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Category: Staff

Suri Raut

SURI RAUT

Faculty Advisor

Suri Raut has been teaching for the special education department at Yorktown High School in Arlington, Virginia for eight years, specializing in Biology and Earth Science. He is the school advisor for the Best Buddies and Special Olympics programs. Prior to working at Yorktown, Suri was the Academic Coordinator for the Mason LIFE Program, which provides college aged students with intellectual and developmental disabilities a comprehensive university experience here at GMU. He helped develop curriculum and supervised the instructors in becoming special education teachers. Suri obtained his Master’s in Special Education at Mason and has been a proud member of Patriot Nation ever since. Though he loves all sports, Suri is an avid fan of the Caps! Suri also loves catching live shows, relaxing on the beach, camping, hiking and exploring new countries.

Alejandro Castillo

ALEJANDRO CASTILLO

Junior Faculty Advisor

Alejandro Castillo is originally from Venezuela and came to the U.S. six years ago. He
graduated from Northern Virginia Community College with an Associate’s Degree in
Engineering, and is currently a senior majoring in Computer Science at Virginia Tech,
where he earned a spot on the Spring 2025 Dean’s List. He is also a founding member and co-secretary of VSO (Venezuelan Student Organization) at VT. He wants to specialize in software development and plans to pursue a Masters in that field. He is fluent in English, Spanish, and German, and his hobbies include playing the piano, listening to music, and videogames.

Courtney Gordon

COURTNEY GORDON

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2022

Courtney is a rising Junior at George Mason University pursuing a BA in Environmental and Sustainability Studies with a concentration in Conservation and Sustainability. She credits WYSE for sparking her passion for environmental sustainability. Outside of school, Courtney thoroughly enjoys watching and rating rom-coms/romantic dramas from the 1980s-2010s; she has a book dedicated to rating these movies. She is ecstatic to give the WYSE Youth Delegates of 2025 the same life changing experience that the program gave to her three years ago.

Faith Fulton

FAITH FULTON

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2023

Faith is currently a rising sophomore at Shepherd University majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry. She has a passion for animals and enjoys being outside. Faith
can’t wait to work with all the students this summer!

Josephine Santanello

JOSEPHINE SANTANELLO

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2022

Josephine is from Staten Island, New York and is a rising sophomore at Adelphi
University. She is pursuing environmental science, intending to pick up a minor in
biology and graduate with her bachelor’s degree. WYSE is what inspired Josephine
to pursue environmentalism. From a young age, she has always been so passionate
about nature, and in her free time, she enjoys traveling, thrifting, making art, and
reading. Josephine is so excited to be welcomed back into WYSE!

Lori Williams

LORI WILLIAMS

Junior Faculty Advisor, WYSE Alum 2023

Lori is a rising sophomore at the College of William and Mary from Charlotte, NC. She plans to double major in Environmental Sustainability and Public Policy. Her passion for the environment strengthened at WYSE, and her favorite memories from WYSE include her field visit to Skyline Caverns and exploring D.C. She aspires to pursue a career in environmental policy and justice. At school, she is part of the compost club and Greek life and enjoys spending time outdoors. She loves reading, painting, and traveling to National Parks. Lori is excited to return to WYSE!

Jeff Fusco

JEFF FUSCO

Counselor

Jeff is the Associate Director of Regional Admissions at George Mason University and is remotely based out of Orlando, FL. He has worked at Mason since 2018 and primarily recruits students from the Southeast United States. Originally from Western Massachusetts, Jeff attended GMU as an out-of-state student and graduated with his B.A. in Communication in 2013. After graduating he moved to Florida and received his Master’s degree in Curriculum Development from the University of South Florida in 2015. In his free time, Jeff enjoys going to concerts, traveling, exploring theme parks, distance running and spending time with his dog, Bailey.

Amber Brown

AMBER BROWN

Advanced Team

Amber is a college sophomore from Portsmouth, Virginia. Amber attends the University of Alabama and is pursuing a degree in Social Work. She has attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference (WJMC) as a correspondent, came back as an intern, and now is excited to work on the advance team! Her WJMC experience was one of the best experiences of her life and she loves to help create that experience for incoming Delegates at WYSE!

Avi Kopec

AVI KOPEC

Advance Team

Avi is a rising junior at George Mason University pursuing a Computer Science degree with a Business minor. He grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he spent almost all of his free time playing hockey or golf. On campus, he is a part of Alpha Kappa Psi, the professional business fraternity. When he is done with his undergraduate career, he aims to pursue a master’s in software engineering. In his career, he hopes to find himself somewhere in the intersection of tech, business, and law.

Hannarose Schiano

HANNAROSE SCHIANO

Junior Faculty Advisor, Photography

Hannarose is a rising sophomore at the University of North Georgia, where she works for the Nighthawk Sports Network and contributes to The Vanguard, the university’s student newspaper. She is pursuing a degree in Communications with a concentration in Multimedia Journalism. In 2023, she attended the Washington Journalism and Media Conference at George Mason University. Hannarose is thrilled to return to Washington, D.C., and be part of the team this summer!