit 2020 Person of the Week by WXYZ Detroit Channel 7 for starting a scholarship fund and college success program to help her former students enroll and persist in college.

Erin Talbot is the Awards and Alumni Manager at Detroit Regional Dollars for Scholars. Erin joined the organization in 2017 as the Academic Support Coordinator, working to successfully execute the robust and holistic program Dollars for Scholars uses to prepare students for life after high school. Erin moved into the Awards and Alumni Manager role in 2018 with the goal to strategically engage program alumni throughout their post-secondary experiences and beyond. She has also navigated and implemented the organizations first donor-enhanced scholarship, manages half a million dollars in program scholarships each year, and has restructured the awards policy to provide individualized attention to incentivize post-secondary completion. Erin holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public and Nonprofit Administration from Grand Valley State University.