Our Team

Lauren Hayat

Lauren Hayat is the founder of Eager Leaders. She has obtained a dual degree in Psychology and Communications from UCLA and now works as a Learning and Development Specialist at Gilead Sciences, creating professional development opportunities for employees across the organization. Lauren believes in the importance of integrating leadership into every child's life from an early start so they can be most successful in their academic years, careers, and efforts to change the world. She aims to foster a fun and creative learning environment for her students, and to impart in every child that they are never too young to make a difference.

Bea Cantero

Bea graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Development Communication. She is passionate about utilizing digital marketing and social media to amplify the impact and reach of organizations. Throughout her college years, Bea actively engaged with development and student organizations where her passion for helping others grew. She then took on a role in digital marketing and social media management for a local non-profit in the Philippines. Now, Bea is excited to use her skills and expertise to advance Eager Leaders’ mission to nurture and inspire a new generation of leaders.

Samantha Rubin-Pope

Samantha Rubin-Pope is a recent graduate of UCLA with a Bachelors in Environmental Studies, and is currently an Analyst at Palladium, an international development consultancy. At UCLA, she co-led Bearing Witness, a program that connects Holocaust survivors with students to exchange stories and build relationships. She also interned for the Diller Teen Tikkun Olam Awards, an honor given to selected teenagers who have demonstrated significant service and leadership in their communities. Through these experiences, Samantha has learned the importance of investing in youth to foster leadership skills that will make impactful change in their communities and beyond. She looks forward to bringing her knowledge and enthusiasm to the Eager Leaders team.

Adya Tewari - Intern

Adya Tewari is a freshman in high school who has taken the Eager Leaders course before. She is looking forward to interning and working with the program again because she enjoys giving back to others and she likes working with the new kids taking the course!