Marcus O. Hicks, Esq. President and Chief Executive Officer
YouthCollege, Inc. started as an idea developed by Marcus O. Hicks, President & CEO in 1999. As President and CEO, Marcus is responsible for representing the organization, setting and guiding the direction of the organization, and making pertinent decisions, in conjunction with the Board of Directors, which will enable the organization to achieve its mission.

Marcus’ leadership achievements are numerous. He gained regional acclaim by being elected the first African-American Student Body President at the College of William & Mary, the 2nd oldest college in the nation. He is a graduate of the LeaderShape Institute located in Champaign, Illinois, as well as the Virginia Citizenship Institute, held at the University of Virginia Law School. He graduated William & Mary with a B.A. in Government. He later graduated from Seton Hall University School of Law with a Juris Doctor (J.D.), where he served as Student Director of the Seton Hall Legislative Journal. Marcus has served as Policy Counsel to Governor Richard Codey, and currently serves as Policy Advisor to Governor Jon. Corzine.

Jennifer D. Cariño, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operations Officer
Jennifer Cariño is the EVP and COO for YouthCollege, Inc. She supervises personnel and management of the organization. Jennifer earned her Masters Degree in Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management from George Mason University in Fairfax, VA and her Bachelor of Science in psychology from The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, VA. She has over 6 years experience working in the nonprofit sector and over 7 years experience working with youth and young adults.

Kristina L. Trauger, Chief Financial Officer
Kristina Trauger is the Chief Financial Officer for YouthCollege, Inc. In that capacity, she oversees and manages the organization’s finances. She is also responsible for working with the CEO to formulate an annual budget to be presented to the Board of Directors. She graduated with a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Seton Hall University Stillman School of Business and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Seton Hall University School of Law respectively. She currently works in securities and finance for Anslow & Jaclin, LLP.
She has worked in the financial department for a children’s home in Easton, PA. She has also served as a Volunteer with the Boys and Girls Club in Harrisburg, PA, and with an inner-city community center in Philadelphia, PA. She has also tutored underprivileged youth with an organization in Harrisburg, PA.

Darlene A. Ramos, Esq. Chief Marketing Officer
As Chief Marketing Officer, Darlene Ramos coordinates media, advertising and press relations for YouthCollege, Inc. Darlene has earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Psychology from Seton Hall University, graduating magna cum laude, and a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Seton Hall University School of Law. While in law school, she did pro bono work for the Holocaust Reparations Program and Public Defender’s Office. Upon graduation from law school, Darlene served as a judicial law clerk to The Honorable Shirley A. Tolentino, Superior Court of New Jersey, Criminal Division, Hudson County. A practicing attorney admitted to the New Jersey State Bar and The District of Columbia, Darlene is currently a member of the American Bar Association and Hispanic National Bar Association.

National Board of Directors

France Casseus, Esq. Chairwoman Attorney
As Chairwoman of the Board of Directors, France Casseus is responsible for ensuring the board successfully carries out its responsibilities and stay focused on the mission of the organization by governing over the board meetings and working as a liaison between the board and the managing team. France graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree (B.A.) in English from Seton Hall University . She later earned a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Seton Hall University School of Law, where she served as the former president of the Black Law Students Association.

Zoila Cassanova, Attorney at Law, J.D., M.S., B.S.
Zoila is an Attorney in the New York State Unified Court System. She received her Jurist Doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2004. In 2001, she was the recipient of the National Hispanic Bar Association Scholarship where the then Executive Counsel, Roberto Gonzalez was also honored. Ms. Cassanova has a Masters of Science in Education and was a licensed New York State Teacher. She is an inductee of the Academic Honor Societies: Delta Kappa Phi, Kappa Delta Pi. Ms. Cassanova earned her Bachelors of Science from Pace University where she was later employed as the Associate Director of the Enrollment Information Systems Division. She is a member of the New York County Lawyer’s Association, Puerto Rican Bar Association and Hispanic National Bar. Ms. Cassanova resides in New Jersey with her husband and two children.

Lucky Narain
Humanitarian; Policy Management