​​Kylee is an AAP alumna who hails from Middletown, Delaware. After receiving her Associate in Arts degree in 2019 from the Wilmington campus, she transferred to Boston University, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in biomedical engineering. After her bachelor’s degree, she earned her master’s degree in biomedical engineering, also at Boston University. Kylee is currently employed as a systems test engineer in validation and verification at Insulet, a medical device company that develops, manufactures and distributes the Omnipod, a tubeless insulin pump for patients with Type I diabetes. ​​

​Rehoboth Beach resident Emma Ballentine knew from age 7 that she wanted to be a lawyer. She enrolled at the AAP with law school in mind and cites AAP Georgetown criminal justice professor Emma Jean Joseph as an inspiration. “Her story made me realize that it was actually possible for someone like me to attend law school,” she said. “She gave me hope while I was working on my associate degree.” Graduating from UD in 2021 with her criminal justice degree, Ballentine earned a full academic scholarship to Penn State Law. She is currently an intern at Penn State Law’s Criminal Appellate and Post-Conviction Clinic where, under the guidance of a professor, she and her fellow interns provide free legal assistance to incarcerated clients working on their appeals. Read more about Emma’s AAP experience and her plans after law school.

At her 2015 graduation from Cape Henlopen High School in Lewes, Amanda Rose Johnson had no idea that her teachers would become her colleagues just a few short years later. Amanda excelled academically during her time at UD, earning the Highest GPA award at her Associate in Arts Program convocation and three major awards at her UD graduation in 2020. “The AAP allowed me to explore my interests for my first two years of college,” Amanda said. “It was an amazing opportunity for me to take many different classes and really discover for myself what I wanted to do as a career. The professors were passionate about their content, which inspired me to find my passion as well.” Amanda has been teaching 11th grade American history at Cape Henlopen High School since 2020, where she is also yearbook advisor. She is currently working on her master’s degree in Teaching English Learners and plans to graduate in 2024. Read more about Amanda’s experiences at the AAP​ and her innovative use of educational technology while teaching during COVID.​

Future filmmaker Joseph Mezzatesta is a graduate student in the joint MBA/International Business program who will travel to Cambodia for 10 months to produce a documentary exploring digital education, digital transformation and the digital divide in partnership with Digital Divide Data, an AI data solutions and model fine tuning company. Mezzatesta’s Fulbright project is inspired by previous travels to Cambodia as a Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teacher and Peace Corps volunteer. He was recently nominated for the Delaware Governor’s award for his public service work and his short film, “Tunes to Remember,” produced for the State of Delaware, that explores how music therapy improves the lives of dementia patients. 

“I’m hopeful that my Fulbright experience will be a continuation of strengthening my skills as a global storyteller, allowing me to create films that connect people across cultures and highlight voices that are often overlooked,” he said. “Through interviews and on-the-ground storytelling, my project will examine how access to technology and education can shape economic opportunities and social mobility in underserved communities.”