Dr. Emmanuel - Founder and President
Emmanuel or "Emma" as he is fondly called by his family is a resident physician in Kentucky. He has been an avid advocate for child education in West Africa the last six years. Immediately he found out he was accepted to medical school, he deferred his admission so he could work as a chemist for a few years to raise enough money to start educating disenfranchised kids in Nigeria. He continued to manage the school as a first year medical student but then eventually established Child Scholars, the 501c-3 non profit to help sustain the project after he was egged on by friends and family who wanted to support him.
Kaylee - Director of Operations
Kaylee is a passionate and seasoned educator with over 6 years of teaching experience at the high school and middle school level. She obtained her Bachelors in Biology and Master of Arts in Teaching from Lee University and has been very involved in helping structure our Child Scholars curriculum. She received the Gary L. Riggins Writing Award in 2013 for her thesis paper.
Dr. Eddie and Renee - Director -Child Scholars Academy
Dr. Edward Brown (Professor of Chemistry) earned a Ph.D. at the University of Tennessee in Organic Chemistry. He teaches General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and the associated labs. He hopes to work towards helping Child Scholars establish an e-learning academy to reach many more kids in the very near future.
In the summers, Dr. Brown accompanies students to Rio Viejo, Honduras where students, professors, and alumni work together to provide needed medical, pharmaceutical, optical and dental services. Throughout the year, Dr. Brown enjoys playing tennis with students. He and his wife Renee have been so supportive of our efforts and we are honored to have them on our board.
Dr. Gary - Director of Grants
For the last four decades, Dr. Gary L. Riggins has been a professional educator. He has lived and taught in three states (Georgia, Tennessee, and Florida) and in two other countries (Sierra Leone and South Africa). His research interests include teacher traits and characteristics and environmental settings for teaching and learning. He has presented his research at both national and international conferences and universities.
Sara - Director - Kenya project
Sara is a medical student and a southern California native. She received her undergraduate degrees in biology and dance. Sara has always had a passion for global health and service. She was fortunate to obtain a month-long internship in Nakuru, Kenya, in June 2018 where she volunteered at the local hospital and Ngala School for the Deaf. Her experience there inspired
her to partner with her colleague and Child Scholars to tackle the many challenges deaf children face in Kenya. She is excited to be a part of the Child Scholars’ team!
Macahan - Director - Kenya Project
Macahan is also currently a medical student who also is passionate about addressing health disparities. He worked at Nakuru, Kenya in 2018 with Sara. Macahan is excited about making a difference and transforming lives in these communities as we expand our reach across East Africa and beyond.
