Home Team Bios
Brianna Pinto, leader for access/inclusivity for girls and women’s soccer with FIFA. Currently a UNC soccer star, Pinto was recently drafted (3rd pick overall) to Sky Blue, National Women’s Soccer League. Pictured here with her loving and supportive brothers, Malik and Hassan of Princeton and Elon/Duke, respectively. Cheer for them with us!
Brianna Pinto wrote: Growing up as a Black girl in Durham county set me up for all the success I have had today. Durham is a cultural melting pot where diversity is embraced. At Forest View Elementary, I was lucky to meet some of my longest best friends, including Marie Cox-McMahon, whom I currently attend UNC with. We were exposed to a plethora of new experiences, including art shows, sporting events, and the multicultural dining options that Durham has to offer. It allowed me to see the world in a new way and generated my thirst to travel the world to engage in many of the same activities that I did in my hometown.
Luckily, my passion for soccer has taken me to 22 countries while I have represented various U.S. Youth and Women’s National Teams. I have built meaningful relationships with people from all over the world, tried new foods, and learned about local cultures along the way. My family shares the same desire to travel, with our favorite trip to Jordan and Israel in 2016. We visited Petra and the Holy City and learned about all the religious history in the area.
I come from a family that values spending time with each other, building our faith, pursuing education, and playing sports. At UNC, I am fortunate to be a legacy of my two parents. My dad, Hassan, played soccer and my mom, Meleata, played softball at Carolina in the early 90s. By the grace of God, I fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing for Anson Dorrance in the UNC Women’s Soccer program. It has been the best 3 years I could’ve imagined. My brothers forged their own paths, which I have great admiration for. My older brother, Hass, went to Elon as an undergrad and was a part of the Elon soccer team. Since he had a fifth year of eligibility, he chose to pursue an MMS degree at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business, where he also played his final year of college soccer. My mom also got her MBA from Fuqua in 2011. Malik, my younger brother, is a freshman student-athlete at Princeton. Although COVID canceled his team’s season, he has recently moved to FC Cincinnati’s Academy to play soccer and take classes remotely. No matter where we are in the world, my family is devoted to supporting each other.
At Carolina, I am currently majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Spanish. It has opened many opportunities for me and has inspired my dream of working for FIFA after my professional soccer career. Although I am only a junior, I declared for the 2021 NWSL Draft and was selected #3 overall by Sky Blue FC. At the conclusion of the NCAA spring season, I will be starting my professional soccer career in New Jersey. Without the continuous support from my community, the unconditional love from my family, and the many blessings from the Lord, I would not be where I am today. I can confidently say that I am living the dream!
“My parents instilled values in me that you have a purpose in this world. Every day it is your responsibility to carry out what you’re in this world to do,” says Pinto as part of a conversation for Tar Heel Talk youtube/podcast. “So, in the face of adversity, I just put my head down and do what I need to do. At the end of the day, what others say or do to me isn’t going to impact me in the long run because I believe there is a plan for me.”
Emily and Marie Cox-McMahon— Durham, NC
Emily is a lifelong community organizer from a politically-active French-Louisiana family. As a mother of two 20-somethings, in a 30-year marriage with a physician/researcher/teacher Tim McMahon, Emily continues to search for ways to spread her determined, sense of hope for bringing others into her explorer-experimentalist mindset. Since elementary school, Emily found ways to shift alienating situations with the kind of questions or ideas that created change. Asking the teacher for two ropes for long-jump or the red ball for kickball and tromping the big field for recruits re-routed the separationist-habits that left so many kids with nothing to do at recess. Through her work and educational path Emily has relentlessly been a disruptor and community-builder–starting a pep squad in middle school, shaking up the segregated social scenes in high school and college (including the Greek system), fighting ageism, homophobia and sexism in the French Consulate, Cultural Services and Embassy (in New Orleans and Washington, DC). Emily found new friends in UNC’s school of social work and more supportive teachers who led to her experiences in community mental health. As a licensed clinical social worker, Emily advocates for more radically accessible and inclusive systems where bureaucracy and insurance companies promoted the very inequities (racial, gender, economic) that her mission seeks to relieve. Emily has never given up on a dogged commitment to community advocacy.
Emily and her daughter Marie, UNC Class of 2022, are co-founders of SisterScene, a supportive community for creative justice led by LGBTQ+ multiracial women and allies to deepen personal-creative connections for increased, shared engagement in social, civic, arts and social justice events and to demonstrate the benefit of outwardly committed cross-cultural, antiracist relationships. Let’s widen our circle of kinship.
We invite you to find time to listen, share and experience being seen and understood with new people. We are in a community of people who are also committed to understanding, embracing the combined power of art and justice, multiculturalism and antiracism. Creativity and justice will drive out hate.
Marie Cox-McMahon
Marie is a Junior at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill studying Public Policy and Socioeconomic justice. She is passionate about TV, movies, art, food, and social justice. She is proud to protest capitalism, racism, homophobia, misogyny, and the carceral state in her local community. Pogue Scholar student (merit award), author of feminist fiction calling out misogyny/capitalism in 2016; Duke Center for Documentary Studies School of Doc program student and guest intern; YouCanVote Voting Rights Ambassador.
Anne and Erin Light
Anne is a North Carolina native who earned both Bachelor of Arts in History and Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Duke. Anne’s 30 year career at Duke included roles in operations management, communications & marketing, finance & budgeting, and project management. What she really does is help people get what they need to make informed decisions, envision change, and get stuff done.
Erin, who previously served as social media coordinator for Durham CAN and attended Durham Public Schools with Brianna and Marie, is a senior at the University of Southern California (BS Architectural Studies). Erin is co-founder of Architecture+Advocacy which empowers communities to un-design the spatial injustices affecting their neighborhoods.
Lutricia Pat Callair, MSW, LCSW, is a strong, compassionate teacher, activist, writer and psychotherapist currently practicing in central NC and facilitates Hear and Now Conversations about racism and is soon releasing her first book: Soulful Conversations. Dedicated mother of two fabulous sons, Eric and Michael, and three grandchildren, Lutricia enjoys talking with friends around the globe, hiking and gardening in the Saxapahaw area, and mindful meditation!
Anusha Agarwal and Vandana Shah
Vandana Shah has worked in global health, public policy and international development for the last two decades. She has worked in countries around the world to support strong public health laws. Formerly, she was the Executive Director of the North Carolina Health and Wellness Trust Fund, a state foundation where she also advise the NC Governor on health policy. She has law degrees from Duke and Calcutta University and moved to the US from India, her native country nearly 25 years ago. She has been a very active member of the community having founded, KIRAN, a domestic violence organization for South Asians in NC and has served on the Boards of various health care and non-profit organizations. She is also a practicing Buddhist and has been active with various inter-faith groups. She has a passion for travel, food, film, reading and social change. She is committed to created a creating a supportive, nurturing environment for people of all races, religions, genders.
Her daughter Anusha is a sophomore at NYU – a gifted artist and writer, she is passionate about design, art and beauty in all its form
Nan Walker, Durham, NC
Writing and photography keep Nan out of trouble. She started with a Brownie Camera at age 8 photographing everything in her neighborhood. Originally from Indiana, Nan spent most of her life in Minnesota and after nine years here in Durham, she is still adjusting to the North Carolina summers. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin with a major in Speech, Nan worked in theatre, marketing communications, publishing, and management. She’s very happy to be retired and is looking forward to being able to travel again.
Meleata and Brianna Pinto
In July 2023 Meleata wrote: Today, we're recognizing women changing the field of engineering one degree at a time. Even in the 21st century, women are underrepresented in STEM. Stay determined and continue defying the gender gap odds! #WomenInEngineering #womenempoweringwomen
Meleata builds strategic marketing and business plans to drive results. With over 15 years of experience in the technology and media industries, she is known for developing a comprehensive vision for business investments and detailed operational plans to ensure the projects are executed in a timely and efficient manner. By leveraging my research and analysis skills, she is able to identify key customer insights that help supplement the visions and plans. Versatile and creative, her ability to build strong cross functional relationships also provides additional resources that help establish and maintain project momentum until completion.
Jasmé is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she honed the theater and music skills that have taken her to where she is today. As an actor, she's performed in educational, community and professional theatre across the southeast and New York.
As an educator, Jasmé's performing experiences and expertise moved beyond the classroom and into the communities she has served.
Jasme was the Director of "Blues in the Schools" program for the Hayti Heritage Center as well as the Bull Durham Blues Festival. She is a master clinician with tremendous experience in NYC classrooms, Durham, North Carolina, and many residential summer camps. She is a former Camp Director at ArtsQuest Camp.
Like no other musician you’ve heard, she combines gritty rock, soulful blues and infectious pop into a sound that is all her own. When you hear her music, you’ll never forget it. Jasmé is as adept on the big stage as she is in small intimate settings. Her major performances have been at the Durham Performing Art Center, Bergen Performing Arts Center, The Keswick Theatre and the Carolina Theatre. Club gigs include the Bitter End, S.O.B.’s., CBGB’s, Joe's Pub, Apache Café, Cat’s Cradle and Café Wha. She’s especially fond of her times at music festivals like the Bimbe Festival, CenterFest, Festifall and Bull Durham Blues Festival.
Her opening act credits include B.B. King, Buddy Buy, George Duke, Al DiMeola, Jon Luc Ponty, Al Jarreau, Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Ledisi, Chrisette Michelle, Maceo Parker, Kem, Boney James, Eric Bibb, Jonathan Butler and Peter White.
AWARDS
Jasme is a recipient of Emerging Artist Grant from the Durham County Arts Council, the Wallace Ray Peppers Award for outstanding performance from the University of North Carolina and the Best Supporting Actress award from The Independent.
Lisa A. Jones, Durham, NC, is a member of various community social justice-related boards. Poet, genealogist, and member of the William C Friday Fellowship for Human Relations.
Lisa A. “L.A.” Jones (a native of North Carolina) is a retired corrections administrator in the federal corrections system. Lisa spent her 30-year career in a variety of corrections positions and environments, becoming among the highest ranking African-American women in the federal prison. Her education consists of attendance at Southern Nazarene University, in Bethany, Oklahoma where she received a BS in Family Studies & Gerontology (Counseling Psychology specialization) and Saint Leo University, where she received a MS in Criminal Justice (dual specialization of Corrections & Behavioral Studies).
At the height of her career, Lisa decided to take her education, experience, and understanding of systems of incarceration and reassign those talents to the area of holistic re-entry programs and practices which create systemic change for justice-involved individuals, their families, and the communities in which they live. Her passion lies at the intersection of Criminal and Social Justice, where she works hard to bridge the two. All her work is done through a spiritually holistic lens. She is a member of various community social justice-related boards, poet, genealogist, and member of the William C Friday Fellowship for Human Relations.
Mateo and David with baby Ocean
David Oh’Arnold, uses the pronouns she/her, he/him and is proud to share the JOY of new parenthood and the extraordinary experience of leading a thriving local community health center, the Center for Radical Healing in Durham’s Lakewood neighborhood as a licensed clinical social worker. A native of New Orleans, David brings a rich appreciation for the beauty and struggle of growing up in the Deep South.
Lisa Garcia-Sampson
Rev. Lisa Garcia-Sampson serves as the Executive Director of Forward Together, The Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry of North Carolina. In this role, she has the pleasure of working alongside UUs across the state to do spiritually grounded justice work spanning racial, economic, immigrant, environmental and electoral justice. As part of her work, Lisa runs Friday Action Hour, a weekly gathering where people across the state come together to take action (making phone calls to elected officials, amplifying justice issues. etc) while being nourished by community and great music. SisterScene members are always welcome to be a part of our community on Fridays!
Lisa spent the first 32 years of her life living in the Northeast - mostly in Rhode Island. In 2018 she graduated from Boston University's School of Theology and went on to serve as the ministerial intern at First Church Boston. In June of 2019, Lisa just moved to the Triangle with her spouse Ry who is a Family Medicine Resident at Duke.
Mia, Simon, Claudia, and Jonas