Arlena Dongilli joined the Golden LEAF Foundation in August 2021. As the Scholarship Program Manager, Arlena leads strategy, outreach, and engagement efforts for current, alumni, and future Golden LEAF Scholars. She also manages awards to administering entities to support program implementation, as well as provides additional scholarship enhancement opportunities such as the Rural Internship Initiative.
Before joining Golden LEAF, Arlena worked for Teach For America – Eastern North Carolina as a Teach for America Corps Member in Halifax and Northampton county schools and as Director, Incoming Corps Member Pipeline, where she led the region’s efforts to onboard and hire corps members.
A native of Rockingham County, Arlena holds a master’s degree in Elementary Education from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Strategic Communication from UNC-Chapel Hill. She serves on the Edgecombe Community College Foundation Board. Arlena lives in Rocky Mount with her husband, Shane, and daughter, Camryn.