About Us

Mission

Odyssey Education Alliance (OEA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that is focused on enhancing the financial literacy of youths from disadvantaged and or low-income communities in the Atlanta Metropolitan region through practical real-life skills that is based on the theory of self-efficacy. Additionally, the mission of OEA is to help youths from such communities with post-secondary skills and support, by providing them with on-going academic tutoring, and College & Career preparedness skills.

According to Nelson Mandela,  ‘Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. ‘  And research has shown that education is a lifelong process. The goal of OEA is to support youths and families in acquiring practical real-life financial and mathematics skills through a curriculum designed based on principles of the theory of self-efficacy.

Vision

Our vision is to see a generation of young adults and families from disadvantaged background to be equipped with the necessary tools to make sound financial decisions. Our hope is that the knowledge provided by OEA will positively transform the relationship young adults and families from such communities have with money for life. 

Founder & Executive Director

Omar Sillah, Ph.D. is a lifelong learner and proud graduate of the University of Maryland College Park (Maryland), Howard University (Washington, D.C), and Mercer University (Atlanta, GA). Dr. Sillah is a passionate educator who believes that the key to transforming the lives of young people, especially those from disadvantaged and or challenging environments, is through comprehensive academic support and basic life skills training such as financial literacy, which is centered around the theory of social-emotional learning. Omar has been working with young people for the past decade in various capacities in mathematics education and financial literacy. Dr. Omar Sillah has been residing in Atlanta, GA since 2018.

Board Members

Dr. Brittany Bellamy, Ph.D.

Dr. Brittany N. Bellamy a native of Columbus, GA, is a first-generation graduate whose parents instilled within her and her brother, the importance of faith, family, education, and service. She has carried these values with her throughout her academic and vocational journeys. She began her collegiate career at Tuskegee University, and ultimately obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Valdosta State University. Shortly after, she obtained her master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in Community Organizing, Administration, and Policy from Howard University. Dr. Bellamy then proceeded to obtained her doctorate in Higher Education Leadership at Mercer University’s Tift College of Education. Aligning her affinity for HBCUs, and her personal experience with student loan debt as a first-generation graduate, her current research focuses on the psychological implications of indebtedness among first-generation graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Understanding the important role education has played in her life, Ms. Bellamy intentionally pursued her passion of creating avenues that would help improve the access to quality educational opportunities for others. While attending Howard University, she developed a scholarship initiative designed to provide communal and financial support to first-generation high school graduates in the Washington, D.C. area. Additionally, she interned as an education support specialist for an education advocacy non-profit organization and as a government relations specialist for a lobbying firm on Capitol Hill. She currently serves as a Senior Advisor within the Partner Engagement and Relationship Management Group of Federal Student Aid, a division of the United States Department of Education. Ms. Bellamy’s personal ministry involves evangelizing to teen girls and young adult women through mentorships and counseling, helping them identify and create their own path while developing and maintaining their faith.

Dr. Latoya Tolefree, Ph.D.

Dr. Latoya Tolefree currently resides in the Atlanta area. She is a first-generation college graduate who grew up with parents that value education and the power of community. She began her collegiate career at Bethune-Cookman University and earned a degree in elementary education. Shortly after, she obtained her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in reading and literacy from Lesley University. She then went on to obtain a specialist degree in early childhood education from the University of West Georgia and completed her doctoral studies in curriculum and instruction at Mercer University’s Tift College of Education. Dr. Tolefree is currently a school improvement coach and specializes in math at the elementary level. Her current research focuses on how literacy practices impact identity.

Latoya has presented at numerous educational conferences. She is a published author with research focused on the benefit of using trauma-informed pedagogies in classrooms while integrating literacy practices. She is a former Teacher of the Year in the state of Georgia and recent won the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators Distinguished Clinician in Teacher Education award.